Last February, a group of women in Port Said started going out on a cycling tour every Friday, going through the city’s streets.
They gather at 7:00 a.m. and set off on a tour starting from 23rd July Street, choosing a different route each time.
They choose an early hour on the weekend because the streets are empty, allowing them to cycle without facing any harassment.
Mayada Mahmoud, the founder of this initiative, keeps an eye on the participants, making sure they’re safe throughout the trip, interfering if they need her, keen on helping them commit to instructions, such as heading in one direction, and passing in certain ways.
“Cars do not care about the safety of the bikes moving with them, and there are no bike lanes in the streets,” said Mayada.
Then she adds, “we need dedicated bike lanes and secure bike parking lots to prevent theft.”
Mayada’s journey with bicycles started when she was a child. Despite her father’s rejection of the idea, for people “look down” at girls riding bicycles, Mayada would sneak her brother’s bicycle out and train herself on riding it.
“I am a mother of two children: my eldest is 8 years old, and my youngest is a newborn. Nine years into my marriage, I travelled to Dahab with my husband. I spent a lot of time cycling there, as it was common for girls in Dahab to ride bicycles. However, when I returned to Port Said three years ago, I started facing difficulties,” said the 31-years-old Mayada Mahmoud, a.k.a. Mayada Dahab.
“In Port Said, there’s still a strong disapproval of women riding bicycles, which I can sense from the looks of passersby. Cycling is seen as an activity reserved for men, leading to frequent harassment, particularly from microbus drivers, whenever I ride my bike,” explained Mayada.
Mayada recalls an incident when she was cycling with her son, and a microbus hit her. The driver didn’t even glance back; “in such situations, people would blame me, they would say: how can a mother like you ride a bicycle? Or how would you answer to God if you died riding a bicycle? Or you look like a man.” However, Mayada remains undeterred, as she loves cycling and relies on her bicycle for her daily errands.
Mayada’s husband is her biggest supporter, advising her to ignore negative comments and prioritise her passion, “my husband encourages me to ride bicycles, and currently, my father started partially accepting the idea, after I told him I became a trainer.”
In the second phase of her journey, Mayada’s passion shifted from just a hobby to a job, as one of the cycling instructors offered her to join him as a trainer, and to specialise in teaching women.
“I agreed and started teaching women and children of all ages, I even trained a 60-years-old lady who was extremely happy about it, for hobbies sometimes turn into a deep passion of ours,” said Mayada.
This inspired Mayada to organise a women’s group tour, inviting her Facebook contacts on the first of last February. The invitation received a positive response, leading to weekly tours. Women of various ages, many with experiences similar to Mayada’s, joined the group.