You never disappoint me with your beauty, Wanderers
Photo by Kat
Ride Bikes – Slowly
Make Friends – Quickly
Learn * Teach * Trade Tips for Babes in Bikeland 10!
Pre-Babes Wanderabout is a WTF-only ride. (Women, Trans, Femme) No cis-males, or people that do not identify as WTF, please.
Pre-Babes Wanderabout is a slow, social ride. Conversational pace, NO ONE gets left behind. Come with an open mind. We’ll help you talk to cool Babes you don’t know yet!
Pre-Babes Wanderabout is a place to get more info about “alley cats,” what to expect for Babes, and to connect with potential ride partners.
Pre-Babes Wanderabout is a safer space where all WTF identities are centered and respected. Please join with us in creating a safer space.
Did you attend the Wanderabout this year?
Please tell us what went well, and what could have been better!
Grease Rag made the Wanderabout possible
Anneka, Anne, Julia and I are so proud to use Grease Rag volunteers (JJ! Holly!) and re$ource$ to make this happen! (We are donation based! Feed the honey bear!)
Mod, my co-organizer for the Wanderabout for the past few years, told me that before the Wanderabout she kept hearing, “I ride my bike everyday & don’t have friends that ride.” And AFTER the Wanderabout she kept hearing, “I had no idea this community existed. I’m going to ride everywhere!” Magical.
The first Pre-Babes Wanderabout ride was in 2012. I wrote a blog post about it. 2014 was an amazing year. Last year’s (2015) Wanderabout was magical.
Photo by Siege Afidelia
Roll out together, arrive together!
Photo by Buzo
68 riders came to Kenwood Park to share with each other! When people arrived we handed out safer spaces flyers, and had people make name tags including their pronouns, if they felt safe doing so. We do this so we can have a safe and respectful space, and to facilitate friendship!
We gave an introduction to the evening, talking about what Grease Rag does (en español), what safers spaces are, and what the schedule was for the evening. We had some experienced riders say a few quick words about their Babes riding styles, then the crowd self-selected into groups where the experienced riders lead skill-shares. We didn’t talk down to you, assume you know stuff, or blather on. We ask you questions, and encourage people to share what they know! Grease Rag style.
Photo by JJ Kahle
For all the Rookies out there… We love you!
If you have never ever in your life ridden your bike in any race ever… No triathalons, no alley cats, no velodrome: YOU ARE A ROOKIE! And we celebrate you.
Photo by Beth Walser
Thank you to Sidhe for sponsoring
As a beautiful dragon tail group ride, we rolled out with the party bike in the lead, to our next stop. Yoga, Sidhe beer, music, group photo, and friendship!
Sidhe Brewing is pronounced SHE and is WTF owned and operated out of St. Paul. Kathleen, the owner, was BUMMED she couldn’t sponsor Babes this year (we didn’t do a beer sponsor bc of the venue) but is SO ENTHUSIASTIC about WTFs on bikes that we were able to get crowlers of their beer for the Wanderabout!!
Grease Rag is real skittish about sponsorship. We ONLY work with companies that support WTFs, and not just by donating some swag here and there. I mean, talking the talk, walking (or wheeling or however you move!) the walk. Showing up for WTFs, and not calling us girls or ladies or saying what we do is “cute.” We are bad ass feminists, we are trans, we are POC, we are queer, we are WTFs, we are proud!!!
Sidhe is a welcoming place. I was there last night and was so treated well! There’s a “pay it forward” board. I redeemed a QPOC beer, and replaced it with a QTPOC and QPOC beer. Get there and redeem those beers, Friends!
Finally, we slow rolled to another beautiful area to eat snacks together.
Photo by Anneka
I went home nourished, and fulfilled! Thank you, Babes. You mean the world to me.
We’ve got your back
Babes be brunchin’ is an annual brunch leading up to Babes in Bikeland, where you can meet up, eat and hydrate, get any lingering questions answered, and roll out to the start together. Thank you to Anne for hosting this brunch!
Our goal at Grease Rag is to contribute to supporting the WTF community before, during, and after Babes in Bikeland. Babes in Bikeland is a celebration event of the work we do ALL YEAR ROUND to have open shops, POC only spaces, WTF only spaces, WTF only group rides, full moon rides, parties, craft nights, online discussions, pronoun buttons, education about safer spaces, the inclusive atmosphere, the colored flags, skill shares, bike camping trips, picnics, this blog and winter biking support… all ways we have your back 365 days of the year.
Don’t let this Babes be the last time you support WTF spaces!