Women's Cycling magazine

[circlegirl]

I'd beg to differ on the "only a thousand or so" bit.... we have 80 -90 women just on our team in any given year.

There are actually ONLY 5417 registered females with USA Cycling (our national governing body). In actuality only about 35% percent of those registered ever race. The number of women who are registered as UCI Elite cyclists in the US is only about 100. USA cycling covers all disciplines of cycling.

Most of the women are grouped together in several states: WA, CA, TX, AZ being some of the largest.

[Resi]

There are actually ONLY 5417 registered females with USA Cycling (our national governing body). In actuality only about 35% percent of those registered ever race. The number of women who are registered as UCI Elite cyclists in the US is only about 100. USA cycling covers all disciplines of cycling.

Most of the women are grouped together in several states: WA, CA, TX, AZ being some of the largest.

Thats well explained. I know some women which registered, but they don't race...so why pushing up the statistics and waist money... I don't understand that...

[circlegirl]

I think a lot of riders do it to support USA cycling.

And some riders race ITT's (time trials) but never do mass start races. There is a bit of crossover from the triathlon crowd.

Even for the few years I didn't race I always kept my license current...just in case.

[smurfalicious]

There are actually ONLY 5417 registered females with USA Cycling (our national governing body). In actuality only about 35% percent of those registered ever race. The number of women who are registered as UCI Elite cyclists in the US is only about 100. USA cycling covers all disciplines of cycling.

Okay so 5417 x .35 carry the two and cross multiply by the weight of their bikes and that gives us over 1800. Your original statement was only 1000. Keep in mind not every race is USA cycling sanctioned. In Colorado our governing body is the ACA. In my SW4 field this morning there were 35 of us. That's 3.5% percent of the ONLY 1000 women who race in my class alone this morning.

Of course this is Colorado, and Boulder no less so maybe that number is skewed, but I doubt it. I think there is a reader base out there, it's just a matter of getting it into their hands. I think they'll do themselves a huge favor following VeloNews' format and keeping race results online and doing the monthly mag.

[Eden]

Not only do I think the numbers are a bit underestimated - I still think its *moot* - unless you really believe that only women and only those who participate in racing would ever be at all interested....

(oh - and btw some states, at very least Oregon, don't use the USCF, they have their own governing body, so they are not counted in the USCF stats unless they intend to race outside of Oregon and cannot buy a one day license and have thus purchased a USCF license)

[circlegirl]

I am not quite sure how this thread got off on the numbers tangent...1000, 1800, USCF, OBRA, ACA...who cares?!? The point is that the sport is small even from the male side in the US compared to Europe, and Oceania for example.

Cycling has a very small following compared to say, NFL. Yes, over 500,000 watched the Amgen Tour, but that was over the course of a week. Millions watch a single NFL game.

Yes, 80-100 women start races here in the bigger fields, but in Europe, for example, you can race a 200 female start, or several in a weekend that are actually within riding distance of each other. That is what our National Team is doing right now:-)

Cycling has a very elitist aura. Especially in pro competitive road cycling and even more so in track cycling. Prima donnas abound-I know, I see them everyday on the track.

In order to bring competitive cycling to the forefront, cycling itself needs to be recognized as a lifestyle, be it from a commuter's pov, a RAAM rider's pov, or someone who rides charity rides.

I fully support any effort to do so :-)