Way more men than women cycling commuting

[Owlie]

I agree that childcare is definitely a factor in both commuting and recreational riding (or not, as the case may be). Fear is too--of the mechanical and of being hit. Figuring out gears was kind of intimidating, since the last bike I had was a single-speed kid's bike with a coaster hub. The prospect of changing a tube myself was also pretty intimidating. I had a moment of "WHAT DO I DO?!" on Thursday when I got a flat tire, and I know I know what to do, because I've changed several. I think women tend, for whatever reason, to be socialized to be/intrinsically are (like many behavioral tendencies, I believe it's a combination) more cautious.

There may also be a body image thing at play for some women. Perhaps some feel that they need to wear lycra in order to participate, and they find the thought of being seen in public in spandex mortifying, or at least uncomfortable. I also remember seeing an article in Cooking Light. There's a regular feature called "I tried it", involving either exercise or some kind of spa treatment or something. This particular article featured spinning. The author of the column said that she initially didn't want to try it because she was afraid that it would make her thighs huge. Make of that what you will.

On childcare and recreational (not-commuting) riding: I remember reading an interview with a woman who's a former racer and now a coach (or something of the sort). I cannot remember her name or where I read the interview, unfortunately--I pasted this quote into an e-mail I sent to my BF:

“The reality is—and this is my experience coaching lots of people—is that if a guy wants to go out for a three hour ride, he doesn't say, 'Will you want the kids for 3 hrs?' Whereas when a woman wants to spend that kind of time on a bike, there's a negotiation that goes on with their partner or whoever who can watch the kid. So there's always that. And then there's a limited amount of time that they have—at least as far as elite cycling goes—an limited amount of time to make or break before they decide whether they're going to move on to something else.”

I've ridden my carbon roadie in a dress. And it wasn't a cycling dress or skort!

Rode it downtown. One-piece jersey dress that went past my knees. Mavic shoes. Giro helmet.

That's awesome. I could not pull that off.

[shootingstar]

Of that, however, the rack system requires lifting the bike. This is a challenge for some due the the height of the racks, weight of the bike

Hanging bike hooks or something involves lifting bike high enough onto rack..I just dislike those systems intensely. I'm 5'1" and I'm not going to be continuously strong in my upper body (even if I got stronger) @ 52 yrs. and onward.

Isn't just designing cycling support systems for women....but for people who want to cycle a huge part of their lifespan.

Well, I guess it just means cycling for me no matter who cycles also.