What’s stopping women cycling?
- Thread starter Cycleops
- Start date
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Just wondering if it's relevant to this discussion that you can remember her bikini but not her name?I think you are probably right @Markymark . Judging by the size of the pieces of animal skin, used to make Rachel Welch's bikini, in 2 million years BC, they were small animals.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
Sorry about the mammoth derail. I was semi seriously replying to a point which seemed to be suggesting an individual / group behaviour difference between the sexes - which I found unconvincing
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
[QUOTE 5124980, member: 9609"]it is very difficult to know exactly who did what if we are to go back as far as Homo Erectus early Homo Sapiens. However I suspect if we look at our closest related species the Chimpanzee then we will probably get some insight into how we behaved. An interesting article here
http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~stanford/chimphunt.html[/QUOTE]
No link to those cave paintings you mentioned then?
http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~stanford/chimphunt.html[/QUOTE]
No link to those cave paintings you mentioned then?
BoldonLad
Not part of the Elite
- Location
- South Tyneside
Just wondering if it's relevant to this discussion that you can remember her bikini but not her name?
Probably very relevant.
But, in my defense, it is my spelling which is at fault, not my memory.
I remember that beach scene very well, gave me a life long interest in History
When I was younger and my hair was long i'd tie it back when on the bike and amazingly I got wolf whistled at, frequently,along with close passes, jeering and the usual, keep peddling and get off and milk it type dumb comments, so if that was caused by my long hair, it's easy to understand it would be off putting to women to go cycling, I got fed up with it, of course I had the choice to tuck it away, plus the grief that can be handed out to any cyclist whatever the gender....and if i'd not cycled from a very young age I certainly wouldn't want to start as an adult. That was 30 years ago, now with short hair/balding style, and that i'm nearer 60 than 30 ..guess what; no hassle, well only the usual...like 'there is a cycle path for you, you know'... yeah sure !
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MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
[QUOTE 5125027, member: 9609"]I believe the link I provided was more relevant and better proof - as for the cave stuff, there is a vast amount of studies and if I was to choose one you would simply retort with cherry-picked. So I will let you do your own research, but you could start off with Magura Cave Paintings[/QUOTE]
in other words... you thought early human activities and which gender did what was all well documented in prehistoric cave paintings, but on second thoughts, you're not so sure now, so have started talking about chimpanzees instead... gotcha.
in other words... you thought early human activities and which gender did what was all well documented in prehistoric cave paintings, but on second thoughts, you're not so sure now, so have started talking about chimpanzees instead... gotcha.
Mod note
I've been through this thread and removed the more personal and off-topic/not constructive remarks. As ever, we try to do this objectively and with reference to what's reported and the guidelines in place. If you think I've missed something got something wrong, report and I'll review it with the other mods.
Please try to keep some reference to the op, not be rude and crack on with the discussion but try not to head too far off topic, remember the op. If it goes too far off topic I will now remove posts to bring it back on.
I've been through this thread and removed the more personal and off-topic/not constructive remarks. As ever, we try to do this objectively and with reference to what's reported and the guidelines in place. If you think I've missed something got something wrong, report and I'll review it with the other mods.
Please try to keep some reference to the op, not be rude and crack on with the discussion but try not to head too far off topic, remember the op. If it goes too far off topic I will now remove posts to bring it back on.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
That’s pretty-much what I see in Oxfordshire too. Tri has a large percentage of women compared to cycling only clubs.
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Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
[QUOTE 5124671, member: 10119"]It's great when you see those changes happening, isn't it? Can I ask, what do you think has led to the increase in women joining the club?[/QUOTE]
From my own anecdata, women come to Tri clubs primarily from running or swimming background rather than cycling, so cycling is the ‘newer’ discipline.
From my own anecdata, women come to Tri clubs primarily from running or swimming background rather than cycling, so cycling is the ‘newer’ discipline.
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
[QUOTE 5125089, member: 9609"]I have given you examples of both and so far in return you have provided ? absolutely nothing apart from you might have watched a documentary but can't remember what it was called -[/QUOTE]I said up-thread that the doc could have been one of the Seven Ages of Britain docs (i'll hazard a guess it was episode one). It may have been Origins of Us.
The traditional view that males did all the hunting and gathering whilst females had babies and made soup isn't the current view. You can argue that the current view is just some PC nonsense but to me, it's entirely logical that those who are young and fit did the stuff that is suited to young fit adults whilst the older generations looked after the kids and made the soup.
The traditional view that males did all the hunting and gathering whilst females had babies and made soup isn't the current view. You can argue that the current view is just some PC nonsense but to me, it's entirely logical that those who are young and fit did the stuff that is suited to young fit adults whilst the older generations looked after the kids and made the soup.
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ADarkDraconis
Cardinal Member
- Location
- Ohio, USA
Still reading through (on page 8) but thought I would comment on something that is bothering me. My brother works at a LBS, the biggest and most popular one around with 3 or 4 branches in neighboring towns. They offer mechanics classes, starting with basic classes like how to change a tire, oil a chain, etc.; more advanced ones with wheel truing and bearings; even a class where you take apart the entire bike and put it back together! Each class is offered about once a month or so at each shop, everyone takes their own bikes and it looks really fun and useful!
