In line with their existing mission, CWRB just launched a new app to provide a place for female cyclists to connect and stay active in their sport. A one-stop-shop for all things cycling—the app helps find others by location, level, and discipline in Australia and internationally. It also contains mini workouts, training sessions, skills, and techniques for riding and maintenance.
If you haven’t already opened the app store to check it out, read on to discover a few more reasons why this one might be worth a peek.
Who is CWRB?
“We believe that adventure – no matter how small – lights a flame within us that helps us understand who we truly are. We believe in the power of lungs filled with fresh air, no matter what you look like, where you sleep at night, or how you choose to live your life.”
In their own words, “Chicks Who Ride Bikes aims to help women and non-binary people find and enjoy cycling – however they ride and whenever they start.”
A grassroots women’s cycling community created by Jordana Blackman in Brisbane in 2013, CWRB are dedicated to spreading the tremendous freedom, independence, and joy that riding bikes has to offer. A few years back, Jordana joined forces with Katey Bates, cycling commentator and former world champion rider, and they are the team behind this new offering from CWRB.
As some of you may know, the women of CWRB have been leading an active Zwift club since the end of 2018. At this time, due to their own life circumstances, they were searching for not just time on the bike but also a means of benefitting from the social and community connection that cycling offers. The new app is building upon this existing Zwift community and extending its reach further.
The New Chicks Who Ride Bikes App
“Discover, connect and ride with CWRB. Search for like-minded chicks, connect with new friends, learn more about your bike and riding with our interactive Knowledge Centre and find events in your area.”
One of the best things about this new app is that it offers a customised onboarding process, allowing users to organically connect with other like-minded women based on cycling ability and confidence level.
● You can choose from goals such as: making new cycling pals, getting help and advice, riding more often, or joining an event.
● You can also specify your ability level, all the way from noob to advanced, which you can, of course, adjust as you progress.
● By adding your location, you can use the app to connect with other cyclists in your area. The search technology allows you to quickly find locals within 100km.
Improve your skills and care for your body
In addition to allowing you to tap into an extensive cycling community, the app also provides a range of interactive learning, and beginner-friendly content on a range of complementary content, such as:
● Meditations
● Stretches
● Foam Rolling
● Pregnancy and Pelvic Health
● Nutrition
● Zwift resources (including a FREE 6-week program)
● Mechanics and bike maintenance
● Yoga
Explore what other women are up to
If you’re ever in need of cycling inspiration, the CWRB community has you covered. You can follow female cyclists from around the globe as they post updates and share tips, advice and content. You can also keep up to date on the goings on in the cycling work by seeing what’s trending in their Women’s Cycling news feed. Finally, a messaging feature lets you safely and securely connect with and message other users.
CWRB caters to all sorts of riding, including Adaptive, Cyclocross, Downhill MTB, Electric, Flat Bar, Gravel, Gravity, MTB, Road, Touring, Track, Virtual, and more.
Safety on and off the bike
As with any online community, it is essential to have safety procedures in place so users can be confident they know who they’re actually talking to. To protect their community of women, trans-women and non-binary folk, CWRB has safety features, including:
● Twilio authentication and verification
● Facial recognition technology (to ensure all user accounts are authentic)
● One-touch feature to report suspicious accounts or activity
Why we need women’s cycling hubs
As always, we are happy to support and spread the message of any organisation looking to encourage women to take up cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation. We understand that cycling is no longer an exclusively male-dominated sport. Still, until we have perfect gender parity, women-only spaces have a vital role to play in making the cycling community a more accessible and inclusive place to be.
That said, it’s not about making anyone feel unwelcome. As Katey explained to Zwift,
“While we are a women’s community tailored to women, it is open to all. We have a few fellas who regularly come along (usually +1s) on virtual rides, and so long as everyone is respectful, they are welcome.”
Now that’s an ethos we can get behind! You can learn more about the CWRB app here.
