Cycling with young children

[OakLeaf]

Really good discussion springing out of the Women's Cycling Forum at the summit this week. Be sure to read the comments.

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2012/03/21...he-street-men/

[PamNY]

Interesting discussion about cycling with children -- not something I know much about. I do see a lot of people with children on Extracycles or in cargo bikes, but they are mostly on the greenway.

I honestly do not understand why bike shops and bike repairs are supposedly such a huge problem for women. How is repairing my bike different from repairing a man's bike?

[OakLeaf]

Maybe women are just more sensitive to condescension, but I don't think so. I think we're the object of it on account of being women, in addition to whatever other reasons shops may mistreat their customers.

[Owlie]

Maybe women are just more sensitive to condescension, but I don't think so. I think we're the object of it on account of being women, in addition to whatever other reasons shops may mistreat their customers.

Agreed. One of the shop guys was surprised that I changed my own tire. I somehow doubt that he'd have been impressed if it were my boyfriend who came in and asked for a top-up.

[PamNY]

Agreed. One of the shop guys was surprised that I changed my own tire. I somehow doubt that he'd have been impressed if it were my boyfriend who came in and asked for a top-up.

That could happen in any number of stores. What I have trouble accepting is that women let this kind of thing stop them cycling. Are people seriously that controlled by retailers?

If someone is rude or thoughtless at the hardware store, I don't abandon my home improvement project.

[Antaresia]

That could happen in any number of stores. What I have trouble accepting is that women let this kind of thing stop them cycling. Are people seriously that controlled by retailers?

If someone is rude or thoughtless at the hardware store, I don't abandon my home improvement project.

I think the problem is that if you hear it enough, it's easy to believe. And it isn't just the bike-shop guys. My god some of the "why women don't bike" threads in other forms are depressing. One guy said something like "all the women I know would be psychologically and physically destroyed by aggressive car encounters" gahhhhhhh I can just imagine some little girl having him as a role model.