HELP NEEDED PLEASE! Opinions and comments wanted :)

[GLC1968]

Also alot of women who don't bike, have been turned off by the experience of cycling a bike that doesn't fit them. Bike fit is something I find myself repeating patiently, over and over and over.

Ah yes, this is something else I forgot about.... I have LOTS of female friends who say that they tried biking but it hurt their privates or rear so much that they gave up. Most give up for good, too. Seriously, try something new, it hurts...why keep putting yourself through that kind of pain, right? That is a BIG turn off for a lot of women and really, the only thing that could change this factor is education. Women need to know that it doesn't have to hurt to ride a bicycle!

[Crankin]

Why I ride?
I love being active, sweaty, and fit. While I do say I do sports, they are not team sports and I never compete (except with myself). It's part of my life. I was a skinny, uncoordinated kid; the only active things I ever did were riding a bike and ice skating. Girls *didn't do sports* when I was growing up.
Being strong, healthy, and fit helps me age gracefully. It doesn't mean I don't have my share of aging stuff, but riding (x country skiing, snow shoeing, hiking) helps me deal with it all.

[BalaRoja]

Ah yes, this is something else I forgot about.... I have LOTS of female friends who say that they tried biking but it hurt their privates or rear so much that they gave up. Most give up for good, too. Seriously, try something new, it hurts...why keep putting yourself through that kind of pain, right? That is a BIG turn off for a lot of women and really, the only thing that could change this factor is education. Women need to know that it doesn't have to hurt to ride a bicycle!

I sure can relate to this first hand! Among the more frequent comments I hear: a) how can anyone ride more than a few miles, it is too painful and.....(you'll love this one!)....b) i must be crazy to wear biking shorts, and without knickers too...

Biking has a high 'cool' factor as well as being very visible. It ends up being easily equated for many people with visions of the pro peloton riders and european grand tour racing. It can be very intimidating and as everyone mentioned, the gear is not cheap either. Then there are potential safety concerns which cannot be easily dismissed. It takes a lot more skill to successfully navigate traffic and deal with the usual stuff on the road. In addition, at least where I live, there's very little if any organized riding or clubs for women cyclists. I know I'm always the token female in every group ride here...

When I used to be a runner, I found the hip/chic/coolness factor was much lower. You didn't really need anything but running shoes and most any top & shorts. I saw plenty of people of varying ages, body types, race, ethnicity, and other social backgrounds. Plus you could run in plenty of venues and places where you didn't have to be elbow to elbow with motorists and others. Some people ran faster than others, but basically everyone was a runner and could really connect with the place the activity had for them...