Originally Posted by
hshearer
Clubs can also have a big influence on whether they attract women. In one city I lived in, the local club had women's rides and a very supportive environment... and roughly half the regulars at rides were women. In the city I'm in now, it's just one group who rides regularly, and they're fast. Result; most men get discouraged after trying to hang on, and I'm one of only 2 girls who come out.
That. If you want to talk about recreational riding, not commuter riding. It's amazing to me how even the single guys in the club I ride with will drop a cute girl without a second thought. And the girls that
can hang with the boys certainly won't give up their well earned place in the weekend peleton. The keep up or ride alone attitude does not encourage girls to become part of the sport, IMHO.
I don't understand the focus on commuter cycling. Of course riding to work adds the extra considerations of clothing, make-up, commute time, etc. Isn't it more telling that fewer women bike even when those are not concerns (i.e. on the weekend)?