Women on cycling, give me your views....

[scots_lass]

4. Do you feel that more women are cycling now than were last year?
Yes, more young women on road bikes (especially studenty types on old racers) and more 40+ ish cycle path pootlers

That's the slot I fit into (although 50+ would be more accurate!).
Hope I don't stay a 'pootler' for too long!

 

[tordis]

1. Both reviews and peer support - it's good to find help among the more experienced cyclists when you're just starting.

2. For everything, really.
3. I visited my LBS and found a lot of help there. Plus, I found CycleChat, which is very helpful, too.

4. If my example is anything to go by, yes, they do. Last year I only cycled on weekends, for leisure; now I use my bike virtually every day.

5. Not really, but then I'm only a beginner.

 

[Cathryn]

they do rainwear - cycling capes

Flattering

 

[snapper_37]

1. What do you rate most highly:
peer support

2. Why do you cycle:
Commuting
Leisure


3. As a beginner who did you go to for help and advice?
No one really. Been commuting 14 years. Found CC and previously C+ a couple of years ago. Help with mechanical stuff - probably me Dad

4. Do you feel that more women are cycling now than were last year?
I hardly see any women cycling on my commute, ditto weekend leisure rides. No change from year to year, IME.


5. Many brands have expanded their women's range, are you aware of this?
Not noticed specific brands but women's sections seem to have increased.

 

[summerdays]

Cathryn - did you not see cyclists with cycle capes in Switzerland? We noticed that last year that they seemed to be the norm there and that it attached to the handlebars.

 

[Sig SilverPrinter]

1.peer support and reviews-I like getting recommendations for products as I've bought stuff in the past thats turned out to be useless.

2. Mainly commuting with a bit of leisure thrown in

3. Not sure about this one ,had been commuting since 2000 using a brompton/train and wanted to start cycling the whole way so found this forum last year and asked for some views on the bike that I liked.

4. Seen a big increase over past 9yrs of people in general commuting not sure about more women in the past year

5. Not really , don't really buy that many clothes, can i recommend Corinne Dennis clothes, somebody on CC had given them a good review so I have bought a few bits and find them very comfy . I have a large waist and can't stand anything tight,have got the 3/4 length trousers and some longs and both are very good.

 

[Arch]

Also...and very specifically here I'm afraid...there's NOTHING in the UK for women cycling who are pregant. No kit, no real advice from cyclists, no support structure. That's a real gap in the market.

I wonder if that's just too niche a market - in terms of kit anyway. How many cyclists are there who are pregnant enough to need bump accommodating clothes in lycra? I would have thought that the soft stretchy stuff I see in maternity shops, perhaps coupled with padded undies, was sufficient.

I suppose once upon a time, if you had any health queries you asked your district nurse, who rode a bike anyway, and she said "stop fussing and get on with it". These days, ask about cycling while pregnant and you'll get the same range of opinion as you get about child trailers - from "oh just do it" to "how could you endanger yourself and baby like that?". I suppose like anything, you ask around, and make your mind up according to the level of knowledge of the people who answer.

(I realise I'm an outsider here, never having been pregnant, but the advice I'd heard is, cycle for as long as you feel comfortable doing it, and the fitter you are, the better, for labour).

I think I'm quite a lot of a tomboy - I tend to hang out with blokes, and not be bothered (given that the blokes I hang out with don't tend to be overly macho), and suitability of clothing rarely occurs to me, because I live in jeans or shorts anyway. And out on group rides, my companions tend to be a self selecting bunch of people with the same aim as me - pootling to a tea room, over varying distances. I just point this out so that you can ignore me when I bang on about not needing to know about clothes and stuff....

 

[HelenD123]

I filled this in in a bit of a rush last night and have a few more thoughts now I've read other people's comments.

1. I find reviews really helpful. It can avoid buying something that turns out not to be suitable.

2. I got into cycling a couple of years ago because I wanted to commute, both for environmental reasons and to get fit. The only way I find I get regular exercise is if I can incorporate it into my daily routine. I find gyms boring and pointless and prefer being outside. I know once I've set off to work on the bike I can't give up half way!

The commuting gave me much more confidence on the bike and a fitness base and thanks to the guys I've met on here I've attempted longer and longer rides and am now getting into touring. Cycling is taking over my life!

Someone mentioned that they'd rather ride with women. Maybe I've been lucky, but it's mostly male CC members round here and they've been very considerate and welcoming when I've been out with them. It's been nice to see a few more women out recently though.

 

[summerdays]

Someone mentioned that they'd rather ride with women. Maybe I've been lucky, but it's mostly male CC members round here and they've been very considerate and welcoming when I've been out with them. It's been nice to see a few more women out recently though.

