No worries. You can catch up while she's having a waz.
Women's Cycling
- Thread starter Yazzoo
- Start date
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No worries. You can catch up while she's having a waz.
Not if I don't agree with separating women!
I'd rather set up a club that had a fast group and a slow group (our local club is very small) - and if that slow group was mainly women that would be fine. I'd rather everyone was comfortable riding to their own ability than separated because of gender!
I'd rather set up a club that had a fast group and a slow group (our local club is very small) - and if that slow group was mainly women that would be fine. I'd rather everyone was comfortable riding to their own ability than separated because of gender!
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
LOL! I never said that!
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
What makes you think that? Some of us would welcome more diversity in cycling.
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
Whatever. I'd prefer a mixed group of riders, as I think it is more interesting socially, and helps keep some of the more macho elements in check.
vickster
Squire
Why can't you develop that within your local club? Advertise in local bike shops etc
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
More female ride leaders would probably help, so that ladies can have confidence that the ride ethos will be set by someone who is likely to understand the concerns of female newcomers.
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
How to do what? Get more female ride leaders? Clubs need to work harder with existing female members. Find out why they have so few female leaders, and develop a plan to improve, with training or leader buddying schemes if required. It won't happen overnight, a long term committed plan is required.
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
Also need to make sure that publicity prominently displays female riders and female ride leaders. No need for full names, but saying a ride will be led by 'Liz T', for example, is a nice indicator for female newcomers.
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
I'll ask them if they have a policy on promoting female involvement.
A lot of cycling clubs are probably managed predominantly or entirely by men, and some have probably not even spotted that there is a problem. Maybe British Cycling should make it a condition of affiliation that clubs should have a policy and plan to improve female participation.
I haven't heard these criticisms before. Who is making them?
classic33
Leg End Member
Serious logistics question. If women ride the same distance as the men's cycling race, won't the pee stops be a bit tricky? It's not like ladies can just turn their backs and whip it out.
http://www.wheelsuckers.co.uk/page/toilet-stops
There's ways round that.
totallyfixed
Veteran
- Location
- The only county without a McDonalds
I completely understand where everyone is coming from having been around women's cycling [the term is women not ladies unless men become gentlemen, highly unlikely] for a long time. Sensibilities are easily bruised when discussing gender participation, stereotyping is rife, more often from men but sometimes from women too.
What you ride, how you ride, what clothes you ride in [with the one exception of wearing the world championship rainbow jersey] should not be a subject that attracts criticism yet it frequently does on CC [I have been guilty of this in the past when referring to sportive riders].
Who a woman wants to ride with is obviously an individual choice, if they would rather ride with other women, perhaps because their experiences of riding with men has not been a happy one, is of course up to them. There are clubs that cater for all abilities but not as many as I would like to see, Cambridge CC is one such, everything from a potter [I have seen folk turn up on sit up with baskets on the front] to race training and women and men ride together in all 5 groups. The turn out ranges from about 80 to 120 on a Sunday morning, I reckon they are doing something right.
I personally prefer riding with women, they are usually always comfortable with the level they are riding at with nothing to prove. A high percentage of men however think every hill is to be raced in order to prove they are somehow top dog, which incidentally they are almost always not.
Personally I/we would like to see more women riding bikes, it is a frequent discussion in this house as those of you who know us will appreciate. The reasons why there are not more are many and varied, not least is culture and to a slightly lesser extent, intimidation, though this applies to some men too. Numbers are rising and hopefully in the future a tipping point will be reached [also for cycling in general in relation to the number of car drivers who also ride a bike] where any woman will feel comfortable on a bike at what ever level they are at.
Everyone has to start somewhere, not something everyone seems to remember.
What you ride, how you ride, what clothes you ride in [with the one exception of wearing the world championship rainbow jersey] should not be a subject that attracts criticism yet it frequently does on CC [I have been guilty of this in the past when referring to sportive riders].
Who a woman wants to ride with is obviously an individual choice, if they would rather ride with other women, perhaps because their experiences of riding with men has not been a happy one, is of course up to them. There are clubs that cater for all abilities but not as many as I would like to see, Cambridge CC is one such, everything from a potter [I have seen folk turn up on sit up with baskets on the front] to race training and women and men ride together in all 5 groups. The turn out ranges from about 80 to 120 on a Sunday morning, I reckon they are doing something right.
I personally prefer riding with women, they are usually always comfortable with the level they are riding at with nothing to prove. A high percentage of men however think every hill is to be raced in order to prove they are somehow top dog, which incidentally they are almost always not.
Personally I/we would like to see more women riding bikes, it is a frequent discussion in this house as those of you who know us will appreciate. The reasons why there are not more are many and varied, not least is culture and to a slightly lesser extent, intimidation, though this applies to some men too. Numbers are rising and hopefully in the future a tipping point will be reached [also for cycling in general in relation to the number of car drivers who also ride a bike] where any woman will feel comfortable on a bike at what ever level they are at.
Everyone has to start somewhere, not something everyone seems to remember.
jefmcg
Guru
Um, you called me a sexist prig before I addressed anything to you.
Most surveys are crap. I'd need a good reason to think this one wasn't. I don't really see the value of a survey over my experience. You seem to think it's better than the experience (aka anecdotes) of women here,
jefmcg
Guru
I do keep seeing the idea that women don't cycle because they think it's dangerous. Maybe that's not it. Maybe it's because they know it's dangerous. I'd say there are maybe 25% women cyclists in London, yet they are dying at a rate of 5:2. If cycling is 10 times as dangerous for woman as for men, maybe not cycling is a sensible, life saving decision.
They are really frightening stats @jefmcg Do you have any insight or links to why this is the case. I must admit I would be wary of cycling in real built up areas, at least until i was more confident, I would definitely look to use off road cycle ways. Around the quite roads of north wales I am quite happy to stand my ground on the roads. Today I made a white van man wait behind me on a single track lane, uphill, until I got to a gate way. Fair play to the driver, he could see I peddled quicker and was very patient
