Cyclofemme- Tomorrow We Ride!

Cyclofemme is tomorrow! It's a great way to spend Mother's Day with the crew you love.

To honour the women of the past, present, and future, you can check out and participate a ride in your own city or neighbourhood!

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMAN'S DAY!

On international woman's day, it's good to remember the connection the early 20th century's woman's movement had to bicycles. They got us out of the corset, provided mobility and independence, and were a symbol of freedom and modernity.
 
Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom by National Geographic. I haven't read this book myself yet, but I want to, especially with the author Sue Macy giving rad answers like this:

Q: Why are bikes still important to women?
A: I think that Leah Missbach Day does a great job in the foreword to Wheels of Change of explaining how bicycles are still important to one population of women--those in developing countries who are able to increase their mobility astronomically with the bicycles they received through World Bicycle Relief. But today in the U.S., bicycles are important to everybody. They allow people to do errands without using fossil fuels, to get great cardiovascular exercise, to see their surroundings in a whole new way. My neighborhood isn’t great for cycling--too much traffic and too many hills--but I try to ride at least once a week in the spring, summer, and fall, usually stopping at a nearby farmers' market to restock on fruits and vegetables. It’s a healthy way to live.  

Here are three rad rad female and bike related videos for your eyeball and ear pleasure.


This week at the National Bike Summit, Veronica Davis, the founder of Black Women Bike, gave this inspiring talk about her background, community and passion. I took away many tid-bits of insight and wisdom on unconventional engagement and breaking down barriers, along with being inspired by her incredible work ethic and dedication.

Ladies Army 5 from Geoffrey Tomlin-Hood on Vimeo.

Next up- Ladies Army 5. This year it's in Vancouver- sorry, EastVan. If you can get your gears to Vancouver, do so. It's beautiful, laid back, and beautiful. But watch out, the beauty is going to cost you. Rent, food and alcohol are more expensive in Beautiful British Columbia. Some say BC stands for bring cash. So plan ahead ladies.



Last, but not least, the incredible Jenna Marbles on "Why Girls Hate Each Other." Don't think it belongs in with this other list of awesome I just put above?  Let's be real here girls. Jokes like this don't take over the internet for no reason. We got to address some things. In throwing off the shackles of oppression, it's good to throw out the BS that came along with it, like comparing, competing and judging each other. When we do that "...we can just be b*tches together... you know, vaginas unite!"

Think about it. If you disagree, the comment box bellow is a safe space to say so.

xo

Celebrate the Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade's Success!

 
We'd like to extend a huge CONGRATULATIONS to the incredible force that is the Ovarian Psycos Brigade! Last week their Kickstarter campaign raised $13,028 towards their documentary project.  Who are they you may ask?

... "are a ferocious and unapologetic group of young women of color, cycling through the barrios and boulevards of the Eastside, committed to collectively confronting racism and violence, and demanding and creating safe spaces for women."

These women are incredibly inspiring. (I am really upset I only heard about their kickstarter after it closed.) Their brand of emancipated, grass roots, independent, healing form of community based activism is what is going to change the world. For years we have been hearing about the huge social and economic problems associated with LA and various groups working on change, but never has there been such a clear, assured, and action based voice from the women of the streets of LA. Follow them on Facebook to see all the incredible events they are putting on and supporting.


photo from LA Streets Blog

There are rumblings in Toronto about bringing Luna rides to Toronto. Stay tuned and we'll bring you updates.

Women Mean Business

photo of Deadly Nightshades by Miguel Jacob

The League of American Cyclists have a new free webinar series. The first one was a great talk on "How to Start and Sustain a Women's Bike Club", which featured a talk by our lovely friend Sarai at GIRL BIKE LOVE. This Wednesday, February 27th, anyone around the world can join in on the topic of Women Mean Business: The Economic Impact of Women Bicyclists.  

 "Though underrepresented in many aspects of the bicycle movement, there's growing evidence that women hold the purse strings when it comes to the future success of the bike industry."

Women Mean Business also happens to be the theme of the upcoming Woman's National Cycling Summit on March 4th in the 'Murican capital of Washington DC.

"The Forum will include keynote addresses from industry pioneer Georgena Terry (pictured), Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, as well as break-out sessions, lunch plenary, networking and so much more."

The cycling industry may be the last one in the world to get that women have money, like to spend money, and will spend money on cycling products when given the proper chance. Even the PGA, the grand-daddy of Golf (a sport also referred to as the second board room), just announced it is targeting women to ensure the fiscal sustainability of the sport. Time has painted the picture of the growing spending power of women. Lil Wayne can sit down. Ladies are the ones making it rain.


It's time we had that talk Cycling Industry. It's not us. It's you. We have money. We want to bike. So if we aren't biking and we aren't spending, you're doing it wrong. That means you're not giving us good products, good prices and good distribution. It's not just making pink bikes with flowers. Or putting a model on a bike to pose in your ads. Or making biking to women only about being"fashionable". (I understand the irony of a Deadly Nightshade writing this.) Marketing lifestyle choices and marketing fashion apparel are different things at the end of the day.

Maybe some of you bike companies could take a hint from Elen DeGeneres.


But before products, women cycling is about advocacy and government lobbying. The car industry does that right. At Velo-City 2012,  I got to learn the hard data of getting more women cycling. It's all about safety, or perceived safety. Marisa Espinosa- Senior Manager of Service Planning, Translink BC, pointed out that their data shows that the cycling "gender gap" is also due to women being the primary child care providers in Vancouver, which means transporting young children. It means curating families and raising the next generation of citizens, and shaping the transportation choices they make in the future. Without proper cycling infrastructure like separated bike lanes, reduced car traffic speed and laws, few women are willing to look past the dangers of cycling on our car-ruled roads.

