Coalition for Appropriate Transportation hosts weekly women’s only bike group

It’s a humid, warm September day. The clock nears 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, and the sound of car tires spinning on the pavement begins to fade away. 

The ratcheting noise made as the back wheel spins on a bike. It’s a distinctive sound. It breaks through the silence of Sand Island on the way to the Ice House parking lot. 

As the clock approaches 6:00 p.m., the sound grows. People are arriving. 

When the group is ready, the kickstands flip up, and everyone pushes off. Tires crunch against the pavement as the riders push off in unison, trailing their ride leader, Colleen McAndrew. 

For the past 25 years, the all-women bike group has been bound by a shared love of cycling.

Organized by the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, these weekly Wednesday rides serve a larger purpose. They’re an example of the coalition’s mission where public transportation prevails, according to their website.

Jennifer Cunningham is a board member and frequently attends the weekly women’s rides. She previously served as the vice president of the coalition and the chair of the finance and fundraising committee. 

Cunningham said the coalition’s objective is to be a welcoming place for everybody who wants to ride a bike. 

“You could be a road bike racer, you could be a gravel person, or you couldn’t have even been on your bike in 30 years, but when you walk in it just feels really welcoming to everyone,” she said. 

The coalition’s co-op is a cooperative located on the North Side where anyone can work on their bike, help others with their bikes, rebuild a bike to be donated or get cycling advice. 

Cunningham and McAndrew said the weekly women’s ride is a great way for women to have camaraderie with each other. 

“On the co-ed rides that many of the bike shops lead, the men are usually going much faster, and the women feel like they don’t know all the mechanics, so they want a space where they can ask questions and feel comfortable going slower,” Cunningham said. 

McAndrew has been riding consistently with the group for the past three years, becoming a ride leader for the group just last year. She said that no one is too slow for the ride and that’s part of the reason it’s women-only, so they can feel comfortable asking questions and ride at their own pace. 

Cunningham said the Wednesday evening rides typically see a core group between five to 10 riders, although it varies depending on weather and the season. 

As a ride leader, McAndrew was trained in group safety and riding protocols through the coalition and is one of approximately 15 other leaders who have received this training and can step in to lead rides. 

In addition to the weekly women’s rides, the coalition hosts other biking events that are open to everyone. Their rides are found on the website Meetup and allow people to locate and RSVP for upcoming events they’re interested in. 

Some of their largest events are holiday-themed bike rides. 

They also host an annual overnight trip where riders go bikepacking, which is adventure biking with a light pack attached to the bike.

McAndrew said the last women’s overnight trip was to Worthington State Forest, and people from all different comfort levels join the ride. Some try to fit everything and anything on their bike while others throw everything in the support vehicle during the ride. 

“They’re great experiences,” McAndrew said. “It has always been something I was interested in doing, but it’s difficult to buy all the gear, figure out how to load it all onto your bike, and then get used to biking at distance with a significantly heavy bike.They (the group) helped me prepare for everything, it’s really a come-as-you-are experience.”  

She also said by the time October comes around, the weekly rides typically end due to cold weather and how early the sun starts setting. 

Meredith Constable is one of the regular riders for the past two years. 

Constable said she got into cycling as a form of exercise after she finished work for the day. It started off as something to just get outside, but it turned into a form of community. 

“I love the social aspect of this ride because it’s not like we’re going really fast or doing anything crazy, it’s a great way for me to relax, de-stress after work, and catch up with friends,” Constable said. “I remember seeing this ride on Meetup and signing up, deciding to check it out one week, and here I am two years later.” 

Marliz Dume recently moved to Bethlehem from the Poconos and said she was looking to get back into cycling. She purchased a bike off of Facebook Marketplace in Bethlehem and decided to start biking around her neighborhood. 

After going on solo rides, Dume wanted to join a local bike group to ride with others and found the coalition’s weekly Wednesday rides listed on Meetup and decided to RSVP. 

Dume’s first ride was last week. She said she was welcomed by McAndrew, who helped check her bike to make sure it was maintained properly and answer any questions. 

“The community, getting out of the house, and being in nature just really excites me,” Dume said. “Moving my body and getting back into fitness is something I’ve really been focused on, and cycling is a great way to do that.”