In my area (Central Indiana), I can think of only one women-only "event" bike ride. It's callled The Girlfriend Ride. Now I find that name sort of cringe worthy, but the concept is for female riders--of different experience levels--to have a rid for themselves. It benefits an organization that offers supportive services for domestic violence victims. With different route lengths, I think you can make it appealing to both inexperienced and experienced riders alike.

Here's the thing with most fundraiser events in my experience: You generally have to accept that it takes several years to grow an event to the point of financial "success." That's not to say that you can't make a profit from the get-go, but your expectations, and the expectations of any of your partners, should bear that in mind. In this regard, getting sponsorship and underwriting for as many of your costs as possible is helpful, as is securing some corporate donors. But again, it often pays to take the long view.

It also pays to bring people to the planning table from a few places in addition to your cycling team, unless the members of your team are already pretty well connected within your community. You've mentioned partnering with a couple of not-for-profits. It might be possible to tap into their governing boards for assistance with some of the heavy lifting in terms of obtaining corporate sponsors, corporate donations, etc. I was a board member at a Y chapter, and it wasn't uncommon for us to be approached in this manner so that there was a sharing of resources from a fundraising perspective. Of course, when you do that, there is a price to pay in terms of control, too.