Celebrating Women’s Month 2026
With the calendar now turned to June, Ontario Cycling’s 2026 Women’s Month has officially come to a close. Throughout May, female staff, members, clubs, partners, volunteers, and cyclists from across the province came together to create an inspiring month of programming dedicated to growing and celebrating women’s participation in cycling. From group rides and Try-It events to educational webinars and athlete spotlights, Women’s Month showcased the many ways women are contributing to and thriving within Ontario’s cycling community.
Kicking Things Off on the Track
Women’s Month began on May 1 with a Women’s Only Try the Track session at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton. Hosted in partnership with the National Cycling Institute Milton (NCIM), the free event welcomed more than 25 new riders to experience track cycling for the first time.
Led by NCIM coaches Erin Watchman and Scheherazade Haque, with bike fitting support from Jonathan Higgins, participants learned the fundamentals of track riding, including starts, stops, and shoulder checks. As the session progressed, confidence quickly grew, and riders found themselves venturing higher up the banking and even confidently passing fellow participants by the end of the evening.
Participant Andrea Bidgood reflected on her experience:
“Cycling has been part of my life since I was young, but the Women’s Try the Track event on May 1st reminded me that there are still brave firsts waiting for us, even in something we already love.
The track felt intimidating. I was honestly shaking the whole time. But maybe bravery needs us to be a little scared first. Sometimes it looks like getting on a bike you never imagined yourself riding. Sometimes it looks like trusting yourself, the people around you, and rolling forward before your confidence has fully caught up to know what you’re capable of.”
Ontario Cycling extends its gratitude to all of the participants, supporters, volunteers, and NCIM staff who helped launch Women’s Month in such a memorable way.
Unfortunately, the Forest City Velodrome was forced to cancel its planned Women’s Only Try the Track session on May 3 due to an urgent matter. The organization hopes to host a future event, and Ontario Cycling looks forward to partnering with them again during Women’s Month 2027.
Clubs Across Ontario Join the Celebration
Throughout May, Ontario Cycling-affiliated clubs hosted a variety of women-focused rides and Try-It events designed to welcome new participants and strengthen cycling communities.
KW Cycling Academy brought back their Girls & Women’s Monday Night MTB Rides for a second year! The Girls & Women’s Monday Night MTB Rides returned to Puslinch Lake, bringing together girls and women for a fun and supportive mountain biking experience. Led by Coach Amy, participants built confidence and developed fundamental skills including bike checks, cornering, climbing techniques, navigating rocks and logs, and trail awareness all while enjoying time on the trails in a positive and encouraging environment.
The London Cycling Club embraced Ontario Cycling’s Women’s Month initiative by creating welcoming opportunities for women to experience group riding in a supportive environment. Fred Chagnon, LCC Vice President, shares how the initiative helped grow participation and highlighted the value of dedicated women’s programming in creating lasting pathways into the sport.
“Ontario Cycling’s decision to designate May as Women’s Month allowed us to run multiple Try-It programs for women-only rides, creating the perfect opportunity to bring new riders into the London Cycling Club. This initiative was an ideal fit for our club, as we already have, for several years now, a dedicated Women on Wheels (WoW) subgroup institutionalized within our structure.
To create an accessible entry point, we hosted three dedicated Try-It rides throughout May, featuring a flagship Saturday event over Mother’s Day weekend and weekday sessions on quiet roads at the city’s edge.
For some cyclists, the draw of a dedicated, supportive women-only space like WoW is exactly why they join LCC in the first place. For others, the program serves as a critical confidence-builder and a pathway to our standard, mixed-gender group rides. Throughout May, we saw both of these success stories play out in real time. Multiple trial participants used the sessions to plant roots within WoW, while others registered for subsequent Try Its later that month in our broader club pacelines within weeks of their first introductory kilometres.
We’re missing the hard numbers due to a lack of discrete attendance tracking capabilities in our club app, but the visual success across May was undeniable. By providing a seamless connection between curiosity and community, the OC Try It initiative proved that having an established, dedicated women’s program is the most effective way to grow the sport overall.
Special thanks to our WoW ride leaders Harriet Ryske, Melissa Adler, and Linda Alder for the work they do underpinning this cornerstone of our club.”
Uxbridge Cycling Club hosted their own club try-it ride on May 9th and were joined by 10 lovely ladies. Johanna Purdy shared “UCC women’s rides are designed to foster a supportive, inclusive and social atmosphere. Saturday’s ride featured a no-drop 50 km route around the beautiful Mussleman’s Lake. We had a variety of skill-levels and ages – from beginners to experienced cyclists – focusing on camaraderie, skill-building and safety. Huge thank you to our sag wagon and photographers Marija and Jaimie!”
Lap Dogs Cycling Club hosted 13 “Try a Club” rides throughout May to encourage more women to experience club cycling. The rides spanned all supported disciplines, including road, mountain bike, and gravel riding.
Despite challenging weather conditions that resulted in the cancellation of a few rides, the initiative welcomed 11 non-members to participate. The most popular offering was the Skinny Puppy Road Ride, a women’s-only version of the club’s weekly Thursday afternoon 30 km west-end hill workout, which attracted six non-member participants across two rides.
