Featured image: Lights Up
A night-time bike ride through Manchester will see women and girls take to the streets to raise awareness of cycling safety and gender disparity in the sport.
The Lights Up ride, led by Belinda Everett, Manchester’s first Bicycle Mayor, will take place on Saturday 9th November, celebrating the city’s status as the first European Capital of Cycling.
The event will begin at All Saints Park, making its way through the Manchester Metropolitan University campus and finishing with a celebration event and exhibition at the historic Victoria Baths.
Organised in partnership with Bee Pedal Ready, Station South, Manchester Metropolitan University, We are Cycling UK, MCRActive, TfGM and Starling Bikes, the ride aims to highlight the importance of women’s safety while cycling, especially as the dark winter months approach.
Belinda says: “Our main ride will weave across the city as a pack before heading south, towards and through three different parks (often avoided by many in the throes of a wintry evening), before wheeling our way over to the astounding Victoria Baths for brews, hot food and a bike party!”
Belinda explains as the nights become darker and colder, the percentage of women riding or commuting by bicycle becomes significantly smaller. Belinda says: “Feeling safe on the roads after dark is important, otherwise women and families are locked in from 4pm.”
As an advocate for female cyclists, Belinda is pushing for a cultural shift to address the underrepresentation of women on the roads. “67% of young girls across the UK drop out of physical activity by the time they reach puberty,” says Belinda. “In Manchester, less than 10% of women cycle regularly. This imbalance needs urgent attention.”
Belinda is the founder of Bee Pedal Ready, a community interest company which she strives to cultivate an inclusive and encouraging space for women to learn to ride, repair bikes and gain confidence in their cycling abilities: “For women, we become very vulnerable if something goes wrong when we’re out on our bikes. It’s important to have these skills because we can make ourselves less vulnerable.”
Last year, 60 women participated in the ride, which traversed dark areas like Alexandra Park, where the sight of a glowing trail of cyclists was described as magical and empowering. Belinda hopes this year’s ride will see even more participants, including students from Manchester Met.
Sharing a word of motivation for students considering joining the ride, Belinda says: “Lights Up is about bringing awareness to the numbers falling significantly for women and young girls, through various barriers of not feeling safe. We want to change this!
“By being visible and seen, we will reclaim the dark, form a ‘Disco On Wheels’ wheeling through the streets and parks of Manchester, ending at the epic Victoria Baths for the after-party. Bling up yer bike – fairy lights and speakers is a must!”
The Lights Up: Disco on Wheels bike ride will take place on Saturday 9th November. Book your free ticket here.
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