Women just cycling in London, or trying to

[IcakethereforeIam]

The DM, if I see an article from a different newspaper I'll post that too, but this is what I have

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12973173/Female-cyclists-reveal-sexism-endured-angry-men-bikes.html

although the wording of the petition 😐

Yeah ridiculous wording.

A male is going to have to try really hard if they're desperate to appear female while cycling. Your attire needs to be at least somewhat functional. You tend to view cyclists from behind so body shape and size is obvious, but lippy, for example, isn't.

But as a London cyclist the findings don't surprise me at all. Not just aggressive drivers - I've been swerved at by a big van full of laughing men - but also entitled male cyclists who will not allow women to pass them even if they're cycling faster.

Only 9 out of 10?

Doesnt surprise me. It’s definitely worse for women as there’s the grim sexual anger element but Dh commutes and rides more than me and gets a hell of a lot of abuse from drivers. One older man even purposely rammed him with his car. We both prefer the turbo now.

That said I cycle weekly with friends when it’s not freezing we go on sustrans lanes rurally and have only had positivity from drivers - they sometimes lean out of their windows and encourage us puffing up the hills!

Yes, there is data showing that drivers give women cyclists more space - though that is not much compensation for the constant sexist abuse and 'banter' from fuckwits.

I’ve found both cycling and running to be a more pleasant experience rurally, as long as it’s on the kind of single track lane the motorist can’t go too fast on anyway. A local farmer used to cheer me up the hill while crawling behind in his Land Rover.
On busier, wider roads is where I’ve experienced the most aggression, very rarely from women.