[Closed] Women's forum? We want your feedback

Just go onto most forums about cars/movies/music/sports/politics....any of the subjects that most forums are about and I'd imagine you'd be pretty shocked.

Mark - Administrator

I don't think we'd want to exclude anyone from any forums.. If we did have a women's forum it would have to be open to all.

I remember a link from here to a womens oriented cycle website. It could have been shecycles, I can't quite remember. Anyhow, as I recall it, there was a really aggressive attitude displayed by quite a few of the female posters, (I won't name and shame but I recognised one of the names as a poster from here)in reaction to the fact that there were blokes visiting the site. I think it's inevitable that a womens specific site will encourage and attract exclusive attitudes and resultant bad feeling.

From a business POV, for any potential advertisers with gender specific products to sell, it could be quite appealing.

aracer -

But the point isn't that there are worse forums - I'm quite happy to accept that - the point is that there are also far better ones. My personal laddish threshold means I don't actually visit any of those you mention above - that and I'm just not that interested in such general interest subjects, I get my fill of such things on here.

And my point is - there aren't actually that many cleaner/more self moderated forums out there. This is about as mild as it gets where a group of generally speaking, men, congregate on t'internet. Obviously you're sensitivities are different from mine. I wouldnt want any forum I frequent to descend into 4chan but there is little danger if any of that ever happening here. I dont have a problem with the banter on here and believe it or not I am a well adjusted member of society. Your idea of far better is probably my idea of dull or sterile, and I'm probably not alone. Now enough off topic ramblings.....what about....the laydeeeez.

OK maybe I was being pedantic - I accept this is one of the tamer and more civilized forums, but it's far from being the superlative, and the other ones I'm thinking of are also dominated by men. The difference I suspect is in the age profile. Not that I have a problem with here (even contribute on occasions), it's just that I can understand how it could be intimidating, and it could certainly be less so.

As a woman I wouldn't use a women only section as I'm interested in the opinion of people irrespective of gender.

Personally, if I had an issue that was so sensitive I didn't want men to comment I wouldn't be posting it on a public forum in the first place.

As to whether contributions to this site are too "blokey", crude or insensitive, if I start reading a post on here that I don't like I stop reading. It's an amazingly effective method of protecting my delicate sensibilities...

well said TheSponsor!

lol at druidh 🙂

You suggesting that women are being overly sensitive is like a hungry shark saying, 'come on in the water is lovely and I don't bite' 🙂

I may be the one voicing this but it is a discussion we have had at 'Singletrack' and this is a genuine discussion of the seemingly real issue that there are proportionately more women lurkers than men. For some reason this forum, and maybe it's the whole site, is not attracting the interaction of as many women as it should. For example.. our Facebook page breaks down into 90% male 10% female. If that proportion reflected the gender bias on this site then then 10% of all posts should be from women on here. It's a very long way from that. So the discussion here is to address that 'issue'. Is it an issue? Is a women's specific forum a way to address this problem? is it a problem?

We are aware that mountain biking is a theoretically asexual sport/activity that is heavily biased towards men. It's an issue that needs to be discussed we think. We've tried to make the mag as gender inclusive as possible.. Covering women's specific kit/bikes.. stories featuring women.. written by women.. It's hard to get the right balance of course. The great thing about the website though is we can include you lot in the discussion. So opening up the issue a bit wider than just the idea of a women's forum.. is there anything we should be doing to make the site in general a more gender inclusive place? The ethos of the forum has been mentioned a few times.. The issues around laddish behavior etc. Thoughts?

I really don't see what more you need to do, maybe you could have a dedicated couple of pages in the mag for womens stuff, a dedicated section in the reviews section for womens stuff. File the womans forum idea in the bin though. You'll be changing the green on the website to pink next 🙄

Definitely DON'T want a women's only forum! Yes, this place can be quite intimidating until you get used to it but I've always thought of myself as a mountain biker first.

The banter can be fun, you don't have to reply, sometimes it's best to ignore some stuff although I do feel that some posts can be quite offensive although not specifically to women. We can definitely do without the explicit remarks. A thick skin is a definite advantage!

I will happily ask for advice, even non-mtb related stuff, and will happily offer my comments/experiences if I feel it's worth posting up.

I used to be an active member of SheCycles, organised some SheCycles girlie rides at Swinley Forest AND had to deal with the flak on here, not mentioning any names naturally but it's easy to guess 😉

As regards Facebook, I just don't have time or the inclination for that stuff.

I have always found the mag to be very pro-women and not patronising in the least, part of the reason why I subscribe.

