Just as her contemporary Susan B. Anthony called it, suffragist Frances E. Willard viewed the bicycle as a tool for women to break free from the constraints of a male-dominated society, making their own way into public life and politics: “I began to feel that myself plus the bicycle equaled myself plus the world.“
Amen Sister. I didn’t set out to help liberate women from cultural and social conditioning. Yet, with a decades-long career as a Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Therapist, plus years of reading autobiographies, memoirs, biographies, and historical accounts of people’s lives, I’ve noticed — and experienced a few things …
One is the opportunity cost of being female here and in many countries around the world. BTW, if you google that, the focus is on financial disparity, which is certainly true.
However, there are also other significant costs resulting from widespread barriers, intimidation, and harassment of females — otherwise known as punishment for existing* — including the time and resources it takes to recover. And that is often compounded by trauma in the form of unforeseen or unusual life events, intentional or otherwise. My YT video series, Bamboozled, documents some of my experiences.
*”Throughout history, patriarchal societies created specific, cruel punishment devices to control and silence women who spoke out, argued, or failed to obey strict social rules. These punishments aimed to humiliate and physically restrict women for behavior that men deemed unacceptable.” – Britannica lists eight unusual punishments inflicted on women throughout history.
“In the beginnings of Christianity, church fathers debated whether women had souls at all. Later the issue became whether or not a woman’s soul could be saved.” -Sue Monk Kidd (Dance of the Dissident Daughter)
More than a hundred years ago, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the Mothers of women’s suffrage wrote “… that with faith and works [woman] is the chief support of the church and clergy; the very powers that make her emancipation impossible.”
“Wealth acquisition, religion, taxpayers, patriarchy, and misogyny form an interlocking system where economic control, moral traditions, and public funding reinforce male dominance and female subordination.” … “Sacred texts were interpreted to frame male authority and female obedience as a divine order.” … “Public budgets reflect political power, directing taxpayer funds toward systems that maintain elite male control.”
“Estimates suggest that religious tax exemptions cost U.S. taxpayers between $71 billion and $83.5 billion annually.” … “According to data from the Pew Research Center, 62% of registered voters who attend religious services once a month or more align with the Republican Party. White evangelical Protestants (85%) and Mormons (75%) show the highest rates of Republican affiliation.”
Fleecing the flock in 2026: “An off-the-record panel — “Build-a-Cult” — was moderated [in August] by the founder of Pray.com.” … “Operated by Pray.inc, a commercial tech company that has raised $35 million in venture capital funding.” The app includes a ‘giving’ feature for subscribers to fill the tax-exempt coffers of various religious orgs. “Private equity firms undermine democracy by extracting short-term financial wealth at the expense of civic infrastructure, local accountability, public health, and community stability.”
Faith is free. Religion we pay for with taxpayer billions that could be spent on equitable distribution for the greater good.
Diminishing, denigrating, demoralizing, and denying women equal rights has been a systemic reality embedded in legal, cultural, and institutional frameworks worldwide. These behaviors represent core components of gender discrimination, misogyny, and systemic inequality.
Pathologizing female responses to structural barriers, and socially-inflicted stressors is “a well-documented phenomenon known as disease mongering. For over a century, the pharmaceutical industry and the medical establishment have historically pathologized women’s experiences to expand commercial markets for medication.” -Dartmouth.edu
“This intersection of gender socialization and pharmaceutical marketing relies heavily on creating public anxiety … widespread disease mongering risks exposing otherwise healthy individuals to unnecessary side effects, financial strain, and iatrogenic (medically induced) illness.” -NIH
I previously blogged from my website about the so-called “chemical imbalance” we all seem to have. And, have told my clients if they didn’t start out with a ‘chemical imbalance’ they would likely end up with one. Many years ago I experienced a ‘chemical imbalance’ from an undiagnosed TBI sustained in a fatal auto accident. Even then I chose neurofeedback and direct brain-based treatments, which were not covered by health insurance.
