My ride. Our right: Tina, 62, Stevenage

Tina has been cycling for decades, both for work and for fun. As a cycle instructor, she has spent over a decade teaching children and adults to ride confidently and safely on the road. Supporting Cycling UK’s campaign, 'My Ride. Our Right’ Tina shares her passion for cycling, its benefits and the unique barriers that she and other women face.

About two years ago, Tina was known locally for running The Fancy Women's Bike Ride in Stevenage. The bike ride was started in 2013 in Izmir, Turkey, by two amazing and inspirational ladies. They asked the mayor to help them celebrate World Car Free Day, saying:

We demand that cities create a welcoming space for women to cycle and interact with the city in a whole new way. We all deserve safe ways to walk and ride bikes

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Tina shared: “They did it for 10 years and we managed to run it for three years here in Stevenage before it disbanded. It’s amazing. You get dressed up as you normally would.

“You wear normal gear, or dresses, you know, whatever you want to wear that makes you feel fabulous, and we all go out for a bike ride. Women ride as role models, inspiring others to reimagine cycling as an accessible and obvious choice for everyday journeys.”

The Fancy Women’s Bike Ride exists to highlight the importance of women’s safety when it comes to cycling and the unique issues women experience every day. Research consistently shows that women are more likely to experience harassment, including sexual harassment, than men and this remains true for women who cycle.

Tina recalls one recent incident when a van driver tailgated her, revving and honking as she cycled with a woman she was teaching. “He could have overtaken when it was safe, but instead, he chose to intimidate us.”

When he eventually passed, he pulled over, got out of his van, and stormed towards them to berate them for riding side by side. Tina remained firm.

I explained that I was teaching this woman to ride safely, and that in that situation, it was legal and safer for us to ride together. He had nothing to say to that. But the anger, the entitlement – it was all there

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“Afterwards, because that was her first experience on the road, I stopped and she said to me, ‘thank you for doing that because I wouldn’t have had the confidence to say it to him’.

“Now, I know that I’m in the right. I have got the confidence and the experience. It didn’t end up putting that woman off cycling, but for many women cycling solo, that experience might have been enough to put the bike back in the shed.”

This kind of harassment is something Tina has seen a number of times throughout her career. “Men feel very comfortable telling women they’re cycling wrong,” she says. “I’ll be riding perfectly legally, taking up the space I need to stay safe, and a man will still roll down his window to tell me I shouldn’t be there.”

The problem isn’t just on the roads. For Tina, like many women, safety concerns extend beyond traffic.

“There are cycle paths I won’t use at night. There’s one right behind my house, but I won’t go through it alone in the dark. I know I can out-cycle most people, but it’s not worth the risk. I don’t think men understand those issues we face. I don’t think the people that design cycle ways think too deeply about these issues either.”

But infrastructure plays a huge role in women’s safety while cycling, Tina explains. “We fought to get lighting on one of the main cycle routes here because no woman is going to cycle down a dark path alone.” Even when changes are made, progress is slow.

We’ve got an agreement in principle for the lighting, but it’ll probably be years before anything actually happens. It needs to be taken more seriously

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Tina went on to share how it’s not just physical safety that keeps women from cycling – it’s perception. As an instructor, Tina has worked with countless women who were eager to cycle but were held back by fear.

“I teach so many women who tell me they don’t feel safe, that they wouldn’t ride alone. And when they finally build up the confidence, someone shouts something at them from a car, and it sets them back.”

The same fear prevents children from riding too. “Parents tell me all the time that they won’t let their kids cycle to school, even though they’re completely capable. They’re just scared.”

And yet, when asked what would make a difference, the answer is clear: “Slower speed limits, better infrastructure, and changing the perception that cycling is dangerous. A 20mph limit was introduced near us recently, and it’s already made a noticeable difference. It’s safer for people that drive and cycle.”

Mothers who choose to cycle their children to school often face criticism. “You hear it all the time – ‘Oh, that’s dangerous. I’d never do that.’ But what’s actually dangerous is the sheer number of cars blocking school gates and creating more pollution.”

Tina believes that societal attitudes must shift. “If people saw cycling as normal, if they saw it as a real alternative to driving, there’d be less hostility.”

Despite everything, Tina keeps cycling.

It’s fun. It’s freeing. Even with all the nonsense, I still love it. Plus, the benefits I get from it far outweigh the negativities

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