Originally Posted by
sarals
I'm still trying to understand why, other than the social stigma, older women won't race. The social part is BIG with us (despite me trying to ignore it), but there's more to it than that. Racing, in order to be competitive, is a commitment, one that a lot of people in general don't want to make. Maybe that's more true with us older gals? We have our lives, with all the richness and complexities that they bring us, and I wonder if it's asking too much to give some of that up or alter it? Having said that, I know plenty of gals who are committed gym rats, runners, cyclists, seamstresses, chefs, realtors, business owners - what have you - and those are also "outside commitments". I don't know....
I couldn't tell you for sure if this is a women's issue, but I see similar things on the men's side. M45+ seems to be the breaking point, at least out here in the Northeast. There is a lot of teamwork and commitment with large fields. As you move up to M50+, the fields are of a similar size, maybe a little smaller, but there are only a few strong teams. Riders come and go every season. Guys get stronger and race more, some show up midseason for a few then disappear. There is a lot less commitment. When you move up to the M55+, the fields shrink dramatically. There is only one team with significant M55+ presence, the one I used to race for in the 1980's. They also do not typically race as a team. So it is pretty much individual racing. Good racing, though. From what I have seen of the M60+, the fields are 10-12 at the most, often only a handful. No teams, just strong guys. The same ones usually win.
So I guess my point is that as the age group increases the commitment decreases. At least that is what I see.