What would you like to know?

[SheFly]

I second Eden's comment about the promoters!

The other challenge is to teach new women skills, and to maintain contact with them through the season to ensure they have picked those up, and are progressing. Kind of like a mentorship program. One of the things our club realized last year is that learning from an experienced FEMALE racer/rider builds more confidence and self-esteem.

The skills are importatnt though - those squirrelly women who come out to race because their BF or DH is racing are dangerous!

SheFly

[velogirl]

Thanks, Cathy!

Okay, Eden and SheFly are both from very successful women's programs.

How about some of you who would like to have a women's program in your region but there isn't one? Have you wished there was a women's cycling club, race series, or other programs or clinics just for women? Would you like to start a program of your own but don't know where to begin? Have you tried to start a program but couldn't sustain it? What kind of information would be useful to you? What would inspire you to jump in and make something happen?

[smilingcat]

I would like to comment but I 'm out of the scene altogether. I know Helen's Cyclery have a women's squad. so does Paramount Racing down in Orange County and there is South Bay Wheelmen. Oh and Tailwind up in SB area. Maybe you can talk to some of th women there??

Smilingcat

[velogirl]

I guess I'm not good at asking the right question. I'll try again. I'm well-versed in the successful women's programs in the country and I'm not interested in finding out more about them at this point. I was chair of the Yoplait Women's Grassroots Project and in 2003 I compiled some fabulous data from 100+ different clubs and programs in the US. I've got lots of data about good programs.



I'd like to hear from the women who don't have a women's program available. What would you like to know about developing a woman's program?

Or maybe I'll just change my topic to something more exciting like how to color coordinate your bike, kit, and helmet?

[velogirl]

I would like to comment but I 'm out of the scene altogether. I know Helen's Cyclery have a women's squad. so does Paramount Racing down in Orange County and there is South Bay Wheelmen. Oh and Tailwind up in SB area. Maybe you can talk to some of th women there??

Smilingcat

And Smilingcat, you don't appear to be out of the scene. All comers/comments welcome.

[salsabike]

So here's a voice from the 54-year-old, non-racer type rider. I would LOVE to have a women's cycling organization here that offers how-to-ride-better clinics, training, women's rides. I would want to know how such an organization gets started and the history of its development---how it begins, how it's promoted and sustained over time. I am not even vaguely qualified to be the one who starts it, however, and don't honestly know how that would occur. But I would sure support it and be part of it. I have hesitated to post here because I am not sure that's useful enough info for you. Best I can do, though...and thanks for asking.

[velogirl]

SalsaBike, thank you! That's perfect and you're totally qualified to comment. Heck! If someone told me 10 years ago that I would start a women's cycling organization I would've laughed (and then probably lit up another cigarette).

[GLC1968]

The other challenge is to teach new women skills, and to maintain contact with them through the season to ensure they have picked those up, and are progressing. Kind of like a mentorship program. One of the things our club realized last year is that learning from an experienced FEMALE racer/rider builds more confidence and self-esteem.

Ok, how about from me? I'm not a racer, and I've only seen 1 women's race in real life (CAT4 crit - about 20 women raced that day). I'm one of those that would LOVE a women's group in my area for the above reason I quoted from SheFly. I know that I'd love racing. I can be fast, I'm strong, I'm very competitve...but I'm almost 40, generally shy and super intimidated by the crazy male cycling community around me (which is HUGE). If we had a women's group that had a program for riders who wanted to race, I'd be way less intimidated.

I think skills would absolutely help...and not just for racing. Skills for group riding, for general road and moutain riding, for climbing in the mountains an hour from here, etc.

To do that locally, like Salsa, I'd want to know how to start something like that in our local area and how to effectively get the word out. I think it would be also important to know how to keep all levels interested. I see it often here, but we have one women's group ride locally. In the spring, we have a mix of skills...but as the season wears on, only the slowest riders continue to show up for this ride. My guess is that the better riders split off to find their own groups to ride with, but that makes it really hard for a good rider to enjoy the group later in the season. Information on how to effectively keep all levels interested (and informed) would be helpful.

