Men's Ride Event:
Beginning at 8:30 a.m.
(one half hour after the women roll out)

Yes. In the fight against breast cancer, we cannot discriminate. The dollars raised by all participants can equally make a difference in a person's life who has been affected by a breast cancer diagnosis. If one of our new male riders becomes an enthusiastic fundraiser, let's award him with a prize! This event is all about fighting this disease.

No. We are very committed to the special atmosphere of Hope on Wheels. Our participants have always considered it a beautiful thing to see a sea of women on bicycles, and we don't want to change that atmosphere too quickly, or possibly at all.  In a nutshell, Saturday, September 12 is Ladies Day on the Natchez Trace Parkway. The wonderful routes that we will be offering to the men are exceptional. The men will be bringing up the rear of the routes traveled by our women who opt for the 62 and 100 mile courses, and men will ride their last 15 miles on the Natchez Trace Parkway, just an hour or so after our sea of HOW100 women are up the road. The 29 mile route for the Men's Event uses the roads used in the 62 and 100 mile options, just less of them...

Team's choice!  As always, tandems with a woman on board are always welcome in the Hope on Wheels ride.
 

If a woman participant wants to ride with a man participant (not on a tandem), which ride should they choose?

 

Judgment call. A child must be 12 years of age to ride in the HOW100, either start time. Here is your guidance for the decision - if mom is shepherding the boy, then start with the women. If the boy is shepherding mom, start with the men.

Definitely! HOW100 is a great party! This is not your typical bike ride. We encourage any one to celebrate this wonderful day on the bicycle! Pink ribbons, pink hair, names of loved ones on your T-shirt -Express yourself!!

For the answer to this question, I am going to step in and express my opinion as Event Director. As an avid cyclist, I have attended practically every century ride held in the midstate area. I also organize a lot of group rides and beginners classes. In comparison to these cycling events, I have witnessed that the HOW100 draws a large group of women that I never see at any other organized ride. I am firmly confident that the women's only nature of our ride, coupled with our fantastic cause, draws a very large crowd of women that might not participate in a more standard unisex cycling event. I also believe that there is a special spirit, perhaps a sisterhood, that emanates from the crowd of women on event day. We also have to remember that in addition to raising vital funds for the fight against breast cancer, another mission of Hope on Wheels is to introduce women to a fit and active lifestyle and educate them about the role of regular exercise and its importance in protecting against breast cancer. If we are able to draw even a handful of women that do not participate in any other cycling event and introduce them to the joys of sharing the bicycle with others, then we are advancing the mission of Hope on Wheels in a most important way.

Having a women's only event is truly distinctive. In 2005, I was part of a team with my close friends Mary Mayorquin and Suzanne Buckspan in the creation of the HOW100. We hoped our women's only event might draw at least 50 people; our opening crowd was 430! At that time we knew that we had created something's very special.  I feel that it is a very good decision to provide an opportunity for men to ride in Hope on Wheels, but let's continue with our traditions and keep the original women's event firmly in place.

We will let it be Ladies First, a celebration of women. Then, hopefully, we will see a few hundred men roll out in support of our cause. We truly have something for everyone! - Vida Greer, Event Director