Bike Talk: Are Cycling Clubs Really Intimidating?

A few weeks ago I led a IG story discussing joining cycling clubs and asked about your experiences. I specifically asked followers what they liked about them and the responses were rather mixed. On the positive side, some said they liked cycling clubs for the camaraderie, motivation, discounts, and fitness. On the flip side, many said they find them intimidating and had asked for tips on how to navigate cycling clubs that are largely male and intimidating. Today’s post is going to touch on this “intimidation” factor in cycling and also offer ways to getting more women to join cycling clubs.

With so many business sponsorships and initiatives to get more women on bikes, there are factors that many women have to hurdle over to participate. A big one is that cycling for many can feel like a “boys only club”. When it comes to cycling being a “boys only club”, city roads, clubs, and bike shops can feel like a hot spot for feeling bikesplained and are often riddled with attitudes of “keep up or keep out”.

The gender gap in cycling is real though. Fast Company published an article last year discussing the gender gap in cycling and pointed out that “women today make up fewer than 25% of trips taken by the bike in the U.S.” While safety and bike infrastructure are a few factors, social stigma was another. Cycling is still often portrayed as hyper masculine, we see it in magazines, social media, bike expo’s, and cycling sportivs, especially in the pro races.

Maria Bousted, founder of cycling commuter bags Po Campo, recently spoke with Shift Up Bicycle Industry Podcast about her experience at Inter Bike. While she thought Inter Bike would be more representative of the cycling industry, she had noticed that it was all performance and road cycling. The lack of representation of other types of cycling and male centricity made her feel that she did not belong, even as a 10 year cyclist and cycling product provider. Maria also noticed that the other women attending the event were in bikini’s and handing out booze. She had questioned where the female representation was and had to reconcile with the idea of being a “real biker”.

Maria’s experience is one too often women have when questioning their place in cycling. Often in these scenarios we develop attitudes that can hold us back. Not wanting to speak up, take space, or be harassed are often issues women deal with internally, in society, and on the road too. We hear the social stigma of women on bikes all the time, “its unsafe” “keep up or keep out” “you’re wearing that?” and “be careful”. Too often we encourage women to be cautious while we encourage men to take risks. These gender norms and attitudes, are not helpful to women who want to gain the experience or benefits of cycling and are a big reason why cities and clubs fail to get more women on bikes.

I remember my first cycle club introductory ride. The ride leader was female, social, open to all ages and bikes. We started at a beginners pace comfortable for all. We were taught how to signal, pass, and ride safely. Soon after, I joined the club. As my riding improved and I graduated to new groups, the welcome gap closed. While I did improve, my ability to keep up did not. Not only was I riding with more men, I was also getting dropped which took a hit on my self esteem. I stopped going and decided that I would start my own women’s group ride. While it’s had challenges itself in getting more women to join, it has been the biggest teacher in opening the doors for women who are curious about cycling.

I’ve written before about Why You Should Join A Cycling Club but would like to point out a few benefits of riding with a group:

1. Group riding is essential to learning cycling skills and group riding etiquette. You learn how to communicate, bike handling, and road safety. Soon enough you’ll learn how to draft and become a better cyclist even on the road alone.

2. Group riding is more social. You make friends and have more fun with the people you ride with normally. You also work together to go further and faster, eventually growing into good bike friends. You’ll always have someone to ride with!

3. Group riding helps you become a stronger rider. You’re essentially training to ride with the group, having to pace, keep up, push your limits and increase average speed.

When tips were offered on navigating cycling clubs on IG, this was the feedback many offered with a few of my own suggestions to forming or joining a cycling club.

Tips to navigate cycling clubs:

Meet other women in the group that will ride with you.
Invite girlfriends along. Stick together even if you get dropped. Don’t try to be “one of the boys”, it’s ok to bail and go on your own ride.
Join a group ride led by a woman.
Join a group ride at your pace. It’s not a race.
Learn all the rules before your first ride Some clubs don’t offer beginner group riding experience. Ask for one or read our posts “Guide To Riding In Groups” and “Road Cycling 101“.
Start your own cycling group. I did and there are plenty of women led cycling groups that bring in the fun and make you work.

Some of you said that you joined cycling clubs and started group rides because the intimidating factor. Here is what work for them.

Have a philosophy of “more people on bikes” and specifically “more women on bikes”.
Offer a safe zone: no questions are dumb, no bike or outfit is wrong.
Offer intro to group riding for beginners. Other offerings like bike skills training, bike test riding, and advancement to other grades of group rides.
Offer social rides for beginners of only 20-25 miles with a post ride social at a cafe or bar.
Offer women’s only group rides with a more fun and social spin.
While safety is always a top priority in group riding, remind people to have fun and not be cranky about the rules.

The question to cycling clubs remain though, do you just go with the norm or do you improve your offerings? Or for WTF people, is it better for you to start your own cycling club? There are women’s cycling clubs popping up around the U.S, many led by women’s cycling brands and more by non-profit groups who understand the need for inclusivity and representation. WTF (women, trans, femme) group rides are opening the doors to offer alternatives of how cycling clubs are perceived, usually as competitive and male centric. Instead, WTF rides are empowering, social, and offer more to WTF people in skill development, adventure rides, and friendships.

I don’t want women to stop joining cycling clubs with men, or have men adjust their behavior in cycling clubs as there is so much we can learn from them that help us over come our insecurities. Nor am I trying to put our brothers in a corner of their own here but I want to point out that while so much in cycling is catered towards men, it’s especially hard for women to know that they too belong. If you really enjoy riding and want to join a group for whatever reason, just know that there are so many options for your style, speed, and distance. Cycling groups are out their and if they aren’t, ask your bike shop to host one!

Cycling clubs are not all one-size fits all. There are different teaching styles, leading, and personalities. You have to try them all to see what works best for you. When looking into a cycling club, there are some specifics to look for: representation of women. Are their women in photos leading rides, leading discussions, leading training, leading meetups etc? You want to ensure that clubs offer training rides, beginner rides, women’s only rides, specific speed rides etc that cater to all.

Not all is lost when it comes to cycling clubs. As more WTF cycling clubs grow, they are calling for more women to get involved. Question is whether you will join them.

To help you further connect to a group ride or other women’s groups, check out these suggestions below:

Image: Encourage Her Cycling

If you have a cycling group, please leave a comment and tell us how to find and join you!