Lack of women on most sportives...

Ron Stuart

This thread reminds me of our spin studio at the gym.
The women with their nice attractive gym kit and hair done nice are at the back up against the walls, they are usually first there well before the class starts placing their towels/bottles on the spin bikes reserving the bike (so no one can see them from behind), then they go back to the changing rooms to check the lipstick etc! They even like to have the blinds drawn across the studio windows so no one can see them from the car park :shock:

On a more serious note the organizers of some of the events that I have done could do much more about some of the toilet facilities that our ladies and we guys have to contend with. Not fun for ladies who like to wear bib longs/shorts, quite often the blokes get fed up waiting for their queue to progress and jump in the ladies if vacant.

I have done lots of cycling in Italy and women are treated as equals. I have done the Nove Colli 4 times and the top women have guys in their teams as domestiques to ride on the front on the flatter sections. By the way the guys are paid
:!:

velocestrapture

Of course one answer to this question is the deeper-seated issue that girls are generally not given as much encouragement as boys to be sporty, particularly in relation to sports which require a high amount of exertion. Girls also receive less encouragement to do well in individual sports as opposed to team sports (cycling only really being a team sport at elite level).

Also, cycling is a time consuming sport, even compared to running. As women still do the majority of housework and childcare, there must be a disincentive for many women to spend hours at the weekends or in the evenings putting in the necessary training if they don't have a partner who is prepared to do their fair share of household duties to free up her time and energy.

hulla the hulla

There were plenty at Gridiron on Sunday in the New Forest, probably the highest % I've seen all year

MaxwellBygraves

I think it's critically important to get more women out in sportives etc, if only to see more in lycra shorts.

Ron Stuart

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

I think it's critically important to get more women out in sportives etc, if only to see more in lycra shorts.

There's the old saying "if you haven't got something worth while to say then don't say it" what a perfect example :roll:

Cleat Eastwood

Ron Stuart wrote:

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

I think it's critically important to get more women out in sportives etc, if only to see more in lycra shorts.

There's the old saying "if you haven't got something worth while to say then don't say it" what a perfect example :roll:

There's the old saying "if you haven't got something worth while to say then don't say it" what a perfect example

This could go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on Ron

msmancunia

mrushton wrote:

Unfortunately, bike shops are often staffed entirely by men and that's who their customers are. Bike Doctor in Rusholme is good and Edinburgh Bike have some female staff I think. Audax are good but you do often need to be self-sufficient. My partner cut her cycling teeth on these and got v.good at them. She actually enjoys riding with men but then she can match most of them in ability. Sportives are just a sexed-up less arduous more expensive audax.

Salford Quays? All that money and not the most bike friendly place I've come across.

Thanks for the tips - v useful! Have heard good things about Bike Doctor too. Found a shop in Whitefield which was v down to earth and friendly (and I think part owned by a woman?), so they got my business in the end. Salford Quays is getting more bike friendly - well, at least at the MediaCity side. Loads of bike racks, and my employer has a lock up, showers and lockers, so really helpful for my commute.

Cleat Eastwood

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

I think it's critically important to get more women out in sportives etc, if only to see more in lycra shorts.

Too right. And the women should have to start first so you have to up your speed if you want to get a good eyeful of some fit T&A.

Ron Stuart

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

Ron Stuart wrote:

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

I think it's critically important to get more women out in sportives etc, if only to see more in lycra shorts.

There's the old saying "if you haven't got something worth while to say then don't say it" what a perfect example :roll:

There's the old saying "if you haven't got something worth while to say then don't say it" what a perfect example

This could go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on Ron

.

What a way....anchor :shock:

mrushton

[Thanks for the tips - v useful! Have heard good things about Bike Doctor too. Found a shop in Whitefield which was v down to earth and friendly (and I think part owned by a woman?), so they got my business in the end. Salford Quays is getting more bike friendly - well, at least at the MediaCity side. Loads of bike racks, and my employer has a lock up, showers and lockers, so really helpful for my commute.[/quote]

That will Cooksons which is indeed partly owned by a woman. Bike Doctor just care about the service and helping the customer irrespective of your riding ability. MCUK is where my employer (Salford Uni) has a base but not much evidence of changing facilities I'm afraid.

As already said. Many women are time challenged more than men in respect of families etc so they cant/dont want to be out all day. The ones who do are generally single or have a partner who is involved in sport and understands

Muffintop

then they go back to the changing rooms to check the lipstick etc!

How do you know they're checking their lipstick?

heatonrider

there is a facebook group for women interested in linking up with other women in the northwest -search for 100 / 100 Glow

MaxwellBygraves

Ron Stuart wrote:

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

I think it's critically important to get more women out in sportives etc, if only to see more in lycra shorts.

There's the old saying "if you haven't got something worth while to say then don't say it" what a perfect example :roll:

Looks like we're gonna have to bin 99% of BR then...

3Shires

There were 3 lady riders out of 185 starters at our Macc Monster event, despite the truly palatial toilet facilties at the start/finish and at the 4* hotel we used for the feedstation. The route was challenging, nothing too steep but pretty hilly terrain, and not too long at 65 miles.

From another perspective, I run a busy bike shop in Cheshire, specializing in bike fitting. We ran a local advertising campaign to promote ladies specific bike fitting in the store with great success. Some weeks, we were fitting as many ladies as men and not just at the cheaper end of the market, the ladies want as good kit as the men.

We plan to make our next event, the PEAK100 in April 12, slightly easier to appeal to a wider section of the market ie ladies. Tell us what you want!!

velocestrapture

Do you publish your results by gender? Of course it is satisfying as a woman to see how many men you have beaten, but it isn't really an even competition so it is nice to know how you shape up against a direct comparator.

rodgers73

Ladies?? Women, surely...

DaveMoss

rodgers73 wrote:

Ladies?? Women, surely...

2That's no Lady..............she's a cyclist :shock:

wander wheels

hula the hula - I also did the Grid Iron 840 people took part and yes there was plenty of us females doing this. It's a CTC event which normally attracts more female cyclists of all ages and abilities. It's always a great friendly event to do and the stops are at village halls with free tea/coffee and toilets.http://www.wessexctc.org/grdetail.htm

PocketRocket42

SRS EVENTS use village halls for their events so their is always toilets for the ladies on thier rides http://srs-events.cc