Why is MTBing so male-dominated?

climbingpixie

I've posted this in this forum rather than the women's forum as I'm interested in the opinions of men and women...

I've only been biking for a couple of months but I've been really surprised by how few women seem to participate. I did ju jitsu for years and am still an active climber and caver, all sports with a tradition of low female participation, but MTBing seems particularly male-dominated. Why is this? It's such a great sport for women as focus, balance and fitness are more important than strength or weight yet I hardly ever see other women out on the trails (both built and natural) and I think I've yet to see another woman out riding on her own.

Any thoughts?

nicklouse

climbingpixie
stereotypes it was not the done thing for a young lady.

but thank F it is changing.

Out here in Sweden it is growing very fast and the girls are getting fast (DH racing)

on here i would say we get a few new ladies posting each week but they do not seem to be as active on the forums as the boys are.

but more are starting and there are more female specific stores out there on the interwebs and i think the designers are finally actually listening to what you want. kit that fits and does what it should rather than having flowers on it and being pink.

tubaonwheels

.There are a few about (around Leeds way too ) but yes pix you have a point. Maybe its the mechanical side of things? I'm a bit of a girly myself when it comes to fixing my bike :oops:

bamba

Dont think its just MTBing, any fast pace, adrenaline fueled sports tend to me male dominated,
most blokes need that extra adrenaline rush out of life.How good does it feel to have that near death expirance and come out of it good,
Its some thing that dates back to cave man times, chasing animals , nearly being eaten, and then catching it for food.

Stevo_666

Maybe the idea of getting mucky and picking up scratches and bruises doesn't appeal? There seem to be a fair few more female roadies and that sort of problem doesn't happen as much on the road.

Just as important is how to get more girlies into MTB'ing

butcher of bakersfield

Because they're all at home doing the housework.

Seriously though, before anyone lays into me...I think there might be some truth in that. As above - going out and getting muddy, bruised, and pumping egos has never been a girly tradition. All the way back to slaying mammoths. Women have their own instinctual habits. I know half the time, my missus would rather be picking new curtains. The exact psychological process behind that, I don't know. I just know I rather wouldn't be picking curtains.

And I guess the fact that's it's generally marketed towards guys is related to the above - thus a continuing circular trend.

Don't get me wrong, it's great to see. But in my experience, women are rarely obsessive hobbyists. Boys and their toys, n all that.

wobbem

Its because all the roadies walk around with shaved legs and lycra :shock:

Bling Bling

And I guess the fact that's it's generally marketed towards guys is related to the above - thus a continuing circular trend.

I second that. I think it is changing though.

I tried answering this thread last night but kept deleting as I couldn't really figure it out myself. I think it is a combination of factors. The mechanical side would be very off-putting, also there is the fear of being judged for not being good to begin with or not having a "serious" enough bike, and the simple fact that your female mates aren't doing it already. I think for the most part it does take someone else introducing you to the sport.

In terms of the difference between being interested in mountain biking and picking curtains - I have never had so much fun shopping and browsing for pretty things as when I got into mtbing.

.blitz

Girls just can't do it.

Same in F1, MotoGP.

Women - know your limits!

mobilekat

I think many women who like getting muddy and covering country fast are currently riding horses (great adrenaline rush and amazing fun)! I like doing both, and defiantly prefer going up hill on horse back (much easier!)

But from also personal experience the attitude of some blokes at trail centres doesn't help! :shock:

Nearly everyone began somewhere and its quite off putting heading down a trail that is pushing you to your limits and getting yelled at to shift as they are trying to set a new personal speed record!- I know is a pain getting held up, but most people will shift as soon as they can and abuse wont make people get out of your way quicker!

Or you see some poor lass out with her fella- he is on a full suss machine and hammering along, shes got a hybrid and is struggling to keep up- OK this may be a way to discourage your girls from joining in, but my OH and I cycle together and have a bloody good time! He is faster on the tracks, but I beat him hands down on the technical stuff!

