Women find support in Philly biking community

One year ago, I wrote this piece about Women Bike PHL, the program I founded at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia in the spring of 2013. Through beginner-friendly bike rides, Urban Riding Basics classes, social events, and a Facebook group that just last week broke the 1000-member mark, Women Bike PHL inspires more Philadelphia women to start riding a bike, and educates and encourages them along that journey.

This fall, I thought it was time for a little check-in - because Women Bike PHL is still here, in a big way, and in fact our community is growing every day. Our Wednesday morning "Coffee Club" meetups (8-9am at a different Philly coffee shop each week) are drawing 15-20 attendees lately, and our Facebook group is active every single day.

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite stories of what this community has accomplished together - and hopefully inspire a few of my women readers to join our Facebook group and/or come to an upcoming event, too!

The Women Bike PHL Facebook group serves as a platform for women to share their accomplishments, struggles, questions, and advice about biking in the Philadelphia region with each other.

New riders often post questions about what to look for in a bike, or where to ride it - a process that can be confusing and tricky to many new riders becomes a little simpler with the help of a supportive group of women happy to explain the difference between a hybrid and a road bike, or warn people not to bike down Broad Street, for instance.

When the Schuylkill last flooded, our Facebook group became a space for live-updates of which parts of the trail were and were not passable - bike commuters were able to make last-minute route choices based on the photos other cyclists helpfully shared with the group.

The everyday challenges of riding in the city - for example, harassment by motorists who honk and drive aggressively around cyclists - are made easier to bear with a community of ladies to help laugh it off.

Once, I arrived home from work in tears after a driver screamed and swerved his truck at me simply for riding in the lane (where I'm legally allowed to be). I leaned on the group for support and strategies - how do other cyclists deal with this behavior?

My favorite response was from a woman who says she gives aggressive thumbs up signs to drivers who harass her - by showering them with positivity, she chooses to confuse and embarrass them rather than escalate a negative situation. Good call.

My absolute favorite moments are when women accomplish a biking-related goal and credit our community with helping them get there. Such as these quotes from members of the Facebook group:

"I recently moved to Germantown and biked to my office in center city today for the first time! Thanks for all of the suggestions and encouragement. This group is awesome!" 

"Today I biked out to Valley Forge, and I'm sure I never would have without the encouragement of this group!" 

"So a huge THANK YOU to all of you. You might not know it but you are an inspiration. I finally got the courage up and rode to work this morning in Rittenhouse. I am still shaky but it is SO helpful to have this group and hear all your tips. Thank you!"

As a supplement to the Facebook group, our weekly Coffee Clubs serve as real-life, face-to-face opportunity for both new and experienced female cyclists to mingle, offer advice, celebrate or gripe, or whatever's needed.

Some of my favorite stories from Coffee Club are when women find buddies for rides or adventures among the group. Once, a recreational rider who wanted to start biking to work mentioned to the group that her commute took her from Queen Village to Drexel. Lo and behold, another, more experienced urban rider in the group had the same commute and offered to ride with her for her first time!

Last week, our Coffee Club had special guests: some women involved in Gearing Up, a local bicycle program for women in transition from addiction, incarceration, and/or abuse, joined us for our morning cup of joe. It was really heartwarming to see the Women Bike PHL community embrace these newer women bicyclists and make them feel welcome.

Which brings me to my final small plea…. I was recently honored by a nomination for Be Well Philly's Health Hero Challenge for my work with Women Bike PHL. If I win, not only do LOTS more Philadelphia women hear about the Women Bike PHL program, but I will get $3,000 to donate directly to Gearing Up. No pressure, but I'd love your vote so we can get more gals riding bicycles in our city!

And if you're a woman who loves riding a bike - or think you might - see you in our Facebook group or Coffee Club soon...