"For women to feel attracted to road cycling, it needs to be visible and self-evident."

Kerstin Kortekamp is co-owner of Schicke Mütze, the road and gravel bike store. The 57-year-old has two grown-up daughters and is already a grandmother of five. Sport is her passion, but cycling in particular. She switched from mountain biking after winning her first racing bike in a raffle. The first ride was not long in coming and she was thrilled. For the less bike-savvy: Rides are tours in groups to which the bike community joins together. There are different categories, such as gravel or road bike rides. After Kerstin had already organized several road bike rides exclusively for women, she launched the "Women's Road Bike Movement" in 2018, an open event format that has been offering weekly rides since 2023.

How did the idea for the "women's road bike movement" come about and what exactly is behind it?
Organizing road bike rides was and is part of Schicke Mütze's DNA. However, the rides were mixed. There were significantly more men and cycling is dominated by men anyway. But there are differences in performance between men and women, for example in terms of speed. This means that women are often under pressure to perform in order to keep up. What's more, women sometimes don't feel comfortable in the numerically superior male company. I used to think it was particularly cool and rather flattering to be recognized in a group of men, but now I think that's nonsense. Because that doesn't speak for a healthy self-confidence as a woman. Women on racing bikes is - in my opinion - not that unusual. Their share is still small, but it is growing. However, for more women to feel attracted to road cycling, it needs to be visible and self-evident.

An important impulse came from the cycling clothing manufacturer Rapha in 2013 with the "Women's 100". A campaign that has developed into a kind of World Women's Day for female road cyclists. With the "Women's 100", women around the world are called upon to ride 100 kilometers or more on this day. I followed this call in 2013 - with a group of three women and 30 men. We jokingly declared the men to be "Uschis". The following year we were already 16 women and in the third year we were over 40. For us, this was something like the initial spark for women-only rides, which have been running under the title "Women's Road Bike Movement" since 2018.

Has the perception of women in road cycling changed in the meantime? And has the "women's road cycling movement" contributed to this?
Yes, a lot has already happened. For example, Demi Vollering is the first professional female rider with a contract worth millions. There is once again a Tour de France for women - and it is broadcast on television. More and more women are also getting a taste for recreational cycling. I think we have contributed to this within the scope of our possibilities. One example: with Schicke Mütze, we have been part of the organizing team for the "Rund um die Kö" cycling event since 2016 . I worked hard to ensure that a women's race also took place. It was important to me that there was a race where the route on Königsallee belonged to women. Because that helps to make cycling more interesting for women. And it works, because every year there are enough registrations for women's races that are just as exciting and thrill the public as the other races.

Do you have any tips for women who ride road bikes?
I have lots of tips, but my first tip for women in the region is to join us, the "Women's Road Bike Movement". People often tell us how great it is to roll along the trails with other women - without any pressure to perform. It's easy to make friends with us and get to know new people. During our rides, you have plenty of breathing space and time to talk - about cycling and all sorts of other things. It's also a good opportunity to network among women. My second tip: If you're serious about road cycling in terms of cycling races, I recommend finding a suitable club. There are numerous opportunities to train in a targeted manner and improve your own performance. In addition, women are more likely to find like-minded people in the club, for example to start races together. Another plus: the more women are active in clubs, the better the structures in cycling can be changed to benefit women.

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Information

If you've got a taste for it, simply join the Facebook group "Frauenbewegung Rennrad" and register for a ride. Registration costs an amount that each participant can choose freely. The amounts are collected and donated to the organization World Bicycle Relief without any deductions. The NGO uses the donations to provide people in emerging countries with bicycles. The aim is to help people become more mobile: Children in rural areas can ride to school instead of having to walk long distances. Workplaces become more accessible and cargo bikes enable transportation without a car.

Interview: Cynthia Blasberg
Photos: Kerstin Kortekamp