Why aren't there more women posting on the forum? Some research

Given the gender makeup of mountain biking in the real world, I don’t see why more women should post. It always strikes me as one of those perhaps middle class issues; that people are concerned about women’s voices when women are capable of making their own choices..
I suspect mumsnet don’t have similar threads about getting more men to post there; its an odd kind of sexism to think that we should change the place so women feel better.

I got the sander today Dezinald, thanks!

Is there a reason why there’s no back on the plug?

Dunno, just try not to touch it when it’s plugged in 😉

Elfinsafety – Member
Did it take you a long time to make all that up, Clubber?

Given the positive responses it seems to be getting I’d love to claim credit though I guess I’d have to think up a female alter-ego name. Clubbette maybe 🙂

Just seen the tags too – I figured that some would rather believe it to be made up than actually have to think about their own behaviour.

What’s that hiding under my bridge is it a monster?

Or some other form of mythical creature found in Norse folklore?

crikey – you’re pretty bang on there. I’m reminded of the big survey nu labour did on why ethnic minorities don’t go walking in the lake district more often, and how they could encourage them.

Utterly facile and pointless

Tropiuble is Binners; if brown people go to places like the Lakes and that, with large rucksacks, they tend to arouse suspicion of the locals, and end up in Gitmo Bay. 😐

Puts hand up … perhaps I have a different way of thinking but just feel that if you post on a Forum then you need to put on a thick skin. I do accept that on a male-dominated Forum this is particularly so.

But you have to accept that in the real world people are wired up differently and sometimes one needs to step back and take a deep breath. Same as on here.

Maybe because I’ve ridden with so many folk from here that I’m ‘accepted’ but this is a good place to be. One thing I reckon would help is if people learned a little self-deprecation. 🙂

The Mods at ST Towers are doing a good job of stamping out sexist behaviour and, fwiw, I reckon most of the guys enjoy the girls’ input on threads.

Edit: I might add that my introduction to the Forum was promoting ladies rides and having to dodge flak from a certain simonfbarnes. We both learned a lot from that thread!

Why aren’t there more women mountain biking?

Well, I asked my friend Chantelle, right, and she din’t want to join the forum but she did give me this response to post here:

I ain’t into that mahntin biking, right, cos all you see is fat blokes wearing nasty cloves d’you nah wot I mean? I like men what are well buff an ting, innit? I ain’t going on no mahntin bike ride wiv all dem sad old gits cos dey is well butters.

That’s what she said. I’m not making it up or anything, honest. 😐

Contemplates replying … looks out the window … rain has stopped, sun’s coming out … getting changed and going for a ride instead.

Maybe that’s why not so many women post on the forum – girls ride while guys rant 🙂

girls ride while guys rant sit at work bored out of their tiny little minds

Fixed

I aint ranting, I’m trying to find my zip ties to stick my mudguards on cos I’m a wet weather wuss. Stop faffing Sue..

😆 @ Elf’s quote !

Phil > that’s sweet, thank you.

Couple of random thoughts. Your friend’s fear of being ‘torn apart’ is, I would think / hope, unfounded. The, ah, let’s say “competitive debaters” tend to mass-debate with each other. I can readily see why she’d be concerned but I suspect that she might’ve been pleasantly surprised if she’d chanced her arm and found out. Or at least, I’d hope so.

The other thing is, a large part of communication is non-verbal and it’s very easy to misconstrue what’s been said. Something said face-to-face in jest accompanied by a cheeky grin, when transposed to text loses all those nuances. I’m rarely serious, but I worry that this gets lost sometimes, especially when I’m new to a forum or somewhere. Someone said something recently along the lines of me being ‘one of the most insincere persons on the forum,’ and I was absolutely crushed; do I really misrepresent myself that badly? Of course I do, so does everyone else, it’s a purely written form of communication.

Still. Even if you don’t agree with the sentiment, I think there’s a good lesson to be learned from the OP in terms of how we come across to others.

Spats like the one in the ‘big hitters’ forum, whilst perhaps is something that needed to be said, perhaps isn’t something that needed to be said in a public forum. There was a point a couple of pages earlier where someone should’ve gone “hang on a minute, this needs to go to PM / u2u / email.” Plenty of people argue, face to face, all the time; not everyone does it at full volume in the middle of the town centre.

Youse going out riding Sue and Kevs?

Ah what well jelus…. 😡

riding cake

elfin, are you deliberately trying to start an argument on a thread that is highlighting how certain forum members arguing all the time is creating a negative image of the forum?

you can’t see me right now but i’m shaking my head and tutting, i may or may not be naked*.

*i’m not.

Oh I gots stuffs for you email me your addy, innit?

I’d have to think up a female alter-ego name. Clubbette maybe

To start a ‘men, they’re all bastards’ thread? I suggest the names ‘Clubber Babe’ or ‘Clubber Chick’ would be better choices for an alias.

So what you’re saying Cougar is that the big hitters are the interweb equivalent of Sharon standing outside the kebab house at 3 in the morning, in some provincial shit-hole, shouting “LEAVE IT DARREN!!! HE’S NOT WORTH IT!!!!!”

😀

elfin, are you deliberately trying to start an argument on a thread that is highlighting how certain forum members arguing all the time is creating a negative image of the forum?

What, me?

Phil, I am devastated that you could think such a thing of me, and I’m now going to run away sobbing.

Should I post THAT picture?

Hmm, decisions decisions….

the ‘big hitters’ forum

I think that might work.

anythign that degenrates into a spat between the usual suspects is reported to the mods who move it to a different forum.

Might do 2 things;

1) keep the rows out of the main forums

2) make the participants moderate their behaviour

I struggle with long sentences – It’s because I’m no longer single, I know.

