Advantages Of Women Riders

[Corzhens]

We have a thread for the risks so why not a thread for the positive side?

As a rider myself, one advantage is the support that male riders provide. Like in climbing with a group, I usually notice that one male rider would be in front to serve as my navigator and the others would be on the risky side as if to shield me from vehicles. I don't know if that is the norm but that's what I usually experience when riding with a group. And when it was time to go down (on steep roads) I could hear warnings coming from the back that was presumably meant for me.

 

[welshdude3]

It's a pre-disposition in males, I believe. When riding w/my SO I ride to her outside towards traffic.

A few years back on a cycling tour I met up w/a woman riding solo. We were headed to the same hostels for a few days. W/o thinking I took a protective position to the traffic side rear. At dinner I asked her if she felt weird about it in any way. She said no. In fact she said that upon reflection it felt totally natural I would do that.

It occurred to both of us we were following some sort of primordial, subconscious unction. Natural order if you will. Like stopping to change a flat tire. A male is virtually compelled to complete those type of actions involving females.

 

[PennyS]

Huh.

I have not experienced anything like that.

To me cycling is a gender neutral experience. That may be one of the things I like about it.

 

[welshdude3]

...To me cycling is a gender neutral experience. That may be one of the things I like about it.

Good for you. For whatever reason keep cycling.
It IS a gender neutral experience in and of itself. One can suppose the OPs idea was commenting on mixed gender cycling social dynamics. Not sure. Maybe she'll post again and explain what she meant.
It's MY supposition the dynamic she refers to may be hardwired gender specific behavior. Or it could be socially reinforced. That's what we were trying to come to over dinner. Why did we both do what we did? Never really did resolve it. We traveled together for four days. I rode traffic side rear the whole time. We simply accepted it on face value.
My SO says while she enjoys her solo rides she enjoys OUR rides in a completely different way. As do I.

 

[9lines]

You offer motivation when you are in a group. You are also motivated to be strong. Sometimes you have to forget about your gender and try to keep up with other cyclist. Observe the road rules and you will have no problem.

 

[Dora M]

For me riding my bike has never been a gender neutral experience. All the males that accompany me on my trips always try to protect me. I live in a place that is dangerous on many levels, including the crazy traffic. I am a foreigner here, so it only natural that my local riding companions feel that I need some extra attention. I am very grateful for it, even though I constantly tell them to be more careful and ride behind me instead of next to me, trying to shield me from possible accidents.

 

[gavinfree]

It's still more gender neutral than it's not, though. Even if males provide more protection to the females in a group, the same would still apply for a group made exclusively of females. The benefits are fairly identical for both genders as far as health benefits, comradery and other factors are concerned.

 

[thomas pendrake]

I can remember once holding a door for another graduate student (physics) who happened to be female and being told that it was very presumptuous of me. I was happily married and, to put it bluntly, not particularly attracted to her. I explained that it was a reflex based on quality upbringing on my part and I would have been uncomfortable not doing so. She accepted that explanation. Not too much later she entered into a romantic relationship with another grad student and she was much easier to get along with. And I noticed that she actually became more feminine in her appearance and personality, probably because she felt more self confident.
Some people can be totally unable to interact with people of the opposite sex. I have met women who no man should ever be around without witnesses. And I know males who should never be allowed near a woman. But it is frequently pleasant to be around people of the opposite sex, even when there is no sexual interest. And being protective or being protected can just be more comfortable.

 

[sbatz72]

This does sound like a positive certainly. I don't know if I like traveling in groups though. I have been alone most of my life and I have grown accustomed to this. I am not sure if I would want to ride in a group myself, but it does seem like it was a great experience for you.

 

[Mr. Beanz]

Ha ha ha advantages! My wife (green) rides with me 90% of the time. Aimee second chick back rides with us plenty. Our regular rides range from 35 to 60 milers. When we stop for potty breaks, I go first then clean up the toilets for them. How is that for support! :lol:

The guy in yellow is Jose (yellow), the guy behind him is Mike (red and black jersey). Many times we pass guys on the trail they take a wheel and more than once the uninvited riders have bumped or tried to bump the girls out of position making it dangerous for the women. The guys make sure that when we pass other riders, they don't bump out our women. I've had guys try to bump my wife out of line, I'm not a friendly guy when that happens!

Aimee asked if she could ride with me about 3 years ago because she can't change a flat tire on her own. No biggie, male support!

You can see 4 other strange guys tagged onto the back of the line. If any of them had tried to bump the girls out of position, they would have gotten and earful!

