What can we do to encourage more women to cycle?

[The utility cyclist]

This isn't just a cycle thing - you will get similar figures for participation in just about any physical activity.

So why do females in NL represent about 53% of all those cycling, which in fact is 7 times the number of ALL male/female people riding bikes for transport in the UK (as a % of mode) do you think how they treat people on bikes has any bearing on that, particularly females, as in they see it as a normal activity like walking?

[Vorpal]

The BBC piece in my recent link above has no reference to CyclingUK at all.

I've not looked at the quoted data in any detail but a decade ago when this thread began, it was said that male riders outnumbered women 3:1 and they are now saying 2:1. If those estimates are comparable, rather than the typical think-of-a-number headlines, then that's a remarkable change in such a short time, although it might simply mean fewer men riding.

Across the UK, according to Cycling UK, women make about 1 in 3 trips by pedal cycle and about 1 in 5 miles on a pedal cycle
https://www.cyclinguk.org/resources/cyc ... statistics

The numbers vary quite a bit, though, from one region or city to another.

[Pete Owens]

This isn't just a cycle thing - you will get similar figures for participation in just about any physical activity.

So why do females in NL represent about 53% of all those cycling, which in fact is 7 times the number of ALL male/female people riding bikes for transport in the UK (as a % of mode) do you think how they treat people on bikes has any bearing on that, particularly females, as in they see it as a normal activity like walking?

I think it is that the NL is a more egalitarian society, in which societal norms put less pressure on people to conform to gender stereotypes. I would also expect to see less gender disparity in the Nordic countries. Simarly, in more conservative countries (eg Turkey), you will see a greater gender disparity.

My sport is orienteering - and I am setting the courses for an event in the Lake District this summer - with courses for all ages - so I need to plan for the anticipated entry level for different ages and genders. While we do perform well on the 8-80 participation (there are classes for U10s of over 85s) there is a similar gender disparity you see with cycling. Look at a set of Dutch orienteering results and the gender imbalance is much less pronounced.

I guess you will see this in other areas - though I don't have any hard facts. I suspect you are far more likely to encounter female students on an engineering course - or male nurses than you are in the UK.

[TrevA]

I'm a member of 2 cycling clubs. One has around 5% female members and the other around 40% female members. Both clubs have over 100 members. It's interesting to compare the two. The one with the lower membership doesn't make any special arrangements for women. Those that are members join in with the rest of the club on club rides. We do have a slower riders Saturday club ride, which is where most of the women do their club rides. When asked, these ladies say they prefer a mixed sex club ride.

The other club has ladies only rides. These include 10 mile Breeze rides for complete beginners and they have Ladies only club rides on Fridays and Sundays, with rides of around 25-30 miles and 2 or 3 speeds catered for. A steady group of around 12 mph, and a faster group of 14-16mph for the fitter ladies. They sometimes have a Breeze ride on these rides too, and all rides meet up at the same cafe. These are popular, with up to 15 ladies out on the Friday rides, when kids are at school. There are other ladies who do the normal club rides that the club organises. Some make the progression from the slower rides, but many are happy to stay with the ladies only rides.

[pjclinch]

This isn't just a cycle thing - you will get similar figures for participation in just about any physical activity.

So why do females in NL represent about 53% of all those cycling, which in fact is 7 times the number of ALL male/female people riding bikes for transport in the UK (as a % of mode) do you think how they treat people on bikes has any bearing on that, particularly females, as in they see it as a normal activity like walking?

I think it is that the NL is a more egalitarian society, in which societal norms put less pressure on people to conform to gender stereotypes. I would also expect to see less gender disparity in the Nordic countries. Simarly, in more conservative countries (eg Turkey), you will see a greater gender disparity.

My sport is orienteering ... <snip>

And while I think you're right that Dutch society is more egalitarian, a key point here is you go on to compare to a sport. In NL cycling isn't primarily a sport, it's a way of getting around, much like driving is here. People need to get around, they take the most convenient way, and in NL that's often a bike.

I don't have figures for chain-gang participation in NL, but my anecdata from watching them go by while I've been riding there is that male wielrenners (as opposed to fietsers) are considerably more common than female. So it's not "physical activity" so much as "physical activity for the sake of physical activity". While bikes need human power the main point is they're very efficient so unless you're going out of your way to go fast and/or far, they don't need much.

The cover photo on the front of the new Cycle probably isn't what the typical UK resident thinks of if you ask them to picture "a cyclist". If it was I think we'd see greater gender parity on the roads, because Enthusiasts cycling for sport would be a small fraction of the total journeys made.