Given the gender makeup of mountain biking in the real world, I don’t see why more women should post. It always strikes me as one of those perhaps middle class issues; that people are concerned about women’s voices when women are capable of making their own choices..
I suspect mumsnet don’t have similar threads about getting more men to post there; its an odd kind of sexism to think that we should change the place so women feel better.

Very good point.

haha elfin nearly everytime you’ve entered a thread i’ve read recently its seemed like you’re doing a scrappy do impression, fists up in the air ready shouting ‘let me at em, let me at em!’ 😆

you’re capable of much nicer contributions, in the words of lance armstrong – ‘dont be afraid to reach your potential young elfin’

(note, lance armstrong probably didnt say that)

Nah, Phil, that was Fabiana Luperini.

Lance nicked Fabiana’s quote and made it famous. Bloody men. 🙄

Oh, and just for the record… I’ve never tried to make ladies feel more comfortable on here… I just try and look up their skirts.

i think that men trying to defend women suggests they dont think women can defend themselves… not only is it creepy and the kinda thing a lonely, single, middle aged man with limited social skills would do…. tis kinda sexist in itself.

of course the statement above is way too sensible so here’s a cat:

Lance learnt everything he knows from Dupree.

More forum naval-gazing and self-flaggellation 😆

Maybe we should set-up a sub-forum to discuss the state of the chat forum at this rate?

PS I have no idea if ‘flagellation’ is actually a word.

haha elfin nearly everytime you’ve entered a thread i’ve read recently its seemed like you’re doing a scrappy do impression, fists up in the air ready shouting ‘let me at em, let me at em!’

I’m just honest is all, and can see through the bullshit, and I’m not afraid to speak me mind.

I know this makes some folk uncomfortable as they can’t handle their onions being challenged but hey ho, I can’t be responsible for their inadequacy now can I? 🙂

Lance was taught everything he knows by Dupree.

What, Robert Mark Dupree?

Yeah, I could go with that. It’s entirely feasible.

i think that men trying to defend women suggests they dont think women can defend themselves… not only is it creepy and the kinda thing a lonely, single, middle aged man with limited social skills would do…. tis kinda sexist in itself.

I think that some bloke suggesting that ‘men trying to defend women suggests that they don’t think they can defend themselves’ suggests that that bloke is trying to appear all intellectual and enlightened and cool, which is in itself even more creepy than the supposed ‘creepiness’ they themselves are alluding to… 😉

Truth is, unless you know someone, you don’t actually know what their intentions or true attitudes are really, so assuming things about them to fit into your own view is somewhat defensive and insecure ultimately.

I suggest the names ‘Clubber Babe’ or ‘Clubber Chick’

Club Foot.

So what you’re saying Cougar is that the big hitters are the interweb equivalent of Sharon standing outside the kebab house at 3 in the morning, in some provincial shit-hole, shouting “LEAVE IT DARREN!!! HE’S NOT WORTH IT!!!!!”

Sharon’s shouting “he called you a poof, you know!” but other than that, yes, that’s about the size of it.

Nope, this Dupree http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463034/%5B/url%5D

I can’t be responsible for their inadequacy now can I?

Personally I find winning arguments on the internetz as being the best way to overcome any inadequacy that I feel. 😀

Right… is it time to show myself the (back) door?

My lady friend (who posts on here very occasionally) was emailed directly a while back by someone asking for detailed, rather anatomical information about women’s saddles “on behalf of his OH”. I think she nearly responded before thinking “hang on, that’s a bit creepy…”

I’m just honest is all

as am i when i’m pointing out your recent upping of the argumentative input 🙂 i’m a lover not a fighter (as is evidenced by what could be perceived as ‘bromosexual’ relationship with darcy et al) so i’d prefer it if the forum was a less fighty place for the lurkers and regular posters alike.

as am i when i’m pointing out your recent upping of the argumentative input

Which is in itself antagonistic, Phil. Don’t come all ‘ooh I’m just a nice guy me’, you love a good argue as much as the next person. You’re as committed to ‘proving’ yourself on this forum as much as anyone. 😆 You seek affirmation from your peers the same way most folk do. No harm in that, but trust me sonny, you display the same need to appear superior as many on here do. Granted, you do it in a more positive manner than others, but the basic need for affirmation and attention is the same.

Otherwise you woon’t have posted owt on this thread…. 😉

binners – Member
taking the piss out of each other and talking utter crap. Surely what the interweb was really invented for.

That’s mostly what I do here too…

but trust me sonny

hang on hang on, i’m right confused now. I thought deadlydarcy was Mr.consequence’s dad or is that his adopted dad and barnsleymitch his real one. Or has he adopted him too and elfin’s the real father. So is yeti living in the shed or not?

I’ve missed too many episodes. 😕

not quite sure how its antagonistic, wasn’t the intention.. just wanted to explain why i’m mentioning it. if it came across that way then i apologise, not looking to start a fight 🙂

trust me sonny, you display the same need to appear superior as many on here do. Granted, you do it in a more positive manner than others, but the basic need for affirmation and attention is the same.

Otherwise you woon’t have posted owt on this thread.

i posted cos mrsconsequence has said the pretty much the same thing as in the OP’s post to me several times, but i’m more than happy to admit and have done in the past, that i have the same basic need for affirmation as most ordinary hoomans. i do try and keep myself in check though in an effort to be a nice guy, figure its the nice thing to do 🙂

not quite sure how its antagonistic, wasn’t the intention..

Come on Phil, you’re not that un-self-aware… 😉

Oh, and you are a nice guy. Speshly in real life when teh seckzy is in full effect…