I’d never heard of it until an NBDA (National Bike Dealers Assoc.) “Women in the Cycling Industry” Zoom call last month, but today is the 111th International Women’s Day.

Earlier today, the first song I heard on an a cappella music station was “In the Blood” by Home Free that started with the words,

How much of my Mother
Has my Mother left in me

My answer: quite a lot, which I always appreciate and never take for granted.

And, in the same way I remember my mom for who she was and her spirit that lives on in me,…

…the real deal about recognizing today’s specially designated day is living daily with a respectful and positively constructive attitude in every interaction with women – and men.

As a narrow point of approach, we’re planning an International Women’s Day: Together We Ride bike ride this Saturday here in Hickory, North Carolina, to include cyclists of all abilities. That, too, will be a specially designated event, but the long-term intent of the ride is to make cycling more welcoming to women, who are greatly outnumbered in our community by men cyclists. I look forward to seeing that gap close – and not only in the cycling world!