It’s no secret that men far outnumber women in the saddle. In the UK, 75% of cycle trips are made by men, with less than 10% of women cycling at least once a week, compared with 21% of men. Women make up only 20% of British Cycling’s membership, and only 15% of the USA Cycling Team. When cycling indoors, the numbers are significantly different.
Taking indoor cycling classes is Rising year by yearIt has the backing of spinning clubs like SoulCycle and Les Mills, which have thrust it into the spotlight. Advances in home training technology mean riders can even compete with their peers from the comfort of their living rooms. Strava data shows that the popularity of virtual bike rides using apps like Zwift (a platform with over 1 million users) continues to grow, with the brand’s director of women’s strategy Kate Veronneau telling us: “We’re seeing a huge and continued growth women’s market”.
analyze Indoor fitness space Indicating that it is a form of exercise suitable for women, the gender ratio of female participants ranges from 78% to 22%, with spinning being the third most popular choice.
“Throughout my career, most people in indoor classes have identified as women, and most of them wouldn’t ride a bike outside for various reasons,” said Melissa Ball, Cycling instructor and founder of London-based indoor cycling gym Cadence.
If you can’t see it, you can’t be it
Outdoor riding culture is male-dominated, which can be off-putting to women.
“I don’t speak for all women here, we have a lot of women who ride with our clubs but often the fear of going on a club ride or cycling event and being the only woman or one of the few can be very intimidating ,” said Ellie Cousins, women’s captain of the London Dynamo Cycling Club in England.
Cycling clubs that organize women’s rides tend to have greater success when women participate
(Image source: Future)
In recent years, the city-based club has successfully targeted increasing female membership, hosting a variety of rides and events tailored specifically for women and establishing a women’s Zwift racing team. “A lot of people look to clubs for a sense of belonging and if they don’t see that they’re represented [through others the same age/gender/ethnicity]it solidified the idea that maybe this is not our space,” Cousins continued.
The latest competition content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, delivered straight to your inbox!
Emma Dyson founded Mellow Jersey, an organization that runs women’s and co-ed bike tours in Mallorca, to get more women into cycling. “Most tour operators are run by ex-professional cyclists, with large groups of riders – mainly men – heading out for testosterone-fuelled rides, and the few women who join them are usually quite fast and able to ride on A lot of people in these groups are deterred by this,” she said.
“Under-representation begets under-representation,” says Kristen Bonkoski, founder of Femme Cyclist, a platform that encourages women to get in the saddle by providing information about machinery, riding techniques and fitness. “While fitness classes are common, you see other women taking them and that motivates you to join.”
The e-racing platform continues to double down on its commitment to gender equality. On Zwift’s virtual Tour de France, women and men can race together (while receiving equal broadcast coverage), something that’s not even possible on the physical version of the infamous race. “We continually partner with female ambassadors around the world to help elevate women’s voices and connect female-identified communities,” said Vironia.
Male-dominated industries
this Cycling Association It was revealed that only 8% of shop floor roles and 19% of customer-facing roles in the UK are held by women. The numbers hold true in the U.S., too, with 89% of bike shops owned by men. The same pattern exists across the industry, affecting the products and services available.
“When I started my racing career, I was one of only two women in my age group and I quickly discovered that riding gear – particularly clothing – was not designed in a way that suited women’s bodies and needs. As was often the case Under the circumstances, women’s clothing is just a cheap version of men’s clothing,” said Iris Slappendel, the company’s former president. Cyclists’ Union He is also the founder of Iris, a bicycle brand specializing in women’s clothing.
Women may not always feel comfortable asking questions in a store with an all-male staff
(Image credit: Westend61/Getty)
It was years of wearing poorly designed clothing that prompted Slappendel to venture into cycling apparel. “We’re not doing anything exciting here, but you’d be surprised how much adjusting the elastic, changing the size, or inserting extra openings in the garment can allow women to enjoy and be comfortable while riding,” she asserts.
At the same time, a lack of understanding and attention to the diversity of women’s clothing design requirements also prevents many from pursuing cycling. “Clothing often fails to meet both the cultural and religious needs of Muslim women, especially modesty,” points out Deryn Ellis of Cycle Sisters. Cycle Sisters is a road cycling club founded in 2016 to help increase the representation of Muslim women and now has over 1,500 members.
Male dominance in the cycling industry also hinders women’s access to health and wellbeing information. “Many women experience discomfort while riding, but most women are reluctant to go to a bike shop packed with men to seek solutions to problems like genital pain,” Bonkoski said. “I started FemmeCyclist because I saw something online A lot of the media and information is created by men for men, but there is very little information for women, like how do you ride a bike during your period?”
“These are things that no one talks about, maybe because many working in the industry don’t think they’re important,” agreed Slapendall.
