Mujeres y Pedales: Celebrating Mother’s Day and Generational Belonging With The Cycle Effect

“Having my mom mountain bike with me is the greatest experience ever,” Fernanda Fuentes shares with enthusiasm. “We can both have fun doing what we love, and encourage each other to try new things.”

Fernanda’s mom, Esther, is a participant with The Cycle Effect’s Mujeres y Pedales program, an inclusive, bilingual mountain bike program for women of all skill levels to connect, ride, and grow on Colorado’s Western Slope.

Mujeres y Pedales translates to Women and Pedals or Pedaling Women. It began organically when moms became interested in the confidence, courage and sense of belonging their daughters discovered through The Cycle Effect’s Girls Mountain Bike Program. 

“My perspective on life has changed with The Cycle Effect because I became stronger, more positive, more adventurous, more daring to be able to achieve the things I set out to do,” Esther shares with pride in her voice after a recent practice.

“When my mom comes back from Cycle Effect, she is so energetic. I feel like without The Cycle Effect, my mom wouldn’t be able to make such a big improvement on a mountain bike,” Fernanda says. 

Together, mother-daughter duos like Esther and Fernanda are building a new path forward, not just for themselves, but for the next generation of women in their community. Through its unique program pathway, which includes opportunities for junior coaching, The Cycle Effect hopes to steward a stronger, more inclusive community of female athletes and leaders. 

Esther says that when she’s on her bike with The Cycle Effect, she feels fabulous because she can forget about everything. “It’s my time and my moment, and I enjoy it.”

This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the transformational powers of mountain biking and generational belonging. It’s about much more than riding bikes; it’s about discovering our own sense of freedom, power and connection as girls, daughters, mothers and women. 

You can support riders like Esther and Fernanda right now. Give to The Cycle Effect in honor of a mom or mother figure in your life. Every dollar will go toward empowering girls and women through mountain biking. Learn more at thecycleeffect.org.