We’re dedicating this October to celebrate #WomenWhoBike by highlighting some of the amazing women who bike in the Burgh. Stay tuned for a month full of women rider profiles.

Meet Monica!

Founder of Black Girls Do Bike + Pittsburgh Bike Rider

Why did you start biking?

I learned to ride a bike as a child and spent most of my summer vacations riding. Since then I have biked on and off in spurts throughout my life. I took it up again in the Spring of 2013 in an effort to lose some weight and find mental clarity. Turns out it was also great way to spend time outdoors with my children.

What is your favorite thing about biking?

I love that biking makes you feel like you can fly and it reminds me of the carefree days of my childhood.

What does biking enable you to do?

Biking makes me feel strong and enables me to see my hometown in new and interesting ways. It has brought some amazing people into my life. And it has served as a motivation for me to create an organization that inspires other women to get out and ride.

What would you say to women who are interested in biking, but haven’t been on a bike in years or may have never ridden a bike?

If you have ridden in the past it’s not a skill you forget. It does come back to you. It doesn’t take long to be bitten by the cycling bug. And if it’s been years since your last ride know that it doesn’t matter how far or long you ride as long as you ride. Challenge yourself and you will be rewarded. Biking is a great tool for self-care and we all need a little bit of that in our lives.