Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

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find_bruce
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Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby find_bruce » Tue Mar 26, 2013 10:27 am

Another interesting article by Michael O'Reilly Women and cycling: closing the gender divide, which includes a link to the Women and Cycling Survey by the Cycling Promotion Fund, in association with the Heart Foundation

Not at all surprising that the survey concluded that
Women and Cycling Survey wrote:The overwhelming majority of women agree that government should improve cycling facilities by providing more bike paths and/or lanes, consistent with the view that having more bike lanes and off-road cycling paths would entice more women to ride.
This seems to be fairly consistent with the observations of the City of Sydney Council that seperated bike paths encouraged a greater percentage of women cycling.

Of course the most important bit was at the end :D
Michael O'Reilly wrote:6. Online forums are useful resources. Check out the women's forums at BNA - not just to post queries, but also to read though past discussions. While you're online, check out a newish site called Total Women's Cycling.

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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby Eleri » Wed Apr 10, 2013 2:13 pm

So, someone has responded to this article in his own blog. Disagreeing with the tips.

http://cycle-space.com/?p=13450

I'd be interested in the views of other women here on what Steven has to say.


NB: Disclosure - that's me in the original blog.

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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby simonn » Wed Apr 10, 2013 2:39 pm

Eleri wrote:So, someone has responded to this article in his own blog. Disagreeing with the tips.

http://cycle-space.com/?p=13450

I'd be interested in the views of other women here on what Steven has to say.


NB: Disclosure - that's me in the original blog.
I am not a lady, but...
Ladies—who are biologically geared to stay safe because they have to carry babies and feed them
Sigh. Why say "Ladies who are on average genetically less predisposed to risk taking" in such a condescending and alienating manner?

(Saying, that though, my wife did stop commuting when she became pregnant and could not be bothered with the necessary aggression due to "female hormones").

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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby Summernight » Wed Apr 10, 2013 2:54 pm

Steven's Blog wrote: Ladies—who are biologically geared to stay safe because they have to carry babies and feed them—are attuned to that danger
Wow... Okay. Sure. Massive generalisation there, Steven. I disagree with this statement (and the fact that he has written it like this doesn't help me to be pre-disposed to listen to what he has to say later) but whatever.

Personally I think the article is a bit antagonistic and although I agree that all people should be advocating for better bike lanes, I don't agree that the tone of his article was the correct way to go about it.

eg:
Steven's blog wrote:A MAMIL/writer, goes on some Mount Everest century rides with a lovely lady who I’m guessing has some unusual thing going on with her hormones, and relays her advice to the sisterhood...
Very antagonistic. Blaming 'dysfunctional' hormones for why this lady actually seems to ride in an assertive manner... Great work, Steven. Makes me feel very unfeminine to be told that, because I may be like her with my assertiveness, I am 'not a normal' woman.

EDIT: Simonn got to my point first. :)

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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby cp123 » Wed Apr 10, 2013 4:17 pm

I ride a bike and ride on roads. shock horror. :shock: I have done so for approx 30 years as an adult including Melbourne and Canberra and elsewhere. I have formerly competed in road races and crits. I have also competed in high risk equestrian sports for many decades, including aiming at big immovable objects at 500 metres per minute on a living creature with a mind and brain of its own. Most of the time things go well, but there are times they don't. I've broken lots of things in my time and while i've probably lost some of the gutsy (and poentially stupid) behaviour of youth, i'm still out there doing things.

I'm obviously not normal either.... :roll:

better buy me some cotton wool and stick to dribbley pleasure rides around the lake.... 8) or not....

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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby Summernight » Wed Apr 10, 2013 4:52 pm

cp123 wrote:I ride a bike and ride on roads. shock horror. :shock: I have done so for approx 30 years as an adult including Melbourne and Canberra and elsewhere. I have formerly competed in road races and crits. I have also competed in high risk equestrian sports for many decades, including aiming at big immovable objects at 500 metres per minute on a living creature with a mind and brain of its own. Most of the time things go well, but there are times they don't. I've broken lots of things in my time and while i've probably lost some of the gutsy (and poentially stupid) behaviour of youth, i'm still out there doing things.

