Any female cyclists out there?

Hi Colin:

I meant to reply to you in the group (but it went to your private email) --
yes, I've been in touch with Alix, in fact, her project helped to get me
motivated about doing this. Her project, which was covering Camden and
Lambeth, was one year long and is about to end (pending further funding, I
believe). So I'm starting this, in part, to continue that momentum and also
to get a much wider group.

I welcome any ideas and suggestions - plus help spreading the word!

Cheers,
Jennifer


"Colin McKenzie" wrote in message
...
cityjen wrote:

Hi all -
As a relatively new cyclist, I recently joined this group and am finding
it
very useful. I'm based in London, and often ride with my 16-month-old
daughter - she loves being on the back of the bike in the child's seat!.

I'm having a great time cycling and as such, I am trying to get more
women
cyclists on the road - judging from my travels and conversations with
other
women, we seem to be in a bit of a minority. ....

Not female, me, but have one name you might contact: Alix Stredwick,
who runs a project doing exactly what you want to do: encouraging and
helping women to cycle. I can find an email address for you in a day
or two if the above is not enough to go on.

Colin McKenzie

Great ideas, Jeremy - thanks!

Jennifer


"Jeremy Parker" wrote in message
...

[snip]

From the figures I've seen only about one London bike commuter in six
or seven is a women, which is a shame. I would guess the ratio is
about the same for people who go off riding on weekends.

I thnk there are others who like going off on women only rides,
although I don't know details. I think there is even a bike shop
owned by an all woman co-op. (In Notting Hill?)

It might be an idea to phone the London Cycling Campaign's office
(020-7928-7220) and see if you can get Rebecca Lack, editor of the
"London Cyclist", their magazine, to give your group a plug. The
people at the office also might know of others with similar interests
to yours.

Jeremy Parker

Purple wrote:

I also have a young daughter, a bit older than yours though, she's three. I
used to live in London but recently moved to Nottinghamshire. When you say
you would like to get more women on the road do you mean literally or do you
stick to parks and cycle paths? The reason I ask is that I was terrified
about driving in London let alone cycle. Hats off to you if you cycle the
streets.

Well, skipping into another thread, one thing you can very usefully
spend money on is a copy of Cyclecraft, by John Franklin, The Stationery
Office Books, ISBN: 0117020516 (Amazon have it at 12.99).

It gives very good guidance on how to cycle safely on Real Roads, with
emphasis on good positioning. With good positioning (as Jennifer says,
take and own your space) you do get room, and when you've got room
you're generally safe.

first. Do you find that motorists give you a lot of space with you having
you daughter at the back of your bike?

Things that are out of the ordinary tend to get more space anyway, but
with proper positioning (well out from the kerb, contrary to most
peoples' assumptions, you get far more space from drivers than if you're
hugging it) you'll have plenty of room anyway.
I've already recommended Cyclecraft, but I'll do it again: you really
should get a copy and read it ASAP.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

cityjen wrote:

Hi Velvet:

Well, I'm saying greater London but if there's interest beyond that, I'd
love to hear about it! (Gotta start somewhere!). I'd envisioned rides
starting from London and going out from there. Where are you based?

I'd also be pleased to hear from women interested in leading rides - I
thought perhaps we could do one a month.

Cheers,
Jennifer

Hmm, I might sign up then :-) I'm in the Purley area, in Surrey, though
they're trying their hardest to make us part of London, the gits :-)

I don't ride much (hardly ever) on the roads around here - confidence
reasons, plus the traffic volumes as well as the driver attitudes are
*very* offputting to a single female cyclist (oh, and the hills, the hills).

My better half lives in cambridgeshire, so I tend to save most of my
cycling for up that neck of the woods - quieter roads, fewer cars with
w*****s in, etc. Oh, and fewer hills, too - though they still have them
(*grin*) - contrary to what some would have you believe ;-)

I'd be the last person you'd want as a ride leader, believe me. Not
only do I only know the roads around here as a driver not a cyclist, I
still find a lot of the hills beyond me (both up AND down!) - and last
but not least, I still haven't mastered signalling whilst on a bike yet!

I have joined one local cycling campaign list - I agree that you should
investigate the LCC and the local offshoots from it, they also organise
rides, and there's a women's group in the croydon area too, I'm sure
you'd find a lot of similarly minded ladies amongst them!

--


Velvet

"cityjen" wrote in message
...
Hi all -

As a relatively new cyclist, I recently joined this group and am finding
it
very useful. I'm based in London, and often ride with my 16-month-old
daughter - she loves being on the back of the bike in the child's seat!.


I saw my first bent for ages on my commute home last night. It was only
after following it for a few miles that a guy opened a car door in front of
it and then said sorry sister that I realised the rider was a girl!

You don't get many of them to a pound!

"cityjen" wrote in message ...

I just set up an informal e-group called Cycling Sisters (details, below).
If you know someone who might be interested, please pass along the info.

Welcome to urc. I'll put a message up by the cycle changing rooms at
work. We have a large number of cycle-commuting women here.

Anyone interested in learning a bit more about Jennifer might want to
take a peek at http://cityjen.com/, or just Google for her name.

--
Dave...

I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start getting the urge to
conquer Poland. — Woody Allen

Colin McKenzie wrote in message ...
cityjen wrote:

Hi all -
As a relatively new cyclist...I am trying to get more women
cyclists on the road
Not female, me, but have one name you might contact: Alix Stredwick,
who runs a project doing exactly what you want to do: encouraging and
helping women to cycle. I can find an email address for you in a day
or two if the above is not enough to go on.

aolI was going to say that (and the LCC pace JP)/aol

Alix's project (and contact details) can be found here
http://www.wds.org.uk/projects/current/cfw/cfw.htm

best wishes
james

Jeremy Parker wrote:

I thnk there are others who like going off on women only rides,
although I don't know details. I think there is even a bike shop
owned by an all woman co-op. (In Notting Hill?)

