Why do I see fewer women cycling than men?

[shootingstar]

I also think that bike=machine=technical=male thing plays a role

I think this has alot of influence for women who don't want to cycle + the fear of looking dorky/out of shape against the young males in spandex.

I think it is also true for some men...who want to get back into shape and I know for certain some like bikes, because they are geeky-techy-mechanical guys.

How I try to explain to some about bikes..is to tell them, a bike is like a sewing machine. I meann hey, a sewing machine requires understanding it, how to use it, it is technical and sewing/tailoring well, does require logic, some technical details (and artistry abit). And I use sewing as something totally different metaphor, but has been traditional viewed as "women's stuff", but can be intimidating to people who don't like it/intimidated by the details.

[ACG]

I think time away from children is an issue.

In my immediate group, I'm the only mom. The other women don't have children and are at the age that they will not now.

As SO works, we hire sitter for 9 year old. Other kids are grown.

I will always miss a ride and put family first.

[Crankin]

My take is that women are just more fearful. And sometimes this becomes a reason to say "I can't." I know lots of people who say, "I couldn't do what you do."
As far as the kid thing goes, I'm not the best to ask. I didn't ride when my kids were small, but I was a group exercise instructor, in addition to having a full time job. I never felt guilty. My kids grew up seeing a mom being active.
And when a dad is with his kids, he is not babysitting. He's being a parent.
Where I live, the ratio of cyclists is pretty even in terms of gender. This has happened in the past 5 years

[lph]

I struggled with a bad conscience too when my son was a baby and I wanted to get some exercise and he would scream for me as his dad took him... but I'm pretty sure that was hormones talking

Intellectually I had no trouble rationalizing that I needed to get out, he needed to get to know his dad, and his dad needed time alone with kid. We talked about it fairly early on and agreed that our expectations were shared parenting as default, which meant both parents at home, and ask if you want to do something alone. So we called it "babysitting", but that was whenever either parent had to care for baby alone, without the other one. (In reality I had to peel baby off me to do anything, but hey, we tried).

Wow. Now my son is 15, gruff-voiced and moustached, and just sat up later than my bedtime, dissecting computers with his dad Time flies.

[redrhodie]

Where I live, the ratio of cyclists is pretty even in terms of gender. This has happened in the past 5 years

I agree. The lbs rides are split pretty even these days.

[climbergirl]

I'm going to throw out another vote for fear of the mechanical aspects: I used to be terrified to ride alone because OMG what if I had to change a tire? Or if something broke? Practice, and always carrying a cell phone, help a lot.

Also, yeah, the aggression/competitive thing.

[maillotpois]

I think time away from children is an issue.

In my immediate group, I'm the only mom. The other women don't have children and are at the age that they will not now.

I will always miss a ride and put family first.

+1 to all of this.

[Jiffer]

I think there may be a fear factor for many women for a few reasons.

If we're talking about riding a road bike . . . on the road . . . with cars, turning left in the left turn lane . . . riding along seemingly small windy roads, etc. This can be overwhelming for some women.

My husband was a cyclist long before I was. I had ridden bikes and loved it, but within the confines of a neighborhood or on a safe bike path mostly. The idea of getting out with the cars was a little scary. We'd drive along some windy road and he'd tell me how he rides up this road and descends very quickly down it and it would seem so dangerous to me. How do you not get hit by a car?

And then there's the clipping in factor. Oh my. Being "attached" to my bike?! Surely I'll fall over!!!

Descending is another one. I, personally, LOVE descending quickly. However, when my husband first got me on a tandem and we'd go down a hill, I was a bit nervous, always wanting him to slow down at first. (Part of that was the lack of control I had.)

I road a few times with an extremely fit and fast endurance runner, who had just gotten into cycling. I was shocked at how fearful she was of going down just a 2% grade with any speed whatsoever. She kept hitting her brakes while I waited at the bottom. I often find myself passing both men and women on a downhill. It's like they don't even TRY to go fast and that's the best and easiest time TO go fast!!! Haha!

Some women may not want to have anything to do with the "silly looking cycling clothes" . . . padded cycling shorts, the shoes that click when you walk funny.

The skinny "saddle" might not help. It doesn't provide much cushion or support . . . and can be a little ouchie to get used to and can leave you with saddle sores.

