Corporate member Joyride150 held their annual Women’s Weekend in early February. Although we were bummed we couldn’t attend, we wanted to show support for such an awesome event. Thanks to Shannon for sharing photos and news about the event with us!

Message from Shannon:

Hey Deanne,

I would like to send a huge THANK YOU for helping make the 3rd Annual Joyride150 Women’s Weekend a huge success! Without you, this event truly could not happen.

Our goal is to get more and more women into cycling. We want to give them the opportunity to try the sport for the first time, or give them the confidence to take their skills to the next level, without fear & intimidation. We plant the seed…they grow the flower!

This year we had over 150 female riders come from as far away as BC, New York and Quebec. Riders of all ages and riding abilities took over the park to learn bike riding skills from experienced coaches in a supportive environment.

The Women’s Weekend featured skills workshops in various areas of the park such as the Subaru Beginner Area, Specialized Skinnies, the foam pit & resi jump, vert park, jump lines, BMX street plaza, pump/race tracks, and the Norco Cross-Country loop with obstacles. This year we also featured some non-riding clinics – like the Specialized ‘Bit Fit’ & ‘Bike Knowledge’ booth, a Yoga clinic by Moksha Yoga Richmond Hill, ‘Bike Mechanics’ by Norco, and an athletic therapy session with Innerstrength Physiotherapy.

Once again, I want to thank you for your invaluable contribution. It means a lot to me personally, to Joyride, and most definitely to the women who took part.

Here are just a few of the many comments we received:

  • “Amazing seeing so many ladies of all types/backgrounds/abilities trying new things! Incredible, life-changing, actually inspired me to go back to university and change my life.”
  • “Thank you for a beautiful, awesome, inspiring, amazing weekend.”
  • “Just seeing the ladies from last year…and how caring everyone was. Riding with a group of women is a very different experience. Thank you for the work you did to make this weekend special. Excellent prizes too!”
  • “I attended the event last year and despite being a runner and recreational road cyclist I totally looked forward to this year’s event and recruited another friend to join us! Thanks for creating an empowering event.”
  • “I loved the friendly vibe, especially for beginners like me. The swag is always fantastic too.”
  • “Yoga was also fantastic, they should come back next year.”
  • “Very supportive learning environment. I love having only women in the park, it makes it a very encouraging and comfortable atmosphere.”
  • “Loved the swag bags and prizes :)”
  • “The coaches were so good – helped me conquer some fears and learn new skills and were so supportive of even small victories.”
  • “Loved the addition of the therapist! Please do again!”
  • “I haven’t ridden in YEARS! It was a comfortable atmosphere to explore riding – I tried a BMX bike (and loved it) and tried the pump track and skinnies. I’m sore and bruised the day after but I can’t wait to get back and ride.”

I’ve also attached some photos of the event for your enjoyment. Thanks again!

Sincerely,

Shannon