Women only club rides

[gaz]

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[Carlton green]

Do you not think that limits MALE participation too?

Of course. But the question was about Women riders.

Yes, fair point

I didn't intend to criticise the point you made; it was more that I wanted to encourage wider thinking on this complex problem. When you talk to women about the kind of behaviours that discourage participation, it turns out there is a huge overlap with the behaviours that discourage ALL KINDS of potential new members.

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I'd also like to ask this question (in the light of some earlier posts) - in a rhetorical fashion, hopefully to stimulate debate:

Would a club that is entirely wealthy white christian straight women in the 35-55 age group be considered "inclusive"?

Thanks for asking the questions, to my mind they are very valid.

Personally my view is that blokes deserve to be allowed their own space too and therefore it’s unreasonable to expect them to change their behaviour, well other than for it to be within the bounds of civilised behaviour. If they want a lads’ culture that’s fine and if they just don’t want the distraction of women that’s fine too. To balance that if the women in my life wanted separate rides I’d support that, let them go at their pace and ride in a way that suits them. What groups would I prefer to cycle in? I think that women can add positive dynamics to a group, but really what’s important is group dynamics rather than gender, etc. We really should try to set gender to one side and view our cycling companions as individuals.

[freeflow]

Personally my view is that blokes deserve to be allowed their own space too and therefore it’s unreasonable to expect them to change their behaviour, well other than for it to be within the bounds of civilised behaviour.

I'd hope that the civilized behaviour excludes misogynistic macho d**kheadedness.

[Carlton green]

Personally my view is that blokes deserve to be allowed their own space too and therefore it’s unreasonable to expect them to change their behaviour, well other than for it to be within the bounds of civilised behaviour.

I'd hope that the civilized behaviour excludes misogynistic macho d**kheadedness.

On-line dictionaries can be very helpful. Using Google I see that: If a person or their behaviour is civilised, they are polite and behave in a calm and reasonable way. I don’t expect people to be perfect in every way - there aren’t many perfect people - but to my understanding civilised behaviour clearly excludes misogynistic macho d**kheadedness.

[mattheus]

I'd also like to ask this question (in the light of some earlier posts) - in a rhetorical fashion, hopefully to stimulate debate:

Would a club that is entirely wealthy white christian straight women in the 35-55 age group be considered "inclusive"?

To answer, in an equally rhetorical fashion, if that club had membership criteria that could only reasonably be met by white christian straight women in the 35-55 age group then I would not consider it inclusive.

I didn't mention "membership criteria" at all. Not sure why you added that to your answer.

[cycle tramp]

My club would like to increase the number of female members.

One idea is the introduction of women only rides, led by a woman.

Good luck to them - the sheer amount of male testosterone b*ll$#!t ('look at me, i'm so much faster than everyone else') in some clubs must be overwhelming to the point that some may be put off riding altogether.

[Psamathe]

My club would like to increase the number of female members.

One idea is the introduction of women only rides, led by a woman.

We have a concern that this move might result in the migration of some of our current female members from mixed rides to the women only rides.

Does any club with female only rides have evidence to support this or not?

I don't do group rides but a couple of thoughts:
We have a concern that this move might result in the migration of some of our current female members from mixed rides to the women only rides.-Does that really matter. If people enjoy their rides isn't that the main point? And if women leave the mixed rides is that an indication about attitudes on those rides? If women left ghe mixed rides it may indicate other women were not joining in because of the factors causing women to switch to women only.

Rides I pass around me are some e, some all male. Mixed rides are midweek and those riding of retirement age. Male dominated rides tend to be weekends on busier roads in a close bunched peloton, lits of carbon, lots of lycra. Is there an aspect ss to the type of rides at what times?

Ian

[Nicholas]

To balance that if the women in my life wanted separate rides I’d support that, let them go at their pace and ride in a way that suits them.

The women in your life must be thrilled to hear that they've been allowed to go at their pace and ride in a way that suits them. I don't think the bit after "I'd support that" really needed saying.

