Garden clubs, sewing circles, and bridge groups for socializing. Benevolent societies and church groups to assist the needy. Women’s leagues, committees, unions and movements for social change and political action. Women have a long history of gathering apart from their menfolk, whether it’s simply to carve their own space in the conversation or to have a stronger voice in the decision-making. And it’s just fun to do girly things, like promenade around town on our bikes and drink tea outdoors from fancy cups in summer hats.

The thing about women’s groups is once they get started, they spread. My friend Katie heard of the Ladies Tea & Bike Social we held in Palo Alto last August and loved the idea. In February she pedaled trough a rainstorm and took a ferry and train to San Jose for our Wine, Women & Chocolate. By March she had jumped headfirst into organizing her own Ladies Tea for the “Critical Misses” up in Marin County. Through word of mouth, social media and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, she had dozens women lined up and raring to roll.

I simply had to make the trip up there, even before I heard that mountain bike pioneer Jacquie Phelan would be attending. As founder of Women’s Mountain Bike & Tea Society (WOMBATS), Jacquie wouldn’t miss a bike and tea party in her own backyard. As always, she added color to the occasion in her own inimitable style.

Jacquie may have been comfortable bombing down trails and racing dirt along with the likes of Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Charlie Cunningham and other male mountain bike pioneers, but she founded the WOMBATS way back in 1987 because she wanted a place for women in this new and growing sport. Through WOMBATS, Jacquie taught skills clinics and camps to give women confidence to try something new, and hosted dirt rides that included tea stops. Only in Jacquie’s imagination would a Teacup Tango be a mountain biking party.

Why a tea society? As she explained to me as we rode together to the Marin Ladies Tea, “Guys have a way of taking over and I didn’t want that. I knew if it was a tea society they wouldn’t even want to join.” It worked.

Having organized and led women’s group rides and events, I understand that completely. As much as I enjoy riding with my husband and “the guys” sometimes, there’s something different about riding with women. The conversation changes, the tone changes, and for many women it means a relaxed environment where they can push themselves a little harder. If that sounds like an oxymoron to you, this post explains my point of view.

The Marin Ladies Tea was all the success I expected. Women who were old friends arrived together, others who knew no one arrived alone. One woman had just returned home after months bike touring in South America. Another arrived for tea by wheelchair. You don’t need a bike to join a bike social that’s a tea party in a park.

After these events I often hear from women, “Oh, I wish we had a bike tea society here.” Here’s a secret: it’s not hard to host a bike tea party. First, find a park in a beautiful setting, map out a bike route on quiet streets or on a bike path, and pick a date when you know a few friends can join. Then send out an invitation to others through your local bike club or advocacy group, asking everyone to bring a tea cup and a snack or thermos of tea to share. Whether you end up with a group of four or forty, I promise it will be fun. Just ask Katie.

Have you ever hosted a bike ride or bike-specific event? Did it have a theme? How did it work out?

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