I founded this network during 2020.

Whereby my own personal experiences as a new cyclist pushed me to leave the house on a regular basis, providing a sense of autonomy during a time where the government had instructed us to halt all social activities. This hugely improved my mental health and stability during a time of isolation and uncertainty. Following this, as the lockdown began to ease I began to share my experience with others within the community- encouraging anyone who may be interested to join.

I thought of what Covid meant for individuals in the LGBTQI+ community, and the spanning detrimental effects it could be having. One of the ones that I feel affects a wide majority of the community is the now inaccessibility to queer spaces. Today we can now openly express ourselves in these spaces and I think of how vital this is to individuals to feel connected and a sense of validity.

In light of this I created a cycling network called Bike Dykes for queer wxmen and non-binary people. The name is inspired by the 1976 lesbian motorcyclist club Dykes on Bikes. The purpose of this group is to bring individuals within the community to come together (when in line with the government guidelines) to engage with one another outside, to meet new people and network, explore new areas in London, promote health and wellbeing and most of all, have fun. Whilst the doors of our queer spaces are closed, I think it is vital to expand these spaces into the outside world, exploring means outside of our queer club culture and to keep this going beyond the the space of Covid-19.

1. Bisexual Women
2. Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnicities
3. Lesbians/Gay Women
4. Non-UK Residents
5. People of Faith
6. People over 50
7. People with disabilities
8. Trans People/People with gender histories
9. Women
10. Young People