IWD: Celebrating everyday Acts of Joy instead of Corporate Lip Service...
International Women's Day through the lens of incredible women on bikes
Despite having mixed feelings about International Women's Day (perhaps that’s a VeloMail for the future), I wanted to share a piece of writing I did which focused on an incredible group of women in cycling.
In 2023, I was on the editorial panel for Rouleur magazine’s dedicated Women’s Issue. I pitched a feature on initiatives that empower women of colour to cycle and enjoy the freedom of being on a bike. My idea was green-lit, and the result is the long-form piece I’ve shared below: a joyful interview with Samra Said and Zainab Arian of Cycle Sisters.
This feature was my last major piece of cycling journalism and the first and only time I wrote for Rouleur Magazine.
It was an absolute pleasure, and I’m proud of how it turned out and the joy it conveyed. I hope you like it.
Jx
Biking has always been a joyous experience for me. Something about the wind on my face and the feeling of freedom that comes with being on two wheels is simply unmatched. However, as a Black woman, something about that took a sharp shift in the summer of 2020. It was a change beyond my control, and I had to try my best to resist getting sucked into it.
I had always found my joy in being on a bike, but that summer, that joy, which I had carried for the last ten years, was being ripped from my heart, which had always beaten with it, my hands, which had always ridden and wrote with it, and my voice, which was always vocal about it. It was being replaced against my will, harbouring pain, trauma and grief.
In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, goliath brands and publications in the industry joined in protesting the murders in America of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and before them, the deaths of Sandra Bland and Trayvon Martin. The narrative in the industry had changed; they wanted to ‘help’. The sudden outpouring of brand mission statements about diversity, equality, and inclusion in the cycling world was both encouraging (while being treated with some degree of scepticism) and overwhelming.
Platforms not afforded me during my time in cycling were offered in waves. The requests to write think-pieces or be a guest on podcasts/panels which were all about “what can we do to make it better?” flooded in. It seemed this was all I was good to talk about. Everyone seemed to forget that my lived experience of biking wasn’t always steeped in pain, adversity and struggle. There was so much joy to speak of and shout about, but amid their efforts to help and be part of the greater good, the industry was blind to this.
Even when I switched off from the news to protect my peace and tried to find happiness elsewhere, the pain was constantly presented to me. The cycling escapism that social media could often provide was far from reach during that wild summer. Logging onto my favourite apps was repeatedly a mistake. Each platform I tried was a full-on assault to my senses, serving me a barrage of brutality against Black and Brown bodies as if they were nothing. Repeatedly being exposed to that emotional trauma burrows into our very being and eats away at us. We are constantly scrolling through this shit in our minds, over and over again - logging onto Instagram and being bombarded with it was the last thing we needed.
The attention on Black and Brown people enjoying the outdoors was blinkered. It felt like we were viewed and often only spoken through the lens of suffering. There was no positivity when examining what it means to be a person of colour on a bike. Changing that narrative and showing the world that existing as a Black or Brown person in cycling isn’t steeped in sorrow was essential.
In the middle of this collective outpouring of anger and pain, there were people in cycling who were rebelling against that and shifting the focus towards positive change. Little pockets of joy were being created around London and the UK. This is not to say these groups ignored the severity of what was happening - that would be impossible. But these groups were taking time out from the onslaught of trauma to not only bask in the magnificence of what it’s like to be Black on a bike - they were also showing that gloriousness to the whole world.
Women of colour have been confined to specific spaces and activities for too long. We've been told that biking isn't for us and that we should stick to more "feminine" forms of exercise. We live in a society that often tells us we are “too loud", not to “take up too much space”, and that we need to "be quiet". It continually tries to minimise our existence.
Thirteen years ago, when I got back into riding bikes, I was hard-pressed to find many people who looked like me or saw much diversity on the scene. Now, I’m witnessing the birth of more inclusive and representative cycling groups, a broader spectrum of people of all ages, genders, abilities, and backgrounds, getting out there, doing what they want and being visible. The birth of more positive cycling groups for people of colour was one of the most beautiful things to materialise from a summer of sadness. But, pre-2020, bike lovers were already galvanising and making changes. Witnessing the emergence of these groups - specifically ones designed for women of colour by women of colour was incredibly moving.
One group of women out there who are challenging the status quo of who is expected to cycle and are using their platform to inspire other women of colour to ride and spark joy while doing so is Cycle Sisters. An award-winning organisation that inspires and enables Muslim women to ride, Cycle Sisters' journey began in 2016 when they set up their first Muslim Women's community cycle group in Waltham Forest, East London. Founded by Sarah Javaid - who was recently awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours list for services to cycling and the community - Sarah saw the need for Muslim women's cycle groups that offer inclusive, supportive and sociable rides.
