Ladies' Ride this Friday, plus several other womens' events to check out.

Update: Rumor confirmed. Bring a helmet if you've got one, and here's what it's all about...

Okay, I decided to host the ladies ride for this Friday!!!!! I was holding out for the fixxxed friday flyer/race and hadn't heard anything? Dancakes...still doing it?!

Meet at the Lamar Ped. bridge at 6pm, leaving at 6:3pm. (most of us aren't working so, this should work okay).

we will hit a free swimming hole, grab refreshments and then decide the next course for the night. I really want to see the Music Man at Zilker Park @ 8pm, but we can always head that way and split off along the way like last time.

bring plenty of water, lights and a swimsuit. should be a good time. i also know of a pool party nearby we can crash if we get bored!

see you all there, bring a lady friend!

-Jessica

PS: my birthday is coming up...bring some party ideas to the ride!

Sounds awesome Jessica, thanks for the info!

Rumor has it that there's a Ladies' Ride tomorrow night, meeting on the Lamar Pedestrian Bridge around 6pm. Bike riding, free swimming, tasty refreshments and The Music Man at Zilker Park around 8pm were also brought up. If you're a lady then you should check it out. Make sure to bring flashies and LOTS of water, as it's been scorchingly hot lately.

If y'all haven't yet, you should check out the ATX Babes on Bikes Facebook group. They typically organize socially-paced women only bike rides and outings, and if you've been looking for a badass group of girls to cruise around and raise hell with, you definitely want to meet these chicks.

Of course they're not the only game in town, as the local womens' mountain bike group Ride Like a Girl have their 5-month long weekly ride season in full swing. Check out their schedule (pdf) for all the dates and times, but they typically start at a different location every week at 6pm, and as they're a SERIOUS bike club they require helmets, and request that you show up 15 minutes BEFORE the start time, not AFTER.

If fitness and speed are more your style, you should check out Erin O'Neill's Weekly Ladies Ride, hosted by Mellow Johnny's and Team Hotel San Jose. The ladies meet at Mellow Johnny's every Monday evening around 5:30pm and leave at 5:45. These rides cruise along at a 14-16mph pace, and last for 1 1/2-2 hours. They also request that you bring a helmet since this is more of a fitness ride than a social ride, and that you also bring plenty of hydration and have a bike in good working order. After the ride they hit up Royal Blue Grocery and drink $3.50 Sophia's champagne. Nice! If you want more info about this weekly ride, talk to Erin.

It's really nice to see rides, races and events specifically geared towards women, a section of the community oftentimes marginalized and made to feel uncomfortable in the testosterone-dominated world of bicycles and bike racing. Hopefully these types of rides and events will help bring more women to the regular events and alleycats, and balance out the ratio a bit.

Hell, I'm all for anything that turns the Austin bike scene into less of a sausage fest.