Women & Bicycles – full programme

Women & Bicycles is a two-day festival to inspire, enable and showcase women in cycling with speakers, panel discussions, practical workshops and guided rides. Check out the incredible programme! More info on our main event and speakers pages.

Saturday

From To
10:00 10:10 Intro and welcome
10:15 11:30
Panel 1: Making space for women in cycling

If you feel you don’t fit in, sometimes the solution is to make your own space. On this panel are four very different women, each of whom has carved out a niche in the cycling world that makes it a better place for all of us: Alex Feechan, Cheryl Reid, Jools Walker, Sarah Connolly.

11:30 11:45 Break: tea, coffee and cake
11:45 13:00
Panel 2: Going places by bike

The bicycle is a mode of transport for the women on this panel – not only literally, but also socially, educationally, professionally and emotionally. Four women discuss the places that cycling has taken them, and role bikes continue to play in their lives: Lee Craigie, Kimberley Tew, Laura Moss, Naomi Mahendran. The panel is chaired by the fabulous Hannah Reynolds.

13:00 14:00 Lunch
14:00 15:30
Workshops

After lunch there’s a chance to get hands-on with a variety of workshops, all designed to boost your confidence and capability, and overcome the barriers stopping you from cycling more, whether it’s two miles to work or 20,000km round the world.

Places on some of these workshops are limited, online registrations for these are now closed. You will be able to register for any remaining spaces at the event. Note that all the below workshops are happening simultaneously, so choose one.

Important infos about the rides and workshops can be found here.

  • Yoga and body care: Polly Clark

    Yoga teacher and mountain biker Polly Clark focuses on how yoga practices can unwind problem areas for a cyclist’s body, how improved flexibility can increase your comfort on the bike, and how breathing and relaxation exercises can improve your riding. Registrations for this workshop are now closed.

  • The science of saddlesore: Isla Rowntree

    An uncomfortable time in the saddle can be one of the biggest barriers to women cycling more. Isla Rowntree takes a frank, holistic and open-minded approach to saddlesore, sharing the knowledge she’s built up over two decades of bike-fitting, to help each person find their own solution. There’s no need to register for this session.

  • Women’s Oxford bicycle tour: Marta Lomza

    On this participatory bicycle tour we will uncover traces of women’s presence in Oxford, where the histories of both the city and the university have traditionally been dominated by men. The ride is a chance to commemorate and celebrate the rich lives of women who have left a mark on Oxford through revisiting places connected to them, hearing and discussing their stories, and sharing our own experiences. Registrations for this tour are now closed.

  • Fix a flat: Eleanor Smith

    Probably the most common bike issue. It can spell frustration, deflation and doom if you let it. Eleanor Smith of Broken Spoke Bike Co-op will take you thorough the surprisingly simple process to fix a puncture. You will get hands-on practise, learn how to be prepared for and how to prevent getting a flat. Registrations for this workshop are now closed.

  • Preparing for a long-distance bike journey: Emily Chappell

    Want to take on a long-distance adventure but don’t know where to start? Adventure Syndicate athlete Emily Chappell will take you through everything you need to tackle a big multi-day ride, including training, nutrition, route planning, the kit you do (and don’t) need, and how to prepare yourself mentally. There’s no need to register for this session.

15:30 16:00 Break: tea, coffee and cake
16:00 17:30
Keynote: Rickie Cotter

Our keynote speaker is the “utterly gobsmackingly infectiously hilarious” Rickie Cotter: endurance junkie and former UK 24-hour mountain bike champion, whose races and adventures have taken her all over the world, and who is out to prove that we can all achieve more than we think we can.

18:00 21:00 Dinner and social

Sunday

From To
9:00/9:30 11:30
Rides and workshops

Bring your bike – on Sunday morning there’ll be guided rides for cyclists of all abilities, some heading out to Oxfordshire’s lanes and trails; others exploring one of the UK’s most cycle-friendly cities. For those who don’t fancy a ride, there’s a chance to attend yoga classes, or drink coffee and chill out with some of the speakers.

Places on some of these workshops are limited, online registrations for these are now closed. You will be able to register for any remaining spaces at the event. Note that all the below workshops are happening simultaneously, so choose one.

Important infos about the rides and workshops can be found here.

