Spokes For Hope – All Women’s Ride

Need a Spring Break? You can find a great little get-away cycling adventure for you and your girlfriends in the beautiful red rock country of St. George, Utah. A new women’s-only century ride, Spokes for Hope, will debut on Saturday, April 10, 2010. Margaret Gibson was inspired by the Little Red Riding Hood Ride that was held 400 miles to the north and thought: Why not start one in her own town?

With a name like Spokes for Hope, you might expect that it is a charity ride and you would be right. All proceeds will go to the Dove Center which is a domestic violence shelter for women and children. Margaret has carefully planned scenic routes in quiet areas that will to appeal to cyclists of all types: for the novice rider, there is a 30-mile completely flat city-loop route as well as the century ride which offers some hills and two in-between routes of 50-miles and 70-miles. The aid stations are referred to as “spa” stops. St. George is barely over 100 miles from Las Vegas, and you can expect similar weather (70-degree temps). You can pack your sleeveless jerseys for the sunny afternoon and a bolero or arm warmers for the cool feel of a desert morning.

I asked Margaret why she started the Spokes for Hope Women’s Ride and her answer was simple: “I ride with guys all the time and I’m tired of it.”

It’s true there is an innate desire within many of us women to ride simply for pleasure and to connect with other women, make friends, and have that bond of sisterhood—even on a bike. I have seen rules posted for one particular macho co-ed ride in which a team captain wrote: If you break these rules, “I will  punch you in the forehead…hard!” Nice!

No, that can be very intimidating, even if it is an idle threat. If you are a new cyclist and a woman, you will find a warm and supportive environment for your first ride in a women’s only-event. Other women’s rides around the country are listed on Cycle and Style’s Women’s Rides page. I’d love to hear about more women’s rides from our readers and will soon post a page of women’s triathlons as well.