From starting seven years ago with just Sarah, her two sisters in law and a close friend, fast-forward to 2023, and Cycle Sisters has grown into a London-wide network of over 1500 members with ten borough groups supporting hundreds of Muslim women across the capital each year change their lives through cycling.
Venture out to a large suburban district in West London, and you’ll find one of their borough groups. Cycle Sisters Hounslow runs fortnightly rides on Wednesday and Sunday mornings. The Sunday group rides start and end in the picturesque Osterley Park. With the assistance of Osterley Park National Trust cycle hire, free bikes are lent to the community during the rides, ensuring that cycling is accessible to all.
Two of Hounslow’s Cycle Sisters are Samra Said and Zainab Arian. Having been on panel talks with them previously in the world of cycling, I already know how deliciously infectious their energy and love for the activity is and how passionate they are about getting more women on bikes. Both are incredibly dedicated to their cause - Samra is a Ride Leader and Trustee of Cycle Sisters, and Zainab is a Ride Leader and Treasurer. Their efforts have also been recognised nationally, seeing both women listed as Community Champions (Samra in 2021 and Zainab in 2022) in Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling.
A cycling theme both women have in common is getting into the activity as adults. Samra taught herself how to cycle in 2010 (despite developing a chronic knee condition in 2012). From there, she went from strength to strength. “I bought my first bike in 2014,” says Samra, “That motivated me to participate in the Tour de Salah” (London's biggest Muslim Bike Ride - 100km across London, with stops to pray the five daily prayers - Salah - at five iconic mosques).
But the defining moment of 2020 led to Samra cycling more regularly - a sentiment that Zainab echoes. Although she used to cycle as a child (and did some one-off sportives in 2016/17), Zainab got back into cycling during the Pandemic. “Like many people, I needed a way to de-stress from work and sitting at my desk for 12 hours each day. The roads were empty, so I took full advantage and cycled each morning into Central London and back, exploring different routes along the way”. When she couldn’t cycle outdoors, Zainab could still get the miles in at home. She tells me, “I got myself an indoor trainer, and the next thing I knew, I was zooming virtually around the lands of ZWIFT! I still had my route of escape with a virtual indoor ride”.
“This gives them the chance to just be who they are, without the responsibility of being mothers, wives and professionals. A lot of women have said Cycle Sisters gives them that sense of freedom they experienced when they were little, and it really helps with their mental clarity”.
Samra’s re-connection with cycling and the pandemic coincided with her path into her role at Cycle Sisters. A WhatsApp message from founder Sarah Javaid, who was looking for two trustees to join their board and help support strategically growing the group's work, led to a lightbulb moment for Samra.
“The message was asking if I’d consider sharing the request with my networks and contacts who might be interested”, Samra recalls. “But I wondered there, and then, what if it’s me who is interested?! I thought, I love cycling and organising and have extensive experience working with diverse communities.” Samra took a chance on herself and submitted an application. All went well, and she joined the small Board of Trustees in March 2020. By May 2021, Samra had co-set up the Hounslow Cycle Sisters group, which has since experienced huge demand. Not only did joining Cycle Sisters allow Samra to ride more regularly, but it also allowed her to bring their programming to West London so that more women could access cycling. “This was a way to ensure that diversity in cycling is championed”, says Samra, “and that the learnings are shared and benefit many others in the cycling world.”
Sharing these services with women from Black and Asian backgrounds - who often face socio-economic barriers to cycling - is crucial in the work of Cycle Sisters, which has a high proportion of participants from low-income backgrounds. As Zainab explains, one of the ways they’re making the activity more accessible includes the model they use. “For our local groups we team up with our councils and other third sector organisations in the area to secure free access to bikes for our riders. This means there is no need to have your own bike and allows sisters to start riding with little to no entrance costs. All our rides are free of charge as we don’t want cost to be a reason for not being able to join us.”
The impact of breaking down these barriers and allowing the ‘Sisters’ to experience the simple joy of being on a bike runs deeper than the smiling faces you see on the rides. “I’ve seen other women's confidence grow so much by being part of cycle sisters”, says Zainab - “We have a number of women who, at the start of the pandemic were getting back into riding around the block or their local park. These women are now taking part in large scale sportivies such as Ride London and London to Brighton”.
Women who once didn’t know how to navigate or plan routes have gone on to do this and train to become ride leaders. Zainab tells me that the emergence of this space catering to women also provides another joyful outlet - “this gives them the chance to just be who they are, without the responsibility of being mothers, wives and professionals. A lot of women have said Cycle Sisters gives them that sense of freedom they experienced when they were little, and it really helps with their mental clarity”.
