Like the bread and butter of the sport, local clubs have been a part of road cycling for decades, providing members with riding buddies, an often inexhaustible source of knowledge, and in many cases a support network.

Behind any successful cycling club, you’ll almost always find a very hard working individual, or even a group of them. Rides needs to be coordinated, ride leaders sought out and kept track of, annual events often require a massive amount of admin – without this, the club would cease to be.

We spoke to 47-year-old mum of three, Bee Gregorie, who founded Kent Velo Girls in 2008, to find out how much goes into running one of the largest women’s cycling clubs in the country, and what rewards she takes from it.

Kent Velo Girls, or KVG, has been hugely successful and grown quickly. Busy Bee, a former Nurse turned Sports Message Therapist AND Level 3 British Cycling Coach, explained: “I started the club, after getting dropped endlessly on mixed tri club rides – I just wanted some women to ride with. I thought a pool of 10 would be great! Now we have over 200 women (and 70 kids and Kent Velo Boys, as well). So I am never short of someone to ride with.”