What's this event about?
Ugh, why can't this event be exclusively for women?
Can I volunteer?
Can women volunteer?
Do I need to ride a certain type of bike?
Do I have to break traffic laws and ride dangerously?
How long is the race?
Why should I participate?

Got another question? Head over to our 'Contact Us' page!

What's this event about?
Chelsea and Kayla met on a group bike ride and a beautiful friendship was born. Then they went to other group biking rides, races, and events and met other amazing women who biked. Beautiful friendships were growing at an exponential rate! And then they grew faster and stronger and more confident on their bikes because they had great women to ride with. And then they thought, "what if there was an event where we got a whole bunch of women together to ride bikes and create friendships at exponential rates and get faster and stronger and more confident on their bikes?!". And then Babes in Bikeland was born.

Because in addition to helping build stronger ties among female cyclists, it is also about strengthening the Minneapolis cycling community as a whole - we don't want to create more division between the factions within it.

Can I volunteer?
Yes, there are plenty of things that we need volunteers for. However, you can't sign up to volunteer 6 months in advance. We will be filling volunteer shifts after labor day.

Can women volunteer?
Women can definitely volunteer with behind the scenes stuff before race day. Let us know if you want to help out! Women can volunteer on race day only if they have a very good reason not to ride in the event. A good excuse is something like "I broke my leg and I'm stuck taking the bus everywhere" or "I gave birth two weeks ago". A good excuse is not "I don't race" or "I don't feel comfortable riding my bike in busy areas of the city on a Saturday afternoon". Babes is meant to force women off of the sidelines and onto their bikes, and also to surprise yourself with how much faster or farther you can go than you thought. If you're nervous about riding, grab a friend or two and ride with them. Trust me, if we had a dollar for everytime a new racer came up to us after the event and said how glad they were that they rode instead of volunteering or sitting on the sidelines, we'd have enough money for this event to be free. So give it a try!

No! Anything goes! Road bikes, fixed gears, cruisers, mountain bikes, unicycles... Ride what you want to!

Absolutely not! In fact, we discourage it. You are responsible for your own safety while participating in Babes in Bikeland, and to top it off, you'll have a lot more fun if you don't get hurt or get a ticket.

The race style is similar to a scavenger hunt. You will be given a list of places you need to go to and you can choose to get there however you'd like. If you know the city well and follow the route you plot out on the map provided, you will finish the event in under 20 miles. If you get horribly lost, it could be more.

Why should I participate?
Because you can meet other phenomenal women who bike. Because, if you're new to biking, the entire cycling community wants to show you that you are welcome and supported. Because you will be surprised by how fast and far you'll go. Because a ton of companies in the bike industry want to give you a bunch of free shit to show you that they support female cyclists. Because it's a damn good time. The reasons are endless.