(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
A new initiative launched in Portland aims to get more women racing bikes on the road. Let’s Race Bikes! is a coalition led by local teams that want to see larger women’s fields at races throughout Oregon.
“Basically, a group of women have joined together because we saw a need to “market” Road racing in Oregon,” says Let’s Race Bikes! Board Member Karey Miles. “Over the past few years we have seen drops and inconsistencies in numbers of women racing their bikes, especially on the road.”
The effort has kicked off with a website and the support of four major teams: Therapeutic Associates; Sorella Forte; West Coast Women’s Cycling; and Upper Echelon Fitness. The objectives of the group (according to their website) are:
- To encourage new and former racers to come out and enjoy road racing with their friends.
- To make racing more accessible to more women of all abilities by providing numerous skills practice opportunities througout the year.
- To support womens racing by raising funds for women’s race prizes and other efforts throughout the year.
Miles says their focus on Portland, but they are planning to branch out and create “focus groups” in Eugene, Bend, and other areas. Interested teams can designate a representative to get involved by emailing hello [at] letsracebikes [dot] com.
A big launch party is planned for December 8th at 7:00 pm at PACE Fitness (4829 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd). Learn more at LetsRaceBikes.com.