Bicycle-Friendly Businesses in Monroe County: WomanTours
By: Karen Miltner
Bikes are good for businesses and their employees. Through the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) program, employers are recognized for their efforts to encourage a more welcoming atmosphere for bicycling employees, customers and the community.
With the aim of seeing more Monroe County employers give greater thought towards accommodating bike-riding employees and patrons, Reconnect Rochester is proud to shine a light on local businesses who’ve received the distinction of being named a Bicycle-Friendly Business.
First up: WomanTours, a women-only bike tour company headquartered in the Town of Brighton!
Although WomanTours has been in the bicycle touring business since 1995, it wasn’t until 2020 that our company applied for and earned recognition as a Gold Bicycle Friendly Business from the League of American Bicyclists, the advocacy organization that helps cyclists in the United States enjoy the benefits and opportunities of safe bicycling.
We were the first business in Monroe County to garner this distinction. And of course, we were thrilled to receive the Gold designation right out of the gate. Since then, three other businesses have received either Silver or Bronze Bicycle Friendly Business status. We hope there will be more. It’s also encouraging to know that several area colleges and universities, including University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology and Monroe Community College, are also on board.
WomanTours take our pledge to encourage a more welcoming atmosphere for bicycling employees, customers and the community seriously. Some of the resources that have helped us to achieve this:
- We proactively selected an office with close access to the Erie Canalway, a major traffic-free bicycle commuting corridor. Then we worked with our landlord to install a bike rack and a shower.
- Work dress code is always casual, making it easier to commute by bike.
- There are plenty of bike pumps and tools on hand in case commuter bikes need a quick tune-up.
- Safety is always our first priority when taking customers on tour, so our pre-tour literature and first-day orientation always prioritize defensive riding. In addition, our tour guides offer mechanical tutorials to our customers, teaching them how to change a flat and handle minor bike repairs.
Our company also likes to give back to the local and global bicycling community.
- Each year, WomanTours donates proceeds from its Tanzania tour to globalbike, an organization that works to make bicycles accessible to women in rural Tanzania in order to improve their health and well-being. The company has so far donated more than $57,600 to globalbike.
- Thanks to our annual Angel Fund Scholarship (supported by an anonymous benefactor), we have been able to offer dozens of women a chance to travel on select tours for free. Candidates are chosen based on need and suitability to the tours.
- WomanTours donates older used bikes to R Community Bikes in Rochester, a service that refurbishes bikes for those who could otherwise not afford them. WomanTours also contributed old bikes to Dreambikes, a service that sells used bikes and trains youth to become bike mechanics. (DreamBikes no longer operates in Rochester).
Two of our five staff members in our Rochester office live close enough to commute regularly by bike into the office. One of them is President Jackie Marchand, who also serves as treasurer of Reconnect Rochester. But even those of us who live too far away to commute to work daily take advantage of WomanTours’ bike-friendly resources.
I, for example, live in Geneva, about 55 miles away (an hour by car, four hours by bike). Thanks to our flexible schedules, I work two consecutive days a week in the office, staying overnight in town so I can save a couple hours of driving (and more importantly, two hours of fuel and wear/tear on my car). The other three days of the week, I work from home and telecommute.
I am also able to keep a bicycle on premise. This enables me to ride to and from my overnight lodging. And if I need to run an errand during the work day, I will do so by bike whenever possible. Often, I take a ride during my lunch break or after my work day is over. All three options give me some much needed fresh air and exercise and are a huge reason why my stress levels don’t get out of whack. I know this perk makes me a much happier and more productive employee.
While WomanTours is in the business of providing cycling trips for women of all ages and capabilities, we know our impact goes far beyond a fun outdoor vacation. Our customers tell that our tours coax them to ride more year-round, not just for recreation and fitness, but also for errands, commuting and general well-being. They also let us know that our tours have made them better bike mechanics and safer riders. Lastly, a WomanTours experience has turned many of our customers into bicycling advocates and ambassadors, inspiring their friends, family and neighbors to hop on a bike and enjoy the ride.
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WomanTours is a woman-owned and women-operated company that offers domestic and international bicycle tours for women. It is based in Rochester. For more information, go to www.womantours.com.