I don't think its that men aren't considerate to females on a ride, but more that you sense you could be holding them up and that really they would like the pace to be faster. It may be all in my head and they aren't thinking that at all - just more me worrying that is what they are thinking.

 

[HelenD123]

I don't think its that men aren't considerate to females on a ride, but more that you sense you could be holding them up and that really they would like the pace to be faster. It may be all in my head and they aren't thinking that at all - just more me worrying that is what they are thinking.

I did worry about that so tried to suss out the type of ride it would be. If there was mention of tea shops and it seemed to be more of a social ride I figured I'd be fine.

 

[theclaud]

Please could you answer the following questions and give me your thoughts. Thanks so much for helping us out.

1.
Potentially interested in all these things but I think my needs are met by existing sites - the CTC e-newsletter is excellent, and this place is good for peer support and asking people about particular products. As for features, it depends entirely on the quality of them.

2.
For everything

3.
Sheldon Brown, Lennard Zinn and my friend Dr Evil The Mad Inventor, who can do things like machine you a new mech hanger and make all kinds of shims, adaptors and problem-solving clever things.

4.
Seem to be when I've been in London. Down here (Swansea) maybe a few more, but it's not so noticeable. I belong to the local cycle campaign group, and we run classes for adult beginners. The people who come are almost exclusively very small middle-aged women. I can't account for the small thing, but there are definitely lots of women here who would like to cycle but are put off by various factors.

5.
Yes - I'm torn between being pleased that woman-shaped things are available and irritated that they tend to be covered in swirly patterns or available in pastel colours. I still tend to buy men's stuff where there's really no need for a female-specific version - gloves, shoes and suchlike. Sizing remains erratic - the Minx website is particularly good for giving information about the sizing and cut of each garment, tho I don't buy very much from it because it's expensive. As for cycling and going out in the same clothes, it really depends where you're going - pub is fine. Because I also started with mountain-biking, I am used to being covered in mud and oil and so rarely entertain any ideas about looking glamorous on a bike. If I want to look particularly smart I simply won't take the bike. Swansea is wet and hilly, and dutch-style cycling in dresses and heels isn't much of an option unless you only want to potter about on the seafront at 10mph.

 

[Arch]

I don't think its that men aren't considerate to females on a ride, but more that you sense you could be holding them up and that really they would like the pace to be faster. It may be all in my head and they aren't thinking that at all - just more me worrying that is what they are thinking.

I think it's wrong to assume that all men are necessarily faster.... Although they usually are, compared to me, but then so are most women!

I think with something like a CC get-together, the main thing is get a feel for it up front, and think within your limits - and perhaps to make sure the other riders know what you think you can do. Also, it helps to know the area, so that if you find it's just too much, you can opt out and head home. I go on a weekend away with a group each year, and I know who I can keep up with, and whose rides to avoid.

I organised a ride, and Landslide said he'd bring his other half along and it would be her first long ride (50milesish). So I planned for three different routes home, of varying distances, in case she found it too tiring.

She spent most of the ride well ahead, with me 'leading' from the back....

At the end of the day, assuming you haven't rashly taken on way more than you should, I think anyone who made you feel you were holding them up is perhaps not the sort of person I'd want to ride with anyway, if you see what I mean.

 

[summerdays]

I still tend to buy men's stuff where there's really no need for a female-specific version - gloves, shoes and suchlike.

But things like gloves and shoes I have found the womens versions to be better - shoes apparently are wider? in the female version - certainly supposed to be designed for a different shaped foot. (I could just be believing their sales patter).

Gloves - I have large hands for a female - but if I buy mens gloves I find they are too wide in the palm, or not long enough in the fingers.

I do agree that it is worth checking out the mens stuff as there is often a larger selection.

 

[summerdays]

At the end of the day, assuming you haven't rashly taken on way more than you should, I think anyone who made you feel you were holding them up is perhaps not the sort of person I'd want to ride with anyway, if you see what I mean.

Thank you - I think that's a nice way of looking at it.

 

[Arch]

But things like gloves and shoes I have found the womens versions to be better - shoes apparently are wider? in the female version - certainly supposed to be designed for a different shaped foot. (I could just be believing their sales patter).

Gloves - I have large hands for a female - but if I buy mens gloves I find they are too wide in the palm, or not long enough in the fingers.

I do agree that it is worth checking out the mens stuff as there is often a larger selection.

I'm not convinced by the shape of the foot thing. Feet are so variable anyway - remember that decent (everyday) shoes don't just come in sizes, but in widths as well. Women can have wide feet, and men narrow ones and vice versa.

I have very thin hands, I verge on needing children's mitts.

On the other hand (so to speak), I'm wearing a pair of shorts I got at York Rally that are apparently XL. I think they must have been mislabelled. I'm not that big....