Women in Cycling: Breaking Barriers on Two Wheels

From Annie Londonderry’s 1894 global bike tour to Olympian Leah Thomas advocating for diversity, women are reshaping cycling. Yet barriers persist: Many bike shops lack female-specific gear, and safety fears deter night rides.

Groups like Women Who Bike and Black Girls Do Bike foster inclusivity through workshops and group rides. Brands are catching up—Liv Cycling designs bikes for women’s biomechanics, while campaigns like #SheRides normalize female riders in media. As cyclist Ayesha McGowan says: “Every pedal stroke is a protest against limits.”