The Growth & Development of Women’s Cycling
To the best of our knowledge, the population of most countries is a 50:50 split; and yet, when you go into most bike shops, you see one or two rails for women… if you are lucky, and endless rails of men’s clothing. In terms of the pro peloton, many women’s teams still struggle with financing and support; and worse still, talented women cyclists are abused, insulted and sexually attacked online, simply because they choose to look stylish, fit and good on a bike. Yes, how on earth can a woman who also happens to beaesthetically beautiful – as all people are in some way – ride up the Tourmalet 2 days running and still smile – that’s despite the fact that the female athlete in this case was a world-class triathlete in her sporting career. Unfortunately though, she chose to look, well… feminine and stylish. By all accounts this attracts unnecessary and sexist comments from too many men online, who quite frankly need to check the mirror first of all… and possibly their search history. Male arrogance and sexism isn’t a cycling skill, I’m afraid; and nor will wives and partners thank you for bullying women athletes online, simply for looking good.
Here at Pedalnorth, we’ve also witness so-called respected members of the cycling industry make sexist remarks about women athletes, simply because they chose to wear pink cycling shorts on a climb in Spain. The woman concerned was depicted simply riding up an alpine pass and concentrating on the climb. It was summer and the temperatures in the valley were hot – hence the shorts. After all, women deserve to tan their legs whilst they cycle, don’t they?
Now please, with the greatest of respect – actually, with no respect to such comments – how can this sort of behaviour and failure to recognise and support women as athletes still be acceptable in 2026? It simply shouldn’t be acceptable, and men now need to wake up and smell the coffee, and then realise that if you want your partner to look good when you go to dinner, to the cinema, to the theatre or elsewhere, they reserve the right to also look good when cycling.
Leading the way to a feminine future
Let’s cut to the chase and accept that cycling has been unbalanced for far too long; and yes, that’s a polite way of saying that cycling has been sexist in too many areas, and that women in cycling deserve more acceptance for who they are – women. It’s only in recent years that women’s bikes had their own place within many many world-leading brands. Ladies, or women’s cycling clubs are one of the fastest developing areas within the global cycle industry. Failing to recognise the growth and potential of women’s cycling development is a failure to place your own cycling brand in the best position to maximise growth in the changing global cycling community. ‘Pink it and shrink it’ is no longer acceptable. Yes, women are finally a central part of the global cycling scene, and women’s cycling blogs are taking a hold, as online portals for the very best information for women in cycling.
As a website, we’ve always operated on the premise that the best and hardest working writers will always get the most support and recognition. We’ve constantly championed and promoted women’s cycling blogs, and tried to lead the way in bringing women’s cycling products to the fore, too. Ultimately, cycling is a sport for everyone, and yet it’s only in recent years that any form of equality has been achieved – and there’s still a long way to go.
Here’s a few key stats for around cycling growth for women:
Key Growth Statistics & Participation
- Cycling is the sixth most popular sport for women in England, growing at over 9% in the last five years.
- Women’s cycling participation has increased by nearly 20% since 2019.
- In the UK, female race license holders increased by 72%.
- Female membership in Cycling UK grew from 22% to 25% between 2022 and 2025.
- Women made up 23% of new Zwift subscribers in 2025, up from 18% in 2022.
TV has a role to play, as the more women’s races that are televised and publicised, the greater the increase of women cyclists will be:
- 69% of women surveyed said watching the Tour de France Femmes inspired them to ride.
- The average Women’s World Tour team budget has doubled since 2022 to approximately €4.67 million.
- Tour de France Femmes social media followers reached 2.6 million in 2024, with a 61% rise in video content engagement.
Women can be stylish when cycling… it’s their right
The demand for women’s community focused cycle events is high, with events like Limitlass and La Femme both selling out rapidly. Women’s cycling requires a different approach in so many ways.
It’s not simply that our women’s cycling jerseys and bib shorts need to be designed and cut differently; or that our cycling shoes need to be designed for women’s feet, taking account for our different build and physiology. It’s not simply that we want and yes need bikes that are designed and built for us. What is is, is the simple fact that women have fought hard for recognition within society; at work, at leisure, within families, and within sport generally. Women in cycling simply want a feminine future that is on a a par with the attention given to men’s cycling.
Did you know that it wasn’t until the year 2000 that women had their first ever world cyclocross champion. Yes, only 26 years ago, despite the history and longevity of the cyclocross discipline. It was Hanka Kupfernagel of Germany who was the first women’s elite cyclocross world champion, winning that inaugural UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship in 2000, held in Sint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands.
In terms of road cycling, it was 1958 and Reims, France, that marked the official introduction of the women’s road race to the UCI championship program – being won by Elsy Jacobs from Luxembourg. The context of this becomes apparent when you consider that the men had a world championship race in 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany, where Alfredo Binda won.
Strictly female cycling information
Considering all of this, alongside the regular insults thrown at women wearing lycra cycling clothing, it’s time for a change. It’s time for men to accept that women can and do ride bikes. It’s time to accept that women have disposable incomes and want to purchase cycle clothing and bikes designed for them. It’s time for men to realise that the women being insulted , abused, attacked for looking feminine is somebodies daughter, mother, partner – a human being, and deserve respect, not insults. Women who choose to be mothers, deserve respect and decency from the cycling industry; not to be thrown aside as riders, writers, creators, simply because they no longer fit the mold.
Men need challenging by men when they insult or attack women cyclists, and those men with their own pregnant looking builds should realise that it’s not that hard to beat them up a hill on a bike, and that simply fitting a lighter cassette won’t help their own performance. If only they took as much care about themselves, as they do attacking real women athletes, whose only crime is riding, exercising and taking care of themselves.
Ladies, or women’s cycling, whichever way you refer it, is still the fastest growth area within the global cycling community. It’s an area of cycling where performance, style and quality always ride in perfect harmony; and yet is an area where true recognition is still in waiting. For us here at Pedalnorth, led by Nadezhda Pavlova and with talented athletes and writers such as Diane Vilarem, Fatima Berton, Kristi Kuldkepp and Teodora Sabina, this dynamic area of the Pedalnorth website continues to lead the way in showcasing the uniqueness and the lifestyle within women’s cycling, by bringing you the very best women’s cycling blogs in the world – on the world’s best cycling lifestyle and culture website!
Today is the time to join the women’s cycling revolution, and to continue to challenge this long unequal status quo. Women cyclists are already here and we’re riding fast, we’re looking stylish and leading the way across the vast and hopefully growing inclusivity within the varied and interesting global cycling community!
