Is there any female cyclists out there who has experience of cykling in Iran this autum?
Me and my girlfriend is going to cycle to China from Sweden this spring and the plan whas to cycle thru Iran. But now whe read that from september 2016 there is a new fatwa that forbidds woman to cycle in Iran!? Is this true? Is it impossible for woman to cykle in Iran now? Or is it safe if it´s in a mans company?
Hi Viktor
There is no problem for woman cycle tourism in iran . you can come to iran and cycle thru and enjoy iraninan hospitality .
Hi Viktor,
There is no problem for a female cyclist here. What you see and hear on media is a bit different than reality. ( to travel is to discover that everybody is wrong about other countries! )
Here are some female touring cyclists who have toured in Iran this fall. You can contact them and ask them about their experiences in Iran :
Jean Rumball, a solo female Kiwi cyclist toured in Iran last month : https://www.warmshowers.org/user/108936
Christian and Sarah, I met them last month in northern Iran : https://www.warmshowers.org/user/84777
and some Iranian female cyclists who have done a cycle tour last month :
Fatemeh, who is my friend and did a bike trip to northern Iran last month https://www.warmshowers.org/user/58319
Ehsan and Shima from Mashad also did a tour , https://www.warmshowers.org/user/75602
And many others with NO problem!
Wish you a wonderful journey and hope to see you one day!
Farid
Northern Iran, Guilan
Except that women need to wrap themselves up, in all the heat. Except that morality police may stop you to check that your wrists are properly covered. That are experiences of Fredrika Ek, as she told on Swedish radio. Morality police should be policing male behavior instead. Read this:
http://www.thebikeramble.com/2015/08/iran-pt-3-heaven-hell/
Viktor may want to listen to this interview: http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/644720?programid=3052
This is also informative: https://cyclingcindy.com/2016/11/05/yves-the-difference-between-a-man-and-a-woman-traveling-solo-by-bicycle-in-iran/
Hijab or covering is a part of culture and an Islamic law in Iran. That is not about women cycling! It's not related to biking, it's a public law.
Thank you for all your usefull answers! Me and my girlfriend are really looking forward to cycle in Iran. We will contact the other women and couples that is cycling in Iran right now and see how it is for them.
Since some other ladies like me might come across this post once looking for advice about solo cyclingin iran let me add me 5 cents.
I came to Iran with all big hopes and expectations for good. Hungry for culture and people encounters. This of course happened too, but bad memories come first. On the 4th day of my journey I was attacked and nearly raped by a young man that was following me on a motorbike. I managed to make a photo of him and he was caught. A decided to go on cyclign after a few days recovery and was attacked for the second time - a man followed me to women's toilet at a gas station. He tried angrily to push me in when I was about to leave and I pushed him back, then started to scream as much as I could and he escaped. That ruined all me self confidence and made me stop cycling. I had as well men touching me unexpectedly from a motorbike or on the street. Shouting and lauging at. Following, turning around on a street, following again.
Then I posted it on FB page of bike touring and it turned out many solo women had same bad, unpleasant and dangerous situations.
You might be interested in reading Trien's story:https://trientrapt.com/2017/03/11/50-shades-of-blue-en/
Also, from Cindy report that was quoted above :" I never camped though, because I certainly did not feel at ease to camp. Often I was followed by men by the time dusk arrived."
.."I had several assaults, besides more than a few invitations for sex. Men would come to a halt on the highway, block my way and either ask for sex or make movements to make clear they wanted sex. Truck drivers would stop after they passed me, hide behind their truck and showed me where their penis was hiding. One man lay naked on his bed in a simple traveler’s rest-house and held his hard-on in full view each time I walked by. Motor drivers would ride beside me, asking for sex, or I would be groped while they passed me. This happened almost each day until I start carrying a broken belt drive, as a whip..".
Would you call it a pleasant and safe cycling?
Personally, after 4 yars on a road and aroun d 40 countries cycled I never felt or experienced such things as in Iran now.
Solo ladies, wish your good luck with your cycling in Iran. Truly do. There are women that enjoyed thier time. It is also a great land and one meets great people here. But for me it's done, taking a bus.
Just add that solo cycling men and couples are having great time here.
Ewa
www.ewcyna.com
Very sad to read this experience.
Too bad we live in a world where we can't expect everywhere safety and decent social behaviour. Even in western countries the #MeToo affaires, abuse in all social levels, professions, by welfare workers in refugee camps, assaults on gay people (even in our liberal Amsterdam), robbery, show that danger is everywhere.Whether you like it or not, in countries like Iran the risks for a cycling, single woman are higher.
During our trip in Morocco my partner Annelies (over 60 years old..) experienced that the moments she was not guided by me, (despite wearing a skin-covering, long skirt !) she sometimes was insulted as "whore" and explicitely approached by men with sexual gestures and proposals. Not everywhere, but it happened several times.
Common sense and prudent choices must be part of our nowadays cycle preparations, but will never prevent troublesome situations. "Mr. Murphy" appears everywhere. Cycling during the wrong time at the wrong place can be enough to poison your trip temporarily.