Gender balance on forum?

hahahaha! HI!!! x

14 years changes a place (and a person) though - one would hope.

184 pages 😲

Super cool women doing neat things on bikes

30 pages

Mostly men posting in that thread, though (not saying that should stop! just that i don't think it really reflects a greater volume of wimmins on le forum)

There's definitely more men here than not-men, and I expect the reasons are quite complicated, and include all the stuff that previous posters have mentioned, plus sports and cycling overall being male-dominated. There's not really a female equivalent of "MAMIL" in the popular consciousness, you know?

I've had run-ins with multiple blokes on here in the past who were weirdly interested in trying to intimidate me because they figured out I was a woman, and a lot of women just don't have the energy for that shit, so they lurk or don't give their gender away, or whatever.

It's a kinder, nicer forum these days, but it's history will have a long-term impact on gender balance, especially given that cycling doesn't seem as popular as it was 10 years ago (so fewer newcomers to replace the older members dropping off), and Reddit and Discord have also been slowly strangling BBS-style communities for ages now.

There was a time, long ago, when women were actively discouraged or actually forbidden from competing on bikes. In the 1930's my (late) clubmate Ethel Brambleby found herself banned from Border CA time trials as soon as she showed any promise - it's hard to believe that the committee dinosaurs responsible weren't worried that she would beat them!

Ethel, and many others, fought the good fight against this nonsense and eventually won. As far as I know the only all male club (I'm not sure if it can be called a cycling club) still existing is the Pickwick - and even they have the excuse that members have to adopt the name of a Pickwick character.

In spite of the success of the pro-women campaign there are still far fewer women than men in the world of cycling enthusiasts. I think this is just in the nature of things and that while I believe we should do what we can to encourage women, I don't think we should beat ourselves up because the numbers are still unequal.

cycling doesn't seem as popular as it was 10 years ago

Does this need a thread of its own?

There was a time when, if a woman started posting on here, within seconds every incel skidder with a fixie would descend on her posts in a panting mob. That might have discouraged some women.

incel skidder with a fixie
tautology

Great dredge.
Thanks for adding to the debate.
Cool name.
Have you considered "ladle face"?

uh oh jeez is back

Im sure you could find a debate if you wanted to. But starting form

regressive cunt's opinions that women have no right to spaces or language away from men (often autogynephiles or simply predators)

Isn’t really working to improve online discourse.

As this thread has been bumped, I was surprised by the decision to allow the sale of products on here that were only realistically going to appeal to porn addicted incels.

Not sure it makes it a particularly welcoming place, but probably just my opinion.

I'm not gonna point them out, put the thread on ignore

I thought the way that thread was handled was exemplary. Thoughtful reasoning behind decision to allow it was shared with the forum by the big V in a mature and rational manner. No need for a flame war or retiring to the fainting couch. You had the option to block, which you did, so let’s carry on like sensible adults who are aware not everything we are exposed to is our cup of tea or our particular bag, baby.

I was surprised by the decision to allow the sale of products on here that were only realistically going to appeal to porn addicted incels.

Odd take, if it was a box of vibrators would you be saying they only appealed to femcels? All men wank, if some want to do it into a Dyson vac with rubber lips on then power to them.

Found the buyer! 🤣

Everyone uses a Henry, it is so we can looking in to those loving eyes.

Thought this was pretty sensible up until the last word, which seemed a bit unnecessary.. but yes agree that topics like gender should be discussed sensitively and ad hominem is seldom helpful to shift the dial on anything.

Given the vastness of the forum you've singled out some very particular issues indeed, with probably not a very wide participation (finger in the air of course).. Wanting the forum to be more inclusive by being less inclusive really is a controversial judgment call to make I think, and surely you'd understand people coming to a different view without ascribing malice ('hate' is a pretty strong word)?

@Gewürzt I'm trying to figure out where this person is coming from but given they use words like 'perversion' I might hazard a guess that a box of vibrators would be equally unwelcome to them.

Loathed to come in a feed the troll but just to be very clear you're explicitly stating that you believe:
a) TQ+ identities are invalid?
b) TQ+ ideology promotes paedophilia?

As a woman, can you absolutely fuck off?

so Inclusivity to you in complete context should only be gender based equality and shut the door? This is all some TERF rage bait nonsense then?

Lol. This.

I have typed 3 posts and deleted them all before hitting the reply button, think I’ll just stick around for the LoL’s now after the eyebrow raise and dismissive shake of the head from partner after showing her some of the content.

Edit: Though there is a discussion to be had but that is for Women to start/moderate and Men to listen. can’t see that being a healthy discourse right now...

Though there is a discussion to be had but that is for Women to start/moderate and Men to listen.

Yep