Cycling Australia, in conjunction with the Amy Gillett Foundation, Mountain Bike Australia, AustCycle, Cycling Queensland and Cycling New South Wales, is excited to announce the launch of a new national riding initiative for women, called She Rides.
She Rides will run between May and July and is aimed at women over the age of 30 who want to ride for health, transport, fitness and fun but lack the access, skills, confidence or support to make a change. Nine pilot programs will be delivered in New South Wales and Queensland, with the opportunity for expansion into other states in the future.
The release of She Rides comes at a time when bike riding and cyclist safety is a high priority in Australia, following a number of serious incidents between cars and bike riders in recent weeks.
‘The most important consideration by women when considering taking up bike riding for fun, fitness, transport or sport is safety,’ says said CEO of the Amy Gillett Foundation, Tracey Gaudry. ‘The She Rides program is delivered in a safe, relaxed environment by qualified AustCycle and Mountain Bike teachers and skills coaches to help women build bike and mechanical skills confidence with an emphasis on safety.’
Cycling Australia’s interim CEO Adrian Anderson agrees with this, and says She Rides will be a key step forward in increasing the number of women riding in the community.
‘This is a wonderful initiative and Cycling Australia is delighted to see the She Rides program come to fruition,’ said Anderson. ‘Increasing the number of women riding for recreational purposes is an important priority for Cycling Australia and I encourage our network of members to support and promote the program to their female friends and family members.’
Earlybird registrations are now open online and program locations are available via the She Rides social media platforms (Facebook – SheRidesAU and Twitter – @SheRidesAU) as well as the Cycling Australia, Mountain Bike Australia and AustCycle websites. Registrations close 24 April.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
