Women’s cycling questionnaire

[Quadzilla]

Do we have any feminists on two wheels? Scottish Cycling want to hear from you. Out of their membership only 19% are female and they want to understand why.

www.britishcycling.org.uk/scotland/article/20200923-Help-increase-women-and-girls%E2%80%99-membership-in-cycling-clubs-0?fbclid=IwAR37OAmTvKT8LK5S-8DZutTWeU0vuC6r7n9Qucmfq_kP7VM2mYzqh6muurY

A bit of background:
British/Scottish Cycling run a Sport England funded grassroots women only initiative called Breeze which is open to anyone who identifies as a woman. This policy has cause many female volunteers to complain be ignored/called a bigot and leave.

British Cycling have had well publicised accusations of sexism levelled at them over the years by many of their athletes including Nicole Cooke, Lizzie Deignan, Jess Varnish and Victoria Pendleton.

Whoever wrote the questionnaire fails to mention sex yet there’s lots of mentions of gender. In my experience women do not want to cycle with men as men are physically stronger and faster therefore club runs become men only unless you are a super strong female athlete. I left a cycling club because I couldn’t even keep up with the overweight middle aged men. Sex is the divider in sport. If sporting organisations don’t understand that, is there any hope for them? I’ve filled in the questionnaire in vain hope that they will do if we point it out to them.

Thanks for the link I've filled it in.
I'm not sure what they're hoping for. I told them I've been part of a cycling club for years but haven't been out with them for a couple of yrs ... Why, well the usual childcare, working, who has time to give over 4 hrs on a Sunday to go on a club run? My club has been really supportive of the women riders but there is only so much a bunch of volunteers can do.

I also gave them what for on their inclusion of transwomen and that they didn't ask women or girls what they thought of that rule. I bet the ones reading the survey responses will be really shocked by the terfyness - Scottish cycling have been sharing stuff from stonewall and gendered intelligence and I'm pretty sure they haven't really investigated what these organisations want for women's sport so that might mean they think a bit more.

Their equality ambassador is Pippa York transwomen and ex tour de France rider I was waiting to see how she was, hoping she'd take a measured approach to the sex/gender question. But no, a recent interview they were arguing for trans inclusion from the view of ... I am weaker than I once was so it is fair ... To me ...
www.veloveritas.co.uk/2020/04/14/philippa-york-apr20/
I forgot to mention this in the survey ... Damn! Might have to make another submission.

@Callmejudith

I am a cyclist and a member of a wonderful women's only cycling club in West London. There is no sign of any "identity" bollocks on their rules.

The watchers will probably target your group now, unfortunately.

@ThinkWittyThoughts

Thanks Quadzilla. Intrigued, I googled "breeze cycling" and found the British Cycling page. The link to find clubs was broken. I googled again "breeze cycling club near me". There is one club, a county & toll road away from me. And I'd still say their routes are beyond me 😞

If I had the time, I'd think about starting my own club...

Join your local Nextdoor app. It’s a good way if meeting other women with similar interests.

@DeliciouslyFemale thanks - I will take a look

You’re welcome. A local woman just started up a socially distancing walking group. Because it was started as female only and with Covid distancing in mind, the women love it. No one joins that wants to push boundaries.

Errol it’s the same story around by me. Gangs of teenage lads on bikes and not a single girl.
From my experience in clubs too, there’s a huge drop off rate once girls hit their teens.
It’s pretty hard to cycle where we are - very hilly area with all the flat main roads being pushed into the valleys - and because it’s so challenging getting people to cycle for transport at all is difficult.
Greater Manchester Council are doing incredible work with Chris Boardman on creating safe cycling infrastructure for transport. It would be interesting to see if this had a positive effect on the amount of girls and women cycling.

I'm in a women's cycling facebook group who specifically state that it is female only and no identity stuff. Its wonderful, although most of the members are in the US.

I've just read the article about Philipa York/Robert Millar.
It's mind boggling that someone who competed at Tour de France level to not understand how he was only able to do that because he was male and the benefits and opportunities that beaing a man brings to elite sport.

@Deltoids1

I've just read the article about Philipa York/Robert Millar. It's mind boggling that someone who competed at Tour de France level to not understand how he was only able to do that because he was male and the benefits and opportunities that beaing a man brings to elite sport.

I know, right? I was reading an article about them commenting on the TdF the other day, and it was all “oh it was so difficult for me then, riding in this elite race, knowing I was actually a woman”.

