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I asked 38 FTWNB Shredders about biking in Philly. Here's what they said.

Looking for FTWNB-led & centered bike rides? Look no further than Philadelphia.

Alexa Ringer

• 11 min read
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I asked 38 FTWNB Shredders about biking in Philly. Here's what they said.
Friday morning coffee rides with (from left to right) Ross, Kelly, and Erica at Pilgrim Coffee in Manayunk (Photo by Alexa Ringer).

At the end of this story, readers will find a compilation of resources for FTWNB cyclists in Philly. That list is now permanently available in the header/menu on every page at The Trellis. If you'd like to see a resource featured there, or if you have suggestions for improvement, please DM @thetrellisphilly or email thetrellisphilly@gmail.com.

This summer, I reached out to the Philadelphia cycling community because I had a burning question I wanted to answer: How do you see the femme, trans, women, and non-binary (FTWNB) bike community in Philadelphia?

“When I started riding, I was almost always the only woman on a ride. Now I can join a ride several times a week that’s Femme, Trans, Women, Non-Binary focused. There are programs and rides for us, by us.” - Survey respondent

Finding the FTWNB Bike Community

I wanted to ask because over the last year, the FTWNB bike community has transformed me and catapulted me into becoming a stronger, faster, and more confident cyclist than I have ever felt in ten years of biking. I’ve tried my first 200k, 360k, 400k, and 600k all this past year after only doing my first century a year ago. I’ve borrowed a bike bag so that I could fly to Puerto Rico with my bike. I’ve been encouraged to sign up for races, even when I don’t feel like I’m fast enough for it. I’ve carpooled with total strangers to ride events outside of Philly, and returned eagerly planning the next ride together. I’ve made countless friends, explored new roads and trails, and tried new types of cycling. 

Maria and I met when I offered her a ride to UnPAved in a groupchat. I did my first 24-hour fleche ride with her in the spring, and then we bikepacked over 800 miles from Montreal to Philly over the summer (Photo by Alexa Ringer).

This type of community is a gem within the larger cycling spaces, where that is, sadly, not always the case.  

For instance, I was on a road ride this summer when something gross happened. I was drafting behind a guy at the front of the ride when he started moving away from the main group and towards the double yellow line. I was right behind him, and thinking he was avoiding a pothole or glass, I stayed behind his wheel and followed his lead. I felt a splatter of wetness on my thigh, and realized that he had snot rocketed on me. 

“Hey, watch where you spray!” I shouted at him indignantly. 

“Well, I didn’t realize you were behind me,” he responded. “You shouldn’t have ridden so close to me.”

I was shocked. No apology. No embarrassment. No remorse.

For the record, this ride did not take place in Philly, but it speaks to an experience many of my women, non-binary, transgender, and even male friends have experienced. We go on a group ride to challenge ourselves, learn some new routes or skills, or make some friends. We return intimidated and demoralized with a disgusting, persistent feeling: riding with men can be... frustrating, to say the least. Even if not specifically sexist or transphobic, we experience the grossness - the lack of a simple ‘hello,’ poor or non-existent ride signaling, unwelcome body comments or advances, and unsolicited suggestions on how to ride.

I’m not trying to be a misandrist - there are many men who are incredible at ride communication, kind, and very friendly...but sometimes I just want a space without all of the aforesaid nonsense. 

“The best way to find out what a ride is like is to show up! Wear what you want, ride what you want, just have fun, be safe, and respect your fellow riders.” - Survey respondent

Enter the FTWNB cycling community. 

Last summer, when I mentioned I was trying to find more women and gender-queer folks to ride with, a friend added me to a huge groupchat called ‘FTWNB Shredders.’ While I’d previously been in male-dominated bike groupchats, getting added to a FTWNB chat felt like a cheat code -- hacking into a level of inclusivity that I didn’t know I was missing. No single group, event, ride or even groupchat encompasses it. 

It’s been the 24 hour newsfeed of woman and gender-queer bike content I didn’t know I needed - from making impromptu ride plans, lending bike gear, organizing race carpools, figuring out routes, planning bikepacking trips, and even providing SOS bike mechanic help while on a ride. These chats are not only a treasure trove of knowledge, but a third space in the biking community - more informal than a public group ride yet more formal than just a text conversation between a few friends.

“It’s a steady stream of bike ASMR where any day and any moment you can tune in to the soothing sounds of your friends planning a group ride and know someone is out there having a great time on their bike.” - Survey respondent

When I’ve joined one of the spontaneous and informal rides, I’ve noticed something different welcoming me into the FTWNB cyclist community. Maybe what’s different is simply seeing everyone show up as their authentic self and having everyone introduce themselves, and often their pronouns. To take that extra moment to establish what the ride communication is going to look like, how to signal, and to confirm that everyone knows where the route is going. Or maybe it’s just that the rides always have a constant stream of happy chatter. 

Competing in the Women's Category 4/5 race during the 2024 Historic Riverton Criterium.
“If you're new to the FTWNB scene, don't be intimidated by the amount of spandex worn on rides...we're all weirdos at heart who want to make more friends.” - Survey respondent

Groupchats, to me, have become a symbol of the FTWNB cycling community in Philly - something that is dynamic, often intangible, but deeply welcoming in a way that is addicting, encouraging you to come back again, and again, and again. On a personal level, this community has pushed me to go beyond what I thought I was capable of. (There’s also a level of FOMO when you see how much is going on - always a good reminder to keep boundaries around checking groupchats, just like social media!) 

“Since I’ve found the FTWNB community it’s expanded my bike friends and allowed me to grow as a cyclist" - Survey Respondent

I knew I couldn’t be alone in sensing the pulse of something I had just fallen into. This chat - and a whole web of groupchats, social networks, formal and informal rides, clubs, teams and community have clearly all existed and blossomed in Philly long before I tapped in. And more than that, I can’t tell the story of the FTWNB cycling community by myself - I’m just one person with my own limited set of experiences. So, I created a survey and asked around to hear what everyone else thought!