So if you want your girls to join you try and find them a bike that can do the job!!- even if you end up spending £20 on hiring one for the day!

cee

i thought female participation in all sports was low compared to men....with a few notable exceptions....

mountain biking is still a minority sport....so minorities within that minority are even more obvious....

others have comented on how few west asian mountain bikers there are...

lots of women ride places like glentress all the time...there was an air maiden contest a few weeks ago...women 'freeride' type stuff...pics and video looked really good...

more women are riding now though..and hopefully more and more....

miss notax

Stevo 666 wrote:

Maybe the idea of getting mucky and picking up scratches and bruises doesn't appeal? There seem to be a fair few more female roadies and that sort of problem doesn't happen as much on the road.

Just as important is how to get more girlies into MTB'ing

I think this is true

It's not the cycling part (think of how many ladies go spinning for example...) it's the getting covered in mud, sweaty, with a high chance of bashing yourself and bleeding!

Men also learn and ride in a different way to women. I have been riding for years and am used to riding with blokes, but sometimes the sheer 'blokeyness' of it gets too much even for me! Ladies tend to be more supportive wheras blokes will all be egging each other on to do the drop / jump or whatever. In my experience girls tend not to like that, so are more likely to be put off or tell their husband / partner / riding buddies to p!ss off :twisted:

I would LOVE to see more ladies participating, but it takes time. I also sail and am involved in motorsport and they are equally male-dominated :?

Less pink and flowers would also help

nicklouse

miss notax wrote:

I also sail and am involved in motorsport

sounds like my idea of heaven and hell at the same time.

Not Sailed for a few years and the Race-car needs it electrics sorted.

Tartanyak

That's a bit different from my riding with blokes. Being a bloke myself...

It usually involves wobbling around, falling off, a lot of sitting down and a surprisingly large amount of cake and conversation about cake. Then some standing at the top of steep things and making noises usually reserved by plumbers being shown a blocked sink.

miss notax

Tartanyak wrote:

That's a bit different from my riding with blokes. Being a bloke myself...

It usually involves wobbling around, falling off, a lot of sitting down and a surprisingly large amount of cake and conversation about cake. Then some standing at the top of steep things and making noises usually reserved by plumbers being shown a blocked sink.

Can I come riding with you instead please???!

Anything that involves cake gets my vote!

Mccraque

My other half comes out. Tis difficult sometimes though. She's happy as larry clocking up the miles, getting muddy etc.

Trouble being that when we go as a group - and I have some competitive mates who want to blast off on the technical stuff...she feels like she is holding people up so more reluctant to come.

I prefer it when she does come though...I don't feel so guilty about being out so long!

Tartanyak

Har! Many moons ago, on a forum ride (CakeFest) from a forum I sha'n't name you should have seen the cake. About 20 of us and most, if not all, brought a home made cake!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Then again, I'm not competitive in the slightest

I also don't like the idea that men mountain bike because the advertising is targetted at them... That assumes the mountain biking blokes are mindless and so incredibly, incredibly pliable. No one else find that disturbing?

I remember riding at a trail centre a while ago. There was a lass with a few men. The men were going slower than us and all got in the way and seemed to be offended at us passing them (which takes a certain measure of slowness on their part, I tell ya) while the woman was pleasant and got out the way, we said 'hi, thank you' and meant it. I don't know what point I have there, but it annoyed me at the time.

Kiblams

Just this weekend the wife turned to me and pointed out two girls/women halfway round FtD that were by themselves, so that just shows how rare it is to see the fairer sex without guys in MTBing.

As Miss Notax has said already, the motivation for men and women in sports seems to be different, while men seem to respond to competing with mates to get better, girls tend to need more gentle encouragement and sympathy.

While the wife is getting alot quicker (and almost always beats me up the hills now) she still lacks the confidence for the more steep techy stuff (Werewolf Drop at Cannock for example) and so we have to stop every-so often. She has improved leaps and bounds over the past 8-odd months and stuff like rock sections which she used to bottle; she doesn't even brake for anymore

I am a strange one, as I really don't respond to competition, and am more than happy to just ride behind her at her pace and make my own fun hitting more technical lines

Oh and a note to the guys wanting to get your OHs into biking, try riding behind her and going at her pace rather than speeding off and then waiting at a clearing before shooting off again I see this so much when at trail centres and the women just look realy miserable

P.S. Sorry for the essay :oops:

Bling Bling

I also don't like the idea that men mountain bike because the advertising is targetted at them... That assumes the mountain biking blokes are mindless and so incredibly, incredibly pliable. No one else find that disturbing?