[slowster]

The women in your life must be thrilled to hear that they've been allowed to go at their pace and ride in a way that suits them.

I read 'let them go...' as the common use of 'let' to introduce a third person imperative, not the use of 'let' meaning to allow.

[mattheus]

The women in your life must be thrilled to hear that they've been allowed to go at their pace and ride in a way that suits them.

I read 'let them go...' as the common use of 'let' to introduce a third person imperative, not the use of 'let' meaning to allow.

A quick google suggests the main example of this is:
Let them eat cake!

Is that the form you mean? I know that didn't end well for the speaker [a woman as I recall] ... :-/

[richardfm]

The women in your life must be thrilled to hear that they've been allowed to go at their pace and ride in a way that suits them.

I read 'let them go...' as the common use of 'let' to introduce a third person imperative, not the use of 'let' meaning to allow.

A quick google suggests the main example of this is:
Let them eat cake!

Is that the form you mean? I know that didn't end well for the speaker [a woman as I recall] ... :-/

To quote from Wikipedia "Although the phrase is conventionally attributed to Marie Antoinette, it can actually be traced back to Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Confessions in 1765, 24 years prior to the French Revolution, and when Antoinette was nine years old and had never been to France. The quote was only attributed to her decades after her death, and historians do not believe that she said it'

[mattheus]

A quick google suggests the main example of this is:
Let them eat cake!
...

To quote from Wikipedia "Although the phrase is conventionally attributed to Marie Antoinette, it can actually be traced back to Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Confessions in 1765, 24 years prior to the French Revolution, and when Antoinette was nine years old and had never been to France. The quote was only attributed to her decades after her death, and historians do not believe that she said it'

Well *I* believe she said it. And that's all that matters.

Thankyou for the information anyway, Richard :-)

[TrevA]

Very late to the party here, but here’s my take.

I belong to a club that has a 40% female membership, out of around 120 members, so that’s around 50 Ladies.

They run a very successful Friday Ladies Only Ride, with numbers up to around 30 attending. They usually have 3 groups - Steadies (10-12mph), Lower Inters (12-14mph) and Upper Inters (14-16mph). They also have a Ladies Only Breeze ride on one evening per week in the summer.

Ladies also participate in the mixed club rides with male riders. Some Ladies just like to ride with other Ladies, others are happy to ride with men. Some even prefer riding with men.

The whole thing is driven by a group of 5-6 dedicated women who organise and take it in turns to lead the rides, planning the routes etc. There are a couple of Breeze Leaders. On the Friday Ladies ride, people take it in turns to lead the Steadies ride, so that any new or slower riders always have someone to ride with. The Friday rides all meet together, split into their groups, then meet up again at the cafe. They always have a pre-planned route which is shared with participants.

Newcomers start off with the Breeze ride, which is only 12-15 miles and at a gentle pace. People often turn up on a hybrid bike, but then usually buy a road bike when they progress to the Friday group rides.

[mjr]

.
Newcomers start off with the Breeze ride, which is only 12-15 miles and at a gentle pace. People often turn up on a hybrid bike, but then usually buy a road bike when they progress to the Friday group rides.

Yeah. 'When they progress to the Friday group rides'. There's the problem right there. Cycling for that sort of club has to be done the right way, on road bikes, probably fast, else the rider has yet to progress. Clubs like that running women-only rides is both not addressing the exclusivity in the main club and abandoning minorities like riders with reduced mobility or health conditions.

That may be why Breeze has only weak evidence for fixing problems in its host British Cycling clubs, despite years of expensively trying.

[Nearholmer]

Different cycling clubs have different foci, just as different gardening clubs do, and different angling societies, and ….,, I could go on.

Some are what might be called “cycling for all, for utility and leisure, advocacy groups”, some are old-style CTC oriented, some are overtly, and to varying degrees, sporty, they are exercise and fitness focused, even if that doesn’t mean competitive sport.

Railing at somewhat sporty clubs for being somewhat sporty, rather than somewhat advocacy-focused, is as much a waste of breath as moaning at the Trumpton Marrow Growers for not being into chrysanthemums.