What does bicycling have to do with all this? Momentum! Cycling is a symbolic metaphor and an activity to empower women. It is also a reminder of the grit and determination that paved the way for the rights we — and other disenfranchised populations — tenuously secured in the 20th century.
While the spirit and intention of this group is to reduce barriers to female cycling or walking outdoors; to meet new friends, and to be more physically active in safer outdoor environments, it is also about raising awareness — a paradigm shift — from trusting cradle-to-grave beliefs and institutions to considering other — more inclusive — possibilities.
There is no requirement to abandon your spiritual beliefs, or to participate in a group ride or walk, or to engage in chat or forum conversations.
The bigger picture involves the power of groups to validate and empower members. Online or outdoors, group participation focused on shared interests, expanding knowledge, and acquiring new skills tends to be validating, inspiring, and motivating. For those who are able to do so, online and outdoor participation increases benefits.
Male riders outnumber females, who account for nearly 51% of the U.S. population. We are the majority of voters and the power minority.
An often overlooked or ignored fact is that Hillary Clinton won the National Popular Vote by nearly 2.9 million votes in 2016. The largest victory ever recorded for a ‘losing’ presidential candidate in U.S. history.
“Getting more women on bikes — and eventually reaching gender parity — relies on having protected infrastructure, establishing localized mentor-driven riding groups, and reducing the barriers caused by safety concerns. Where these environments exist, female cycling participation dramatically increases.”
Plus, bicycling is cheaper than conventional ‘talk’ therapy and a lot more fun. It’s the opposite of recovering from pathologizing diagnoses to redirecting time and attention to our strengths, abilities, and contributions to making this world a better place. It can also be remarkably effective at burning off anger energy as well as being a social activity, enhancing other health-related services.
Over the years, cycling with local bike clubs has been a great source of physical activity, stress reduction, friendships, and fun in my life. While riding with bike clubs, I used to half joke that at least there would be witnesses if we got hit. We rode on streets, which can be very dangerous.
Here the focus is on literally enjoying the ride and sharing with others. It’s not about how fast you get there or having the latest gear. It’s not about age or skill level. This community is about offering support, encouragement, and an inclusive environment to get outdoors and ride (or walk!) together.
Rail trails and group rides are much safer than street riding and one reason for this site. Another is to ride or walk at a leisurely non-competitive pace with no one left behind, in every sense. Yet another reason is to provide a platform to maintain privacy and safely communicate shared interests and plans.
Last but not least, is to improve coping and self-regulation skills by venturing beyond your comfort zone to discover new capabilities and new terrain, which often produce new thoughts, insights, feelings, and behavior. Participating in rail-trail cycling or walks could become a personal goal with the support and encouragement of a community.
For inspiration, I’ve created a substantial collection of healing — evidence based* — techniques and strategies I’ve either developed or modified to improve mood and motivation, which improves self-confidence and self-care. Riding in the wild is empowering! Join the movement with purpose.
*Evidence based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which derives from the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB): “EAB provides the scientific foundation and discovers the basic rules; ABA acts as the behavioral technology built upon those discoveries.” … “The findings from EAB have informed the development of applied interventions across numerous fields, from education to health and organizational behavior.” -VABA
“Behavioral economics combines elements of economics and psychology to understand how and why people behave the way they do in the real world.” It can also be used against us in systems designed to force compliance to enrich and/or empower the instigator(s).
Negative reinforcement is compliance or cooperation to avoid or escape an unwanted or unpleasant consequence (real or perceived). Maybe it’s (just) a threat. However, it is critically important to increase awareness of the behavior we reinforce in others, which includes not only allowing bullies to get away with inflicting harm, but to also profit from it.
The Just Curious membership rate is $27 for 4 months. Access to members includes a discussion forum, and a chat feature to share ideas and organize rides (and walks!) in your area. As the process unfolds, other features such as group video meetings and a member directory can be included. Members have access to my e-book How Many Light Bulbs, and other resources — included on the Contents page — to improve mental and physical health.
Joining is contingent upon acceptance and compliance with the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Waiver Agreements prior to site registration.