Cycling - a man's world?

Anyone can ride a bike. Regardless of height, weight, or age it's a pastime and a sport enjoyed by millions. I was taught to ride a bike by my father. No stabilisers just him hanging on to my saddle running hell for leather behind me while I got my balance. And balance I did and then off we rode for miles on end. That was some years ago, so when I was asked to ride 30 miles for charity in June I did not hesitate to dust down my old Halfords shopper and give it a go.

It was harder work than I thought it would be. I pushed that heavy bike up more hills than I care to remember and cursed enviously as cyclists on lightweight racers flew past me on the route. By the end I was knackered and sore but had been reminded just how much I enjoyed and missed cycling.

I needed a decent bike if I was going to do more cycling. I read some stuff online, got confused. Spoke to some experienced cycling chums, got even more confused and scared by the amount of money suggested I needed to part with to get a decent bike. I decided to venture into my local cycling shop.

Cycling shops are by and large where men congregate. But while they may have a predominantly male audience they are no less welcoming or helpful and desperate to encourage newbies like me into the sport they love. I guess it helps if you want to buy a bike but I have never been made to feel out of place. I bought my entry level specialized bike (cost the same as a family holiday!!) from a small independent dealer in Bath and I have not looked back. The shop staff have become my main point of reference for all my bike related queries. I have come to the conclusion that bike retailers operate like micro- communities, the smart ones pass their customers around, happy to introduce to competitors in order to solve problems rather than trying to get a sale at all costs. It is refreshing. They can be a great source of info for the new cyclist, recommending routes, clubs to join and general cycling tips (like how to practise riding with spds) my advice is don't be afraid to ask regardless of how stupid you think the question may be.

So far most of my cycling miles I have completed on my own but rarely do I feel alone. Whenever I ride I find, regardless of the bike you ride or the gear you wear, there is a real brotherhood between cyclists that is not gender specific. We nod and smile. I particularly like the camaraderie of a sportive where cyclists pedal past shouting "keep going" or come alongside for a chat. Cyclists share jelly babies, pick you up when you fall off, help you change a flat, share the agony of a hard hill and a smile at the end of a long day. It's a friendly sport.

So when asked to write about my experience as a female entering ‘our’ sport by Cyclerecyleuk I have to admit that is the first time I had really considered it as potentially an issue or as a male exclusive activity. But it did get me thinking.

While I have met lots of nice cyclists along the way, I have still not joined a local cycling club. I am sure there are lots of friendly ones but from reading their websites there appears a tendency to take it all a bit too seriously complete with club hill climb race stats generally it all feels a bit mannish for me. But admittedly I have not actually spoken to anyone at a club so my next step is to get in touch and experience a ride,

By the same token women-only cycling groups hold even less appeal. I am just not a fan of segregation in sport or generally in life. As I said anyone can ride a bike.

My female friends are mostly surprised at my new found passion for my road bike. I find that odd since women have been riding bikes for decades, long before it was deemed acceptable for them to drive a car! My male friends are mostly envious of my bike and impressed by my achievements whereas my male cycling friends are a mixed bag generally desperate to know how far and how fast I have gone or blind me with science and food nutrition advice but they are equally encouraging.

Professional and amateur cycling maybe a male dominated sport but there is no barrier as I see it to entry for a female rider. With pro-female cycling suffering a considerably lower profile, and consequently funding, it is little wonder the dominant perception is it's a man’s world. Matrix’s Stefan Wyman’s attempts to encourage a fan backed women’s team is a good example of how difficult it has become to attract sponsorship and funding for women’s cycling and it is also disappointing to see a reduction in the number of women’s Olympic track cycling events.

So while there are nubile, fit young and old men pushing themselves to their Strava limits there are equally women doing the same just in fewer numbers. There is nothing stopping women participating, perhaps the media, British Cycling and amateur cycling clubs could do more to encourage female entry but if my experience is anything to go on maybe it's simply a need for someone or something to trigger a forgotten passion.