I'm obviously not normal either.... :roll:

better buy me some cotton wool and stick to dribbley pleasure rides around the lake.... 8) or not....
Haha. I also point a living creature at stupid obstacles and make him jump them. He's smarter than me though - in his old age (he's turning 21 this year) he'll choose to look at, over and in the jump before he decides to jump it. I think I need to get a younger model with more youthful, gutsy (and stupid) behaviour... Then again, maybe I'll just stick to the odd gallop/jump and focus on the prancy stuff and having fun.

Just to make a complete generalisation here that is completely stupid: Maybe it is only female cyclists who ride horses that aren't normal.
(Actually don't let my partner see that as he'd probably agree with that statement. :P )

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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby cp123 » Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:27 pm

i'm sure my family think i'm nuts.... they're probably right though...!
lol

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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby Eleri » Thu Apr 11, 2013 5:49 am

Very antagonistic. Blaming 'dysfunctional' hormones for why this lady actually seems to ride in an assertive manner... Great work, Steven. Makes me feel very unfeminine to be told that, because I may be like her with my assertiveness, I am 'not a normal' woman.
Given that's actually me he described ... I did think it was rather cruel and unnecessary.

He clearly rides on the road himself, yet thinks that women ("ladies" ) should only be riding on bike paths and while that doesn't exist should lobby instead of riding.

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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby Apple » Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:06 am

Eleri wrote:So, someone has responded to this article in his own blog. Disagreeing with the tips.

http://cycle-space.com/?p=13450

I'd be interested in the views of other women here on what Steven has to say.


NB: Disclosure - that's me in the original blog.
I just had a fast look, my view so far is correct, I agree with him but I only read it quickly. :D
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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby simonn » Thu Apr 11, 2013 11:30 am

FWIW, just posed the following comment. I wonder if it will be moderated:

Your point seems to be that women should not ride until there is suitable infrastructure, or move somewhere where there is. The article you question reads to me like advice for the current infrastructure, or lack there of. IOW, you seem to have missed the entire point of the article.

1. Take a course in vehicular cycling and start riding above-average distances to work every day,

Learning how to ride in traffic, or vehicular cycling if you prefer, is a good idea when you live in a country with limited cycle specific infrastructure. 10km would be an average-ish (even short) commute in Sydney.

2. join a BUG,

Yeah, ok. Not necessary, but is potentially helpful for tips 1, 3, 4, even 5 to a degree and to avoid 6, especially for new cyclists.

3. join bunch rides for ladies,

A bit of a misinterpretation. My wife, when she commuted by bicycle, met several women who would commute the bulk of the way together at various times. She has never done a bunch ride in her life.

4. learn to be your own pit crew,

No such thing as a puncture proof tyre and there is no NRMA for cyclists. I've fixed flats for a few random lady cyclists, but I certainly do not like the idea of my wife relying on the charity of strangers.

5. swap your cute step-through for something expensive enough that your bike shop will fit you for comfort for crossing the Nullarbor Plain,

Not a bad idea in Sydney as we have hills, and potentially distance. My wife loves her roadie, which she paid to get fitted properly - without any input from me in fact, because it is light which makes hills easier (it has touring bike gearing though), particularly when her prime concern was getting to work, not becoming a better/fitter cyclist.

Having investigated ladies bikes for child seats (http://www.sydneycyclist.com/profiles/b ... persuasion" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) the gearing generally sucks for hills.

6. join online forums populated by tedious trolls.

Statements like the below make me imagine that you write a blog rather than take part in online discussion perhaps because you were hounded off them by anti-trolls? You'd definitely be able to hold your trollish own in any case. (Alas, I bit).

"Ladies—who are biologically geared to stay safe because they have to carry babies and feed them"

"a lovely lady who I’m guessing has some unusual thing going on with her hormones"

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Re: Women and cycling: closing the gender divide

Postby Summernight » Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:18 pm

Eleri wrote:
Very antagonistic. Blaming 'dysfunctional' hormones for why this lady actually seems to ride in an assertive manner... Great work, Steven. Makes me feel very unfeminine to be told that, because I may be like her with my assertiveness, I am 'not a normal' woman.
Given that's actually me he described ... I did think it was rather cruel and unnecessary.

He clearly rides on the road himself, yet thinks that women ("ladies" ) should only be riding on bike paths and while that doesn't exist should lobby instead of riding.
Oh. That didn't click that it was you who gave the tips in the original article (which I thought were good, BTW). He's decided to attack when he should be encouraging.

P.S. Go Simonn! :P

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