The Survey

“I can’t imagine this kind of FTWNB cycling community exists in many other cities or is as vibrant as what we have in Philly. It’s super special and I’m not sure I would not have had the confidence or encouragement to get into cycling without encountering this community in Philly.” - Survey respondent
Femme Fatale Group Ride hitting the hills with Whiz Kids Racing (photo by Alexa Ringer).

I put out a call to ask what do folks think of the FTWNB community, how it’s changed, and where it should grow in the future? Incredibly, 38 people responded anonymously in June of 2026, representing a variety of disciplines, years of cycling, and gender identities. 

Here's who they were:

I was stoked to see folks respond similarly across sub-disciplines and amount of time in cycling. Whether folks race formally or informally, commute, bikepack, gravel ride, social ride, or mountain bike, what I heard resonated universally: while cycling has been a sport dominated by men, there has been something magical happening in Philly to reclaim space for it. Mutual support, fierceness, and toughness characterize the community. My heart swelled when I saw the number of people who wrote how supportive and inclusive the scene is.

Describe the FTWNB Cycling Scene in 3 words.

Philly Devo, in particular, deserves a shoutout for fostering the next generation of cyclists and funneling them not just into skills and races, but exposure into other opportunities to challenge themselves. Many Devo programs are centered on racing, and the encouragement behind this discipline is important because of how inaccessible and cutthroat it can feel on many levels. While I haven’t personally participated in Devo, I also love how Devo continues to plug new riders into the existing social network. The support that people spoke of was not just in racing - but also in encouraging folks to try new things, go new places, and to not be afraid of getting a little dirty along the way.

“I’ve become more aware of racing/riding teams, scholarships, trips to bike festivals, etc. for FTWNB folks and I feel like the community is growing in Philly and providing different avenues for people to get involved in biking.” - Survey respondent
Mansha (left) did the Philly Devo mountain bike program in 2025, and this year finished her first bikepacking trip when she said she wanted to challenge herself more. She’d only camped twice beforehand too (Photo by Nicole Vander)!

One thing that stood out to me is that while the term FTWNB includes transgender and non-binary, there is still a lot of work to be done to make rides and social spaces safe and welcoming for transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming cyclists. We have to continue advocating for and creating more intentional and inclusive cycling spaces for our transgender, non-binary, and gender non-comforming friends. Calling a ride FTWNB is a start, not the end. The name of the community has evolved, especially in the cycling space (see this great article from Radical Adventure Riders explaining some of the history behind the term). One survey respondent person said it well - “calling it FTWNB over WTFNB is step one. I think it needs to be talked about more. ‘For the win’ over ‘what the fuck’ category.”

“I haven’t noticed [the FTWNB Cycling Community] change, rather, it changed me!” - Survey respondent

There’s a lot of work to be done. Many races center men, don’t have non-binary categories, and exclude transgender athletes. Women and other gender non-conforming categories have smaller race prizes, if any. Transphobia is disgusting and unacceptable - we can immediately oppose it by ensuring group rides are safe and welcoming for all riders. Recentering friendly ride introductions with names and pronoun sharing is a great way to be inclusive (thanks RAR for always doing this!) and creating rides for underrepresented communities, will continue to foster deeper inclusivity. Be a considerate rider, and create the type of space you would want for your first ride in Philadelphia.  

“It’s an incredibly diverse and supportive scene but I would love to see even more inclusion and support for trans and [gender non conforming] cyclists.” - Survey respondent
Mountain took me on my first ride from Philly to NYC (Photo by Alexa Ringer).
“People feel included in a group when they see and interact with other people like them." - Survey respondent

For as many group rides as there are on The Trellis events calendar, there are just as many FTWNB rides, teams, and events, official or casual. From beginners to pro racers, the growing sentiment is that there is something for almost everyone. The key word here is almost - there’s work to be done. Some surveyed folks hadn’t been on any FTWNB rides, or hadn’t heard of any. Maybe that includes you! No worries! Many people offered advice to those new to the scene:

"This community meets people where they’re at. Whether you’re into chill gravel party pace, a long touring ride, fast road ride, traveling to events, whatever it is, there’s always someone else who is interested in doing or learning those things." - Survey respondent

Resources for Philly FTWNB cyclists

Looking for a Femme, Trans, Women, Non-Binary friendly bike ride in Philly? Here’s a list of rides, teams, and groups that are FTWNB-led or host FTWNB centered events. See you out there shredding! 🤟🏻

In no particular order:

“I love pushing myself and each other [on D30] not just in a race setting but on a challenging social ride.” - Survey respondent
  • Black Girl Joy Bike Ride: Social cycling group rides for Black women founded by Iresha Picot.
  • Folx n Spokes PHL: Initiative by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia to create a more inclusive cycling community, with a large Facebook group for discussion.
  • Whiz Kids Racing: Variety of ride types and paces by Whiz Kids Racing team.
  • Wheels of the Woods: FTWNB cycling team with a special love for gravel and the woods.
  • RAR: Radical Adventure Riders centers and supports FTWNB and BIPOC cyclists. They organize bikepacking trips, progression series, rides with food, skill workshops, and a gear library.
“RAR feels like a safe space, and [I] love how they prioritize fun, adventure, and the social aspects of cycling with their rides.” - Survey respondent
“The Philly Devo program [has] done so much for increasing representation of the FTWNB community at official regional races.” - Survey respondent
“Coffee rides on Friday mornings. A bit challenging for myself to ride that far, especially with a few hills, but it’s a fun group of folks to meet and talk to every time” - Survey respondent