IT is at least one area where the gender gap appears to be closing – and it’s all thanks to pedal power.

The number of girls cycling to school has almost tripled a decade on from the launch of a pioneering cycling initiative.

Sustainable transport charity Sustrans said its “I Bike” programme, which kicked off in 2009, has seen the number of girls getting on their bikes rise from 2.8 per cent to 7.9% last year.

And head of behaviour change Lynn Stocks insists the next 10 years can be even better.

She said: “We’re really proud of the role I Bike has played in schools across Scotland in creating a walking and cycling culture with parents, teachers and pupils.

”I Bike is the most successful and established active travel programme working in schools across Scotland.

“It has encouraged children to be more active, taught pupils vital skills and confidence in cycling, and helped to increase the number of girls travelling actively to school.

“Over the next 10 years we want to see even more local authorities, schools and volunteers signing up to our programme to help children lead healthier, independent and more active lives.”

While comparable figures are not available for boys, Sustrans said that after one year of its scheme the number of boys cycling to school rose from 5.9% to 10.5%.

The findings follow research from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Health Survey which shows girls are less likely than boys to meet the recommended physical activity recommendations.

The I Bike scheme aims to promote walking, cycling and scootering in schools across Scotland – with a particular focus on girls.

This has seen more than 6,200 activities aimed at girls in the past three years alone in an effort to reduce the gender gap which sees more boys cycling to school.

Since 2009, Sustrans has worked in a total of 375 schools across Scotland, engaging with more than 75,000 pupils.

As a result, those schools taking part have seen an average of 7.1% of pupils travel to school by bike, compared to the national average of 3.7%.

It comes as I Bike celebrates its tenth anniversary today at Pentland Primary in Edinburgh, one of the first schools to register for the programme.

Ex-professional mountain biker Lee Craigie, the Active Nation Commissioner for Scotland, said I Bike had inspired young people – particularly girls – to get on their bike and live a more active life.

She said: “By teaching pupils the skills to cycle safely, and by discovering the sense of freedom that can come from two wheels, it’s not surprising that where I Bike is deployed in schools, you see more pupils choosing to walk and cycle.

“So much has been achieved in the last ten years of I Bike in Scotland. This couldn’t be achieved without plenty of support from the inspirational volunteers which help bring the programme to pupils across the country.”

One mum, 43-year-old Angela from Falkirk, credited the I Bike programme with building her seven-year-old daughter’s confidence on two wheels.

The library assistant said: “Now that Skye is cycling and wanting to be outdoors more, it has prompted me to get my own bike, so that I can go out with her. It’s good to be able to lead by example, and hopefully it will encourage her to do more.”

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Edinburgh’s transport leader, said I Bike had proved “extremely valuable for encouraging young people and their families to take up active travel in Edinburgh and across Scotland”.

She said she was delighted to be returning to celebrate its tenth anniversary at Pentland Primary School, “where the scheme has had a real impact over the last decade”..