Lady Commuters



DancingLady

Member
Mar 9, 2015
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In my observation, it seems like there are far more men commuting by bike than women. I have no idea why this is. My clothing does not pose a problem for me, but I wonder if some ladies are afraid they will get their clothes dirty if they commute by bike, but not as many men worry about this?

How is it in your town?
 
I live in St. Louis. Im one of the few female bike commuters as well as one of only female bike messengers.
 
I live in San Diego, and I'd have to say that I see a lot of female cyclists commuting to and from their destinations. Of course, way more men do this than women, but I'd say we have more women doing it here than in other areas. There are a number of factors that could explain this situation, but I'd say it's a mix of factors, including safety concerns and other problems. Who knows, though?
 
Here in our place, you are lucky to see a lady biker commuting to work. With male bikers, there's a lot and during weekdays you will never fail to see them on the roads, racing with the motorcycles in weaving and cutting in any lane they wish. But women bikers can be spotted only during weekends and still a very rare sight. I don't know why. There are many bikers here but mostly they ride inside the village only.
 
I've thought about biking to work, and here are a few things that stop me:

- I get cold easily, and my office is kept such that I need long sleeves and a sweater to be comfortable during the day. I can't bike with that or I'll overheat. How do I keep my business casual attire from wrinkling in my bag when I ride?
- I would need to re-do my hair after I arrived because I would never ride without a helmet on, and I can't put my hair up in such a way that it will sit okay with the helmet and not drive me crazy at work.
- My area is pretty good about bike lanes, but not so much with the street lights. It would be dark while I was riding to work (and on the way home during the winter) and I would be worried that drivers wouldn't see me even with reflectors and lights.
- There's one spot where I would need to move over about three lanes on a pretty busy road where I come close to accidents even in my car where others can theoretically see me.

I don't know if those are things that affect me because I'm a woman or just because I'm neurotic, but that's my perspective. I don't see many people commuting by bike in any case. I'm actually not sure my building even has bike racks, though I keep meaning to look.
 
I just learned this yesterday although a segue from the topic but in response to @CoolCat. I have an office mate who comes in early to the office, that's 2 hours before the start of work. He had that folding bike that he rides in the nearby park. After biking, he would take a shower in the executive comfort room and dress up. I didn't know that many of my colleagues are doing that although they are not in a group, they do it individually and not every day.
 
I have access to a small office gym through my company, which probably isn't as nice as the executive comfort room in your office but it could probably be used similarly. I'm pretty sure there's a shower in the locker room, but I got my grand tour years ago and haven't been back inside since. It's actually in the building next door, but I've seen people use it during lunch and get cleaned up to come back to work. I've never seen anyone get into the habit of using the gym during lunch, though. It always seems to last 1-2 weeks before people give up.

We have some walkers who take to the sidewalks at lunch and they primarily clean up in the bathroom afterward. I think the more serious walkers (who go out at lunch even now, when it's in the 90s by lunch time) bring a change of shirt and some wet wipes so they can approximate a sponge bath afterward. That just has no appeal to me.

Actually, now that I think about it we used to have an intern who biked during lunch. We all thought she was kind of crazy, going out for a bike ride in the middle of summer heat (and in a dress no less) and then having to come back to work in sweaty clothes. I don't know how many times she actually did it, though.
 
I've thought about biking to work as well but then I think it would take me an hour to get there and chances are id be pretty sweaty by the time I got there especially in the summer and I would be uncomfortable all day!
 
Some women might feel unsafe riding a bike in their area. Some women might feel discouraged from participating in any physical activities at all, because it is not a 'girly'thing to do.
 
Here, where I live, bicycles and motorbikes are far more common than cars, as they are cheaper. Bikes are often used as the principal way of transport. Women take their kids to school on their bikes, they go shopping on bikes, they run small street vending businesses on their bikes, and so on. Many women here have a small cart attached to their bike in which they carry vegetables, sweets, ice cream and other products for sale. Mind you, in this country women love high heels and tight clothing, and it seems to have no impact on their bike riding, as they regard their bike as an extension of themselves.
 
I worry that I will walk into my job, or classroom and smell. I am having big problems with my whole body smelling lately. This is not the typical problem with body odor that you can just wash away with some deodorant and forget about it. So, this is why I do not think I would commute after purchasing a new bike. I think I will just do it for leaser time and exercise time that does not include my time that is spent at work or school.
 
sbatz72 said:
I worry that I will walk into my job, or classroom and smell. I am having big problems with my whole body smelling lately. This is not the typical problem with body odor that you can just wash away with some deodorant and forget about it. So, this is why I do not think I would commute after purchasing a new bike. I think I will just do it for leaser time and exercise time that does not include my time that is spent at work or school.
Go to your healhcare pro. This a a medical or diet issue not hygiene.
 
Yeah, women are usually concerned about cleanliness and being smart. They will never cycle when it is drizzling, they fear being dirty. But those who are not concerned about that have hit the roads with their bikes. We need to encourage them since cycling has got health benefits.
 

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