The Railway City Cycling Club hosted a special women’s-only ride from St. Thomas to Port Stanley on May 29th! Riders enjoyed a scenic ride to the beach for a one-hour guided yoga session, followed by a coffee stop before heading back to St. Thomas. A perfect mix of movement, community, and fun on two wheels to celebrate OC Women’s Month.
Georgian Bay Women’s Cycling Club joined in on the fun of Women’s Month and held their own Try-It Rides throughout the month. Jess from GBWCC passed along some highlights, “The month began with cool spring temperatures as we rode along the Tay Trail, bundled up in extra layers and gloves while enjoying the fresh air and early signs of the season. But we wrapped up the month with a beautiful ride along the country roads, making our way to the beach under sunny skies. The contrast from our first ride couldn’t have been greater and we capped it off with a post-ride ice cream stop.”
Newmarket Eagles Cycling Club (eGals) group hosted three 40-50km club try-it rides throughout the month of May for female cyclists interested in joining NECC. Whether riders were new to cycling or looking to join a club for the first time, the eGals Try-It Rides offered a fun and encouraging environment to experience everything the Newmarket Eagles Cycling Club has to offer. Through mentorship, camaraderie, and shared kilometres, participants discovered the benefits of riding together and became part of a vibrant cycling community.
Golden Horseshoe Cycling Hub (GHCH) proudly hosted a Girls and Women’s Ride at the Devil’s Punch Bowl in Hamilton, bringing together riders of all ages and abilities for a memorable morning on the bike.
With sunshine, stunning scenery, and a welcoming atmosphere, the ride was filled with encouragement, laughter, and new connections. Riders challenged themselves, supported one another, and celebrated the shared accomplishment of reaching the destination together.
More than just a ride, the event created an opportunity to build confidence, foster community, and showcase the joy of cycling in a supportive environment. It was a wonderful reminder that cycling is about more than the kilometers travelled—it’s about the people who make the journey meaningful.
Waterloo Cycling Club is continuing the Women’s Month celebrations into June with their Women’s Try a Road Ride on June 6th. Join a fun and welcoming group of women for a casual ride through the roads of Waterloo Region, complete with bakery stops along the way! Happening on June 6, this community-focused ride is open to everyone, no club membership required. Bring your friends, family, or neighbours and experience the joy of cycling in a supportive and fun environment. Meet at the NE Parking Lot at RIM Park, with wheels rolling at 9:45 a.m.
Learning Beyond the Bike
In addition to rides and events, Ontario Cycling hosted five free educational webinars focused on topics relevant to women in cycling.
The series began with Molly Hurford and Dr. Sasha Gollish discussing strategies from The Unstoppable Journal to help women become more confident in training, racing, and everyday life. The webinar attracted 34 participants.
Kyle Rempel of Bicycle Fit Lab followed with a session attended by 87 registrants, exploring the clinical foundations of bike fit and helping riders better understand comfort, efficiency, and performance on the bike.
On May 11, physiotherapist Aly Hodgins led a discussion on saddle health, pelvic health, and injury prevention for 62 participants.
Volunteer, coach, and ride leader Amy White later hosted a Rider Leader Training Information Session, attended by 24 registrants, covering best practices for leading club and women-focused group rides.
The webinar series concluded with nutrition expert Nicole Springle, whose session attracted 120 registrants eager to learn how to navigate perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause while continuing to train, perform, and enjoy cycling.
If you missed the Women’s Month Webinar Series, click below to watch the recordings!
Sharing Stories and Inspiring Others
Throughout the month, Ontario Cycling highlighted women from across the cycling community through its Then vs. Now and Individual Spotlight series. These stories celebrated the unique journeys, experiences, and contributions of women in cycling while helping inspire others to get involved.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Eleanor McMahon, Cassandra Powell, Nicole Lentini, Anna Tykoliz, Bonnie London, Claire MacKinnon, Gabriella Samuel, Chantal Thompson, Emily Flynn, Emma Wagenman, Andrea Bidgood, Katanya Polimis, Siobhan Kelly, and Amy White for sharing their stories and helping showcase the many pathways into cycling.
Thank You to Our Supporters
Women’s Month would not have been possible without the support of our partners and sponsors.
Thank you to Shane Hotchkiss for extending the Tour of Kincardine Early Bird Discount to female riders throughout the month.
A special thank you as well to Hardwood Ski & Bike for once again supporting Women’s Month by offering a 15% discount on Ultimate Women’s MTB Clinics and providing riders with the opportunity to pre-ride the Women’s 4 Hour MTB Relay course.
Looking Ahead
While Women’s Month 2026 has officially concluded, the momentum created throughout May will continue well beyond a single month. The rides, webinars, stories, and connections formed over the past several weeks demonstrated the strength, diversity, and growth of women’s cycling across Ontario.
To everyone who participated, volunteered, led rides, shared their story, attended a webinar, or supported the initiative in any way, thank you.
After all, every month should be Women’s Month. If you’re interested in sharing your cycling story or getting involved, Ontario Cycling would love to hear from you.