Pete.

[Vorpal]

I think it is that the NL is a more egalitarian society, in which societal norms put less pressure on people to conform to gender stereotypes. I would also expect to see less gender disparity in the Nordic countries. Simarly, in more conservative countries (eg Turkey), you will see a greater gender disparity.

My sport is orienteering - and I am setting the courses for an event in the Lake District this summer - with courses for all ages - so I need to plan for the anticipated entry level for different ages and genders. While we do perform well on the 8-80 participation (there are classes for U10s of over 85s) there is a similar gender disparity you see with cycling. Look at a set of Dutch orienteering results and the gender imbalance is much less pronounced.

I guess you will see this in other areas - though I don't have any hard facts. I suspect you are far more likely to encounter female students on an engineering course - or male nurses than you are in the UK.

There is some truth to this. There are more women in engineering in the Netherlands, and Nordic coutnries. And more women cycling in both countries. The gender gap is much smaller in most activities.

I'm certain that the gender gap makes up a part of it in the UK (and other English speaking, car-centric countries like the USA and Australia), where women;
-generally have the responsibility to see that children get to school and other activities
-have less time due to the combination of work and responsibility for many household tasks
-may also experience a gender safety gap, in that women are more likely to be harrassed or fear harrassment, especially if they are overweight

On the other hand, I don't think that cycling is a significantly gendered activity in either the Nordic countries, or the Netherlands. Some things are, though. Football for example. In the Netherlands, approximately 10% of registered players are female. In Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands participation is more than 20% female. Norway, however, only slightly outperforms England (which does better than the rest of the UK). If the difference were merely a matter of gender equality, why the gender disparity in football?

Could it possibly be because cycling is thought of in the UK as a sport, and treated that way by most sectors of government? While in the Netherlands and Denmark, it is thought of as a means of transport? If you ask a Danish or Dutch woman why she cycles, the answer will almost certainly be that it is convenient. Or the fatest way to get around the city. Or the fastest way to get the kids to nursery / school. Not because she is sporty. Or lives in an egalitarian country.

As long as the UK thinks of cycling as a sport, it will be limited to people who are 'sporty' and have time for exercise. Not women taking children to school. Not children going to school. Not commuters dressed for the office. That is why it is a minority activity.

All of the exceptions are places where either transport cycling is enabled, or motor traffic is so horrendous that cycling is a better option.

[Altissima]

I'm certain that the gender gap makes up a part of it in the UK (and other English speaking, car-centric countries like the USA and Australia), where women;
-generally have the responsibility to see that children get to school and other activities
-have less time due to the combination of work and responsibility for many household tasks
-may also experience a gender safety gap, in that women are more likely to be harrassed or fear harrassment, especially if they are overweight

Could it possibly be because cycling is thought of in the UK as a sport, and treated that way by most sectors of government? While in the Netherlands and Denmark, it is thought of as a means of transport? If you ask a Danish or Dutch woman why she cycles, the answer will almost certainly be that it is convenient. Or the fastest way to get around the city. Or the fastest way to get the kids to nursery / school. Not because she is sporty. Or lives in an egalitarian country.

as long as the UK thinks of cycling as a sport, it will be limited to people who are 'sporty' and have time for exercise. Not women taking children to school. Not children going to school. Not commuters dressed for the office. That is why it is a minority activity.

All of the exceptions are places where either transport cycling is enabled, or motor traffic is so horrendous that cycling is a better option.

I'd definitely agree that one of the things that has put me off is the fear of harassment by men. It's something that men (for the most part) simply don't have to consider and the harassment can take many forms. My friends are strong, assertive women and yet we have been put off exercising outside by being spat at, called unpleasant names and having unwanted attention. It can take a lot of determination to overcome these experiences or fear of these experiences.

I would also agree that treating cycling as a sport is limiting to a lot of women. I love cycling because it can take me out into some truly beautiful parts of the countryside with friends. I'm not interested in being the fastest (no chance of that anyway!) or being competitive or having devices like strava. I just love being out on my bike and I love the Dutch / Danish attitude towards cycling of it being available for all as a mainstream activity and with proper dedicated cycling facilities. I wish the UK Government would take note and invest in proper cycling infrastructure.

[CJ]

My sport is orienteering ... <snip>

And while I think you're right that Dutch society is more egalitarian, a key point here is you go on to compare to a sport. In NL cycling isn't primarily a sport, it's a way of getting around, much like driving is here. People need to get around, they take the most convenient way, and in NL that's often a bike.

Nail on head.

The way to get more women into cycling is to take the sport out of it!

