What would you like to know?

[shootingstar]

Well maybe Seattle or further inland abit as a convergence point..

I looked over my data and realized I hadn't updated my thinking.. it's returning to cycling at 32 yrs. and cycling for nearly past 17 yrs.

For all my years of cycling so far in 2 major Canadian cities where I've lived (toronto & Vancouver), only about 2% of my mileage, has been cycling with groups of 3-15+ cyclists. Otherwise, around 60% of my mileage I cycle with my partner and rest of the time, I simply do it solo...for hrs. Some years I was cycling solo 100% when my partner was living for 2 yrs. in another city.

It would have been great to cycle occasionally with another woman who lived within cyclable distance to meet up and ride together. I am not sure I would have always wanted to be locked in to a meet time for a regular group ride...for certain not right now, my personal schedule is very limited.

Knowing a network of women cyclists locally would be helpful. Right now, what does keep me on bike, even though it does feel solitary at times, is to remain healthy,, save money and...because we don't have a car.

When we had our info. table at an annual bike trade show that drew 10,000 people, it was abit strange where some women just treated us /our group like lepers when we tried to provide them merely info. These women were with their male friends/spouses.

Honest, some women have insecurity issues that they don't want to associate at all with an all-female cycling group.

To reach teenage girls, the focus should not be on competition nor racing for the majority of girls at that stage. Instead more focus on cycling competency, endurance and confidence to take on long routes, busy traffic ...while also having fun. When there is clear evidence that many teenage girls (to me) look heavier than teenage girls were 30 years ago, cycling certainly can become sellable option as healthy fun thing to do ...if the girl doesn't feel safe or too exposed to be jogging solo. At that age, I would tend to build in some social time for teenage girls during a ride/workshop(s).

I was an awkward, brainy nerd in high school and for certain, suggestions of racing/competition would have intimidated me from cycling. thank god at that time, I was still cycling in cemeteries where I felt safe from roaring traffic But then I was wierd and abit of a loner who did my own thing.

[Eden]

To reach teenage girls, the focus should not be on competition nor racing for the majority of girls at that stage. Instead more focus on cycling competency, endurance and confidence to take on long routes, busy traffic ...while also having fun. When there is clear evidence that many teenage girls (to me) look heavier than teenage girls were 30 years ago, cycling certainly can become sellable option as healthy fun thing to do ...if the girl doesn't feel safe or too exposed to be jogging solo. At that age, I would tend to build in some social time for teenage girls during a ride/workshop(s).

I was an awkward, brainy nerd in high school and for certain, suggestions of racing/competition would have intimidated me from cycling. thank god at that time, I was still cycling in cemeteries where I felt safe from roaring traffic But then I was wierd and abit of a loner who did my own thing.

I don't necessarily agree with this. While not every girl wants to be on a competitive sporting team I think that girls should absolutely be encouraged to get involved in competitive cycling. I would never have dreamed of trying to join the basketball team or the volleyball team when I was in high school. I definitely was about as opposite as possible from being a high school jock, I was a pretty poor swimmer and too small to be useful at any ball sports, but I was an avid cyclist and I probably would have jumped at the chance to join a cycling team. Unlike ball sports its something that is easy to continue into adult hood, competitively or not.

I was a pretty akward brainy nerd too - but I felt very much at home out on the road and used to do 70 mile solo rides when I was 14 (which probably only served to mark me more out....). I can respect that competition isn't for everyone, but I also think that it's not a reason to not encourage girls to do it. There are track and cross country teams and that doesn't discourage girls from jogging for fitness.