You Can Do Hard Things! The Young Cycling Enthusiasts Reclaiming The Streets Of Johannesburg

Bike culture, once seen as an elite hobby or a last resort for the poor, is flourishing in the post-apartheid City of Gold On a hot Saturday spring morning, Karabo Mashele urged a group of female cyclists up the hills of a plush Johannesburg suburb. Come on my ladybugs, the 32-year-old shouted over the sounds of 4X4 cars overtaking the riders. You can do hard things! Twice a month, Mashele, who only learned to cycle aged 29, leads casual rides for up to 25 women in their 20s and 30s, through Johannesburg or Pretoria. On other weekends, she and a core group join longer, mixed gender rides. Karabo Mashele, the founder of the Girls on Bikes bicycle club, on the streets of Johannesburg.