Once upon a time, city employee Janis McDonald was counting bikes (yes, they have people that do that) and she noticed that only 1 out of 3 riders were female. Bummed that more women weren’t riding she decided to start the Women on Bikes Program.
Since May, the series of rides and clinics has attracted tons of ladies eager to get together, share experiences and bond over bikes. And, since this ride is put on by the City of Portland, they’ve got prizes to give away and a chance to win a Breezer bike if you complete an evaluation form! Wow, that would be cool.
Sorry it’s so last minute, but THIS Saturday (9/24) is the final ride of the series. To join in the fun, meet at Laurelhurst Park (SE33rd/SE Oak) at 9 am. The ride will go out to Marine Drive via the I-205 Bike Path.
For more information email janis.mcdonald@pdxtrans.org or call her at (503) 823-5358.
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.
This is very typical of cities and countries with low cycling – most of the cyclists are male. You might say it’s symptomatic of cultures where cycling is not seen as a mainstream or normal activity.
When the promotion of cycling is successful, then there comes a point where the proportion of cyclists who are women increases sharply. See my paper on “Cycling, gender and critical mass” for further info: http://www.londonanalytics.info/research-journal/#i1