  • Yoga for cyclists: Becci Curtis (2 sessions, each 50 mins)

    Many people think yoga is just about getting flexible, but it is also about getting strong. For cyclists, this means stretching our over-developed quads and glutes (thighs and bums!) and strengthening our (often) comparatively underdeveloped lower backs, deep abdominal muscles and hip flexors. These beginner-friendly ‘taster’ sessions will introduce you to the ways yoga can be of benefit both on and off the bike. Registrations for these sessions are now closed.

  • Cafe Over-share: ask me anything?

    Got a question you’re embarrassed to ask? Come and have a chat with the experts from Broken Spoke and The Adventure Syndicate, for whom no question is too stupid, too technical, too general, too specific, or too (ahem) detailed. Periods, punctures, and everything in between – you can ask us anything. There’s no need to register for this session.

  • Women’s Oxford bicycle tour: Marta Lomza

    On this participatory bicycle tour we will uncover traces of women’s presence in Oxford, where the histories of both the city and the university have traditionally been dominated by men. The ride is a chance to commemorate and celebrate the rich lives of women who have left a mark on Oxford through revisiting places connected to them, hearing and discussing their stories, and sharing our own experiences. Registrations for this tour are now closed.

  • Cycle training for new and ‘not-for-a-long-time’ cyclists: Maryam Amatullah

    A key aim of this event is to get people doing what they thought wasn’t possible, to challenge them to break down their personal barriers. Maryam is someone who helps people do just that. In this cycle training session for adults who are first time cyclists or returning to cycling as adults, she will teach you practical skills like getting on and off the bike safely, using brakes effectively, and getting the bike to go where you want it to go. Registrations for this session are now closed.

  • Cowley Road Condors ladies rides (x3)

    The Condors is a leading club in Oxford for road cyclists with a strong female membership and they would like to show you why. Join them on one of three rides led by women for women:

      The Victoria Gentle One – for anyone who has a road bike but hasn’t ridden much recently, or regularly rides a hybrid/touring bike. 15 miles at 12 to 13 mph. Registrations for this ride are now closed.

      The Lizzie Armitsteady – for anyone who has a road bike and rides occasionally (e.g. commutes to work or goes for a ride at the weekend). 20 miles at 13 to 14 mph. Registrations for this ride are now closed.

      The Sarah Speedy – a slightly faster ride for anyone who has a road bike and regularly cycles 25 miles or more (or does other active sports regularly e.g. rowing, running 5-10K). 30 miles at 15 to 16 mph. Registrations for this ride are now closed.

  • Isis Cyclists ride

    Isis Cyclists organise short bike rides for women in Oxford with the aim of encouraging non-cyclists to get back on their bikes and commuters to enjoy leisure cycling. They use the best of the city’s cycle paths and quiet lanes, heading towards greenery wherever possible. Less than 10 miles long at a stately pace, this ride will use off-road tracks so we don’t recommend road bikes with narrow tyres. Registrations for this ride are now closed.

  • Mountain bike ride: Lee Craigie

    Mountain bike visionary Lee Craigie will be leading an off-road ride designed to challenge participants to cycle where they have never been before. Taking on trails just outside of Oxford, riders will be led through beautiful surroundings, learning the practical skills that will enable them to go on to tackle the off-road rides of their dreams. The ride will last approximately 2 to 2.5 hours and you’ll need a mountain bike to take part. Registrations for this ride are now closed.

11:30 12:30 Brunch
13:00 14:15
Panel 3: Cycling as a Family

Having children around needn’t spell the end of your cycling career – in fact, for some people it’s only the beginning! These four women will share the many rewards and pitfalls of getting kids on bikes, and discuss the solutions they’ve found – or created – to the challenges of family cycling: Josie Dew, Maryam Amatullah, Karen Gee, Isla Rowntree, Carolyn Roberts.

14:15 14:30 Break: tea, coffee and snacks
14:30 14:40
Film: Adventure Syndicate North Coast 500

The Adventure Syndicate was launched in May 2016, when a seven-woman team cycled the 518 miles of Scotland’s North Coast 500 route in 36 hours. This film, shown here for the first time, tells the story of women who worked together to take on something they weren’t quite sure they were capable of.

14:45 16:00
Panel 4: Making the North Coast 500 Happen

Following the film, a look behind the scenes of the North Coast 500. We’ll hear from some of the riders and their supporters, as well as the Bafta-winning editor who put the film together, and some of the women who rode their own North Coast 500, a few months later: Emily Chappell, Anna Kubik, Rickie Cotter, Laura Moss.

16:00 16:15 Closing remarks
16:15 17:30 Closing social: tea and cake

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