To spin this idea on its head, as a women it annoys me that mtbing isn't marketed more to women, if it was then more would participate.

But then, I don't think of marketing as some choice-sucking conspiracy. It is simply glossy profile raising

miss notax

Agreed

How about a cover of a female MTBer on a MTB magazine??!!!

And yes, I realise what i'm up against - I work for a sailing magazine and have we ever had a woman helm on the front cover? No :?

meesterbond

My better half actually prefers me to head off and then wait for her at the end of the section rather than think that she's holding me up... each to their own I guess.

Tartanyak

I don't mind advertising itself, I just don't like affecting decisions further than introducing choices you haven't thought of, if you get what I mean?

Advertising for women:
"Mountain biking! It's not just all blokes! The other adverts are stupid!"

I don't see why covering things with flowers would make them more attractive in this case. Doesn't seem to go. Sport, flowers, sport... Meh.

Kiblams

I would actually argue that MTBing adverts are not aimed at guys, I bought MBR to read on my hols and there wasn't a picture of a girl in there, let alone half naked ones on the adverts.

Bling Bling

there wasn't a picture of a girl in there, let alone half naked ones on the adverts.

LMAO - touche!

TheNorthernTrain

miss notax wrote:

Agreed

How about a cover of a female MTBer on a MTB magazine??!!!

And yes, I realise what i'm up against - I work for a sailing magazine and have we ever had a woman helm on the front cover? No :?

I can't remember which magazine it was but there was one with a female biker on. Almost bought it until i realised i had no money!

Emily Batty i think it was - Very nice!

Kiblams

Bling Bling wrote:

there wasn't a picture of a girl in there, let alone half naked ones on the adverts.

LMAO - touche!

I may have said something stupid there...

cee

Kiblams wrote:

I would actually argue that MTBing adverts are not aimed at guys, I bought MBR to read on my hols and there wasn't a picture of a girl in there, let alone half naked ones on the adverts.

you would be surprised at what adverts are aimed at men and those at women...

challenge:

get a male magazine...fhm..esquire whatever...count the number of fit women in adverts, then count the number of topless men in adverts...

do the same for a womens magazine.....

I would be willing to bet 3 dark chocolate hobnobs that there will be more semi naked men in the mens mags, then there are semi naked women....

here is my stake up front...

DVV

Because a lot of people (not just women) think of MTB and cycling in general as a bit 'sad'?

Kiblams

cee wrote:

Kiblams wrote:

I would actually argue that MTBing adverts are not aimed at guys, I bought MBR to read on my hols and there wasn't a picture of a girl in there, let alone half naked ones on the adverts.

you would be surprised at what adverts are aimed at men and those at women...

challenge:

get a male magazine...fhm..esquire whatever...count the number of fit women in adverts, then count the number of topless men in adverts...

do the same for a womens magazine.....

I would be willing to bet 3 dark chocolate hobnobs that there will be more semi naked men in the mens mags, then there are semi naked women....

here is my stake up front...

Are we argueing the same point here? I was saying that there are no naked men or women in the adverts in MTB magazines, therefore the ads are not aimed specifically at men... :shock:

BigJimmyB

climbingpixie wrote:

I've posted this in this forum rather than the women's forum as I'm interested in the opinions of men and women...

I've only been biking for a couple of months but I've been really surprised by how few women seem to participate. I did ju jitsu for years and am still an active climber and caver, all sports with a tradition of low female participation, but MTBing seems particularly male-dominated. Why is this? It's such a great sport for women as focus, balance and fitness are more important than strength or weight yet I hardly ever see other women out on the trails (both built and natural) and I think I've yet to see another woman out riding on her own.

Any thoughts?

I can't really answer your question, but it made me think "Why are there so few men in Step classes at the gym..."

Perhaps there is a commmon answer to both, among many other reasons?

Bling Bling

Most images are aspirational, so it is likely that there will be more images of men in an article aimed at men, and vice-versa.