OVER 100 women saddled up for a barrier-breaking bike ride around Worcester.
This month’s Critical Mass group bike ride, on Saturday March 15, marked International Women’s Day.
It was an opportunity to highlight the joy and possibilities of cycling, while also reflecting on the barriers and challenges faced by women who cycle in Worcester.
Beck Baker, a regular Critical Mass attendee, said: “We want to support, include and inspire more women and girls to use a bike to get around, whether that’s returning after a gap, or learning to ride a bike for the first time.”
Critical Mass events are world-wide and started in San Francisco, America, in 1992. They are held each month in more than 300 cities, to call for planners and government decision-makers to consider the needs of cyclists and pedestrians as road users. Worcester’s Critical Mass bike ride, supported by Bike Worcester, started after the pandemic in June 2021 and typically attracts 50 to 100 cyclists at each event.
Worcester has a strong reputation for inspiring women in cycling. Last year, Coun Hannah Cooper was named in Cycling UK’s Top 100 Women in Cycling list, joining Katie Collier and Georgie Tucker who were listed in the 2023 edition.
Bike Worcester has collected testimonies and statements from over 100 women, from 12 years-old to over 80, sharing their experiences and why they they love to cycle in and around Worcester, as part of their weekly routine.
Read more Worcester Women Cycle stories at www.bikeworcester.org.uk/worcester-women-cycle
