Bicycle Belles work to turn more women into pedal pushers

A group that wants to encourage more women to take up cycling got into gear on Saturday with an inaugural ride and brunch.

The inspiration for the Bicycle Belles’ formation was last year’s municipal bicycle count, which found women made up only 21 per cent of the 19,476 cyclists counted in the survey.

The Bicycle Belles want to get more women on bikes through events like Sunday’s inaugural ride and by speaking to women and learning what may be preventing them from pedalling.

Eleanor Bash, a spokeswoman for the Bicycle Belles, said one of the things they’ve learned so far is that some women don’t feel safe negotiating traffic on a bike, specifically when encountering aggressive motorists.

“The lack of available infrastructure can be a little more intimidating for women,” she said.

Ward 9 Coun. Gian- Carlo Carra, a cycling advocate and a two- wheeled commuter himself, said the city’s planned network of cycle tracks — bike lanes separated from traffic — should help cyclists and would- be riders feel more safe on the roads.

“That will bring us from nowhere, to parity with some of the most progressive cities in North America,” Carra said.

“Separated cycling infrastructure will encourage more people to ride.”

But grassroots groups also have a role to play in getting more people on bikes, and women are definitely an under- represented group, Carra added.

“I’m really excited there’s a move afoot to encourage more people,” he said.

The Bicycle Belles plan to offer clinics aimed at empowering women them to claim their place on the roads — and in the culture of cycling — with tips on things such as safe winter riding and bicycle maintenance.

“It can be intimidating to go into a bike shop and be treated like you don’t know what you’re talking about or you don’t know what you want,” Bash said.

The Bicycle Belles also solicited ideas from women at Saturday’s ride that could provide fodder for future events, said Bash.

In the meantime, the Belles plan to hold their next event on Oct. 5. It will be a group ride from Edworthy Park to Inglewood, where riders will participate in a 90- minute session at a local studio.

You can find out more about the Bicycle Belles and their upcoming events via their Facebook account, Bicycle Belles YYC.

City of Calgary/ Calgary Herald A city survey done last year found that only 21 per cent of Calgary’s almost 20,000 cyclists were women. Eleanor Bash of the Bicycle Belles says many women don’t feel safe riding a bike in traffic.