After a thread last week that brought up the issue we’ve been discussing the issue in the office. Our very early thinking is that there’s perhaps a need for a forum that deals with mountain biking issues relevant to women.

The current forum is considered by some to be a somewhat intimidating place that can perhaps cause some people to lurk instead of posting as freely as they would like. We’ve had it suggested to us that if there was a women specific forum that many would be posters would be encouraged to get more involved. That’s one issue for consideration.

Now we don’t really want to open up a discussion about it here on the forum although you are free to obviously but if you have ideas/opinions that you’d really like us to consider seriously then please email us at moderator@singletrackworld.com

As food for thought our very early thought was that we’d create a new forum that was a place for women to predominantly discuss mountain bike issues with other women. Not a forum that excluded men but a forum where the topics discussed were restricted to issues relevant to women. It’s a vague idea.. and ergo why we would really like your input too.

We appreciate it may be a topic that encourages strong opinions and so we are throwing the idea out there to see what feedback we can gather.

Over to you.

🙂

Never felt intimidated on here, or the old forum, never give it a second thought about posting on here, it could be worth a try but I dont think it would stop me from coming on here

Tracey

Mark – opinions and thoughts emailed to you.

Like Tracey I am not intimidated here, but I can understand why some women might. We are more sensitive than the fellas on here and I think the whole sense of humour thing that works between blokes doesnt always work with women (and vice versa).

I cringe at some of the anti female comments on here. A lot of the remarks wouldn’t be allowed in the workplace, so maybe a place for the ladies to talk amongst themselves is a good idea.

As a bloke, I think there’s too much ‘laddish’ behaviour on here. I find it embarrasing at times, tbh. I think some people need to have more respect. Friday Kylie/A+A can be a bit of fun, as can Friday Sexy Bloke, but some of the comments can be pretty crude, and unacceptable on such a forum, imo.

People need to remember they should show people on here as much respect as they would in real life.

place for the ladies to talk amongst themselves is a good idea

would the ladies like to retire to the drawing room to discuss needlepoint while the men take their whiskies to the billard room to flog a manservant and look at some pornographic etchings, eh what?

Would a women’s only forum maybe give the incorrect impression that people could be more ‘laddish’? Would the behavior on the main forums deteriorate further?

[Mark – Administrator
Would a women’s only forum maybe give the incorrect impression that people could be more ‘laddish’? Would the behavior on the main forums deteriorate further?

Highly doubt it. Why would it? It’s not as if we are gonna think “oh great a womans forum….now they’ll never see what we’re up…porn ahoy!!”

All I can say is…..it’ll be very hard for most guys to keep their noses/opinions out of the womens forum.

@Stoner – thats one of the reasons I kind of sit on the fence on this, why should we ‘retire to the drawing room (womens forum)’, we all ride bikes don’t we and we all signed up to join the Singletrack forum.

Would a women’s only forum maybe give the incorrect impression that people could be more ‘laddish’? Would the behavior on the main forums deteriorate further?

I doubt it. The mods seem pretty well on top of stuff, IMO.
It’s improved in the new forum too, people do seem a lot more relaxed than they used to be, I reckon.

can we also have a men’s forum for all the prostate/vasectomy discussions and “would you shag X” queries ?

while the men take their whiskies to the billard room to flog a manservant and look at some pornographic etchings, eh what?

Erm, maybe some of us might want to actually move into the 20th, and even 21st century… 😉

Maybe just have a Mleh-style free-for-all section, for all the children?

Oh…

Would the behavior on the main forums deteriorate further?

Think that would be pretty difficult. I think that, at times, behaviour is pretty bad, but there does seem to be a modicum of self policing that stops it getting out of hand. Don’t think it would deteriorate further but it can be at the top end of “laddishness”.

I’m sometimes embarrassed that what are pretty obviously female specific topics receive lots of ribald comments, purely on the “look how big my dick is” principle.

If the ladies had a separate section, they could possibly talk more freely. Don’t think any sort of exclusion of males/females from the other’s forums would work, even if it could be set up in the first place.

@GnarGnar – but on the otherhand, some blokes can contribute a lot to a womens forum with sensible advice, there has been some on here, so I am not convinced that keeping blokes out of a womens forum should be an option.

email sent

Don’t similar communities exist already with Shecycles and the like?