Frankly, let's just forget about this PC crap and "inclusive" nonsense and talk bikes 😀

Mark - Administrator

our Facebook page breaks down into 90% male 10% female. If that proportion reflected the gender bias on this site then then 10% of all posts should be from women on here.

I suspect that the proportion of male: female facebook users does not reflect society - i.e. there'll be proportionately [i]more[/i] females on Facebook

A quick Google found this:

http://midnightexcess.wordpress.com/2007/11/23/facebook-member-stats-an-update/

The fact that so much different content is bundled together on the front page of the forum is what makes STW's forum so great. Please don't turn it into MTBR (no offense to members!)

My twopenne'th, I think thesponsor talks a lot of sense. I use the same principle, I look at a thread, if I see nothing there of interest, I go elsewhere. Sometimes opinions are expressed which I disagree strongly with, in which case I either put my own point, or, again sod off elsewhere. It's the tv principle, if you don't like what's on, change channel. If there is a women's forum, I'll probably spend as much time on there, because there are likely to be as many interesting topics. I'll happily browse through a women's magazine just out of interest. I'm not gay or owt. ;0)
Many of the women on here are more than capable of standing up for themselves, and the cutting ripost works as well from either gender, after all, it's never going to be a nose-to-nose confrontation.

I appreciate that STW are thinking about the needs of women, but I also think that it's not necessary to have a separate forum. Didn't someone say recently as well that the shecycles forum had tumble weed rolling around it (before it closed!)

I agree with other posters that it's the bike related knowledge (sometimes!) that is handy on here and that can come from either sex. Also, is being a member of and posting on a forum a bit of a male dominated past-time anyway? That might explain the Facebook friends/forum posts discrepancy. I'm not sure about that - I only post on two and the other non bike one is male dominated as well, so maybe my perception is skewed.

Having said that, it was nice to read that thread recently and discover that there are quite a lot of women on here.

I don't think there's a need to have a womens forum. I've posted on here before now asking for women bike related advice and had some useful replies, even from the blokes!

Just keep it as is 🙂

Didn't someone say recently as well that the shecycles forum had tumble weed rolling around it (before it closed!)

Exactly what I was going to say. A women's only forum that didn't attract many people that didn't post on here or BM already.

First of all can I just say that's it is really thoughfull of you guys to put this idea forward, but really I can't think of aything worse. Well, i can but I'm not going to repeat it in front of the sensitive lads 😉

If a dedicated women only site wouldn't work, with lots of money and enthusiasm thrown at it, I can't for the life of me see why a sectioned forum area on this site would. But hey, whatever. I don't think it'd be a BAD thing to try, but just a bit silly.

Though it's a position I've been lambasted for in in the past, my experience is that women don't ride bikes - they're wives or girlfriends dragged along.

Of course, like every ridiculously hyperbolic statement, there are exceptions, but I really don't think I'm too wide of the mark (there's a pun) saying that.

Tell you what would work, and be inclusive for the females... a "Singletrack Widows" section, for all the partners I know who've got their own laptop and sit twittering themselves to a frenzy when hubby is going all Slow Reeezzaaaay on them.

I'm a woman and I really like STW. Took me a while to post, but now I don't think twice. Yes, you get the odd dodgy remark, but to be fair one of the other guys will nearly always come to the rescue.

On the whole, the guys on here are really cool and I really appreciate their advice. It is extra cool when I more experienced woman can give some advice - but that's more because it's a novelty than anything else. I wouldn't else a women's only site. Yes, here can be a bit laddish, but I have two older brothers and a husband - seriously, I can cope!

Great site btw guys!

Well, i can but I'm not going to repeat it in front of the sensitive lads

(Covers ears, in fear of Clarey 'Potty Mouth' Morris...) 😳

Do women ride bike differently to men then?

Side saddle or something?

If we have a women's forum can we have one for Stoats as well?

Stoats? What about Ferrets? Weasels? Pine Martens?

Eh? Eh?

Ferretist....

Though it's a position I've been lambasted for in in the past, my experience is that women don't ride bikes - they're wives or girlfriends dragged along.

Of course, like every ridiculously hyperbolic statement, there are exceptions, but I really don't think I'm too wide of the mark (there's a pun) saying that.

My brain's too tired for an articulate lambast so I'll have to settle for a "bo!!ocks".

less kittens more cookery!

Thought about it alot since the first post, been on here for a number of years, never been offended, like the banter, why change a good thing, my vote would be to change nothing

Tracey

Though it's a position I've been lambasted for in in the past, [b]my experience[/b] is that women don't ride bikes - they're wives or girlfriends dragged along.

