some questions for a school project on women who bike

[Di bear]

where do you live?: Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): all three

how long have you been riding a bike in the way that you do now? 3
did you pick it up again after years of not riding?: yes, but I never rode like this before

what type of bike(s) do you have?: 2 mountain bikes - both Trek Fuel EXs, one is a 2005 EX7, the other is a 2008 EX8; I also have a Kona Jake the Snake Cyclocross bike

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: I think I'm one of those "more females on bikes in recent years"

do you notice more focus on females who bike in the media recently?: Yes. Trek has a whole campaign/line geared towards WSD (women's specific design)

do you think there are female specific concerns in cycling? absolutely
what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety):
many women need a WSD bike (different geometry), different saddles, and clothes. Clothes fit women so differently than men, so it's important to find clothes that fit a curvier body without riding up.

I race. I love it. I wasn't going to race because mountain biking was my way of simply enjoying life without pressure. However, I am very competitive person who also easily stresses. I like to ride very aggressively, and it makes me very happy and relaxes me. Cycling has made a huge, positive difference in my life.

[Midmichigangal]

where do you live?: MidMichigan
how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): Leisure
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 started riding last year after not riding since I was teen.
what type of bike(s) do you have?: I have a Diamondback Comfort bike
do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?:
do you notice more focus on females who bike in the media recently?:
do you think there are female specific concerns in cycling? what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety):
general comments and ideas:

[makbike]

where do you live?: Kentucky (between Louisville and Frankfort)

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): commute, leisure, fitness, club rides

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?: four years; yes I returned to cycling after a 15 year absence

what type of bike(s) do you have?: Univega Grand Tursimo (a touring bike purchased in 1985) and a Lemond Buenos Aires WSD (road bike purchased in Nov. 2007)

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: no

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): equipment, clothing, acceptance into male dominated groups

[7rider]

Okay...in the interest of research:

where do you live?: Metro-D.C. area

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): Commuting and leisure/fitness

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 started riding about 13 years ago after not riding since I was a kid. I've generally been riding the same - fitness rides - although in the past 4 years I've increased the mileage and added a more utilitarian function to my riding since commuting.

what type of bike(s) do you have?: I have five bikes. Two standard road bikes (one custom), a flat bar road bike for commuting, a dual suspension mountain bike, and a cruiser.

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: Actually, yes. Not so much on the rides I do with my shop, but "out there" 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): Certainly safety is a big one. I think safety on a bike is a concern for everyone in a car-centered society, but women have an added risk that I think men don't really think about. Readily availabile apparel is an issue...I don't know if I'd call it a "concern" however.

general comments and ideas:

[Bad JuJu]

OK, I'll play.

where do you live?: Northwest Florida

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): fitness/leisure

how long have you been riding a bike in the way that you do now? I began adult cycling in the early 90s, stopped for a while due to a back injury, then picked it up again around the turn of the millennium.

did you pick it up again after years of not riding?: See above.

what type of bike(s) do you have?: A touring bike which I've fitted with flat bars for off-road riding and a dedicated road bike.

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: Yes, but that may be because I'm now riding with a club that has lots of women in it.

do you notice more focus on females who bike in the media recently?: Only when one of us gets injured or killed.

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

what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety): Finding someone who can/will take the time to fit you properly.
Finding an LBS that will take a not-very-fit-looking, middle-aged woman cyclist seriously. It's getting better, but it's still true that in some shops, this kind of woman has to practically slit her wrists to get someone's attention.

general comments and ideas: We need to constantly talk to our legislators about getting on board with laws related to safe cycling. It's an activity that can take us anywhere, and that we can continue to enjoy as we get older, but we have to have safe roads to travel on.

