Are you a night-time cyclist? Someone who likes it when the roads are quieter, only the narrow stretch of road illuminated in front of you, rear lights flickering? If this sounds like a bit of you, I’ll bet you're not a woman. And this isn’t because women don’t want to cycle at night - it’s because, for many of us, it’s much less safe.
Everyone has their own go-to protection methods. As girls, we’re taught to carry our keys poking out of our fists when walking home, to talk to someone on the phone, to stick to busy, well-lit roads - to avoid making eye contact with passers by. A 2022 YouGov poll found that 66% of women felt unsafe walking home at night, with another 20% not venturing out at night for safety reasons. And, sadly, the danger extends to night-time rides, too.
