CycloFemme celebrates women in cycling

More than 160 rides around the world roll out today

Sarai Snyder

Published: May 13, 2012 at 5:22 am

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It started as a simple idea — to celebrate and empower women with the bicycle. Today, May 13th, thousands of women and men around the globe are participating in one of the more than 160 CycloFemme rides.

Sarai Snyder, founder of GirlBikeLove, launched CycloFemme.

“Women have had very strong ties with the bike since its inception,” Snyder said. “For women in the 1890s the bicycle was a form of independence, which helped lead to the emancipation of women and the opportunity to wear pants. Today, women’s cycling is gaining momentum worldwide, with more emphasis on women’s racing and encouragement to get more women and youth riding bikes.”

GirlBikeLove is selling CycloFemme temporary tattoos online, which many pro riders have been wearing. Snyder hopes that some of the racers in the Amgen Tour of California will wear the tattoos, too, in support of women on bikes.

“For many women and young girls around the world, the bicycle is vital for safety, provides the opportunity to attend school, access to health care, and economic independence,” Snyder said. “The bicycle is a vehicle for social change and we need more women leading that charge.”

Find out more on CycloFemme.com, or by searching Twitter and Instagram for the hashtag #CycloFemme.