[rij73]

where do you live?: Brooklyn, NY
how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): for fitness
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?: 1 year. Before that, hadn't ridden for years (since high school)
what type of bike(s) do you have?: a carbon-fiber racing road bike
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? what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety): appropriately sized equipment, respect (or lack thereof) from male cyclists and bike shop employees

[Aggie_Ama]

where do you live?: NW of Austin, TX

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive): just started commuting, mostly leisure/fitness

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?: 4 years, I had a walmart special in college I would ride every once in a while but really got into cycling a year after I graduated. Before that I hadn't rode a bike since I biked to school in elementary school.

what type of bike(s) do you have?: a carbon fiber road bike (race style) and a hardtail mountain bike

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: I have seen a lot this spring, but we have the Danskin Tri coming up so maybe they have just amped up training.

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): Finding a selection of appropriate bikes, finding someone at a shop that understands women's needs (I am lucky my shop is about 30% women staffed), clothing options and definitely safety. I think the safety is for all cyclists, we hear a lot of negativity from non-cyclists on blogs, media and to our faces on the road. I am personally more intimidated by this than my husband but it may not be a woman vs. man thing.

general comments and ideas:

[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.

[samisslick]

where do you live?: Concord, MA

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive):fitness, leisure, group rides, touring, a little commuting and errands

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 been riding almost eight years. First, it was just fitness, then I did some bike tours. The commuting and errands have been in the last 3 years. I rode a bit in grad school and when I was in my thirties; I considered 10 miles a long ride then! I rode a lot as a kid.

what type of bike(s) do you have?: I have a carbon road bike, a steel hybrid, and a full suspension mountain bike

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?:maybe a little, particularly in the local press

do you think there are female specific concerns in cycling? what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety): Keep making more women specific bikes and components. More choice for smaller women. More clothing for a wide variety of sizes. Help with mechanics.

general comments and ideas: What kind of class is this for?

hey, sorry for the late response. it's for a feminist action class.

[samisslick]

are you a male or female? Are you in high school or college as you said it was a school project? (just wondering) and Good luck on your project[/B]

hi, I'm a female (Samantha, I guess Sam is ambiguous) and I'm in college, at The New School in NY. I should have given myself an introduction before asking questions of you guys!

Thank you so much for your responses. I haven't finished the responses yet but it's nice to get a broader view of women who bike across the country.

[ehirsch83]

where do you live?:Ft.Lauderdale,Fl

how would you classify your riding (commuting, leisure, competitive):Competetive with some commuting sprinkled in.

how long have you been riding a bike in the way that you do now? about a year, but have been riding consistantly for 2 and a half years(started for fitness, this is my first serious year racing, got interested in racing last year but was not training specifically to race)

did you pick it up again after years of not riding?:umm rode for fun when I was younger, broke my collarbone on a bike when I was 13(got hit while on vacation) and I swore I would never ride again!! Yet now I can't imagine not having a bike in my life.
what type of bike(s) do you have?: I have a Specialized Tarmac Expert road bike and am in the process of figuring out which track bike to buy once I get my tax money back:-)
do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?:Yes I do! I work at an LBS and have noticed a signifigant increase in women who are cycling for fitness, many have come from spinning classes. We also have a beginners group ride every week and the amount of women on it is slowly increasing.
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):I feel that there isn't really, except for equality in racing as Andrea has already discussed.
general comments and ideas:

[SalsaMTB]

where do you live?: Suburb of Detroit, MI

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?: Racing for 2 years. Riding for 5 yrs.

what type of bike(s) do you have?: Voodoo rigid mountain bike for racing, Quiring hardtail mountain bike for training, BMC FS mountain bike for fun, BMC road bike for training/commuting, KHS Cyclocross bike for training/commuting.

do you notice more females on bikes in recent years than before?: No

do you notice more focus on females who bike in the media recently?: Maybe a little. More female oriented designs and such.

do you think there are female specific concerns in cycling? what would they be? (buying appropriate bike/equipment, stigma, safety): Not really. For really small females (not me, I'm 5'8) frame size could be a concern, but I would assume really tall men have a similar problem. Apparel selection isn't great at most LBS for men and women, women's selection is always smaller but we're a significantly smaller segment. My main concern is the lack of female cyclists in general. I like to race, and it's just disappointing to show up to a race and have only one girl to race against.

general comments and ideas: