Girls on bikes

“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”
― Susan B. Anthony

I'd like to see her on a bike!!

More than 100 years later, women still cycle less than men. Does this surprise you? It did me. I’d never really thought about it, but if asked I would have said that cycling is an equal-opportunity activity. After all, I’ve always ridden a bike – both for transportation and for recreation.

I had a rough start to cycling, truth be told. The bike my parents had purchased for me was a bit too big, so I learned to ride on my younger brother’s bike. For some reason, neither of our bikes had training wheels. Maybe back then people didn’t use them. I started out with my dad holding the back and running alongside. When he thought I had the hang of it, he let me go on my own. I had the hang of riding, all right, but apparently I didn’t have a clue about braking, and ran smack-dab into a school bus parked down the street. You can use your imagination to finish the story. It was not pleasant. I cried, but I got right back on the bike, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

All through high school and university I rode my ten-speed almost everywhere. I had a car (a $400 1965 Dodge Polara) and I used it, too, but during the spring, summer and fall, I mostly rode my bike.

When my children were small, I continued to ride. I always had a child seat on the back of my bike, and often I carried a baby in a front carrier as well. I rode for fun and I rode to the grocery store, to the library, to church and to aerobics classes. Cycling just seemed to me the most practical and natural way to travel.

When my youngest son was in kindergarten we bought a Trail-a-Bike and until ice covered the ground, this is how we got to school. (We walked in winter.)
 
But through all these years of riding, it never occurred to me that I was almost always the only one. The only girl my age who rode a bike all the time.

Looking back, however, I realize that’s how it was.

So, I guess the results of the City of Edmonton cycling survey should not have come as a surprise: 

The largest demographic group who responded to the survey was male cyclists between the ages of 31 and 50 years old. The largest group of female cyclists consisted of the age group between 21 and 30 years old. It is noted that while the number of male cyclists who completed this survey grows or remains steady after age 30, the number of female cyclists steadily declines. (http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/2005-2006_BicycleUserSurveyResults.pdf)

After reading this, I did some googling about women and cycling. Maybe it’s just Edmonton, I thought. But no. It seems that throughout North America, from Vancouver to Toronto, from Seattle to New York City, men on bikes outnumber women by as much as three to one.

Various explanations are posited, with fashion and safety concerns seeming to dominate. Women don’t like to wear cycling clothing and get all sweaty, and women want to feel safe. I get it on both counts.

Girls just want to look good. I do, too. Although I am fit and athletic and place a high priority on an active lifestyle, I am at heart a girly girl. I have long hair, I paint my toenails, I like fashionable clothing, and I feel a deep sense of disappointment whenever I can’t find a pink version of my favourite toothbrush.

For years I cycled without a bicycle helmet because of what it did to my hair. Then I realized the harsh truth – my hair isn’t that great, no matter what. It’s long and baby-fine and wavy, and if I wear it in a braid under my helmet, after I brush it out, it looks about the same as it would look if I carefully curled it in the morning and then drove to work. So, I decided to suck it up and accept my hair for what it is.

As for clothing, I like the idea of cycling in regular clothes. But for me, it generally doesn’t work. My ride is 7 or 8 km on dusty, often rain-slick, city streets and if I wear my work clothes, I can arrive at work looking like I was out playing in the sandbox or in the rain puddles. Sometimes I’ve looked down to see big grease marks on my pant leg. I’ve decided it’s worth it to dress for the task.

In winter I wear my regular work clothes – typically three layers: a silky cami top, a merino wool or cashmere pullover sweater, and either a blazer or a merino or cashmere cardigan. Then, depending on the temperature, I might put on my pink Sugoi “RS Zero” jacket for warmth, along with my MEC supermicroft wind-and-water proof jacket on top of everything. If it’s a little warmer, I wear just the MEC jacket.

On my legs I wear thin long underwear, either cotton or lined woolen pants, and over these a pair of reflective water-resistant running pants. When I arrive at work, I simply peel off the outer layers and I’m ready to go.

In warm dry weather, I sometimes live dangerously and cycle in my work pants. Slim-legged crops are fine as they are; wider-legged pants are secured with elasticized straps to prevent their getting caught in the chain. If I want to wear a skirt for work (as I frequently do in the summer) or on rainy days, I wear cycling shorts or tights and change at work. 

A hot summer day, hair in a bun

If it’s a cool morning, I often wear my work shirt or blouse under a lightweight cycling jacket. On my way home and on warmer mornings, I typically wear a cycling jersey and put my work top in my pannier. The cycling jersey is worth the bother for several reasons. On warm days, I sometimes get a little sweaty. Also, my normal work tops, which are fine for work activities, tend to gape at the neckline when I lean over the handlebars of a bike. I hear there are men out there who enjoy looking down women’s tops, and I try not to cater to them. And, finally, because I ride on city streets, often in heavy traffic, I strive for maximum visibility. My cycling jerseys, in colours not found in nature, ensure that drivers can’t miss seeing me.

All this might sound like a lot of bother. But, really, if you live in Edmonton and go anywhere in the winter, you have to bundle up. My co-worker wears snow pants for her 15-minute commute by car. When I take the bus, I notice people wearing as many layers as I wear for cycling – after all, they have to walk to and from the bus and often wait 15 minutes at the bus stop.

In warmer weather, it’s just a matter of changing from my cycling jersey into my work top – maybe a 30 second operation. I use the handicapped stall of the washrooms as a change room; there’s plenty of space and a large, almost full-length mirror. Sometimes I have to wash my face and reapply make-up; since I don’t wear a lot, this is not a problem. I gave up on mascara and simply curl my lashes. I’ve considered having them dyed… maybe someday. Once you become a committed bicycle commuter, I think priorities shift slightly.

Surprise!

I’ve always tried to avoid being photographed, but since I started teaching ESL, I’ve been in front of students’ cameras more than I’d like. Ironically, even though my look these days could be summarized as “bicycle commuter,” I’ve been pleasantly surprised, on viewing the photos, to find that I don’t look nearly as bad as I expect. 

I'm on the left