Are British Cycling & Sky being deliberately sexist?

[GrumpyGregry]

There are reasons for unequal uptake. It is really hard for many women to find group rides that suit them, much harder than it is for most men I think. Even as an experienced cyclist living in a city very well-served by cycling clubs I am a bit disheartened by the lack of choice for me - lots of clubs that claim to be inclusive until you look closely at their websites or talk to club members, then you find they are male-dominated, very fast and very competitive. At the other end of the scale are over-cautious 'social' rides, some aimed exclusively at women and beginners it's true, that are just too slow and not free-flowing enough. I fall back on the CTC, which many people scorn, but they cater for all levels of rider, are very friendly and non-judgemental, and none of the ride leaders are paid a penny.

Come and ride with Horsham Cycling. You'd be a shoe in for the intermediates.

 

[Kookas]

It's not a characteristic of people I don't like. I like plenty of people despite those characteristics and a whole pile of other faults too.

At no point have I or anyone else said ALL men have those characteristics.

But to make out that amongst male cyclists these behaviours, particularly when directed to female riders, or others perceived as 'weaker', are as rare as hens teeth, is utterly disingenuous.

I never used the phrase, or anything like it. But it feels like you're implying that those characteristics apply to most men, when actually, it is simply 'some'.

 

[velovoice]

I never used the phrase, or anything like it. But it feels like you're implying that those characteristics apply to most men, when actually, it is simply 'some'.

Since when does "not rare" mean "most"??

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I never used the phrase, or anything like it. But it feels like you're implying that those characteristics apply to most men, when actually, it is simply 'some'.

It has been a subject of heated debate within my cycling club, my running club, my rugby club, et cetera.

Funnily enough the guys all say "it's only a small minority though isn't it, love" and the girls say something quite different.

 

[Kookas]

Since when does "not rare" mean "most"??

Clearly, you don't know what implication is.

 

[srw]

I'm not sure I'd agree with that?

That has definately been me in the past.

There's a few of the blokes who I cycle with think the same too.

Like everything psychological it's statistical. There's a common pattern of thought which tends to cluster around women, and different comon pattern of thought which tends to cluster around men. That's not to say there's no overlap, and I'm not going to put my neck out and say how strong the clustering is or why it exists (though I'd hazard a guess a large part of it is nurture not nature).

Disclaimer: I'm no psychologist, although I do know one or two things about statistics.

 

[ComedyPilot]

I think this thread links (in a fashion) to the 'Helmets in the press' thread in the way people (men and women) in the UK are propaganda'd to by the press/BC etc...

Not all women like the idea of being left for dead by some 'boy's own racing club'

Well I've got news for you, a lot of men don't like it either.

A lot of people (with or without penises) prefer to ride alone at their own pace as opposed to feeling like they're letting people down/being too slow - as can and DOES happen at club level. Much as they try to be accomodating to new members, they are out and out racing clubs, and with decades of friendships formed between riders, entering that paradigm as a newbie is daunting enough to be off-putting.

A quick look at the corporate/helmet pushing/Hi-viz tabbard Sky Ride/muscles-in-their-spit sporty side of BC makes an organisation like CTC seem all the more appealing to me. I just want to ride a bike. I have ZERO aspirations of being the next ANYTHING let alone giving Chris Froome sleepless nights - although I might if he saw 'me' riding his bike.....

I know researching cycling as a new rider can be a bit of a minefield, but were I to be a potential cyclist, and Googled 'cycling' only to be met with BC as the number one resource - I would find it sufficiently off-putting not to bother going any further.....

Just sayin'..........

 

[theclaud]

I do know one or two things about statistics.

I'd not noticed.

 

[summerdays]

But I do think that women (many, if not all) have a tendency to take responsibility for the happiness/satisfaction of those around them, even if it involves blaming themselves. In the context of cycling, a number of women admit to thinking "everybody else would be having a better time if I wasn't holding them up" whenever they're struggling up hills.

I have to admit to having those thoughts, even when I've cycled with an ex colleague who was a really fast cyclist and didn't show any sign of irritation at going my speed on a hill, those thoughts were still there that he was only cycling at that speed out of politeness.

 

[Glow worm]

I think this thread links (in a fashion) to the 'Helmets in the press' thread in the way people (men and women) in the UK are propaganda'd to by the press/BC etc...

Not all women like the idea of being left for dead by some 'boy's own racing club'

Well I've got news for you, a lot of men don't like it either.

I certainly don't. The folks who like to ride around the place as if their ar$es are on fire may as well be another species as far as I'm concerned. This thread is quite depressng really, with all the 'Sky Rides' (shudder), 'female psychology' and 'testosterone' cobblers. I can't imagine anything more depressing than a group ride with that lot - is it any wonder 'normal' folk in the UK see cycing as something for the weirdos and fitness freaks? Seems crazy to me.

 

[mcshroom]

I don't ride with either of the local clubs because I'm sure I would just hold them up, and it's a constant worry for me when I try to do different rides. One of the reasons I started audaxing was because the challenge was totally against myself, and I wouldn't affect anyone else's enjoyment of the event (on my first audax ride I was never going to finish in time, and distinctly remember ringing up and persuading the org to not hang around and wait for me as I didn't want to inconvenience him). In my experience of meeting and riding with different people I would say there are a lot more men out there who are in a similar situation who would benefit from a 'Breeze' style ride as much as women with a similar outlook, and this might even dilute the stereotypical 'testosterone fuelled' male cyclist image. As it is, though, with women vastly under-represented in cycling numbers, it makes far more sense on concentrating on that challenge first.

There are obviously other barriers that seem to prevent women from pursuing the same loner style of cycling I followed otherwise the number of female cyclists overall would be closer to that of men. Some of these may be psychological, but I would suggest many of them based around the societal attitudes* towards things such as women exercising, the way women should look, and the way too many men feel they are allowed to behave around women. That's where, as an outsider to the rides, I see the real benefit of female only group rides, as a space for unconfident female cyclists to get used to regular cycling in an environment that is (or is perceived by the potential new rider to be) more supportive of female cyclists.

Coming back to the OP, do I think they are being sexist. Not really, assuming that potential female Sky ride leaders are not being pushed to run Breeze rides instead. As has been pointed out, ride leaders for the compensated rides is open to male and female organisers equally (regardless of the uptake, the remuneration goes to the man/woman organising). On the other hand, I would very much like Breeze rides to be funded better and encouraged more, and that could be sorted completely independently to the mixed rides.


* As an engineer - venturing into sociology is something I do very warily

 

[Sara_H]

I applied to be a Breeze leader but withdrew my application after learning that helmet use for leaders was mandatory.

 

[uclown2002]

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[Dan B]

"Your opinions are worth less than my lack of opinion"

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

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Generation Z thread this way - http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/help-me-understand-generation-z.148269/unread