Hey Runnergirl,
Interesting thread, I can see why you stirred the pot.

For the racers:
1) Why did you descide to start racing? Lots of reasons. I've only been mtb since May of this year. I did my first 4 x 12 race at the end of July. One reason was a personal goal - I need a goal to motivate me. Second was I was told I shouldn't even ride let alone race because of my thyroid. Guess I don't like being told what I can/cannot do And finally, I had just broken up with my bf and I had told him I'd ride on a team with his 13 yo son. I wasn't not gonna ride because we weren't going out, I just got a new team.

2) What kind of local support do you have(ie team)? I joined a local bike club and (can't believe I'm admitting this) I hopped on match.com and found some male bikers in this area to ride with. It's hard to find female mtb's.

3) How much of your group riding is with men, do you have female teammates? Group riding is with the club which is actually about 50/50.

4) Did you play agressive sports in HS/college? Oh yeah...

5) What do you see as the main obstacles to women racing? Knowing that it's out there and how to get started. A huge obstacle in training for me is that I'm a single mom to a 3 yo and I'm new to the area. I can't afford $60+ a month for babysitting one night a week because I only get my little guy during the week. I will only give up so much time with him so I can ride. I do have a trailer for him but he doesn't always want to ride and I will only take the trailer on the road. There are no trails within biking distace to me, I have to drive. I don't have a bike carrier either, so cost is also an issue. I've spent over $1000 this summer on a bike, clothes, assessories, trail passes, race fees, trailer and baby sitting. I also think it's a little intimidating to get into the sport. It is male dominated and they treat you like you know what you're doing or are at a level beyond where you are. I think that was a big source of my nervousness and frustration in the beginning. If you can start out making it fun and challanging, I think you stand a better chance of getting women into in and retaining them - wether they choose to race or not. You have to get them riding first, right?

Hope that helps.