Southeast of Stillwater , on a quiet gravel road lined with evergreen trees , tall grass and telephone wires , local cycling enthusiasts keep pedaling until they reach the top of a hill . At the highest point , a bird ’ s-eye view of town puts a picturesque punctuation mark on the route Clare Paniccia knows well .
Paniccia , a Ph . D . student at Oklahoma State , had several reasons she could have felt like an outcast during her first group excursion to the hill , affectionately dubbed “ Inspiration Point .”
She wasn ’ t wearing standard cycling attire . Her flat bar bicycle boasted no fancy features , and the gears weren ’ t working properly . Growing up and spending her undergraduate years in New York , Paniccia had no experience with gravel biking , so she tackled the final incline by walking . Her peers didn ’ t mind . “ I looked like a sore thumb ,” Paniccia said . “ And they were all like , ‘ Hey , this is fine . Let ’ s go have fun .’”
Despite every way Paniccia differed from the seasoned gravel adventurers , one common thread provided her with a powerful sense of community . At least a dozen cyclists surrounded her , and all were women . This was something new for Paniccia , who tagged along after Crystal Wintle , co-owner of District Bicycles , invited her to join the weekly women ’ s-only ride .
There , near the intersection of Brush Creek Road and 44th Street , Paniccia realized she had a place in the local cycling scene . Soon , she signed up for The Mid South , a Stillwaterbased gravel race that attracts renowned competitors from across the nation . Later , her growing passion for inclusivity in cycling led her to create The Truffle Shuffle , a mash-up of a gravel race and a rollicking party that aims to create a welcoming space for all , emphasizing representation of women and LGBTQ + cyclists .
Paniccia is one of several Stillwater women working to bridge the gender gap in cycling . This disparity has been well-documented nationwide , and the barriers women face are numerous and complex .
Like many other sports , cycling has often prioritized men at the professional level . Women ’ s Tour de France events have been underfunded and canceled in recent decades , though there could be a turning point when the Tour de France
Femmes debuts July 24 . Another factor is safety . In an experiment cited in the University of Minnesota ’ s July 2019 edition of The Gender Policy Report , statistical modeling revealed the chances were 3.8 times greater for a woman on a bicycle to be “ encroached upon ” — meaning a driver would pass her with less than three feet of space — than a man on a bicycle was .
Despite those challenges , the traditional narrative is evolving .
A transport-tracking app showed biking trips among women in New York City increased by 147 percent in 2020 , while the number for men was 68 percent , said Christina Goldbaum of The New York Times . That change correlated with pandemic-related lockdowns when traffic was lighter , but in the rural town of Stillwater , congested roads aren ’ t a major factor — and the cycling community flourishes off the pavement . Gravel biking is a popular pastime , and women are at the forefront of the trend .
Whether a woman is an experienced athlete or a cyclist by hobby , Stillwater offers options for engaging with likeminded people . Sally Turner , event manager for The Mid South , said her team is focused on advocating for women not only through words , but also through actions .
“ We ’ ve always had an emphasis on getting more women involved just because cycling is a really male-dominated sport ,” Turner said . “ And so women either don ’ t feel like they have a place , or they feel uncomfortable trying to be athletic in the same places that men are , kind of like going to the gym . It ’ s a little intimidating , so it ’ s just been a little bit harder to get women to feel comfortable in that space , and we ’ re trying to break down barriers in any way we can .”
Each year , The Mid South encompasses a weekend of activities leading up to the races . March 10 , two days before the main event , cyclists gathered for a ride in partnership with All Bodies on Bikes , an organization focused on welcoming cyclists of all sizes and body types . During The Mid South , a youth camp took place at Stillwater ’ s YMCA , creating a
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“ We ’ ve always had an emphasis on getting more women involved just because cycling is a really male-dominated sport
— SALLY TURNER , THE MID SOUTH
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STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE