So there's a lot of talk at the moment of the development of women's cycling. Apparently it's the fastest growing side of the cycling market. Maybe it is, but I don't think it's a very easy sector of the market to grow. It may be fast growing, but it's growth rate probably only appears impressive because of its very small base. I mean, if a club starts off with one member, then increases to two members and then four members over a one month period, that looks good doesn't it - 200% growth rate, and during the winter months too!
But what is the proportion of women cyclists in the whole market compared with men? As a marketer wouldn't it make more sense just to keep on targeting men? Women are fickle!
As someone who is captain of the women's section in a cycling club I have found women to be very erratic and inconsistent in their ways. It has made planning for things very difficult.
When I first became captain we only had around 4 or 5 women who were active members. The membership has steadily grown, and we now have around 30. However, gettting them to take part in anything has been a real uphill struggle.
When there were just a few of us, most of use raced and wanted to do so. I remember a tough 3-way competition to get the highest number of British Cycling ranking points. In the end the girl who won, achieved 80 points. She beat the other girl by 5 points. Both made significant inroads towards moving up to 1st category level racer.
Now, despite the swell in numbers we just haven't had such competitions. Sadly, the zeal for racing has not matched the zeal for women wanting to wear the badge that says "I'm in a cycling club." This year our top cyclist, who was quite talented, got 39 points from not having done many races. This was one point away from her gaining a 2nd category licence. She could easily have moved up to 2nd category in the season but her lack of commitment failed her. Joint second place were two riders who obtained just 9 points.
What makes things look worse is that the winning woman has now gone to race for another club. We still have to award her the prize of top racing cyclist in our club though, because these points were achieved while she was a member of our club.
I find the whole thing galling on two fronts: firstly, this girl who has left to join another club had never really shown that much commitment to racing. She claimed this was her first year and she just wanted to take things easy and learn the ropes before taking the 2011 season more seriously. It was her natural racing ability which gained her quick success. The thing this, even though she was just trying things out, she was the only girl in our club who raced consistently. The girl turned up at a number of races alone. Sometimes I went with her, though my ability was pretty poor and we couldn't have developed any tactics together.
After having done an introductory year with our club, and particularly with me giving her advice and support she has now decided to go and race for another club - without so much as a word of thanks.
I think she could have stayed with us and helped to develop women's cycling by sharing her story with others and encouraging people to come with her to the races. We could have even tried to build a team around her.
But she has wasted no time with us, realising there's a lack of a team structure and she's gone.
Maybe I shouldn't blame her. Afterall, she can't have felt good turning up at races alone, as a beginner, doing well and having no team mates there to cheer her on.
The second reason why I find this all pretty galling is that we have experienced racers, but none of them bothered to get out and race much. Our experienced racers gave a whole gamut of reasons as to why they couldn't race - weddings, weekends away, they don't fancy that particular circuit, etc. Frankly I think they were being precious. They only wanted to race if they thought they could be in contention, and didn't want to have to face the new crop of women from other local clubs who have trained consistently and are doing well. When I asked the experienced girls about coming out to race, they always seemed to have a way of maintaining silence on the airwaves. Then suddenly, a week before the big race they would respond to me saying how they were apparently "gutted" to not be able to race due to some family gathering, work commitment, holiday etc. That was the sequence for the whole of the road racing season. Furthermore, the experienced racers were very reticent about coming to the social evenings, where they could have shared their experience with the many new members. This lack of support for racing/training among the women members in the club has really disappointed me.
At the same time, other new members who joined the club saying they wanted to race did not bother to turn up at the various training sessions organised for women. There were a number of beginner races put on as well. Again, same old story - I'm away that weekend, I'm busy, I'm not sure, sounds like something I might like to try some in the future....!
So, with such lethargic team mates is it worth anyone wanting to get involved in such a club? I should be more angry with them than the woman who has just left us.
So, after countless women's captain bulletins, email alerts, a number of socials and social bike rides I realise that this job is just not worth it. I was particularly pissed off by having our chairman and others getting on my case telling me I needed to "rally the troops."!! I was doing my level best! If the girls couldn't be bothered to get involved why should I be blamed?? The men's captain is getting so much praise. He has set up a racing egroup and has encouraged women to join. Needless to say none of them have. But then he has all the men within his remit though, and they have joined. They are turning up at races, organising training rides etc. Men are naturally competitive and like to race so the job isn't that difficult for him. Women aren't built that way, and it is unfair that a lack of activity on the women's side should be seen as a reflection on any ability on my part to carry out the role. It is more a reflection on women themselves.
Our club dinner and prizegiving is coming up, and I am damned if I'm going to it. The girl who thanked the club by jumping ship will be awarded a trophy. There will be trophies to some of the unsupportive experienced riders as well. Of course, it's the typical story. They didn't do much, but they did just enough to win a trophy! Meanwhile, the likes of myself who got so busy organising cycling stuff it became difficult to focus on being competitive - the ones who spent alot of time and effort working behind the scenes get nothing!
Well, the club don't realise how lucky they have been to have someone who had so much enthusiasm. The girls probably don't realise what a lucky position they are in to have someone to hand-hold them through the processes and keep them informed of all things in local women's cycling.
I am tired and I've have had enough. This activity is meant to be enjoyed. I am not enjoying it. I'm going. Good luck to the next person who thinks they have the magic solution for getting women in our club into cycle racing!
