I'm one of only 2 female cyclists in the mountain biking group that I ride with. When I first started, I really feel like I had to work harder to prove to all the guys that I could keep up with them.
They all assumed I wasn't as tough as them, wouldn't be able to handle falling, wouldn't be able to handle climbs and drops. It took a few weeks of riding with the group and really pushing myself before they started treating me like one of the guys, instead of like someone's clueless girlfriend who had been dragged along for the ride.
Like, I get it. Giving the new guy a hard time is pretty typical, but it went beyond that into the assumption that I wouldn't be able to keep up, full stop, because women aren't strong enough. I felt like I had to work twice as hard to gain a basic level of respect.
Have you encountered a similar attitude in cycling? What do you do to combat it?
They all assumed I wasn't as tough as them, wouldn't be able to handle falling, wouldn't be able to handle climbs and drops. It took a few weeks of riding with the group and really pushing myself before they started treating me like one of the guys, instead of like someone's clueless girlfriend who had been dragged along for the ride.
Like, I get it. Giving the new guy a hard time is pretty typical, but it went beyond that into the assumption that I wouldn't be able to keep up, full stop, because women aren't strong enough. I felt like I had to work twice as hard to gain a basic level of respect.
Have you encountered a similar attitude in cycling? What do you do to combat it?