It's statements like this that make me realise how lucky [b]I[/b] am.

I am one of the female 'lurkers', and I read more than I post mainly because I find someone has often already posted a similar thread. I'm quite happy to post aswell though. I have used bikemagic and shecycles and didnt like either of them but singletrack is much better (and friendlier) and doesnt seem so cliquey. I dont think a womens section is needed, if you need to know anything specific to women just put it in the thread title to get relevant answers.

[i]Do women ride bike differently to men then?

Side saddle or something?[/i]

No but they do have a suction cup to stop them sliding off the saddle.

I think it's a good idea. I don't post on here that often because of some of the things I read I find offensive. Whether it would work or not is another matter. I can imagine adverse comments if a girls only ride was organised.

Anway I'll go back to lurking once a week, tara...

[i]Though it's a position I've been lambasted for in in the past, my experience is that women don't ride bikes - they're wives or girlfriends dragged along.[/i]

Happy to say that statement does not apply to me 😆

Nor me aleigh, my boyfriend doesnt ride bikes he likes them to have engines ! I even build up my own bikes and do my own maintainence aswell 😀

so we won't be seeing a women's shedfire bike then! 😆 at Drac and his suction cup.

PinkOrange5, I really can't believe there is so much on here you find offensive and that it would actually stop you posting, join in!

Thanks, but no thanks. Any lady who is too delicate for STW is too delicate for mountain biking IMO.

Oh and Rudeboy, I think you'll find that Mlehworld has quite a high female membership. SOme of them are even real.

Oh, and Brant, I'm a biker's girlfriend, but I rode bikes before I met him too.

I just think the men on here need to be bit more respectful towards the lasses and restrain their "laddish" sides a bit. There are abound to be loads of women reading the site but not posting as they are too intimidated. It's fair enough the extrovert girls being able to enjoy the site, but not everybody is a confident extrovert. I've taken the time to be nice and helpful to the everybody (just my nature) and I've made a couple really, really good female friends.

My experience of another forum that had a women section was that it was pretty inactive - due to the much smaller number of women involved compared to men. Then as soon as a woman posted the men would be all over it, rather defeating the object. When the software was updated the women's section was dropped.

That's just one example of course.

and I've made a couple really, really good female friends.

Do tell us more! or is this the sort of thing some of the women don't like? 😀

Brant - how can you say such a thing? I got into bikes by watching my kids have so much fun and thought 'I want some of that'. It started off as cross-training and took second-place to my former main sport. My ex certainly did not ride bikes ... and couldn't understand why a woman wanted to 😳

I was the 'uncool' mum at the school gates on a filthy mountain bike, no way could I be a 'yummy mummy' 😆

This is a great place to hang out - feel as though I've met half the forum now!

I don't post on here that often because of some of the things I read I find offensive.

As I said, you have to develop a thick skin 😉

Drac's alright though, he answered a thread the other day with some useful info for me.

I thought this was a women's forum?

Brant - how can you say such a thing?

Because you were the uncool mum at the school gates. As you say. Exception.

I'm not saying you don't exist, and I'm sure you don't need "helping out" with a "women only" forum as you're a cyclist as much as the rest of us.

Maybe the answer is to have a separate "women's" section to the forum, but to mix the threads in with the bike and chat threads on the front page. That way those like me who tend to just browse the forum front page will pick it up anyway, so it will get input from all, but the women specific threads will also be collected together if you so wish. Whoever starts the thread then has the option of selecting "women" instead of "bike" or "chat" if they want. Democracy* at work - if the separate forum works it will get used, if not it won't and will die a natural death.

If you go for that option, it would be handy to enable paging of the combined forum page so that we can go back through the combined bike/chat/women threads in the same way we could in the old days.

* not that I'm the biggest ever fan of democracy.

No. No. No.

Mrs splatz works as a mtb guide. She has always been an athlete. We started biking at the same time and on good days I can just about keep up with her.

We go for the bike forum mostly not the other stuff so don't need to be segregated.

What is point separate groups?

Well the consensus from the emails we've had and here on this thread seems to be to not create a womens' forum. But I don't want the discussion to stop. Thanks for everyone's input on this so far.

A women only forum is only valid if womens' thoughts and perspectives on mountain biking differs so much from mens and cannot be answered on an open forum. I wouldn't like to see this site and forum members "united in mountain biking but divided by sex".

However, a womens' bike related technical forum might be amusing. 🙂