The Chic Women’s Bicycle Tour kicked off Sept. 20 in 10 Turkish cities. The call for participants, made through various social media outlets, stated, “This women’s activity is organized by women for women.” The cycling activists calling themselves Suslu Kadinlar (Chic Women) described the event as “independent, commercial free, without politicians and free for all.” They invited everyone to join. The bicycle tour was held for the third time in conjunction with the annual Car Free Cities Day, an initiative organized as part of the European Union’s “Mobility Week” activities. The Chic Women’s tour attracted the most attention from the public, and photos from the event help explain why.

One of the requirements for participation was to dress up, wear makeup and decorate your bike. It is the rare protest where participants take breaks to freshen their makeup. The riders' high heels, colorful dresses, quirky hats and flowery headbands made for great photo ops of beautiful women on wheels. Going against the trend of wearing sporty biking gear, these women dressed to attract maximum attention.

Al-Monitor interviewed Sema Gur and Pinar Pinzuti, the tour organizers. The cycling event is Gur’s brainchild. The high school teacher only learned to ride a bike three years ago, at the age of 38. Gur told Al-Monitor, “We organized the first tour in Izmir in 2013. We called on women to join all dressed up, because I thought of the event as a celebration, like a carnival. My goal was to enjoy a solidarity ride among women of all ages and all levels of cycling ability to gain confidence riding in the city streets. In a male-dominated environment, we are mostly told when to ride, what to wear when we are riding. I wanted to challenge these stereotypes so that women view the bicycle as a viable transportation option, not just for recreation. I wanted to tell women, ‘Just come. We are not traveling long distances. We are not competing. You can dress as you please and share this experience.’”

Al-Monitor asked whether it was a women-only event. Pinzuti, a cycling activist and the group's blogger, said, “We organized this event for women, so I can say this is a women-mostly event, as we welcome men who agree to abide by our rules.” The rules for men state, “Dress fancy. Do not intimidate beginner-level female cyclists if you are an expert. Please do not try to dominate the event.” Such women-mostly or women-only events are designed to generate a welcoming and noncompetitive space for women’s empowerment.