Why do I see fewer women cycling than men?

[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.