JoyRiders challenge cycling stereotypes
Group gives women more confidence to get in the saddle
Friday, 18th August 2023 — By Frankie Lister-Fell
Sakinah Abdul Aziz is now a ride leader in North West London JoyRiders cycling group
WHEN you think of a typical cyclist, a middle- aged man in lycra might spring to mind.
MAMILs, as this often affluent group are collectively known, can be found riding bikes worth upward of £1,000 and sporting the latest Tour De France gear.
But cycling is not just for the wealthy – as one group of women is trying to show.
North West London JoyRiders, which launched in Camden last year, provides free bikes and runs monthly guided rides to help women feel more confident in the saddle.
One of the group, Sakinah Abdul Aziz, 34, said: “Now I really confidently cycle to work as well. And so my colleagues are like, ‘Oh, we never see a hijabi cycling.’
“I guess it’s a different image and challenges a lot of stereotypes to see someone with a hijab cycling. I don’t think it’s very visible in London yet but it depends on the area. Camden is very diverse.”
Ms Abdul Aziz, who lives near Regent’s Park, first came across the group after she joined a Muslim women’s cycling group.
She started off as a beginner rider, but is now a ride leader. Each ride had a leader and a backstop. This Saturday Ms Abdul Aziz is leading a ride from Camden to Battersea Park.
Barriers preventing women from cycling included safety, she said.
Cycling on London’s busy roads was very intimidating at first, and she didn’t learn how to drive, so figuring out road rules was also a challenge. Socio- economic reasons played a big part.
“I do think that class is actually a big factor to it. People who come from lower-income backgrounds might find cost is a barrier and space, especially if people live in smaller flats.
“I have that issue because we live in a very small, one-bedroom flat. So I bought a folding bike so I can store it inside.
“For families that have not really incorporated cycling into part of their routine, maintenance can be a daunting thing,” Ms Abdul Aziz said.
Free bikes are provided by Somers Town charity Life After Hummus, a group which has been doing outreach in the area to encourage more women onto two wheels.
Ride leader Nikke Ariff, who is in her 60s and lives in Fitzrovia, said: “When we were doing these leaflet drops at the school in Somers Town it transpired that actually a lot of the women either didn’t know how to ride, or were reticent about getting back onto a bicycle.
“This could be cultural reasons because for whatever reason they don’t like being seen on a bicycle. It could be something to do with the way they dress. If they’re wearing a long gown, for example, it can be a little bit cumbersome to get onto a bicycle.”
To overcome this, JoyRiders has been taking ladies on short practice rides around the area to help them gain confidence first.
“The current economic climate means that these women don’t have a lot of spare time. One of the joys that we experience of coming on a led ride is that the participant has got to say, ‘I am going to go on this three-hour ride with a bunch of other women and we’re going to have a jolly good time, no matter what the weather’s like. And I’m making this time for me.’
“When they’ve been on a ride, and they experienced it, and they see other women who have done something similar, there’s not necessarily a conscious acknowledgement that this is quality time for me, but after a while it becomes, ‘Damn, this is my time. I’m going to have it.’”