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.

can we also have a men’s forum for all the prostate/vasectomy discussions

There should be a sticky vasectomy thread for sure. Oh my god, what did I just type…

Shecycles the website no longer exists.. A new forum has been set up elsewhere to cater for those regulars left without a home. It’s that event that has really raised the issue we are discussing here.

MrAgreeable – the SheCycles forum still exists but the site as a whole closed and is now part of bikemagic.

Yes no women in the bar please or near the pool table.

Silly idea I think gives the wrong impression having a “women’s own” forum, unless they want to talk about kittens and shoes.

Jenga –

Think that would be pretty difficult. I think that, at times, behaviour is pretty bad, but there does seem to be a modicum of self policing that stops it getting out of hand. Don’t think it would deteriorate further but it can be at the top end of “laddishness”.

I’m sometimes embarrassed that what are pretty obviously female specific topics receive lots of ribald comments, purely on the “look how big my dick is” principle.

As internet forums go, this is about as tame as it gets.

I think I’m against. I’m not a fan of splitting up the sexes, I don’t really see the point.

I’m not embarrassed to ask female related questions on here – asked one a while ago about periods and riding and got plenty of informative answers, and plenty of silly ones as well 😆 .

Although I suppose if it would encourage more women to use the site generally, they might realise that (mostly) it’s not as bad on here as it seems at first 😉

bonkers. plot lost. (sorry).

I suppose the only thing you might need would be a bit more vigorous modding, but even that probably wouldn’t be necessary with a bit of self policing (my impression is that most of the serious “women only” threads on here don’t tend to descend into excessive laddish banter, though I could be wrong). The issue is that blokes might not give advice on women’s topics where they could give useful input if they never visit that forum – I’m assuming that in order to keep the distinction clear the threads wouldn’t be mixed in on the front page, which is the only place I usually go.

If the ladies had a separate section, they could possibly talk more freely.

Why? We’d all know you’d all be reading it anyway!

As internet forums go, this is about as tame as it gets.

I could point you at several tamer ones, at least one of which tends to have reasonable banter on (though is nowhere near as busy as here) – possibly down to the fact that they’re for sports which have far more even distribution of the sexes.

Some gyms have women only areas due to some feeling intimidated by sweaty, grunting men so I imagine those guys put some women off here. It’s not the most gay friendly place either so can we seperate them off too?

Sorry but I think its a stupid idea, its a bike forum we talk about bikes, doesn’t matter whether your male, female, a bit of both, we ride bikes and thats what the forum is for and the off-topic obviously. This is just about the most civilised forum on the internet I think, most people on here are very helpful so can’t see how there would be a problem in the first place.

I think if there’s anything that puts off the women I know from posting here, it’s not the testosterone, it’s the nerdiness. 😉

This is just about the most civilised forum on the internet I think

Yet again, I do wonder what other forums people visit. Maybe it’s the most civilized blokey/MTB forum on the internet, but that’s about as far as it goes!

the more subsections a forum site has, the less I like it; that’s largely why I use stw and not BM or others

classifieds & “other” is perfect IMO (with some possible tarting up of presentation & more threads per page)

then again, I don’t see that behaviour here is awful or that the site is intimidating. the more major bitching seems to me to be between specific individuals rather than general hostility

I’m generally not for segregation, but then I’m a bloke. If there’s enough women who fell that a forum predominately for women would be a “good thing” then go for it.

It’s not the most gay friendly place either so can we seperate them off too?

and one for really grumpy people ?
and non-whites ?
and left-handers ?
AND ROADIE-FECKERS!

don’t you just love apartheid ?

and non-whites ?
and left-handers ?

Yay! That’s me!

I don’t want my own forum; I’ll get all lonely.. 🙁

I don’t want my own forum; I’ll get all lonely.. [:(]

but what if everyone else DID want you to ?

me and samuri and BWD would be the grumpy feckers…

but what if everyone else DID want you to

you are on thin ice there sfb 😀

but what if everyone else DID want you to ?

You heartless beast!

(Runs off sobbing)

aracer –

This is just about the most civilised forum on the internet I think

Yet again, I do wonder what other forums people visit. Maybe it’s the most civilized blokey/MTB forum on the internet, but that’s about as far as it goes!

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. If you really wanted to see how deep the rabbit hole goes try the anonymous ones….except dont because there are somethings you just dont need to see.