Indoors, women have played an important role in shaping the industry around female customers, leading to an increased focus on gender-specific riding needs.
“Most of the coaches I train are women, and maybe only one in 20 is men, including the senior trainers,” says Melissa Power, who has coached trainee coaches for more than a decade.
(Image source: Future)
“We created our prenatal and postpartum training programs to reflect the different life cycles women go through and work with amazing female athletes and coaches who have experienced these issues themselves,” said Zwift’s Veronneau, who highlighted the influence of the classes bikeweek My own digital editor, used these lessons to stay healthy during both pregnancies.
The brand has put its flag in support of women in professional racing, most notably as main sponsor of Avec Zwift at the Tour de France, a move Veronnea calls an “absolute, unequivocal, undeniable success”.
Safety and security remain significant obstacles
“Another consideration that cannot be forgotten is safety,” Cousins asserted.
“There seem to be more and more women riding virtually now, largely because there are fewer safety concerns. When I ride at home I know I won’t be yelled at by other road users, either. There is no risk of an accident.”
Powers sees this sentiment among many of her customers.
“When I speak to my female clients, the majority say they would never cycle outside and that the roads, especially in London, are too dangerous if you are not prepared to actively cycle in the face of motorized traffic. ,” she said.
Abuse is common and many women choose not to ride after dark
(Image source: Getty Images)
one London Cycling Research Research shows that nine out of 10 women surveyed have experienced verbal abuse while riding a bicycle, with more than 90 per cent saying drivers have used vehicles to intimidate them.
“[Women] I was constantly subjected to verbal abuse on the road, which sometimes felt like a gendered attack. This can be a particular concern if you need to ride alone before starting a club ride, perhaps even before dawn! “Cousins said.
Data from Strava shows that women are far less likely to ride alone, with 37% of rides recorded by women being in groups, 10% more than men. As mentioned before, group rides are often male-dominated and sometimes even offensive, so finding a like-minded group is another challenge.
Winter exacerbates the problem. Data from Strava shows that globally women are nearly 25% less likely than men to ride a bike before sunrise and sunset. Fear of harassment and violence affects women’s sports and leisure activities outside of cycling, Devastating figures indicate that nearly 3/4 of women Changing Behavior During Winter Exercise 26% more than last year. Given that many midweek rides are done before or after work, this again lends itself to an indoor activity.
Addressing security issues is a larger piece of the puzzle, and activities to improve infrastructure are a key consideration. However, the desire to ride in groups during the day is possible.
Parenting still dictates leisure time
Childbirth and parenting have been repeatedly shown to hinder women from participating in and continuing outdoor cycling, recreation, and travel to a much greater extent than men.
Despite data suggesting increasingly egalitarian childcare practices and attitudes, women still do the majority of the work, which has a significant impact on women’s access to leisure time. Research from the UK and North America shows over 75% of women with children face barriers to engaging in routine activities with their mothers, including time, social support and fatigue Spending less time riding bikes than dad.
One study even showed Have two or more dependent children Men were more likely to ride a bicycle for recreation at least monthly, while women were less likely to do so.
Riding horses may take a backseat to women if they have children – perhaps more so than men
(Image source: Getty Images)
“Indoor cycling is a solution for many of today’s women who also juggle professional and personal commitments every day,” Veronneau asserts.
Slapandl agrees: “Childcare and traditional gendered care roles play a big role in women’s choice to cycle indoors or outdoors. Even though I’m from the Netherlands, where there’s a gender balance when it comes to cycling, I see a lot of women giving up exercise bikes when they have kids, while men continue to go out for full-day weekend rides.”
“I’m not saying change isn’t happening, but it’s happening very slowly.”
therefore, Women (far more than men) Determining time constraints is a core hurdle in cycling. More worryingly, women’s reduced leisure time due to childbearing also lasts longer than men’s. Being excluded from the sport and its social circles for so long made returning to the road even more confusing.
“This makes indoor cycling much easier,” Powers said.
“Classes are only 45 minutes long and you get a workout similar to riding outside for hours, making it easier to balance it with childcare or other responsibilities.”
While outdoor riding as an industry is unlikely to revolutionize gender norms, there are lessons to be learned from approaches that advocate for shorter ride times and more attention to the different time windows available to men and women.
way forward
Increasing female participation has long been a goal of cycling brands, clubs and organizations. Progress has been slow, perhaps hampered by the aging traditions of a sport. However, there’s no denying that those who have taken a leaf out of the indoor cycling book are taking greater steps forward.
“The number of women in our club has doubled in the last few years and I think that speaks to the fact that we attract a very friendly and encouraging group of women who also want to challenge themselves and improve their performance and cycling skills,” Kao Hins asserted.
As the industry grapples with how to move faster, there are certainly lessons to be learned from warm, dry indoor cycling.