Philippa, as you well know, women aren’t allowed in the TdF, nor is there a female equivalent that would have brought you the same level or earnings and success, which still brings benefits now with the gig commenting on the TdF. So maybe be grateful you had that chance, that a woman couldn’t possibly have had?

I’m rolling my eyes that Philippa doesn’t even mention fairness to women when asked about trans athletes competing. It’s all anecdote, ooh, it’s so complicated, and hmmmm I guess a weakened male is kind of woman, no? SO tone deaf!

Yep. I’m a huge cycling fan (despite the sexism) and was gutted to see Ned Boulting spouting gender ideology bollocks on Twitter no doubt because of his close association with Phillipa. It really is a boys club.

DH used to belong to a club. He was a very keen cyclist when he was younger.
He says he found them too competitive and that's why he left.
It was regarded as a training club and winning was everything - so long as you were the right winner! It was very parochial. A group of them decided to race to the next lamp-post, DH said he'd join them and actually beat them there. They were really put out!

He thinks this might be why these sport clubs are so trans-inclusive. Nothing to do with validating trans women or being kind - they don't do kind.
Winning is everything to them, so women who wipe the floor with the competition are the priority. If that means men identifying as women, well bring them on so far as they're concerned. Who cares if second rate natal women lose out?

I'd say cycling has more than its female membership to sort out.

British Cycling have announced their new Transgender and Non-Binary Policy.

www.britishcycling.org.uk/about/article/20201009-British-Cycling-publishes-Transgender-and-Non-Binary-Participation-policy-0#:~:text=British%20Cycling%20has%20today%20published,all%20levels%20of%20the%20sport.

www.britishcycling.org.uk/zuvvi/media/media/other/British_Cycling_Transgender_and_Non_Binary_Participation_Policy.pdf

"The Equality Act 2010 makes specific provision for sports organisations to prohibit or restrict a person
whose gender has become the acquired gender under the Act from participating as competitors in an
event or events involving a gender-affected sport.1 A sport is a gender-affected sport if the physical
strength, stamina or physique of average persons of one gender would put them at a disadvantage to
average persons of the other gender as competitors in events involving the sport. Such prohibition or
restrictions can only be made in order to secure fair competition or the safety of competitors at the event
or events. "

Does this even make sense? I'm no legal expert but I'm pretty sure thats not what the Equaity Act says.

I know, right? I was reading an article about them commenting on the TdF the other day, and it was all “oh it was so difficult for me then, riding in this elite race, knowing I was actually a woman”.

Philippa, as you well know, women aren’t allowed in the TdF, nor is there a female equivalent that would have brought you the same level or earnings and success, which still brings benefits now with the gig commenting on the TdF. So maybe be grateful you had that chance, that a woman couldn’t possibly have had?

Hang on, if women aren’t allowed in the TdF and “knowing I was actually a woman” why enter? Cake and eat it springs to mind

Sorry, not “why enter” I should have said, “shouldn’t have entered”

Wizzers

That is a pity about Pippa Yorke, I imagined that an ex pro would have more idea about reality and fairness.

Yes @andyoldlabour and I would have thought an equality ambassador's remit includes equality for women and girls as well.

She's quite blinkered on the benefits of testosterone rather than the benefits of being male. Although not surprising as she's benefitted from doping with testosterone, that was one of the drugs of choice back then which she's admitted to taking and tested positive for in 92.

@Deltoids1 I was wondering but I saw that exact wording recently - twitter or mumsnet can't remember I think it was lifted from guidance issued by the EHRC written in 2018 ?

Yes I’ve seen it somewhere too. There is so many things wrong with British Cyclings policy that negatively impacts on women and girls it’ll take some time for me to process it.
The Equality Act is the first place to start though.

@Brownbananabandana

ducktape where do you go in NI with the kids for mountain biking? I’d love to get my kids into it as a family activity

Started in Castlewellan when camping there, now go to Garvagh most weeks as its closest to where I live. Sometimes Davagh, but it's a bit too challenging for my 7yo. Lots of info at www.mountainbikeni.com

This survey closes on Monday 19th October. In view of the latest British Cycling TWAW stance it might be worth our time. They did ask.

Please make sure you’ve all signed the JKR letter of support too. These thing as all linked.

www.ipetitions.com/petition/in-solidarity-with-jk-rowling#comments