 

[kuroba]

I have to agree, men are more protective of women. I think it's deeply engraved in the way they are raised (at least my SO tells me that it's this way for him). My SO always rides on my left side, as I can't see with my left eye. Sometimes that means he's on the way of traffic, sometimes not.

Just a couple of my own experiences on the subject:

A few months ago we had a heavy rain that left a sinkhole on the bicycle lane I use on my commute. My alternatives were to try my luck and step off to the highway and cross (not going to happen at rush hour) or carrying my bike through the sinkhole (at the time I had a steel step through and weak arms so that wasn't really an option). So I stood there waiting for traffic to diminish a little so I could pass. After 10mins or so a fellow (male) cyclist in the opposite direction stopped and asked if I needed help and carried my bike on his shoulder so I could continue my commute.

 

[Runnerdo]

Riding with the guys gives me motivation to keep going. It gives me satisfaction that it is not about competition but having fun together. I like to look at it as something both genders do well together.

 

[sunshiney]

The group I ride with has always made me and the other female cyclist feel like one of the guys.
No one looks out for us, tries to 'protect' us, or cuts us any slack and I feel like in my case at least it's made me a better rider.
The other girl who cycles with us is like superwoman, she can repair her bike and beat the guys on the trail any day, and she's kind of taken me under her wing.
One of the guys in our group is great at bike repairs and maintenance and he's teaching me a little at a time how to fix things on my bike so I can take care of it on my own.
In general I think we just all try to motivate each other, and it's always been a completely gender neutral thing for us.
In the guys case, they warned me at the start that they didn't want to have to hold back and wait around for me so if I wanted to cycle with them I needed to be able to push myself to keep up.
It's been a good experience and it's pushed me to challenge myself.

 

[sbatz72]

I think this might be in the mans programming. I think that men are programmed as natural protectors of the female. This is why they do this on bikes as well as you would see them shielding the woman they are walking with from vehicles and walking on the outside by the street.

 

[Keyan]

I guess it depends on the kind of people you have in your group. There are male riders who treat their counterparts like they are one of the boys, so it depends on how the team dynamics is. Other female riders on the other hand do not like it when they are given special treatments. Most female cyclist I know are as competitive as the male and they do not feel the need to be protected.

 

[BRITANY]

I can remember once holding a door for another graduate student (physics) who happened to be female and being told that it was very presumptuous of me. I was happily married and, to put it bluntly, not particularly attracted to her. I explained that it was a reflex based on quality upbringing on my part and I would have been uncomfortable not doing so. She accepted that explanation. Not too much later she entered into a romantic relationship with another grad student and she was much easier to get along with. And I noticed that she actually became more feminine in her appearance and personality, probably because she felt more self confident.
Some people can be totally unable to interact with people of the opposite sex. I have met women who no man should ever be around without witnesses. And I know males who should never be allowed near a woman. But it is frequently pleasant to be around people of the opposite sex, even when there is no sexual interest. And being protective or being protected can just be more comfortable.

Like in climbing with a group, I usually notice that one male rider would be in front to serve as my navigator and the others would be on the risky side as if to shield me from vehicles. I don't know if that is the norm but that's what I usually experience when riding with a group.

 

[BRITANY]

Like in climbing with a group, I usually notice that one male rider would be in front to serve as my navigator and the others would be on the risky side as if to shield me from vehicles. I don't know if that is the norm but that's what I usually experience when riding with a group.

can remember once holding a door for another graduate student (physics) who happened to be female and being told that it was very presumptuous of me. I was happily married and, to put it bluntly, not particularly attracted to her. I explained that it was a reflex based on quality upbringing on my part and I would have been uncomfortable not doing so. She accepted that explanation. Not too much later she entered into a romantic relationship with another grad student and she was much easier to get along with. And I noticed that she actually became more feminine in her appearance and personality, probably because she felt more self confident.
Some people can be totally unable to interact with people of the opposite sex. I have met women who no man should ever be around without witnesses. And I know males who should never be allowed near a woman. But it is frequently pleasant to be around people of the opposite sex, even when there is no sexual interest. And being protective or being protected can just be more comfortable.

 

[MaxRjM]

tell me how best to ride with a group or by yourself?

 

[johnalen]

1 – Great For Your Heart. Riding a bicycle is an amazing way to reinforce your heart. ...
2 – Can Ensure Against Breast Cancer. ...
3 – Gives You Vitamin D. ...
4 – Moo Push On Your Joints. ...
5 – Cycling Builds Continuance. ...
6 – Reinforces Your Muscles. ...
7 – Can Assist You Rest Way better. ...
8 – Can Boost Self-Confidence.