Another issue for some women could be the fact that it IS a sport dominated by men. If they don't have a girlfriend to ride with, but there is a cycling club in there area . . . they may feel intimidated to show up with a bunch of men who, by nature are born stronger (and typically more fearless).

There are, however, a few things I like about riding with men that are worth noting.

#1 - I love it when I am strong enough to hang with a group of guys (even if they aren't the racers or hardcore guys, though it's fun to train harder and eventually hang with the stronger and stronger guys).

#2 - While I might have a hard time remembering who all the guys are underneath the helmets, they all seem to remember who I am, because I'm one of the few women! (And usually in PINK!)

#3 - There's ALWAYS someone offering to help change a flat! I don't even have to be on a group ride. If I'm on the side of the rode changing a flat, inevitably a man or two or three will come along and offer assistance!

#4 - Short lines for the women's bathrooms! I crack up when I go to events and the men are lined up outside the men's room and I get to just walk right into the ladies' room! Now THAT's not something you don't see every day!!!

This is an interesting thread. I'll be curious to read your blog entry when you post it.

[Anelia]

In my society, and we are very close to the oriental culture, the woman doing something for pleasure is almost unacceptable. To ride a bicycle, a woman should be strong. But isn't that a controversy? Women are supposed to be weak . How come a little lady is riding hundreds of kilometers on her own?
I feel constantly the eyes of people on me when I ride, especially when I pass small villages. People comment things like "Oh, look that woman on a bike", like I were an UFO or something like this. My parents also disagree with my activity because of the dangers on the roads: dogs, cars, criminals, accidents...lots of them. So I don't tell them everything I do.
It's good that my husband is supportive but not always. Sometimes I hear nasty remarks from him like I'd better clean the house than ride "all day long" which is not true. I ride only when I have the time: I have a job and two extra jobs, I earn twice as much as he does. Our home is not the best one but I am not going to be a slave in the house, rubbing and mopping to perfection. Every day I cook something nice and we don't buy ready-to-eat meals. Our son is 8 years old and he doesn't feel like hanging around me all the time so I feel comfortable leaving him at home for a couple of hours. I only feel guilt when I do my endurance training and it takes me the whole day outside and I ride 8 or 9 hours.
But my husband is supportive as much as I spend money on bikes and parts, also I go to races and sometimes I call him to pick me up because I had had an accident or he drives me to races and cleans my bike after that. He also fixes small things like brake pads or pedals, etc.
Well, this is the situation I am in and all these inconveniences that I have to put up with are the reason why the other women in my country and town don't ride a bike. To sum it up: social diapproval, lack of time and money, inability to balance the bike (yes, I've seen women that zig-zag or even can't ride a bike), and of course fear of doing something outside your comfort zone or something unfamiliar.

[TigerMom]

1) For me, I was not exposed to gears/shifting when I was young.

No gears+hills=No fun

2) Also, the bikes are heavier and larger in proportion to body weight of a woman (I am 5ft 1in and 115pounds) vs. a man (husband is 5ft 7in and 145pounds). So, for a novice woman to have a heavier, larger bike in proportion to her body, it is less fun for her than a man. Quality bikes are expensive.

3) Child care issue that the other women above mentioned

4) I can't find anyone to ride with when I have free time because I am NOT going to ride on trails during the day or night by myself. Road bike lanes that are narrow are scarier for clumsy me than my more risk taking husband. So, road riding by myself is also not happening.



_______________
2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

[shootingstar]

Also, the bikes are heavier and larger in proportion to body weight of a woman (I am 5ft 1in and 115pounds) vs. a man (husband is 5ft 7in and 145pounds). So, for a novice woman to have a heavier, larger bike in proportion to her body, it is less fun for her than a man. Quality bikes are expensive.

I've never thought at all about my weight /small size as a deterrent from enjoying cycling. I don't have a $3,000-$5,000 carbon bike. Most of my bikes are under $1,000 (still cheaper than a car to have and ride several bikes!!) I am 5' 1" @100 lbs. And yes, he is taller @5' 10" and can go farther, but it's just not useful for me to compare my enjoyment against his.

Just because he's bigger does not mean he has it easier: often he carries far heavier weight on his bike compared to mine. Even when my bike has fully loaded bike panniers. HIs clothing in his panniers just takes up more space, more bulk and more weight, because he's just bigger!