I am mechanically inclined and have worked on my own car for 16 years, but with bikes I only know the basic stuff. I can fix flats, change and adjust brake pads, chain, etc. but I know nothing about cassette or derailleurs or bearings and such; and so thought I would take their class. The workshops all happened to be on a Tuesday or Wednesday for all their stores and I work til 9pm on those days
I then noticed that it listed a "women's only mechanics class" that was taking place on a Thursday and I am off on Thursdays! I thought that it must be for ladies who were afraid that men would make fun of them for their lack of mechanical experience or something and so would be more comfortable in an all women environment with a female instructor. I don't care who I work with or who teaches as long as they do a good job of instructing, but since it was the only one availble to me I thought I'd sign up.
I asked my brother the next day if there were any spots left in the women's class as I'd like to sign up and pay. He's like, "You don't want to sign up for that." I asked why not and he told me that it is just changing a flat tire and adjusting your bike for comfort (seat height, arranging your levers, etc.). That's it. I couldn't believe it! He told me to look at the description and with a second look I saw that indeed that was what it said, sigh. He said that it was the owner's wife's idea to get more women in the shops, she figured that they'd cycle more if they were comfortable on their ride and confident in changing their flat.
While I see her point of view and it was a nice thought, I am a bit ticked off because it is condescending. Yes, you may get more ladies in and teach them how to change a flat, but why not teach them more? Do you feel that we all don't want to learn? Do you think that women in general don't like working on bikes or being handy? There is so much more to bike maintenance that just changing a flat, why not introduce them to that wonderful world? I always feel more confident driving or riding because I know I can troubleshoot some mechanical problems I may encounter. What if she has a brake problem out on the road, or her chain jumps off for some reason? It seems like in my experiences men are teased for not being handy and women are teased if they are.
I am mechanically inclined and have worked on my own car for 16 years, but with bikes I only know the basic stuff. I can fix flats, change and adjust brake pads, chain, etc. but I know nothing about cassette or derailleurs or bearings and such; and so thought I would take their class. The workshops all happened to be on a Tuesday or Wednesday for all their stores and I work til 9pm on those days
I then noticed that it listed a "women's only mechanics class" that was taking place on a Thursday and I am off on Thursdays! I thought that it must be for ladies who were afraid that men would make fun of them for their lack of mechanical experience or something and so would be more comfortable in an all women environment with a female instructor. I don't care who I work with or who teaches as long as they do a good job of instructing, but since it was the only one availble to me I thought I'd sign up.I asked my brother the next day if there were any spots left in the women's class as I'd like to sign up and pay. He's like, "You don't want to sign up for that." I asked why not and he told me that it is just changing a flat tire and adjusting your bike for comfort (seat height, arranging your levers, etc.). That's it. I couldn't believe it! He told me to look at the description and with a second look I saw that indeed that was what it said, sigh. He said that it was the owner's wife's idea to get more women in the shops, she figured that they'd cycle more if they were comfortable on their ride and confident in changing their flat.
While I see her point of view and it was a nice thought, I am a bit ticked off because it is condescending. Yes, you may get more ladies in and teach them how to change a flat, but why not teach them more? Do you feel that we all don't want to learn? Do you think that women in general don't like working on bikes or being handy? There is so much more to bike maintenance that just changing a flat, why not introduce them to that wonderful world? I always feel more confident driving or riding because I know I can troubleshoot some mechanical problems I may encounter. What if she has a brake problem out on the road, or her chain jumps off for some reason? It seems like in my experiences men are teased for not being handy and women are teased if they are.
ADarkDraconis
Cardinal Member
- Location
- Ohio, USA
Would someone please tell my three-year-old that she is docile and sweet? Most of the time she tells us that she is a T-Rex or a shark, she plays with a variety of toys that she loves and is hyper and an energetic player (a normal kid!) I think little girls are often told to calm down or be more polite and ladylike, whereas 'boys will be boys' and it is vastly unfair. Kids are told how they are expected to behave differently when they should be allowed to like what they like and play how they please (safely, of course.) Her bike looks like Lightning McQueen from Disney's Cars because she loves him and her favorite color is also red, the man at the shop tried to insist that she'd like the pink one with ribbons and a basket on it better and she disagreed with him.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Can we remove all the caveman nonsense and move it elsewhere? Another women related thread ruined by off-topic male tubthumping....
Jason
Senior Member
- Location
- Carnaby Street
Interesting article and one I asked my wife to read, and give her view. She bought a new bike 2 years ago and total mileage is about 30 miles thus far.
" I don't get the time to sit after cycling, or between making the kids something to eat, and you are at work all day. The heavy traffic scares me, and putting the bike in the car is a faff"
I have committed to help her with cycling on weekends, when it's easier for me to take over house chores and food fixing. I do worry about her on the roads though, as it's a sit up and beg bike, and she's quite unstable still. This will hopefully improve as we plan to take all the bikes to places like Dorney lake , and have family cycling outings.
" I don't get the time to sit after cycling, or between making the kids something to eat, and you are at work all day. The heavy traffic scares me, and putting the bike in the car is a faff"
I have committed to help her with cycling on weekends, when it's easier for me to take over house chores and food fixing. I do worry about her on the roads though, as it's a sit up and beg bike, and she's quite unstable still. This will hopefully improve as we plan to take all the bikes to places like Dorney lake , and have family cycling outings.