Another beautiful thing created by Cycle Sisters holding space for Muslim women who want to enjoy being on a bike, is the strong community that’s come from it. After co-creating the Hounslow group, Samra has witnessed the expansion of the ‘Sisters across multiple London boroughs. “We have grown from 3 to 10 Boroughs in the last 2 years”, Samra excitedly tells me, “That’s all thanks to the incredibly passionate volunteers who responded to our call in 2021-2023 to come forward to be Group leads.” Another wonderful thing about Cycle Sisters’ model is that it can be replicated, as Samra says, “with patience and community efforts”. Such efforts meant they could identify a team of 3-4 women in Hounslow, Hackney, Haringey, Lambeth/Wandsworth, Newham and Ealing to set up new groups.
This growing network of women and sense of community made their Smiles and Miles campaign possible. Smiles and Miles aims to help motivate their riders to keep cycling through the winter and raise vital funds for Cycle Sisters in the process. With a great sense of pride, Samra tells me, “Collectively our 170 riders clocked up 28,539 miles during the 4 week challenge which aimed to encourage people to keep cycling through the winter”.
“I am surrounded by women who encourage me to improve, an organisation that provides me with training and skills updates and thus my cycling journey is certainly a collective effort. All this means whenever I am on my bike, I stand beautifully strong, with better endurance and techniques so that miraculously I am able to finish one sportive ride after another”.
Virtual community building has also benefited Cycle Sisters. It was refreshing to hear the positive effects social media has on the group—a world away from the negatives I mentioned about being online. So, what has social media done for Cycle Sisters?
“Bringing visibility to what we do is so important,” says Zainab, “It’s this visibility which allows us to show what Muslim women can do on their bikes. Social media has become vital in achieving this, and reaching such a wide audience is great. We share stories of our members' achievements, which is so motivating to read and post!” Samra also agrees on the positivity that social media can bring - she adds, “There is a joy of togetherness when Muslim women in leadership roles such as our Ride Leaders and instructors as well as other group members act as visible role models who people can relate to. We do this by sharing photos, videos and stories on social media to reinforce the message that anyone can cycle”.
It’s also allowed Cycle Sisters to connect with other brands and groups (both nationwide and globally); as Zainab continues, “Building those relationships really helps with increasing our capacity to have that positive impact”.
Zainab and Samra speak of some of the obstacles faced by Cycle Sisters setting up a cycling group specifically for Muslim women. But what’s wonderful is how they (as a collective) have overcome them and turned them into a thing of joy. One of these perceived obstacles is having to wear lycra and tight-fitting clothing. “We provide a space where wearing Islamic and looser, modest clothing is the norm,” says Samra. “It’s wonderful to see how our community has taken this “seen obstacle” and turned it into an opportunity to showcase the many different fashion options available. Sharing ideas of what to wear on the bike has led to many many coffee stop conversations and imaginative creative ideas”.
It’s clear to anyone who comes to a Cycle Sisters ride that it’s a space for empowerment, encouragement and, above all, a space to express and experience joy on a bike. I knew there wouldn’t be one definitive answer to this, but I was keen to know what the best thing about Cycle Sisters is for Samra and Zainab. Confidence, happiness, and pride in their fellow Sisters are themes that ring throughout their answers.
“For me the best thing is meeting new people that have similar interests to yourself and some shared life experiences”, says Zainab. “You don’t feel the need to be someone different because everyone just accepts you for who you are, no judgement, it's a safe space. Which is so reassuring and refreshing”.
And for Samra? “My confidence grew both as Chair of Board of Trustees and Ride Leader for Hounslow Cycle Sisters”, - she says. “I am surrounded by women who encourage me to improve, an organisation that provides me with training and skills updates and thus my cycling journey is certainly a collective effort. All this means whenever I am on my bike, I stand beautifully strong, with better endurance and techniques so that miraculously I am able to finish one sportive ride after another”.
The emergence of groups - like Cycle Sisters - is an act of joy, and Zainab and Samra would love to see it continue to blossom for more women of colour. It felt only right to ask if they had advice to give to any other women of colour out there who were considering taking up cycling or starting a group. Samra summed it up beautifully.
“Riding your bike should be a joyful experience that brings a smile to your soul. So to have fun, start where you are, less is more and build up the distance you can cycle. Connect with people and projects in your local area that help people to cycle. They are rich in knowledge and resources and are welcoming to help you to cycle with confidence”.
Buy my book: Back in the Frame: Cycling, belonging and finding joy on a bike.