And then, from someone who has NO experience with racing, I'd need to know how do you secure sponsors, how to you drum up interest from non-riders, how to do put an effective 'season' together (scheduling tips) and lastly, probably how to throw/host an event?

Did I ramble on too much?

[velogirl]

GLC, that's perfect! I'm a big rambler. Rambling is highly encouraged.

Thank you!

[velogirl]

GLC made me think of another question.

If you have "something" for women in your area, what are your frustrations?

What would you do differently?

I guess that's two questions.

[snowtulip]

I am another non-racer in the traditional sense. We do have a WOMBATS group here and admitedly I've never done anything with them because of the many negative experiences that people I know have had with them. Apparenlty newbies are ditched on rides and there is a good amount of bashing other riders on the trail. Could all be heresay, but enough to discourage me.

I would love to have an open environment for all levels of rider. I primarily mountain bike ride, but having a group that is open to all types of riding is also great. I think mentorship is a great thing! As well as comraderie for trail maintenance activities, etc. Having the opportunity to share riding with young girls that might not have the opporutnity or are in financial distress and need a bike and role model. How to clinics are great!

We have an adventure race club and I really like that they offer opportunities for training, opportunities for learning or enhaning a skill, and opportunities to provide open feedback on the needs of the members to keep evolving.

[velogirl]

snowtulip! thank you for your great comments.

[salsabike]

Then let me continue the rambling a little. I'm a moderately seriously recreational rider, 2000-3000 miles a year, started up about 4 years ago. Before that I hadn't been on a bike for a million years. I have other friends my age who shyly express interest but have no idea how to use a bike with gears, since when they were kids their bikes didn't have any. I've read notes from what I think was one of your Velogirls basic skills clinics and this would be the perfect thing to offer relatively new riders. In fact, I had to fight off for several days the urge to answer your question with, "I would like to know how we can convince you to move up here."

As far as I know, in this region, there is not much to make the beginning, as in haven't-ridden-since-childhood, female rider feel comfortable. I don't want to debate with anyone about whether they SHOULD feel OK in a mixed ride or clinic. Some of them don't and won't. There's a great untapped riding market here.

Loved the cigarette comment.

[RoadRaven]

I think part of a womens programme could include some clear explaination/teaching around how women's metabolisms are so different to men;
- how the muscle/fat ratio affects us and our power output
- how more muscle means it is easier to burn fat (which is why men find it easier to drop weight than women)
- how women will never develop the same/equivilent muscle mass to men and therefore will never to the same times/speeds at the top level as men

I think from discussions with women, these basic facts about how our bodies respond to exercise are oftne unknown or misunderstood.

I also want to agree with the others - specific training for women
- developing confidence in bike handling
- skills in riding with others (my partner says some of the men he rides with prefer not to ride with women in training rides or racing because they are unpredicatble and cant hold their lines)
- women's only training rides (I will never ride with my partner on his Sunday morning training ride because the guys there just go too fast - 35kph is a moderate pace for them - for me its race pace... I just wouldn't go the distance)

Excellent thing to be asked to do VeloGirl
All the best

[mtbdarby]

Hi Lorri,
Great topic and here's my take on it.

I live "up nort". We have smaller towns that are 30-60 miles apart. There is a cycling group in the larger town but I've struggled with them. Wanna know why? In central WI people are very cliquey. It's HARD to "break into" an existing group. I was the first new member they'd had in many years. So here are some questions I would ask myself:

-how do I hit a female "target" market given the geographical challanges?

- there's only 2 bike shops around and they don't seem to take me seriously as a biker but it does depend on the day. How do you get their support for a program?

- what kind of training programs or rides would be effective for women starting to bike so they aren't intimidated and will stick with it through the seasons?

- knowing you would get a diverse group of abilities how do you do rides together while pushing those that want it and providing social interaction for all? (I highly doubt you would get a lot of people to join at first).

- what types of city/town committees, organizations, etc. would you approach for any help funding, advertising, support etc.?

- how do you start raising funds just to get started?

I have the passion but tend to get bogged down in details like this. If you could put a "How to get a womens cycling group together manual" and make it available to the masses I think it would be a great tool for those of us who don't have the time for the learning curve of getting it going. Of course, that could just be me