This past Wednesday, our monthly ’2 Wheels & Heels’ ride took place. We met up at the fantastic Brother’s Drake Meadery where if you haven’t been – get your arse there and they just built a patio equipped with nicely, welded bike racks. They are ‘everything’ bikes over there and some of the most amazing and inspiring people that I’m happy to call friends.
THIRTY women showed up, dressed in the everyday comforts from their closet. I met so many new and lovely women that my heart was over-flowing. We rode a little over seven miles and next months route, we’ll push to ten. Olivera from Wholly Craft graciously donated a gift card to one lucky lady – ‘thank you, Olivera.’ I’m thinking Pattycake Bakery was a big highlight. Three of the lady riders currently work for Pattycake and when we showed up, they had the most adorable ‘heels and wheels’ shaped and decorated cookies, EVER! Once we got our sugar, we rode through the beautiful neighborhoods in Clintonville and eventually ended back at Brother’s Drake.
‘This ride gives me the confidence to get out on the roads more and ride.’ That was a quote from a woman who couldn’t stop thanking me. It was humbled. ’I've been waiting for a group ride like this.’ That was another comment. Aside from the amazing vision of bicycling ahead and then stopping, turning around and looking at thirty beautiful women riding behind me, the best part of the evening was the non-stop smiling. As you’ll see from the pictures below, women were smiling and laughing and giving high-fives the whole time.
This ride isn’t just about the clothing, although the continued reinforcement that clothing shouldn’t be such a barrier in the manner that it has become here in America does help. If we continue to address that riding a bike can be as normal as getting in your car then the decision of ‘choosing’ to use your bike will become less and less of a thought out process and more of a growing habit. This ride opens up conversations about proper and safe riding. Being an LCI, I encourage these women to ask questions about their uncertainties when riding. I plan on showing them basic mechanics of their bikes, certain information to obtain should an accident ever happen, commuting tips and techniques and much more. Knowledge is power and that leads to confidence when riding.
Also, as of this passed week, this group has now expanded to seven cities total: Cleveland, Columbus, Austin, Chicago, Minneapolis, Colorado Springs, and Victoria, B.C.
For anyone reading this who doesn’t have a Facebook account, I’ll keep you up to date with the upcoming ’2 Wheels & Heels’ rides via this blog, or you can email me at the contact email I put in the ‘About’ section of my blog.
To all the ladies from this past Wednesdays ride – YOU ROCK!
Keep riding.
lotsa fun!
I would love to see this happen in Indy but I have no idea how to get it started.
carrie ann. could you head it up??
I would be willing to try and I have some girlfriends that would help.
you should! let me know if you’d like some help in the beginning… we can chat.
Would love the help. I put out some feelers and there is definitely some interest I think.
awesome. let me know if i can help. we can chat on the phone.
Looks sooo fun!
I hope u will write to me if any
girly girls show up with
“3 wheels and heels “, because then
I would come with my bike too! ( ;
like trikes?? if you have trike, join! the more, the merrier
This looks like so much fun! We’re trying to get a ladies ride going this fall. I love the 2 wheels and heels, we might do a Betties Bike to Brunch ride.
Do it, girl! It IS so much fun. All the ladies LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.
O wow I am out of the loop, on this one.
I am a 66 year old and male, what you are doing is cool.
I was given the job of starting a bicycle plan for a medium size town in OH, I truly belive that the key is with the Ladies. if any one can pount me in the right direction.
thank you.
jack – shoot me an email. my email is located on the ‘about’ section of this blog. we can speak ‘off camera.’ glad you found this.
jess