Move over Hell’s Angels, there’s another bike gang in town. Sporting more spandex than leather, Let’s Bike! Needham members have been organizing townwide rides for moms for a couple of years. On Saturday, May 10, the group will host its second bike party, and anyone — spouses, friends, neighbors, children — 18 or older is invited to join.
The idea for the group was sparked by a happenstance meeting in Needham Center where Beth Tuck and another mom were admiring each other’s rides. Their mutual love of cycling spurred them to look for others who might be into riding as well.
Tuck said they wanted to make biking friendly and social and help create community. “Biking is something that anybody can do,” she said. “We wanted to help moms who have busy lives and want to connect with other moms and get some exercise and see the town to have a safe, fun social environment to do so.” The group has steadily grown, and for the first ride this year, nearly 20 moms showed up at the Town Common meeting spot.
Tuck, who bikes for fun, to run errands and to commute, among other things, said they want to attract more members. “[We want] more ridership, more groups … hence the bike party coming up this Saturday.”
For many of the bike moms, this group provides the community they were looking for. Latha Gopinath, who moved to Needham two years ago, said she wanted to find a group of people she could connect with. “I found the Needham bike moms group on Facebook, so I signed up for (my) first ride,” she said. “It’s moms from all walks of life. Some have older kids, some have younger kids. It’s a really great group.” Having moved from a much quieter town, she said having the group support boosted her confidence.
The group support is something Meera Sunder really appreciates. She found the Needham bike moms while looking for a cycling group for her son. She decided to try a ride despite not having biked since college and not even having a bike of her own. “What I really like about this particular group is that they’re so protective of everyone,” she said. “We stop at various points and make sure that everybody is caught up and nobody is left behind. There’s no feeling of ‘I’m not good enough.’” She said she is excited at the prospect of growing the group and possibly creating a group for kids as well.
As someone who loves to bike, Marcy Leiman joined the group right away. She said the idea of a biking group for moms made sense. “There are running groups in town, and hiking clubs. This is another way for people to get exercise and meet people and connect with neighbors,” she said. It has also motivated her to get more exercise as there are people to encourage her.
The group welcomes anyone who is interested in biking. “If you haven’t touched a bike in 10 years, just give it a whirl,” said Leiman. “We have people of all levels. We have a leader and a caboose, no one is left behind. It’s very chill.”
Rides run from April to November, vary from daytime rides to evening treks and always end with breakfast, drinks, or some other social event. Saturday’s ride begins at 8 p.m. in the town common. Riders are encouraged to decorate their bikes with lights and bring their helmets. Let’s Bike! Needham will provide the music.
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