12/23 - Hains Point 100 - A Ride to Benefit WABA's Women on Bikes Program

**eminva** · 12-09-2012, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by TwoWheelsDC

One factor I didn't see mentioned was that kids, at least in my experience growing up in the 80s/90s, learn early on that bikes are a toy for boys. In my family's social circles, I don't know that any of the girls (including my two older sisters) had bikes, but for the boys they were pretty much standard issue from like 5 years old. I think it goes back to the old stereotype that mechanical things are inherently masculine. While certainly there are exceptions, within my current peer group it seems to hold true...most the guys had bikes growing up and rode them everywhere as kids, but the girls, not so much. So I think men in general tend to have a very nostalgic view of bikes that most (many? some?) women don't, so I hope WABA is keeping that in mind with its advocacy. Or maybe I'm talking out of my ass...it's entirely possible.

If this is true, then we have apparently gone backwards. A decade or two before TwoWheels youth, when I was young, it was a rite of passage for boys and girls alike. Maybe the difference is that we were using bikes for transportation, not just sport. I grew up in Texas (not then or now known as a rival to Portland), and the bike racks took up half the parking lot at my middle school. I just used Google maps to look at an aerial view of the same school and I don't see a single bike rack. So perhaps that trend away from utility cycling had already started by the time you were growing up.

Another observation: Women's cycling was not even an Olympic sport until 1984. For those of us "over a certain age," there was virtually no competitive outlet for cycling so if we were interested in competition, we probably would have pursued others sports.

And if this hypothesis is true, than WABA might have an easier time getting women in my generation back on the bike for errand running and such, because we did that forty years ago. It might require a marketing and education effort for younger women.

Liz

**Arlingtonrider** · 12-09-2012, 05:23 PM

Ditto. My parents weren't bike riders themselves, but I had a trike or bike almost as far back as I can remember. I think I rode to school starting in first or second grade. There were bikeless years here and there depending on where we lived and where the school was, but for most of my early life I was expected to get myself around wherever possible. Your comments are interesting, Liz. I think a lot of women who grew up with bikes are enjoying re-discovering them.

**txgoonie** · 12-10-2012, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by Arlingtonrider

I think a lot of women who grew up with bikes are enjoying re-discovering them.

This. I was the only girl in my neighborhood and had an older brother that I was always copying, so I don't know if my experience is typical or not. However, I can say that a couple of years ago when I decided that I wanted to mountain bike, part of the reason was that I still had sense memory of what riding was like as a kid -- free, fast, fun -- that I wanted to recapture. The mountain bikey crowd has heard me complain that the local MTB group does a really poor job of cultivating new riders, particularly women. Women's fields in competitive cycling are dwarfed by the men. It's a problem across the board.

I won't be in town on the 23rd but I wil donate and ride in solidarity!

**crysb** · 12-13-2012, 10:27 AM

I should be able to come around to help out and ride a bit. Filled out the form but haven't heard anything yet.

My thought was that I can contribute water or snacks or whatever's most needed. Let me know!

**consularrider** · 12-13-2012, 10:45 AM

I'm supposed to leave town on the 23rd, but may be able to do a show-and-go if I end up with a late afternoon flight.

**Megabeth** · 12-13-2012, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by crysb

I should be able to come around to help out and ride a bit. Filled out the form but haven't heard anything yet.

My thought was that I can contribute water or snacks or whatever's most needed. Let me know!

Thank you!!!

I'm hoping to send out some e-mails to volunteers and baker/snack bringers in the next few days to try to wrangle everyone. I've had an explosion of interest which has created a lot of moving parts!

In the meantime, I encourage everyone that is either riding, donating and interested in volunteering to fill out the form on the Hains Point 100 page so you can be sure to receive updates (and some really exciting announcements that will be coming out soon).

**KLizotte** · 12-13-2012, 04:06 PM

FYI: I posted Megan's msg and accompanying website to the biking listserv at work today and one person, whom I don't know at all, responded that she made a small donation as a result (but will be out of town for the actual ride).

Spread the word folks!