June 2010
Toronto Sun’s article on the sudden burst of interest in women’s cycling.
“Stats on the number of women riders on the road is a bit difficult to gauge, but the editor of womenscycling.ca says since her site launched five years ago, the web hits have jumped into high gear.” Read the article.
January 2010
Planeta MTB, a Spanish cycling magazine contacted us in December for an interview about Women’s Cycling.ca. Click on the cover to see the article. Here’s the English translation:
What is Women’s Cycling?
Women’s Cycling is a website dedicated to promoting the health and fitness benefits of cycling. We also advocate for cycling and promote cycling safety. Our articles are for recreational cyclists. We write about cycling skills, nutrition, training, cycling tours, and cycling maintenance from a female perspective.
How and when did the idea of creating a space for the women’s cycling begin?
Eight years ago I had a very bad back injury that kept me hobbling around for many months. That spring I asked my physiotherapist if she thought I could ride a bike. She advised me to start with just 3 minutes and see if my back hurt. The first time I went riding I cycled 2 km. My back felt better than it had in months. I slowly progressed from there—riding further and further each day I went out on my bike.
I cycled 2400 km that season. After that I was hooked on cycling. It was so much fun, and I was in the best shape of my life. I wanted to let other women know about all of the health and fitness benefits of cycling, so in 2005 I started the website. It has grown in leaps and bounds since then.
Since you began with Women’s Cycling, do you see the growth of the interest of the woman towards this sport?
Definitely. Each year the number of women visiting the website increases. Our readership doubled between 2008 and 2009. Cycling is a fairly new sport in Canada but I see more and more women on bikes each cycling season.
How many members are in Women’s Cycling?
We have over 2,000 members. Over 7,000 women cyclists visit the website each month from all over the world. I expect our numbers to double in 2010.
What type of cyclist is Laurel-Lea Shannon?
I’m an intermediate road bike rider. I live in Perth, just outside Ottawa, Canada’s capital. The natural beauty of the area, with its many lakes and rivers, rolling landscapes and quiet country roads, is a cyclist’s dream. In the winter months we get lots of snow. That’s when I put my bike away and get out my cross-country skis.
Laurel-Lea Shannon
www.womenscycling.ca
