In the category of Best Local Bike Shop

You don't need to tell me who Mel is.

Your right, it is a sweeping generalization, but it's hard not to draw conclusions as to why many male customers would rather not have me work on their bike, why we keep losing women on this forum, and as to why there are not enough women mechanics/riders in general when the consensus is that it is perfectly acceptable to post photos of half naked women up on a cycling website.

I could be completely wrong, there is no way to prove that the same kind of sexism that makes it acceptable to post that kind of photo on a cycling website has nothing to do with the gentleman that told me he would rather speak to a guy, but it's very hard not to draw conclusions.

and you're right Nhattattack there are men who are sexist and do find it difficult to interact with women. I have noticed that occasionally when I work with female colleagues there are guys who struggle to even make eye contact with my colleague when talking to us both (and in our company there are women who have better bike fixing skills than I do)

Apologise if I have offended you by posting that image. It was originally posted to the forum by ev_ (a woman)(http://www.lfgss.com/post504791-31.html) and is relevent to the topic since it is one of the images rob (who has no problem employing female mechanics) uses for his busines card.

And I agree (and have been told by women friends) that this forum is not woman friendly, has a strong whiff of testosterone and brylcreem about it.