It's like comparing apples and oranges. We're both cyclists but @different ages/stages in life. Besides, a fit female cyclist could out cycle some men. And some TE women can.

I just cycle for the sake of enjoying for myself. Otherwise I wouldn't be cycling!!

2 main things that did inhibit me from buying a proper bike and returning to cycling sooner were:
*learning to cycle with multiple gears
*knowing some great, decent bike routes that were safer for me. I had no clue about bike paths at that time and didn't want to explore ravine parks on my own without knowing where to go to get out of potential trouble.

Fortunately I met my partner 5 months after my interest was stoked. But I had no clue he was a cyclist until several months into our relationship.

Safety: I feel much SAFER cycling compared to walking on the street.

[CAL]

As a single mom with two young ones it is difficult to find time to cycle outdoors (yes, I usually use my Cycleops trainer). The area in which we live is not bicycle or pedestrian friendly. Just outside the neighborhood there are many share the road signs, but the posted speed limit is 50 mph. When I do manage an outdoor ride it involves me driving 45 min. to and from a lakeside park that allows me to ride a 9 mi. path that I can loop around until it's time to get my kids. Also, when I take my kids for their activities (martial arts, etc) it is usually the mom that is there with their children. I've read where some women are poorly fitted for their bike and when they question their LBS about it are made to feel that they just don't know what they are talking about. That the bike that was sold to them is perfect for them. So many reasons.

[hebe]

...Safety: I feel much SAFER cycling compared to walking on the street.

Me too. At least in traffic I have some rights of way, as a pedestrian I am hugely frustrated by having to rely on drivers' good-will in order to get across some roads safely.

The children thing is a huge challenge to cycling time for me, and I only have one. I'm lucky enough to have the magic combination of 15hrs/week daycare, no paid job, and a variety of cycling routes on the doorstep. I do ride on 60mph country lanes, because there's not much traffic on them and at the end of the day they are there to be cycled on just as much as driven on. I do try to tow my girl in a trailer, but adding a trailer does add more limits in terms of the roads that you feel safe riding on, the risks you are comfortable taking, the places you can ride (many cycle paths here have barriers that trailers can't fit through and dropped kerbs that are too narrow to take a trailer's broader wheelbase), and the places you can park your bike and trailer once you do reach your destination.

[Suze]

Hi everyone and thanks!!!!! I used quick reply since that's all I know how to use right now, but my H U G E thank yous are to all of you!!! This forum is a brand new experience to me and it is great. I am thrilled to have found it, your insights and experiences are broadening my perspective and understanding..exactly what anyone wants from a discussion. I won't respond to each post but will reference them as best I can in a blog post. I hope in the next week or so, but want to let this conversation continue for a bit before I try to "digest" it too much! Thanks again for taking the time and energy!! Suze

[nuliajuk]

One thing I have noticed over the years, in a variety of activities, is that some women feel guilty about spending money on adequate equipment. So they get something cheap'n nasty, "just in case I decide I don't like it", and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

My first encounter with this attitude was with my ex sister-in-law, who was trying to cross-country ski on horrible skiis with no camber to them at all. When I pointed out that she'd actually be able to glide if she had a half-decent pair from a proper shop, she just said "Oh no, it's not the skiis, it's just me, I"m not good at sports...etc, etc." Then I encountered it with female cyclist on a club tour, riding an extremely flexible step-through bike that tried to change gears on it's own with every pedal stroke. "Oh no, it's not the bike, it's me..."

Years later, I noticed it again on a sewing forum where women would ask what machine they could buy that would do pretty much everything, but only cost about $100, because "I don't want to spend more in case I don't like sewing." Or they'd express guilt about spending $800 on the machine they really wanted. So I'd point out all the things that you can spend that same money or more on, and have nothing to show for it at the end of the year - a weekend in Vegas, going to the bar after work every Friday - and remind them that the sewing machine would last at least 10 years if properly maintained and give them pleasure every day.

I suppose I'm guilty of this to some degree. I just bought a new road bike, last year's model on sale, and it took 5 months of arguing with myself about whether I should really pay that much money for a bike I'd only use a few times a week in summer. In the end, I reminded myself that my old road bike is 23 years old and still working, so I'll probably get my money's worth over time.