More women take up cycling, coffee catch-up tradition as popularity grows

Meet the new breed of cyclists giving middle-aged men in Lycra, aka MAMILs, a run for their money.

MAWIL … the new face of 40-something cyclists in Adelaide includes Emma Underwood, Michelle Crick and Carly Bryant. Picture: Emma Brasier

Move over middle-aged men in Lycra there’s a proud new peloton in town, and it’s pedalling its way to a post-ride coffee catch-up like no other.

Increasingly, it’s middle-aged women in Lycra, otherwise known as MAWILs, who are embracing the two-wheel buzz and closing the well-documented, long-time gender gap in cycling.

For some it is about the race to the finish line but for most it is about fresh air, fitness and friendship – and clawing back a bit of “me” time.

It’s estimated there are now more than half a million posts on Instagram which are tagged #womenscycling and more than 210 million videos on TikTok. The burgeoning interest isn’t going unnoticed by sportswear companies, either, with female cyclists celebrating (finally) an increase in kit options.

Michelle Crick, who describes herself on social media as a “lover of two wheels”, caught the cycling bug about 15 years ago, soon after moving from the UK to Australia with husband Phil.

She got her first bike as an adult when her kids were at kindy, to join them on the less-than-1km ride to preschool.

“I didn’t want to get in the car … I found that I actually really enjoyed it and that it was a way to keep fit, lose weight and make friends,” she says.

Today the 46-year-old owns four bikes – each suited to different terrains and riding styles – and covers about 200km a week, mainly riding with girl pal cyclists.

She regularly travels from Noarlunga Downs for pre-work rides with her friends at Victoria Park and also competes in a variety of events with a special passion for gravel racing.

The Bike SA Ride Her Way co-ordinator says it’s exciting to see more women become interested in the sport she loves.

“It still is a very male-dominated area but we are seeing a massive shift … I think social media has played a role in that as well as investment in women’s elite sports – it’s becoming more visible to more women,” she says.

“There is absolutely a noticeable change in the availability of women’s bikes as well as clothing options – you’ll still probably find 10 pairs for men and just two for women but before there was basically nothing, everything was a really poor cut or a really bad colour.”

Crick says while bike riding provides her a “sense of freedom”, it is the social aspect she loves most, regularly meeting friends for rides in the city, the Adelaide Hills or at regional events.

“It is all about fun and connection … it is just us on our bikes and we chat all the time, either pushing ourselves up a hill or unwinding after a ride with a coffee – there is never a quiet moment,” she says.

“We all need time away from our responsibilities … a chance to switch off and unload. Like most parents in this day and age, I had a few difficult years with my teenagers as they were growing up and my cycling friends proved a lifeline – I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

Rides always end with a coffee, life catch-up and laugh for Carly Bryant, Michelle Crick and Emma Underwood. Picture: Emma Brasier

Carly Bryant, who lives almost75km from Crick, on the opposite side of the city at Lewiston, has become a “bike sister”.

The 52-year-old former champion speed skater and mum of three children, now aged 19 to 23, agrees the cycling fraternity friendships formed are indispensable.

“Ireally didn’t believe you could establish such a strong connection and bond with a group of friends you exercise with … it’s very strange, I’ve never had anything like it in my life,” she says.

“We arejust such a good, solid group and are very supportive of each other … we can talk about anything – we’re a range of ages, some of us are married with kids, some aren’t.

“I really think women need these kind of connections, especially as we get a bit older; it can be quite isolating when you’ve had kids, who’ve been your full focus for so many years, grow up.

“Honestly, having this group has been a godsend.”

And do their bikes have names?

“I name all my bikes,” Bryant laughs.

“Stevie is my newest … (she is) named after Stevie Nicks and was named by my daughter Rhiannon, who was actually named after Nicks’ song Rhiannon.”

Bryant, who was sidelined for several months last year after suffering a serious concussion in a “stack” during an AusCycling Masters event at Loxton, first started riding as part of her speed skating training.

“My husband (also a speed skater) and I cycled or raced our bikes for extra training … to help our ‘race brain’,” she says, adding bike racing has “always been a good quality here in SA”.

Skating took a back seat when the couple started a family.

“I took 20 years off and when I tried to get back up on skates, realised I couldn’t do it anymore but I missed racing, so I got on the bike full time,” she says.

Girl power on two wheels. Emma Underwood, Michelle Crick and Carly Bryant have bonded over bikes. Picture: Emma Brasier

Today she has a daughter who speed skates and a son who has transitioned from that sport to cycling, currently competing in Belgium.

Bryant says beyond the friendships, she thrives on being outdoors and exercising.

“We’re doing exercise and at our age that in itself is a massive benefit … we get each other out of bed on the cold mornings,” she laughs.

One of those regularly encouraged out of bed for a before-work ride is Norwood’s Emma Underwood.

On the day we caught up with the 41-year-old self-described cycling “newbie”, it was just 3C when she rose at 6am for a ride with Bryant.

“Yes it was a bit cold … but by the time we finished and were having our coffee, it was quite nice,” she laughs.

“It’s a really good influence to have friends who are willing to push it.”

Michelle Crick on a ride with girl friends. Picture: supplied

Michell Crick and friends colour co-ordinate for a ride. Picture: supplied

If, for some reason, the women can’t catch up in person, they will co-ordinate a session on app Zwift Ride, allowing them to chat while training on stationary bikes in their own homes.

An accountant and mum of two, Underwood says before she took up cycling, she didn’t have much “me time”.

“My husband and sons – aged 14 and 16 who now race at a state and national level – were heavily involved in cycling and I kind of went, ‘Well, I can’t beat them, so I’m going to join them’,” she says.

“I’d pretty much not really had anything for me since I had my kids … when they were little it was purely all about them but this is something I can actually do for myself.”

Today she competes in road racing – mainly “trying to do better than what you did previously” – and has recently taken up gravel bike riding “for fun”.

“It’s definitely the social scene I enjoy most … we’ve an extended group of women who pretty much ride regularly together at least once or twice a week,” she says.

“We’ve a group chat and if we can co-ordinate a ride – and matching outfits – we do … we’ll meet on a Saturday or during daylight savings we’ll go after work or at night – we always end up at a cafe for a chat, and then everyone goes home.”

Underwood admits she was unprepared for the strong bonds she’d form while pedalling with new cycling buddies.

“I think when you’re on your bike, discussion makes the time go quicker … all of a sudden you’ve ridden three hours together and you’re not even thinking about it,” she says.

“If you’re having a bad day at work, everyone knows about it; if your kids are playing up everyone knows … everyone’s going through something – we just share it and work through it together.

“We’re all so different but have been brought together through cycling and we really do have something quite special … it’s pretty amazing when you actually stop and think about it.”

bikesa.asn.au/ride-her-way