[thirdcrank]

If we accept that there are various types of cycling, of which competitive sport is only one, I'm at a loss to see why that one type of cycling should discourage anybody from participating in the others.

I cannot comment on the situation in the Netherlands first hand, but I suggest it's absurd to argue that utility cycling's popularity - normalness - there is anything to do with an absence of competitive cycling, not least because there seems to be plenty of it. It would be a brave person who suggested that women are somehow "no good" at cycle sport (especially here in Morley, the home for many years of Beryl Burton.)

I'm not going to go ploughing back to find exactly what I said in the first incarnation of this thread but it was along the lines that I believe that women are put off by a lot of the same things as men: danger on the roads and I fancy that the bullying some lone riders experience from the occupants of passing cars, which may be irritating to men but is quite frightening to women, who tend to be more vulnerable than men to personal violence in any situation. If you accept that you need to catch them young, then a lot of worried parents don't want their children of either sex exposed to danger, but "When you're the father of boys, how you worry. When you're the father of girls ..." etc

FWIW, whenever I see some London-based news item on the telly, there seem to be streams of riders in almost every shot. From my armchair commentary position 200 miles away, I tend to believe that this is a combination of people being encouraged by the sporting success of our riders of both sexes to try cycling and then its being a really good solution to beating the traffic in London.

I cherish my copy of the National Cycling Strategy, with CJ prominently named as contributor BTW. Unfortunately, it was never delivered by a government which only specialised in presentation.
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I've dug out my post from 2008 and the only change I would make is the reference to "this government" and I'd say "no government."

viewtopic.php?p=132698#p132698

[Username]

There's no need or point in encouraging more women to cycle. If they don't want to do it then it's down to them. Live and let live I say.

[Vorpal]

There's no need or point in encouraging more women to cycle. If they don't want to do it then it's down to them. Live and let live

If more women cycle, more families cycle. More cyclists make the road safer for all of us. Also, it means more future cyclists.

[Cyril Haearn]

My sport is orienteering ... <snip>

And while I think you're right that Dutch society is more egalitarian, a key point here is you go on to compare to a sport. In NL cycling isn't primarily a sport, it's a way of getting around, much like driving is here. People need to get around, they take the most convenient way, and in NL that's often a bike.

Nail on head.

The way to get more women into cycling is to take the sport out of it!

Cycling is sport + travel + hobby + passion + fun &c &c
Cycling is my life!

[Psamathe]

There's no need or point in encouraging more women to cycle. If they don't want to do it then it's down to them. Live and let live I say.

For me (and as I once had pointed out to me) the important thing is equal opportunity rather than equal outcome. My thoughts are that there is an important discussion to be had to make sure there is equal opportunity and that there are not hindrances to anybody should they wish to cycle.

Ian

[Username]

There's no need or point in encouraging more women to cycle. If they don't want to do it then it's down to them. Live and let live I say.

For me (and as I once had pointed out to me) the important thing is equal opportunity rather than equal outcome. My thoughts are that there is an important discussion to be had to make sure there is equal opportunity and that there are not hindrances to anybody should they wish to cycle.

Ian

Wasn't aware there was. If a woman wants a bike, she goes to a shop and buys one. Or gets one online. Anyway the process is the same regardless of gender AFAIK. Im all for encouraging healthy activities, but for anyone rather than a specific group (in this case women).

[Vorpal]

There's no need or point in encouraging more women to cycle. If they don't want to do it then it's down to them. Live and let live I say.

For me (and as I once had pointed out to me) the important thing is equal opportunity rather than equal outcome. My thoughts are that there is an important discussion to be had to make sure there is equal opportunity and that there are not hindrances to anybody should they wish to cycle.

Ian

Wasn't aware there was. If a woman wants a bike, she goes to a shop and buys one. Or gets one online. Anyway the process is the same regardless of gender AFAIK. Im all for encouraging healthy activities, but for anyone rather than a specific group (in this case women).

Except that the staff who work at bike shops are overwhelmingly male, the majority of bikes are sized for the average man, and women frequently encounter sexism, or have difficulty getting what they need form bike shops.

Also, in most households, women bear the majority of the burden for caring for the house and children, and do not have as much time as men for 'recreation', which is what cycling is considered by many people.

Women may have fears about harrassment or other apects of personal safety, than men are less likely to worry about. Women, especially overweight women, are often the targets of verbal harassment. The barriers are greater for minority women who come traditions where women are discouraged from or not permitted to cycle.

So, there are a number of barriers for getting women cycling that are lower or nonexistent for men. It may appear to be equal opportunity, but it's not, really.