Altitude isn’t the only factor that sets the Queens apart from most cycling clubs. Underpinning their relaxed attitude to riding – “don’t worry about your ability or level of fitness, as long as you’re on two wheels it’s fine” – is a determination to get more women into the saddle and achieve “parity and equity for women in sport”. That commitment runs deep. The Queens’ official club jersey – a striking garment designed by the Australian professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell – is vivid green and purple, the colours adopted by the suffragette movement. /

Testosterone affects our brain, body, and behaviour. But it is neither the king nor the kingmaker—the potent, hormonal essence of competitive, risk-taking masculinity—it’s often assumed to be.