Don’t Let Anyone Dim Your Shine: A Cycling Encounter That Stuck With Me

I remember a ride I took through the park one afternoon—not for the distance or the weather, but for the conversation I had with a woman who joined me for a stretch. What she shared stuck with me, and I think it’s worth passing along.

As we pedaled side by side, she told me about a time when she was out riding alone and a group of young men on bikes started catcalling her. “I felt like one of those angry cartoon characters,” she laughed, “steam coming out of my ears.” But behind the humor was something deeper—she described how moments like that made her feel small, self-conscious, and embarrassed.

And yet, instead of letting it define her, she made a choice. She said, “I’ve learned not to let that kind of negativity get to me. People who go out of their way to put others down are usually dealing with their own insecurities.” That hit home.

Like her, I’ve been on the receiving end of harassment while cycling. It’s frustrating, even infuriating. But hearing her talk about how she reclaimed her self-esteem reminded me that our joy, our self-worth, doesn’t belong to anyone else. It belongs to us.

Her message was clear: What truly matters is how we feel about ourselves. Not what strangers shout from a bike path. Not the sneers or mockery. None of that defines us.

Cycling brings freedom, clarity, and peace. No one should be able to steal that from you—not with a comment, not with a stare. And it’s not just women who face this kind of treatment, though they’re often targeted more. Marginalized individuals of all kinds encounter these challenges too, and we all deserve better.

By telling our stories and supporting each other, we create a kind of armor—one made not of steel, but of shared strength. We remind ourselves and others that we’re not alone.

So if someone tries to cut you down the next time you’re out riding, remember this: their actions say more about them than they ever will about you. Keep riding. Keep smiling. Keep shining.

Because your joy on the bike? That’s yours. And no one gets to take it away.