OPINION
If we want more women, we have to build spaces where they can see themselves
By Claire Sharpe T
he cycling industry says it wants to attract more women, reach new audiences and grow participation. But if I’m honest, I think there is a lot of talk about diversifying
cycling in a much broader and more comfortable way that doesn’t reflect the reality on the ground. But all is not lost. From what I’ve seen, progress has been made time and again; we just need to be intentional.
Because for me, it is not just about
“inclusion” as a general idea. A lot of what I do is specifically about women: helping more women feel welcome in cycling, helping more women build confidence off-road, and creating spaces where women are not made to feel like guests in a sport that still too often presents men as the default. That does not mean excluding anyone else. I run All
Terre Adventures as an open community, and I care deeply about making cycling feel more welcoming for women and marginalised genders. One key thing I’ve learned is there is value in being honest and direct: if the bike industry wants more women in cycling, it has to stop hoping that will happen on its own. I’ve worked in marketing for more than 15 years, and alongside that, I’ve built my career in cycling as a Level 3 mountain bike guide, an off-road activity coach, and a trainer of mountain bike guides. I’ve guided for amazing women-led organisations, including Sisters in the Wild and Ride High MTB, and through all of that work, I’ve seen the same thing again and again: women are not lacking interest, bravery or potential. More often, they are navigating spaces that were not built with them in mind. That matters, because the barriers women face in
cycling are not always the obvious ones. Sometimes they are practical, like access to skills, support or the right introduction. But often they are cultural. They sit in the feeling that you might be the only woman there. In the assumption
www.bikebiz.com PHOTO BY TOM GIBBS
that you should already know the language, the kit, the etiquette and the unspoken rules. In the imagery that keeps showing you the same kinds of riders. In the events that say “everyone is welcome” but are structured in a way that still largely serves the people who already feel entitled to take up space.
This is especially true in off-road riding. Mountain biking, for example, can be brilliant for confidence, freedom and joy, but can also look incredibly intimidating from the outside. The culture can feel technical, fast-moving and male-dominated. If you are a woman
coming into that environment, especially without a friendship group already in the sport, the gap between being curious and actually showing up can feel huge. That gap is where so much of my work sits. Through guiding for Sisters in the Wild, I’ve seen what happens when women are given the right environment to try, learn and progress. They relax. They ask questions. They stop trying to hide what they do not know. They start trusting themselves more and realise they are capable of far more than they thought. And just as importantly, they start to feel that they belong.
That is a massive part of it. Cycling often talks about
progression in terms of speed, skill or performance. But for many women, especially those entering spaces where they are underrepresented, progression begins with confidence. It begins with not feeling judged. It begins with being able to ask a basic question without feeling silly. It begins with seeing other women there and thinking, “Maybe this is for me after all.” That belief has shaped the way I have built All Terre
Adventures. The community is open to all genders, but from the start, I have made very deliberate choices in the marketing, tone and feel of it so that women and marginalised genders feel welcomed in. That is not accidental. It is not a side effect. It is central to how I work.
April 2026 | 15
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