— RIDE PLANNING GUIDE —
The official CycloFemme
ride is May 14, 2017, but
the spirit of CycloFemme
can happen any time you
get on a bike. Invite one
friend or many.
Here are a few tips to
guide the ride.
1
PLAN
Map it out to make the
most of the day.
2
GET ORGANIZED
Take that plan and
put it into action.
3
RIDE
On May 13th and 14th,
we ride. Together.
1. PLAN
Map it out to make the most of the day.
WHO DO I WANT TO RIDE WITH?
Will this be a ride for beginners or a ride to challenge each
other to reach new lengths? Will it be your existing group
or do you want to create new friends? City, road, or mountain
bike riders? Women-only, with “manbassadors,” or with
whole families? A good rule of thumb for keeping a group
together is 10 riders per leader. If you’re planning a larger
group, wrangle a co-lead. Not only will this relieve the stress
of keeping everyone together, it makes planning more fun.
By determining who you want to celebrate with,
you can fine tune the ride to fit.
WHAT KIND OF RIDE DO I WANT TO LEAD?
Any type and size of ride can be a CycloFemme ride. Choose
what type of ride is best for your group. CycloFemme has
been celebrated with long road rides, dirt rides, races,
picnics, bike paths adventures, bar and coffee shops and
even a parade!
Setting the attitude will help you determine the
best route.
WHEN SHOULD MY RIDE START?
Pick a time for the ride to start and end. It can be helpful
to plan a meeting time a little before your ride departs,
giving everyone a chance to prepare, meet new friends, and
saddle up. In the US, CycloFemme falls on Mother’s Day
so it may be beneficial to take this into consideration when
planning your celebration.
For more flexibility, we extended the CycloFemme
rides to both Saturday and Sunday, so pick a day,
or ride on both!
WHERE TO MEET AND RIDE?
Factor the start and end place into your route. Bikes shops,
bike friendly coffee shops, and parks make great meeting
and starting places. Choose a spot that is easy to get to, has
space to gather before and after the ride, and provides a
comfortable atmosphere to make new friends.
Make sure to map your ride in advance, so you know the
route and can lead the way. There are plenty of tools to
help you plan a route: you can use Google Maps, Strava,
MapMyRide or any tool that fits your needs. Your designated
route should be appropriate for the group you plan to
ride with. If you are planning an “all wheels welcome” or
beginner ride, make sure your route is easy for anyone
who might decide to join in on the fun. Consider choosing
a route you have ridden in the past with few anticipated
surprises. Also consider if there are phases to the ride, so
less experienced riders can join up or drop off, while
still taking part.
Food and bathroom breaks are good to map out, whatever
kind of ride you want to lead.
Check your route in the week leading up to the ride
to avoid unexpected construction, route closures or
unsafe conditions.
HOW DO I LET OTHERS KNOW ABOUT MY RIDE?
Decide how you would like to communicate about your
CycloFemme ride. A dedicated event page makes it easy
to add information leading up to ride day, and to share
information about your ride directly. We recommend
Facebook, MeetUp, Evenbrite, or Splash. Pick a method
that suits your own habits as well as those of your group,
so you can keep them updated and engaged. Of course,
not everyone is on social media so you should have another
way to communicate.
Don’t forget to provide an e-mail address, social media
contact or phone number that’s easiest for you.
Once you have the platform decided, you’re ready
to register.
CHEAT SHEET
A little something to help you plan your ride.
WHERE DO I WANT TO RIDE?
HOW DO I WANT TO BE CONTACTED?
E-mail
ON WHICH DAY DO I WANT TO RIDE?
Sat, May 13th
Sun, May 14th
WILL IT BE BEGINNER FRIENDLY?
Yes
No
WHAT KIND OF RIDE WILL IT BE?
City
Road
Off-road
Phone
Social media
WHICH PLATFORM WILL I USE TO
COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS?
Facebook
MeetUp
Evenbrite
Splash
Other
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
WHERE/WHEN WILL IT START?
WHERE/WHEN WILL IT END?
DID I THINK ABOUT:
Food/beverages stop
Bathroom stop
Drop-off/jump in stops
NOW LET’S DO THIS!
2. GET ORGANIZED
Take that plan and put it into action.
REGISTER
PROMOTE
You’ll be listed on the ride page and added to our
e-mail list for updates.
Invite everyone you know to join, or lead a ride of
their own.
Submitting your info on cyclofemme.com allows us to
keep track of all the rides happening across the world. It
also empowers riders by letting them know about rides
happening near their locations, or prompts them to start
one on their own! If you have an idea for a special ride,
simply e-mail us at [email protected].
We have TOOLS:
• posters for shop windows and stencils to promote in
brick & mortar
• pledges to kick off the ride, or to use at rallies
• avatars and a watermark to add to your own photos
to promote on social media.
This year you can participate in our 1-to-1 match fundraising
for World Bicycle Relief and to share the power of bikes with
girls in Kenya.
Will you go S, M, or L? Learn more here.
If you’re adding fundraising, you can create a page of your
own, or share the CycloFemme fundraising page.
Use the #cyclofemme to help others find you, and so we
can promote your ride as well. Add local tags like #bikenyc
to build local interest.
3. NOW, RIDE
On May 13th and 14th, we ride. Together.
JUST HAVE FUN. EVEN IF IT RAINS.
Don’t be nervous, this is a day to celebrate with your friends
all around the world! If the weather isn’t optimal, have a
backup plan of a destination that’s near the start, but do the
ride regardless!
It’s good to bring a pump to the start, to ensure everyone’s
tires are full. Make sure you have everyone’s contact info
before you set out, and agree to rules of the ride—like what
to do if a traffic light separates you, or someone needs to
stop to rest.
SHARE YOUR STORY.
You create the story of CycloFemme through your photos.
Designate at least one person on your ride to take photos
and video (even a short video taken with a phone will do).
Use Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #cyclofemme
We’ll provide a Dropbox link for your best images on the
day of the ride.