Afghan Cycles

It takes guts for girls to ride bicycles in modern-day Afghanistan, says its first competitive female cyclist, shrouded in Afghan Cycles so her husband won’t discover her dangerous history with the National Cycling Team, which dissolved in 1987 under Soviet/Taliban rule. Now, a new generation of females has taken to the saddle, despite the taunting, rock-throwing, vehicular menacing and death threats they endure. “I have a feeling of joy when I ride the bicycle,” says Frozan, who dreams of proving, at an upcoming race in France, that despite the unimaginable hurdles faced by the team as Afghan women, “We can pedal like you.” Because, says Tahira, “If we do not stand up for ourselves, nobody will.”