Learning to ride a bike has been a childhood dream come true for Ritu, one of 34 women in Merri-bek taught through the Wheel Sisters program.
The program was established when a group of women sought out Merri-bek Bicycle Users Group (BUG) and asked them to help set up a "hijabi riding group".
The BUG applied for a Community Strengthening Grant from Merri-bek Council and teamed up with Fawkner Neighbourhood House and Bike It Better to create the first round of Wheel Sisters in July last year.
Merri-bek BUG Convenor Faith Hunter’s says the program is based on her experience with The Squeaky Wheel, teaching women in the CALD community to ride.
"Participants are provided with intensive one-on-one teaching until they can balance and pedal," she says.
"The Bike Shed in Brunswick and Brainwave Bikes in Dingley provide reconditioned bicycles, and new helmets and locks, so that each woman has her own bicycle.
"Step-through frames with chain guards are preferred to accommodate the clothing many women feel comfortable in and learning to manage an abaya, hijab and niqab with pedals, spokes, and helmets is all part of the learning process.
"Once participants can pedal they join a group class of other women from their local community where the skills needed to safely ride on local bike paths and quieter roads are developed," says Hunter.
Building a community of women who regularly ride together is an important part of the program and relies on volunteers from Merri-bek BUG and Bite Sized Rides for ongoing support. Riding together gives women the confidence to attempt other local trips by bicycle.
"For many women learning to ride is not just about a new form of exercise or mental and physical health," says Hunter.
"As an accessible means of transport, in communities where women often don’t drive, it provides independence and mobility while also building community connections.
"Anum was one of the first women to learn to ride in Fawkner and like many women in her community doesn’t have a driver's licence. She and her children now do the shopping and school drop-off and pick-up by bike, appreciably faster than when they had to walk everywhere."
Wheel Sisters has grown beyond the initial grant, and Merri-bek Council now funds an additional 24 women to learn to ride in Fawkner and Glenroy.
Almost 70 women registered their interest for the most recent round of 10 places, and there are waiting lists in both suburbs.
Hunter says more sessions are planned for 2025 and Merri-bek Council is working closely with Merri-bek BUG and the women who have already learned to ride.
"We want to ensure that women from across the community are always visible on bicycles, and that in future, every woman who knows how to ride will be able to find a community of local women to empower her to do so," she says.
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