If I may pipe up, I don't think a women's sub-forum would be a bad idea at all, even if it was only somewhere where sexist comments were definitely outlawed. Otherwise, for the reasons Nhatt cites--if anyone needs reminding what it can be like, look here.
It's a well-documented fact that a lot of women in this country think cycling isn't for them. There's a good deal of culture-specific stereotyping behind this, and this finds conscious or unconscious expression in a lot of posting that goes on here.
I think 'segregation' is a bit of a red herring here. If a sub-forum enables women on here to feel a stronger sense of community, they'll also have more confidence posting. As it is, the community has a distinct blokish feel.
There's of course absolutely nothing wrong with holding women-specific events--people need to realise that a lot of rides organised on here are effectively men-only events, anyway--with the occasional very fast woman thrown in, like stelle, GinaG, RP, or Pocketfull, to name just a few, who can teach many of the fast men on here a thing or two. It's just that there's an implicit and often unrealised mechanism of selection at work that doesn't make that so obvious.
Most men get into cycling by means of peer support, and women are missing out on that and fewer enjoy the benefits of cycling. Even allowing for the obvious objection that not everyone must enjoy cycling (O RLY?), the ratio of cycling men to cycling women in the UK is still shockingly lopsided and a lot of patronising shite tends to be wheeled out when people try to fish for explanations.
So, this forum's not the centre of the Universe, and I don't want to sound over-the-top serious, but I certainly find the sexism annoying and I can completely follow women's reasons for not wanting to be part of a community where people hold such views. Or--pardon me--have a kind of ruthless and vital sense of humour whose multi-layered irony takes no prisoners. But of course.
If I may pipe up, I don't think a women's sub-forum would be a bad idea at all, even if it was only somewhere where sexist comments were definitely outlawed. Otherwise, for the reasons Nhatt cites--if anyone needs reminding what it can be like, look here.
It's a well-documented fact that a lot of women in this country think cycling isn't for them. There's a good deal of culture-specific stereotyping behind this, and this finds conscious or unconscious expression in a lot of posting that goes on here.
I think 'segregation' is a bit of a red herring here. If a sub-forum enables women on here to feel a stronger sense of community, they'll also have more confidence posting. As it is, the community has a distinct blokish feel.
There's of course absolutely nothing wrong with holding women-specific events--people need to realise that a lot of rides organised on here are effectively men-only events, anyway--with the occasional very fast woman thrown in, like stelle, GinaG, RP, or Pocketfull, to name just a few, who can teach many of the fast men on here a thing or two. It's just that there's an implicit and often unrealised mechanism of selection at work that doesn't make that so obvious.
Most men get into cycling by means of peer support, and women are missing out on that and fewer enjoy the benefits of cycling. Even allowing for the obvious objection that not everyone must enjoy cycling (O RLY?), the ratio of cycling men to cycling women in the UK is still shockingly lopsided and a lot of patronising shite tends to be wheeled out when people try to fish for explanations.
So, this forum's not the centre of the Universe, and I don't want to sound over-the-top serious, but I certainly find the sexism annoying and I can completely follow women's reasons for not wanting to be part of a community where people hold such views. Or--pardon me--have a kind of ruthless and vital sense of humour whose multi-layered irony takes no prisoners. But of course.