Why don't women cycle?

[Lozz360]

I suspect the correlation is the other way around: people who cycle a lot tend not to have a car. I.E cycling leads to not buying a car rather than buying a car leads to not cycling.

A government survey in 2008 and 2009 found that 83% of cyclists were resident in a household with access to a car or van.

 

[Julia9054]

[QUOTE 5275369, member: 9609"]they're all healthy things to do too, are there people in those groups who worry about men not taking part.. (I'm guess from your inclusion not many men bother swimming or zumbering? )[/QUOTE]
There may be individuals within organisations that run these hobbies and pastimes that look into being more inclusive, I don't know. I mentioned swimming and Zumba because they were two things that were brought up last time this issue was discussed. You can understand that cycling is different and more than just a hobby or sport, can't you? Encouraging participation is supposedly part of a transport policy.
The Dutch are often mentioned as being a nation that has, generally, got it right. Here, men and women cycle in more or less equal numbers. They are generally not cycling as a hobby.

 

[slowmotion]

The Dutch are often mentioned as being a nation that has, generally, got it right. Here, men and women cycle in more or less equal numbers. They are generally not cycling as a hobby.

I think that the Dutch don't actually view themselves as "cyclists" because bicycles are just part of their everyday lives as routine transport. "Cyclists" are those who dress up in team kit and wear helmets.

 

[jefmcg]

[QUOTE 5275541, member: 43827"]A very cynical response to a student asking for ideas. I did not get the impression he was asking for anyone to do all the work for him, let alone "write his thesis for him". Surely a popular cycling forum should be a good source of information.

I take the view he was amazed by the tone of many, not all, the responses, and wisely moved on, or is just waiting for more information. Not everyone feels compelled to respond to every other reply on an internet forum.[/QUOTE]

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

While we're on the subject, Helen Pidd published an article this morning: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/13/safety-women-cycling-roads

 

[jefmcg]

A government survey in 2008 and 2009 found that 83% of cyclists were resident in a household with access to a car or van.

?

 

[jefmcg]

Sorry - I have no idea what that means. What you mean

Care to explain?

without smileys/laughies.

Glad it's not only me, I thought I had a senile moment there.

have no intention of googling for what may or may not have been meant.

I asked a civil question.

Deserves a civil answer.

Your less than civil answer tells me all I need to know.

Women don't have the time to cycle because they can't leave their childish men home alone
Only kidding, but, really, it is a CC courtesy to answer another member's question.
Now it's two members asking!

Well, that is all clearly much easier than going all the way to google to find out. You'd have to find your keys wallet, put on your hiking boots and set out on the great journey.

So I have done it for you:

noun
noun: butt-hurt
1.
an excessive or unjustifiable feeling of personal offence or resentment.

Eg
"That's sexist. Men can have valid insights into this matter."

 

[mjr]

Yes, they can, isn't it sort of info acquired second hand, though?

No more than anyone else when it's about the statistical flaws in the approach rather than experiences.

Let the women speak, but I'm afraid the women of this forum are the wrong ones to ask, because we already cycle.

For example, what required anyone to be a woman to make that point?

And twice as many cars on the road are owned by men than women, so if that was a factor, it would affect men more than women.

Beware that statistic! I'm probably regarded as the owner of our household's car because for various reasons, I shook hands on our first car and then registered and insured it and consequently all the replacements and it's rather expensive and still slightly impractical to change that even all these years later, but I probably don't drive it most often - but it's difficult to tell because it spends most of its time idle! (and it's currently in bits, costing me hours and hundreds of pounds in ways that our bikes rarely do, but that's another story...)

its hard to integrated something into your life, when life itself leaves you very little time [...]

But cycling's faster than driving in anything bigger than a small town and even more so once you have to factor in the walk from the further-away car park to where you could have parked a bike (someone came up with a formula for that but I can't find it now). That's a big part of the reason why motorists always seem in more of a rush to get everywhere than cyclists!

[QUOTE 5275767, member: 43827"]What on earth possessed him to think he might get good evidence from a cycling forum on research into cycling activities?[/QUOTE]
He/she could - but by reading existing threads like @User10119 linked and maybe asking follow-up questions, rather than posting something here that made plenty go "oh no, not again" like the proverbial bowl of petunias.

 

[Lozz360]

?

OK that came out a bit irrelevant. You said "...people who cycle a lot tend not to have a car" What I wanted to say was an often quoted statistic that says, 80% of cyclists also drive a car. If I did that I guessed you may respond with "where's your evidence?" and quite rightly so. I googled in search of the evidence and all I could find was the survey that indicated that 83% of cyclists live in a household with access to a van or a car. I admit that is probably not the same thing, so you are welcome to ignore.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

The Mum does the school run on my same commute stretch on an electric assist cargo bike, while the Dad commutes to his work on his own bike, well, naturally

Pardon the aside, but is this the family you're talking about Pat?

 

[Lavender Rose]

I work in a leisure centre and we run many spin classes in the week, lots of ladies turn up to do them and I always say that the weather is lovely and they should be outside cycling for real - and they all laugh - I think they think that spin is easier and stuff. Alot of them are just lazy.

I really do think in my head, around here anyway, is that the women you see out on the roads are the serious ones or cycle in groups with the men. I usually only ever see men, if I see women, its mainly on Pendleton shoppers in mint green, popping to the shops with their wooden baskets on the front - and usually older as well.

I also think its the psychology as well, lots of women think you have to be really fit/fast to go out on the roads. You don't at all - it's about enjoying the countryside or surroundings. Plus, they have the idea that drivers (the minority) are idiots...probably and would rather avoid it.

I love my bikes, they give me a sense of escapism - the open road, pubs...cake stops....no limitiations....What is not to love?! When I compete in duathlon, the mix is 70:30 men to women and the men (in a non patronising way) always respect the women for having a go etc.

 

[Julia9054]

Just got back from a solo ride of about 35 miles. Mostly countryside but also taking in Ripon centre. Thought I would be observant for once and take a bit of notice of other cyclists. I was quite heartened to see that the numbers of men and women were roughly equal. What I did notice was more variety in the female cyclists. Some road bike types, old lady on shopper returning home from the centre of Ripon, couple of younger women on hybrids in normal clothes, three knackered looking older women slogging it up a huge hill with a trailer and many, many panniers - kudos to them! All the male cyclists were road types.
Then a giant peloton of about 25 male club riders whizzed past at high speed and spoilt the gender balance completely!
Anecdata of course and probably relevant to nothing, but I thought I'd share.

 

[mjr]

That's interesting Mr Trousers, but George University is claiming that 75% (exactly?) Of cyclists are male. He makes no mention of mileage or journey stats betwixt the genders.

George University makes no mention of being male or female either (I've known people who were given Georgina or Giorgia as names but used George online) - or did I miss something?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Pardon the aside, but is this the family you're talking about Pat?
View attachment 414097

Indeed it is @glasgowcyclist!

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Indeed it is @glasgowcyclist!

I see them most days on my commute and the sight of them always cheers me up.