MISSOULA - Women Bike Missoula was founded in 2014 to get more women to use two wheels as their primary source of transportation.
Ethel MacDonald has been with the organization since the start.
“It’s my principal transportation. It’s pleasant. It’s good for the environment. It’s good for climate change, you know, it’s a non-polluting way to get around. It's good for physical health.”
MacDonald also believes that riding a bike can be empowering. She holds the view that a woman can get herself anywhere she chooses.
"The bike is very liberating for women," she stated. So instead of being reliant on a car, other vehicle, or person for transportation, a woman can go anywhere by simply biking.
Women Bike Missoula brings women of all different backgrounds together for monthly rides so that everyone can share in the joy of biking.
The monthly rides take place from April until the snow starts in late fall.
A ride on June 15, 2023, covered the entire Bitterroot Trail, starting in the Sawmill District and ending at Lolo Peak Brewery in Lolo.
At the brewery, the bikers sat down together to share a meal, get to know one another, and make plans for future rides.
Around 400 women have signed up over the years to feel the freedom biking around town and on trails brings.
Visit Women Bike Missoula on Facebook to see upcoming rides and join the community.
