Great Gatherings picture special from the Ladies Bike Gathering
All-women bike meet proves popular again
‘It’s great to see more women involved in biking’
Torrential rain may well have doused one of the hottest summers on record, but it did little to put off those who wanted to be part of the world’s largest all-female meet in Shropshire on Sunday. From early morning a steady stream of soggy riders rolled into Lynn’s Raven Café in Whitchurch and as numbers in the bike park began to swell so did the festival atmosphere.
The intention had been to challenge last year’s recordbreaking 1132 women, but weather conditions meant they fell a little short. But the 443 riders who did sign in certainly made up for any deficit with humour, camaraderie and enthusiasm.
“It’s really cool to be a part of it,” said global adventurer Steph Jeavons. “And it’s great to see more and more women getting involved in biking. There’s everything here from superbikes to 125s.” Cross country rider Sarah Moreau and the founder of Black Girls Ride magazine, Porsche Taylor, had flown in from California to attend. “Everybody’s smiling and the place is so full of life,” said Porsche. “An example of worldwide sisterhood.” Everyone we spoke to couldn’t praise the event enough, but it wouldn’t have happened without the efforts of organisers Sherrie Woolf and Nimi Patel. “We want to be taken seriously as riders and not just as pillions,” said Sherrie. “Manufacturers need to be aware that we are here to buy, too.” Vanessa Buxton of women-only club, Curvy Riders, added: “We make biking accessible to women. Life is short; do something with it.”