Joyride 150’s women’s weekend is back. Now called the SHErides Summit, the February event builds on a legacy that stretches back more than a decade at the Markham indoor bike park. For Lyndsey Thomas, Joyride 150 co-owner, the idea is both personal and urgent.

“The SHErides Summit grew from my previous experiences as a rider at Joyride 150’s Women’s Weekend,” Thomas said. “Those weekends were powerful! You could feel the energy in the room, the confidence, the laughter, the willingness to try things that might feel intimidating on another day at the park.”

Thomas first attended women’s weekend in 2012, long before becoming part of Joyride’s ownership group. That experience stayed with her.

“Much like everything I do though, I wanted to turn Women’s weekend into something a little different, a little bigger and hopefully better than ever,” she said.

Why now

The last women’s weekend at Joyride 150 took place in 2019. The pause was not intentional.

“2019 was the last time Joyride 150 held Women’s Weekend, and we all know what 2020 brought,” Thomas said. “COVID, along with the economic downturn that followed, simply changed how a business like Joyride had to operate and where focus needed to be.”

With the park now under new ownership, Thomas says the timing finally feels right.

The need goes beyond a single weekend. Thomas points to declining female participation across cycling disciplines as a driving factor.

“We are seeing race classes fold, high performance training camps cancelled, girls leaving the sport they love because they feel alone, and we want to see that change,” she said.

Creating space to belong

For Thomas, the biggest barriers facing women in cycling are not technical.

“Many of the barriers women and girls in cycling face aren’t so much about skill but about finding space they feel they really belong,” she said.

She credits women’s weekend with giving her the confidence to ride at Joyride in the first place.

“If it wasn’t for Women’s Weekend back in 2012, I likely never would have hopped on a bike at a place like Joyride 150,” Thomas said.

The SHErides Summit is designed to recreate that feeling.

“The SHErides Summit is intentionally designed to remove pressure and build confidence,” she said. “You can show up exactly where you’re at and there’s going to be many options for you.”

What to expect on the day

The summit runs Friday, February 6, with discounted riding available for participants on Saturday and Sunday.

Programming includes on-bike clinics across disciplines, alongside off-bike sessions focused on connection and empowerment.

“We will be kicking off the day with an amazing woman and keynote speaker, Lana Starchuck,” Thomas said. “She will be speaking to us about resilience, overcoming fear and more in her talk called ‘When your parachute fails.’”

The day also includes a panel discussion on belonging in male-dominated spaces and a guided breath work session to close out the event.

Leadership and long-term impact

While the summit prioritizes female coaches, Thomas says the focus is on quality and experience.

“The reality is, much like participants in female cycling, female coaches aren’t in abundance either,” she said.

Representation still matters.

“It creates a real sense of belonging and it also creates role models for younger or less experienced girls,” Thomas said.

Her hopes for the event extend well beyond one day.

“I hope women leave the summit feeling proud of what they can do,” she said. “I want to build the community and get more girls on bikes.”

Thomas expects the SHErides Summit to return annually if support is there.

“When I first took over as co-owner of Joyride 150, one of the questions I was asked most was, Will women’s weekend be coming back?” she said. “So here it is, let’s make this year bigger and better than ever.”