We neeeeed you! Will you help?

Will you share this newsletter with just 3 friends? 

Reasons to share:

a. You enjoy the newsletter because it has cool content and you learn something new every time you read it.

b. You want to be the first to know about the Pchy app launch and when and where it will be available.

c. You love adventure! Whether you like to adventure solo or not, are single, have kids, are younger, older, whatever. Women (cis, trans) and non-binary humans who love adventure are our people.

d. You care about Pchy and want to see us grow and succeed in our mission to help create a safer more equitable world for all women.

It’s so easy to share and earn rewards

1. Click the button below that says “Click to Share” 

   That will take you to your referral page. You can keep track of your referrals and see what rewards you can earn. Click to Copy your unique referral link and send that to 3 friends. If they subscribe to Pchy you earn rewards!

   

2. The other easy option is to copy or paste your unique referral link (it’s right there below the button ⬇️) and share it with 3 friends that you think will subscribe to Pchy.

Rewards you could be earning by sharing!

Our founder’s niece is really into designing merch for Pchy and is basically Pchy’s biggest supporter. 🥹

We are going to make her sticker design and send it out to our community members who refer at least 3 friends to the newsletter! How totally cute is that?

What else is in the newsletter today?

• Bessie Stringfield the “Motorcycle Queen of Miami”

• Heat Map shows striking difference between men and women walking home alone at night

• Are women-only group tours the safest option for women travelers?

Meet Bessie Stringfield

Long before the era of #CarefreeBlackGirl, Stringfield epitomized independence, fearlessly traversing the American landscape solo on her motorcycle. The first Black woman to ride across America on her bike solo.

Born in 1911, Stringfield's affinity for adventure ignited when she acquired her first motorcycle—a 1928 Indian Scout—in her teens. Undeterred by convention, she taught herself to ride and, at just 19, embarked on an audacious escapade. Flipping a coin onto a map of the United States, Stringfield set out on her bike, navigating rugged, unpaved roads that lacked the modern conveniences of today's highways.

By 1930, she had achieved a remarkable feat: becoming the first Black woman to ride her motorcycle through all 48 connected states—an epic cross-country odyssey she would undertake eight times in her lifetime.

Yet, Stringfield's wanderlust knew no bounds. Beyond the confines of the United States, she ventured to distant lands, exploring the vibrant cultures of Haiti, Brazil, and Europe. In the pages of Ann Ferrar's 1993 book "Hear Me Roar: Women, Motorcycles and the Rapture of the Road," Stringfield's remarkable journey is chronicled, immortalizing her legacy as a trailblazer and adventurer extraordinaire.

Overlooked by both African American and women's historians, yet revered within biker circles and her tight-knit Miami community. While her story remained untold beyond these circles, Ann Ferrar, a journalist and fellow biker, recognized the significance of Bessie's trailblazing journey.

In the early 1990s, Ferrar embarked on a mission to document and preserve Bessie's remarkable life. Even though society wasn't quite ready for her, Bessie fearlessly carved her path, setting a precedent that went unnoticed during her lifetime.

Upon Bessie's passing in 1993, Ferrar penned a heartfelt eulogy for "American Iron," an international magazine devoted to Harley-Davidsons, kickstarting the journey to honor Bessie's legacy.

As an elder, Bessie had always been as mysterious as she was bold, but in her later years, she opened up to Ferrar, reflecting on her extraordinary life. Together, they formed a personal legacy pact, with Ferrar capturing Bessie's oral traditions and adventures in prose narratives.

In 2002, Bessie Stringfield was posthumously inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, with Ferrar's poignant storytelling echoing her courage and resilience. Through the power of social media and online platforms, Ferrar's tales of Bessie began to circulate worldwide, cementing Bessie's status as a legend in the hearts of many.

Join us in celebrating Bessie Stringfield's indomitable spirit and fearless pursuits this Black History Month. Her legacy lives on, inspiring generations of African American female riders to embrace their passions and ride with pride.

Read “My Original Stories on the Hidden Life of an American Road Queen” By Ann Ferrar

Heat map shows walking home at night is not the same for women as it is for men

Not to be rude dude, but we were kind of saying, “duh” in our head while reading this study. We were also wondering why one of the images used for the study was of a dark railroad bridge. We don’t know too many women who would walk a dark railroad bridge alone at night.

However, the study is interesting and important and does help to visualize the differences between men and women and walking alone at night.

The latest BYU study led by public health professor Robbie Chaney sheds light on the stark contrast in experiences between men and women walking home at night. Using visual evidence, the study vividly illustrates the heightened vigilance women maintain as they navigate dark pathways, a safety practice unique to their journey.

Chaney, along with co-authors Alyssa Baer and Ida Tovar, conducted the study by presenting images of campus areas to participants and analyzing where their attention was drawn. The results, published in the journal Violence and Gender, reveal a significant difference in visual patterns between genders. While men focus on the path or specific objects, such as lights or garbage cans, women consistently scan the perimeter for potential safety hazards, like bushes or dark areas.

With nearly 600 participants, predominantly female, the study underscores the importance of understanding the distinct experiences of women when it comes to safety. Baer, reflecting on the study, emphasizes the significance of using data to spark meaningful conversations and drive actionable change, particularly in addressing the lived experiences of women.

Chaney echoes this sentiment, expressing a desire for a world where women no longer need to be hyper-aware of their surroundings. The study's findings call for a reevaluation of how environments are designed and highlight the necessity of considering diverse perspectives to create safer spaces for all.

Ultimately, the hope is to bridge the gap depicted in the heat maps, striving towards a future where safety is equitable for everyone.

Singing the Pchy song! 🎵

Women-only adventures and group travel

Pchy is working to solve a major concern among solo female travelers:

Personal safety.

Our goal is to make solo adventures safer for women who enjoy traveling and adventuring independently.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase, up to 360%, in travel companies catering specifically to women, particularly in women-only group travel and excursions. As well as mobile apps that allow women to meet up with other women while traveling or even walking home from the subway or going to meet an Uber.

This surge suggests to us that many women perceive safety in numbers as the primary solution to safety concerns while traveling or adventuring.

We’d love to hear your perspective on this trend and its implications for solo female travelers. Your insights will help us better address the needs of women who seek adventure while prioritizing their safety.

Until next week! We love you!

Team Pchy 🍑