Ladies Cycling Day

[uhhuhlex]

Today I intend to pop in to this event: Velo Belle: Ladies Cycling Day. I'm reserving my disdain until I see what they have to offer - I'm all for promoting women cycling, advising on safety and such like. I'm not quite so convinced that I need a £19.00 sparkly ankle cuff because I'm, ya know, a woman. I am fairly disdainful of fashion in general though, so I guess each to their own.


The ankle cuffs I will almost certainly not buy.

I'll report back on my findings - especially if I buy a rear pannier that I've been pondering for weeks.

Have you ever been to an event like this? What do you think of the idea of a 'ladies only' day?

Comments

[copracat]

I've not been to any bike event, but I imagine that an all-women event might lower the barrier for some newbie women riders and thus be a good thing. Older guys in serious, branded lycra with an aura of Tour de France about them may be a bit off-putting for someone who is just grappling with the idea of getting on a bike for the first time in a while or ever. When I bought my first bike as an adult, I was horrified to discover that I was expected to try out the bikes in front of the guys in the bike shop. Ride! In front of strangers! What if I wobbled? (I did.) What if I fell off? (I didn't!)

I like their 'guys, bring two women and you can have a go on the cool stuff' promotion. That's an interesting kind of outreach. My then partner had a great, positive influence on me riding as an adult.

I don't see myself wearing shiny purple or faux snakeskin ankle cuffs, though.

[sara]

I dunno, I might wear them if they had velcro, rather than snaps.... *GRIN*

(No, not really. The last time I actually remembered an ankle cuff, rather than rolling up my pants and/or tucking them in my sock, was months ago.)

[forthwritten]

I note that velcro cable ties have more than one use. Whether the collision of geekeries will warp the space-time continuum is another matter entirely.

[uhhuhlex]

Ok, so here is my report back.

The 'Dr. Bike' was useful - they do this sort of thing fairly regularly on campus. I had a very nice man called Simon look my folder over. He tightened some screws so that it reduces wear on the joints, pumped up my front tyre a little, loosed the seat post so I can adjust it myself (and remove it if I want to). For the seat post alone it was worth the trip - riding home up the hills was much easier with the seat properly adjusted!

The display of bikes was really nice. They had everything from restored vintage to really lightweight folders. Some had some (tacky) embellishments like a leopard print seat. I was surprised at the number of folders - but once you have one you see them everywhere. I even park outside the library beside 2 or 3 other folders regularly parked there now.

There were a few stalls from the NHS, cycle to work schemes etc. I got some freebies like a water bottle, reflective keyring and one of those coin keyrings for the supermarket trolleys.

The shop bit was quite disappointing really - expensive and not particularly inspiring panniers, some locks. Didn't actually see any spangly ankle cuffs. Maybe next time. I asked the guy fixing my bike about rear panniers and he said for a folder I should try to get some small ones in case my heel hits when riding. He said they occasionally have some second hand ones in the workshop, so I am to phone and he will check for me!

As for whether the event was for women - that was the most disappointing bit. The British Cycling team had 2 or 3 athletic looking types with 3 stationary exercise bikes. Perched on these were 3 guys from the rugby team having races on a computer screen. Cool equipment - but a little off putting.

[darkemeralds]

I've never done an organized bike-anything. As the joke goes, I'm no lady.

Around here, women-only events seem to be of the lycra-clad variety, and are for women who view themselves as athletes first, with cycling as their competitive sport. The closest thing we've had to a "ladylike" event was the Tweed Ride in January, which I couldn't get kitted out for in time, but which looked like exactly my cup of tea. Civilized, don't you know. Leisurely, ten miles, with pretty clothes and old-fashioned bikes and some picnic hampers with bottles of bourbon in them.

As to sparkly ankle-cuffs...I just tie a bandanna around my trouser leg. $1.19 apiece, and I have them in all kinds of colors.