TE Forum Age Distribution

[Becky]

Wow, where are all the young female cyclists at!?

My observation is that there's not many of us, and it seems like Mimi's theory holds water. The younger women seem to have kids and jobs and no time for cycling.

I certainly wouldn't have time for the bikes if DH and I had children. As it is, my bikes don't get enough attention!

[GLC1968]

I agree that often the younger women are home with the kids. I can't tell you how many comments I got when riding in NC where I rode with primarily men. They all would comment 'if only my wife could ride!' when I would join the group. When I asked why she didn't they always said - "well someone has to stay home with the kids".

[Becky]

I agree that often the younger women are home with the kids. I can't tell you how many comments I got when riding in NC where I rode with primarily men. They all would comment 'if only my wife could ride!' when I would join the group. When I asked why she didn't they always said - "well someone has to stay home with the kids".

These are the women that I see at the bike shop. They're there with their husbands and children, and the wife corrals 3 young squirmy children so that the husband can look at more bike stuff and talk about his stats and bike equipment and how he did 300 miles last week.

(I realize how bitter that must sound, but it's not- just frustrated.)

[Reesha]

I'd like to think that will never be me, but who knows! I would want to be the mom tugging her kids in a trailer around the park 20 miles!

[shootingstar]

I can't tell you how many comments I got when riding in NC where I rode with primarily men. They all would comment 'if only my wife could ride!' when I would join the group. When I asked why she didn't they always said - "well someone has to stay home with the kids".

Kind of thing disgusts me, and I say this within the context of having 3 sisters who are all mothers of young children (or 1 did have young children. 2 mother-sisters are also working in jobs that put them on a defined career-track) and each sister works out the regular scheduling really well with hubby, to take turns for childcare, while each person goes out jogging/cycling or does yoga on their own. It's mutual cooperation and some awareness that some fitness and good health can add some positive vibes to the marriage.

TE forum offers great value for such women who want to cycle but don't have in-person support in their social circles/family.

[HappyTexasMom]

I have to speak to my earlier post in defense of my husband. I'm the working parent, while my husband stays home with the kids during the day. Not my ideal by far, but it makes the most sense for us financially. So my not exercising was in part due to my not wanting to (I'm an easy couch potato), and in part because I wanted to spend some time with my kids. When they were younger (and therefore required more sleep at night), that meant spending time that I'd be willing to exercise (basically mornings and early afternoon/evenings) with them. I had my morning ritual of making breakfast for them, and my evening ritual of spending a little time with them and cooking dinner (hubby will cook, but if I want real food, I'd better cook it ). By nighttime I'm just done...I'm not a night person and nothing in hell is going to motivate me to do something I'm not keen to do in the first place (riding is the one thing that I do feel a desire and drive to do...everything else is just "because I should").

Now they are older and can get their own breakfast; they also stay up enough past the time that I get done with work that I don't feel deprived if I take off for some me time after work (although I don't right now, since it's also really hot around that time).

[GLC1968]

shootingstar - don't get me wrong - I'd met most of their wives eventually, and they were far from sedentary. This was unique to biking. The men were all supportive of their wives doing yoga or going to the gym, or whatever...and the women found a way to do it...but when it came to cycling, the men probably saw it as 'either I get to ride, or she does, so I'm gonna pick me'. Of course, the general 'men centric' view of the cycling world doesn't help this situation.

I don't think that if their wives were insisting on riding that they'd say no. It's just that the priorities get set in a certain way and no one thinks to alter it. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality. None of the women really wanted to ride...they wanted to stay home with the kids. It's just the way things were. As a non-mom, it probably annoyed me way more than it did any of the moms!

[shootingstar]

I don't think that if their wives were insisting on riding that they'd say no. It's just that the priorities get set in a certain way and no one thinks to alter it. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality. None of the women really wanted to ride...they wanted to stay home with the kids. It's just the way things were. As a non-mom, it probably annoyed me way more than it did any of the moms!

I realize for a parent, particularily of young children, personal time and energy is tighter, so during those years, exercise activities that are at home or closer to home makes life easier. And it is up to the woman to make certain decisions of what she wants for herself..which changes over time.

Biking takes time. But then it is possible to design a route for 1 hr. of exercise, even if nothing else than a mental break.

The value of exercise for parents and for spouses to be mutually supportive, became more obvious when 1 sister did have significant post-partum depression (up to 1 yr.) after child #2, combined with shoulder muscle injury from rowing exercises that put her out for awhile. She couldn't even lift her baby out of the crib. Until she found yoga.

For the younger women age bracket, late teens to late 20's, there are also alot of women nowadays (in North America) who don't have children at all. They either haven't gotten to thinking about exercise or found some other fitness activity.

[Reesha]

I just think they haven't found the forum. I see lots of women my age on bikes all over the place (and younger).

[shootingstar]

I just think they haven't found the forum. I see lots of women my age on bikes all over the place (and younger).

Some of them might find TE forum too boring.
I have to remind myself that some much younger folk just have different, more shorthand style of expressing themselves that sounds cryptic to others.