some questions for a school project on women who bike

[tulip]

where do you live?: Richmond, Virginia

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): recreational club rides and utility. I don't commute because I work from home, but I would commute by bike if I worked in an office. I used to commute for 5 years.

how long have you been riding a bike in the way that you do now? 25 years recreational riding. I also raced for 4 years and commuted for 5 years.

did you pick it up again after years of not riding?: I never really gave it up.

what type of bike(s) do you have?: I have a road bike that I use for long rides, a folding bike for traveling and long rides, a flat-bar road bike that I use for errands and urban riding, and an old mountain bike that needs repair and rejeuvenation.

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: When I lived in DC, yes. Here I see mainly women on bikes around the university.

do you notice more focus on females who bike in the media recently?: Pictures, yes. Stories, no.

do you think there are female specific concerns in cycling? Yes

what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety): Equipment and bike, clothing. Safety I see as the same for all riders--mainly safety in regards to car traffic.

general comments and ideas: I see riding bikes as an important part of transportation. I strive to promote my own cycling as transportation, not just recreation.