Let's take a minute to remember the late Jenna Morrison, her son, her husband, and her unborn child. Our traffic system, transport truck laws and justice system completely failed this family. How can we expect to get more families cycling when we don't address this? Ironically, cars kill more children via collisions and lifestyle diseases caused by sedentary lifestyle. (That's not even getting into environmental factors like local air pollution causing childhood asthma, or catastrophic climate change.) In the long run, we are hurting ourselves and children more by sticking to cars thinking they are "safe."

So it is a combination of solid safety infrastructure creation, and addressing the issue of the perceived safety issue. Throw in some pretty girls on bikes to make people smile, sure! I'm all for it. Let's be real for a minute; biking can be dangerous. We can fix that. Car culture, grid lock, and auto emissions are killing us everyday. Bikes can fix that.

Watch this speech by the Queen Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient Gil Panalosa. He is the executive director of 8-80 Cities, based out of Toronto. Wouldn't it be swell if our city actually took his advice? To bring it back, he talks about sustainable cities, children, the need for "complete street systems", proper road design, and the incredible force that is NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.



Let's do this ladies. xo

SISTER SESSION- OMG- girls in BMX

This amazing documentary on rising girls in the pro BMX circuit is one of the best things I have seen so far. Women cyclists seem to be breaking into in the bike scenes in all regards, from sports to infrastructure.

Sister Session – ONLINE PREMIERE! from Simple Session on Vimeo.

Directed by: Brett Astrid Võmma, Helen Habakuk, Doris Tääker
Produced by: Brett Astrid Võmma, Risto Kalmre
Girls riding: Katherine Diaz VEN, Chiara Felder GER, Rebecca Berg GER, Angie Marino USA, Zandile Mkwanazi GER, Allison López ARG, Saki Sawada JPN, Sam Moodie GBR, Camila Harambour CHI, Kayley Ashworth GBR

Thank you so much to GIRL BIKE LOVE for pointing me to this supper rad video about Female BMXers at Simple Session 2011.

This amazing looking documentary on sustainable textile design in India also popped up online. I would love to see the full thing!

Unravel Trailer from Soul Rebel Films on Vimeo.

Soul Rebel Films, Unravel Trailer

Women Who Bike Brunch

Torontonians take brunch very, very seriously. I think this article by on Kate Carraway in the Gird TO sums up the luxurious booze-hound ritual that perhaps fuels 14% of all of the city's economy (by my calculations.) Then we have cyclists who take food very, very seriously. It's the main benefit of slightly endangering your life everyday in the urban cycling environment; eating whatever you want and still having a fantastic bootay. It's worth it. Trust me.

This is the typical Toronto cyclist inner monologue at brunch:

Single or double Caesar? Who I am kidding. Should I have hollandaise sauce? Yes. Should I ask for extra hollandaise? Is that my ex's ex cuddling with my ex's old co-worker in that other booth? OMG  food here me starving... Om nom nom nom... more butter.... om nom nom... I wonder who wants to go for a pastry at that new gluten free bakery down the street?

So I am happy The Toronto Cupcake Ride is putting on a Women Who Bike Brunch, on Sunday, February 24th. I'm hoping they choose a location that is cute, uses local ingredients and organic eggs, and makes a good Caesar, and is only about 10 minute bike from my house. Maybe we can pick from this lovely Toronto Brunch Map by Lindsay Zier Moguel.



Now, to find a party on the 23rd to give me a substantial hangover and good story to tell....

Present

My present this year to all you Nightshades is a donation to Because I am a Girl. My gift is to help send another girl to school. She can then meet her future best friends, and then with her own crew plot to takeover the world and make it a better place, one matching jacket a a time...

xo

Lizzy Love-

Just listen.

Exactly, right? Mad love to Vel the Wonder for bringing the level of babe on a bike to inferno. Check her out in this LA Cypher. LA is burning.



Check out this post from spring- Jane and Finch female Cypher.

It's all fuel for the fire, let's go get 'em ladies.

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The Internets!!

Here are links to some cool things!


Looking for a job? Kowtow, a rad sustainable fashion company in New Zealand, is looking for a production manager!

Sarai Snyder from Girl Bike Love put this on the Facebook and I am going to listen to it and think about it for a while.

"We are expressing ourselves, and through this other people won't feel so alone." - Charlie Kaufman



Refinery 29 it gives us 5 rad helmet hair styles.



Forbes shows a history of comics of the 1890's bicycle boom.


(Damn straight.)
 
 Secret origins photo:

The internets r awesome!

Here is a recap of some fancy things the internet is offering us this week...

First we have this neato party concept by GOOD Magazine, where you can win money having fun with friends.

To celebrate our latest print issue, “Beg, Borrow, or Steal,” we invite you to propose a plan for a magazine launch party that creatively reflects this theme. Submit here for a chance to win $300 and 50 copies of our latest issue to share at your event.

If you win send me a copy, mkay?

Have you heard about Girl Bike Love? It's an well done website dedicated to getting women on bikes, edited by the dedicated and funny Sarai Snyder. It's an excellent resource to get you more into your bike through tool introductions, product reviews, and cycle industry interviews. Sarai was just at NAHBS (I'm totally jealous) and snapped some great shots and is promising a few good interviews as well! GBL are also a blast to follow on the twitter.

In MORE money money money news, VanCity Credit Union here in Vancouver is offering up some serious start-up funds

The Good Money™ Impact Venture Challenge is for students and recent graduates building businesses that create positive change. We’ve got expertise, advice and financial support up for grabs. Three prizes - $50,000, $25,000 and $15,000 - will be awarded. Deadline to apply is Friday, March 16, 2012.

So if you are a new social entrepreneur, get on that!

Good luck. 1<3