What would you like to know?

[shootingstar]

I seem to hardly talk about my cycling...I get off topic.

But part of my past that has been silent until now:

Am just a lifestyle cyclist, with no car in my life for past 1/2 century. Average about 3000-7000 kms. annually in past 14 years after returning to cycling at 31.

I was part of a core group of organizers for a women's cycling group, Women on Wheels, for the Greater Toronto Area...for 5 years. In addition to my partner who is a rabid cycling advocate and heavy cyclist himself, this women's group did shoot up my passion for cycling.

We did organized rides, organized conferences ever 2 years and had workshops about 5-8 running simultaneously...on bike maintenance, touring, nutrition, etc. We did attract newbies, racers and bike couriers...all women. We did have some veterans...ie. the lst Canadian woman who raced competively. She was a distant "mother", role model to us all...

It was a heady 5 years. But with heavy hearts, we had to fold our group, because we couldn't find other fresh new volunteers to carry on the torch faithfully. Our non-profit organization had enough money in bank to run the organization.

So these are my thoughts:

* how to cultivate cooperative leadership among seasoned female cyclists to run low-budget cycling organization...that blends both competent cycling skills plus ...long term lifestyle approach to cycling.

*outreach to young girls and teenage girls exposing them to cycling (and boosting their self-confidence and having fun)....this was always in the back of our minds but all of us had fulltime daytime jobs

*outreach to women who do not fit the majority, mainstream of regular cyclists but who could benefit from the independence of cheap travel

*options for regular cycling mentorship or developing partnerships with other related cycling groups...ie. a group that is working on/advocating for new cycling routes.... I suspect alot of newbies are just afraid of cycling...because they don't know good, reasonably safe routes and are afraid stuck unprepared near the highway interchange or similar.

I agree abit of socializing at the end or during a rest stop, is helpful to keep the vibe dynamic of women's cycling group running.

It would be kind of neat ...one day...if there was a mega cycling convergence ride..you know several women's cycling group rides converging from several cities to 1 meeting point. Such a display of cycling power...