some questions for a school project on women who bike

[Andrea]

where do you live?: Germantown, TN (just outside of Memphis

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): Mostly competitive, with a sprinkling of the other two

how long have you been riding a bike in the way that you do now? About a year and ten months. Last summer was my first race season, and I'm officially addicted

did you pick it up again after years of not riding?: nope

what type of bike(s) do you have?: Blue Rc7 Road bike (Blue is the manufacturer, not the color!). I also have a homegrown hybrid that I use for commuting. It used to me a Univega mountain bike.

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: I haven't been riding long enough to know!

do you notice more focus on females who bike in the media recently?: No! There needs to be much, much more. A lot of cycling-related publications even seem to ignore women's cycling.

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

what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety): From a competitive cyclist's standpoint, the inequalities that exist between availability of big-ticket races like Tour of California and Tour of Georgia (we've got a few, but nothing like the men do), as well as disparities in prize money payouts, and, once again, lack of media coverage. All of these things are like a slap in the face to the women who train and race just as hard as the men at the same level

As far as equipment goes, there are some companies doing great things with women-specific frame designs and other equipment.

I think that (once again, from a competitive standpoint) there is a stigma that women's racing isn't as competitive. I even had someone at my last race tell me that normally watching a women's race is like "watching paint dry," but our race had *actually* been exciting to watch.

general comments and ideas:
Nah, I think I covered it all

[SheFly]

where do you live?: Suburban Boston

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): Lots of racing, but I also do for the love of the ride, and as my main social activity. All of the activities at our house revolve around cycling.

how long have you been riding a bike in the way that you do now? About 11 years.

did you pick it up again after years of not riding?: nope

what type of bike(s) do you have?: UGH - too many bikes... Specialized StumpJumper (about to be replaced with a Marathon) MTB; SS MTB; 2 Specialized Cyclocross bikes; a Flyte cyclocross bike built up as my winter ride; a Mongoose Titanium road bike for training; a Kestrel Carbon road bike for racing; a Cannondale Ironman for time trials; and two Cannondale tandems - one for road riding and one specifically for time trials.

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: yes

do you notice more focus on females who bike in the media recently?: no

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

what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety):
I agree with Andrea here. In racing, the disparity between men's and women's fields is incredible. Payouts are less, and options are fewer. In many cases here, beginning racers are forced to race in the same fields as P/1/2/3 racers, causing frustration for everyone. We have a race promoter in the area who balks at putting on a women's race, and when he does, doesn't provide the same level of support as the men's races...and tells us that we ride too slow (although our average is often over 20 mph on hilly courses).

For equipment - I don't buy into the whol WSD thing except as a marketing ploy, but I am bigger than a lot of women (5'10", and fit better on men's frames). I do agree with some others, however, that having some better selection available (colors, etc) WITHOUT sacrificing quality and performance would be ideal.

I think that (once again, from a competitive standpoint) there is a stigma that women's racing isn't as competitive. I even had someone at my last race tell me that normally watching a women's race is like "watching paint dry," but our race had *actually* been exciting to watch.

And an AMEN to that!

SheFly

[Andrea]

^ Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention how often they make all the women's categories race together! Sure, there may not be as as many women racing,, and in some races, they'll give bonuses to the top cat 4 women, but it's very common for a beginner in her first race to be lined up to race against seasoned butt-kickers. Not fair at all for the less experienced women!

[carback]

where do you live?: British Columbia, Canada

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): all of these.

how long have you been riding a bike in the way that you do now? did you pick it up again after years of not riding?: I've always ridden but took it up more seriously / started racing (at a recreational level) 6 years ago.


what type of bike(s) do you have?: Trek road bike, Vitali touring bike, Gary Fisher FS mountain bike, Gary Fisher hardtail commuter bike.

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: not necessarily but more people in general.

do you notice more focus on females who bike in the media recently?: No.

do you think there are female specific concerns in cycling? what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety): bike size and fit. As a particularly petite rider (4'11") with very small hands, I have a heck of a time finding bikes that fit and finding shops that are willing to spend the time helping me out. Have always had to order the bike on spec, hoping it fits - never have a floor model in my size to try out. I've lucked out, thankfully. Again, being treated appropriately at a bike shop by the usually all-male staff. When I find an LBS that treats me right, I'm 100% loyal. The same goes for an LBS that ignores me.


general comments and ideas: Good luck with your project.