Bicycle Workshop in the All Saints Road URL:
http://www.bicycleworkshop.co.uk/

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
================================================== =========
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
================================================== =========

"cityjen" wrote in message
...

"Purple" wrote in message
...


Hi Jen

I also have a young daughter, a bit older than yours though, she's
three.
I
used to live in London but recently moved to Nottinghamshire. When you
say
you would like to get more women on the road do you mean literally or do
you
stick to parks and cycle paths?

I'd like to get women onto the roads, parks, paths - wherever they feel
comfortable. I ride on all three. I tend to stick with the less busy
streets
when I'm with my daughter, but you can't always do so. (She does love
waving
at the buss drivers). Myself, I ride on the busy streets and actually love
doing so. The key is to take - and own - your space.

I cycled maybe a couple of hundred yards of that yesterday just in the side
streets round where I live after leaving the cycle path to get back to my
house. What worries me is that people don't stop and look before pulling out
round here, you see cars screeching and dodging each other all the time.
It's a nightmare with kids playing in the road too and messing round on
bikes. I am surprised there aren't more accidents than there are.

I will have to become more forthright and not so meek, after all I have as
much right as motorists to be in the road!


snip

I have only just started cycling again after ten years, I bought a new
bike
yesterday and a trailer for my little girl as she is too big too ride in
a
child seat. My partner would also like a bike now and it has crossed his
mind that if we both have bikes we could go camping, cycling from
campsite
to campsite but I would need to get a lot more bike savvy and confident
first.

That is one of the reasons that I got into cycling - as we go camping as a
family, too!

We are ramblers at heart really but now my daughter is too big to be in a
child carrier on my partners back and prefers to walk we don't get out as
much as we used to as she can't walk very fast and gets tired quickly. Which
is fine as we have just as much fine going out for an hour and naming all
the different flowers and plants but I missed being out in the country all
day stopping off for a picnic for lunch that is why I got a bike and
trailer. Both my daughter and I have the best of both worlds now, I get some
exercise and she can travel in comfort!

Camping is a fantastic experience for little ones isn't it?! We went on a
seven month camping trip in France, Italy, Sicily and Spain when me daughter
was 10 months old and she can still remember certain things when I show her
photos of our adventures. I think that is why my daughter is so incredibly
laid back and fearless about everything. When you have to have your nappy
changed in front of seven strangers on a night train you have no choice but
to go with the flow!

Just camping itself is a geat family exercise. We are hoping to go camping
in the Lakes in August


Do you find that motorists give you a lot of space with you having
you daughter at the back of your bike?

I take it. But seriously, I think most motorists will give you space if
you are confident, maintain eye contact, and be assertive about the rules
of
the road. I think when you get into trouble is when you waver in your
intentions.


Thankyou that's some good advice you have offered. Once I get my confidence
back just using my bike on cycle paths and gears etc become second nature
I'll tackle road cycling as Sherwood Forest is only about 30 minutes away
and it would be fantastic to cycle there, have a picnic and then explore!


I don't live in London anymore so don't qualify to join your Yahoo group
but
just to have my tuppence worth: I may have only gone on my first proper
bike
ride today but I absolutely loved it and my daughter had a blast. It was
nice to get away from it all and hit the countryside. It was a really
pleasant feeling to have the wind in my hair while being able to hear my
daughter singing twinkle twinkle little star in the back.

Fantastic!!! I love hearing my litle one gurgle and make animal sounds
back
there!

I definitely think
it is a great way for women and children to get out into the fresh air
and
it will also encourage children to lead a healthy lifestyle later on in
life. I don't know why I didn't buy a bike sooner, when we got home my
little girl didn't want to get out the trailer, she could happily have
rode
(ridden?) around all day!

The key thing, though, is you started! Hurrah!

Thanks! It's never too late to start something new I guess and anything
that gets my daughter away from the dreaded telly is always good! )


Good luck with your group!

Thanks very much - if you think of anyone who might be interested, please
have them get in touch.

Will do!


Best, Jennifer



Fran

"Peter Clinch" wrote in message
...
Purple wrote:

I also have a young daughter, a bit older than yours though, she's
three. I
used to live in London but recently moved to Nottinghamshire. When you
say
you would like to get more women on the road do you mean literally or do
you
stick to parks and cycle paths? The reason I ask is that I was terrified
about driving in London let alone cycle. Hats off to you if you cycle
the
streets.

Well, skipping into another thread, one thing you can very usefully
spend money on is a copy of Cyclecraft, by John Franklin, The Stationery
Office Books, ISBN: 0117020516 (Amazon have it at 12.99).

Thanks Pete, I'll check it out now. If my partner hs his way and we take the
bikes on our camping trip in August I'll have to be better at road cycling!


It gives very good guidance on how to cycle safely on Real Roads, with
emphasis on good positioning. With good positioning (as Jennifer says,
take and own your space) you do get room, and when you've got room
you're generally safe.

first. Do you find that motorists give you a lot of space with you
having
you daughter at the back of your bike?

Things that are out of the ordinary tend to get more space anyway, but
with proper positioning (well out from the kerb, contrary to most
peoples' assumptions, you get far more space from drivers than if you're
hugging it) you'll have plenty of room anyway.
I've already recommended Cyclecraft, but I'll do it again: you really
should get a copy and read it ASAP.

You can't miss the trailer, it is very brightly coloured and has got a pole
with a flag attached to it in order as easy to spot as possible.

Thanks for all your help Pete, I really appreciate it!


Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/


Fran