Women - what would you like to to see more of in the world of cycling? 🤔 Men - anything you've learnt watching this that'll help you to encourage more women into the sport? 🚴 We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below! 💁♀
More videos like this! As a woman cyclist I often wonder if all the tips and advice given in your general videos, such as nutrition, equipment choice or training pertains to us....shrink it and pink it
More women in the challenge videos - always the male presenters (who are all great btw) doing the ‘cool’ stuff. Would love to see more of Manon (or other female presenters) doing videos like that as I feel like it would be more inspiring for us female cyclists to see what can be achieved
If you could get Stacy Sims, Selene Yeager to discuss peri/menopause - how endurance cycling, interval training, and nutrition need to be adapted for women in peri/menopause - that would be amazing!!
Thank you Manon for addressing women’s issues so openly. Menstruation and toileting are two of the biggest hurdles in women’s cycling, and we haven’t even go to Menopause yet!
We're really glad you found this video useful. Menopause is definitely something we should cover so I will pass that on to Manon! Thank you! Is there anything else you'd like to see from us in the future? 🤔
@@gcn Thanks for replying. I’m interested in statistical differences in the performance between men and women. I cycle mainly with my husband. We started cycling together, we have cycled the same roads, miles, climbs, similar bikes etc, yet he has an inherent ability beyond mine. I suspect it’s down to gender. I’d be keen to see some figures though.
@@gcn awesome video, which I hope could be the first of a series of video focused solely on women and cycling. thank you for asking - a few topics come to mind (apologies if some of these have been covered in prior videos). 1) weight management. Undereating and body issues already affect women a lot and I wonder if the quest for higher w/kg puts extra pressure on women to lose weight, and be thin and under fuel, either at the professional level or for the average everyday rider. 2) bike fit. anything different for women vs. for men? 3) do pro women train similarly or differently from men's pro peleton? 4) do pro women get into the sport in a similar way? we often hear about pro male riders "grew up on bikes" and start really young. is that also true for women or do they take a different path?
@@FBrodlie I don't have the statistics, however, there's a lot of information online. And yes, gender is overwhelmingly important. Men evolved to be hunters and fighters, whereas women evolved for gestating, nursing and nurturing their offspring, along with gathering and preparing food. That's a little simplistic, but broadly the case. Also, men's bodies are more-or-less their own, whereas women's bodies are also for their offspring. Women naturally have more subcutaneous fat than men. Consequently, men tend to be bigger and stronger, even pound for pound. However, there's some evidence that women can outperform men in ultra-endurance events.
As a female here's my way into cycling: I started out on an e-bike - a city bike with a soft squishy saddle because that was the bike I was most comfortable with. That's where I realized, biking was fun. I could go on tours with my husband and enjoy trips over like 60 km. 4 years in, I found myself riding in the Alps with a city bike (not very safe). So I switched to an actual e-mountain bike. I chose the one which felt most comfortable sitting on (despite the hard saddle). With this bike I could go off-road. I usually plan tours with pretty photo stops in the mountains. Sometimes with trails but mostly tours to enjoy the scenery. Next step was to get an indoor bike to work on my overall fitness. I enjoy it a lot. With my overall fitness improving I was finally ready to get a road bike (after nearly 6 years on e-bikes). My goal for this year is to do 100 km in a day. So my advice for all the women out there: chose a bike you are comfortable with and just enjoy what you are doing. Everything else will follow. It's a great way to spend your time!
😄As a man, the list of what I know about women is significantly shorter than what I DO know, but I can say with certainty: Having a year-on-year increase of women’s representation in cycling has made the sport better for all of us.
Agreed. Also because single male riders are facing the challenge of being unable to find a partner other than dating apps. :D So more women in the sport will also cause less lonely male riders haha.
@@mateagoston8145 I'm not sure spinning the welcomed increase in women in any sport they choose as for the purposes of helping lonely men is the right messaging..... or even first thoughts of a male. Let's support women riders but not make assumptions of their reasons to be acyclist.
@@darrin2382 I am just saying that the phenomenon of a large number of lonely male riders is real, not talking about the possible reasons why I women might decide to pick up cycling. Reasons can be various.
As a man, I can say: * I'd love to see more women cycling. * This video was educational for sure - nice work! * Maybe you should do a follow-on video: "what should men do to encourage and support more women riders?"
Got to be one of the best GCN videos for a while. Honest, relevant, specific and still fun to watch. Nice to see something about the ride experience not aimed at 25-40 year old blokes. Kudos to the team who made this one.
@@gcn Thanks for asking. I don’t want to distract from the women riders in focus for this video. Happy to discuss via DM. Some examples could be practical advice for fit but older riders like me (lower gearing/cassettes, easier geometry, flexibility/stretching etc.) for example. Or riders with specific medical/clothing needs.
@@gcn I echo the happiness in seeing this video, though I'm one of those blokes. Maybe a video on "how to ride with people at a very different fitness level"; another on riding with disabilities: e.g. hearing or visual, both "solo" and with a guide; and riding with bio mechanical disabilities (e.g. limb amputation).
As a male and a long time ride leader, I am overjoyed that this video was made. I found it very insightful and a great resource that I can use and recommend to others, particularly the women in my groups. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Love this women aimed content! Especially ‘taboo’ issues like saddle comfort, periods and going for a wee on a ride, which can ruin cycling if you suffer in silence. Best advice is ride with other women and talk about this stuff, it helps so so much. Who wants to talk about saddle shape to a male bike shop employee after all? 😂
Also as a health care professional I’d like to point out that it’s not just muscles that will adapt with training. Anatomical changes in the labia and saddle area for women can also adapt and make riding more comfortable with time and loading.
I was a late comer to mountain biking - starting in my mid-50s. I'm 61 now and absolutely loving mtb - especially hitting technical single track trails. On the one hand - mountain biking regularly through menopause was a real stress buster and mood stabilizer. On the other hand - er, um - and other parts of my anatomy... I found that I developed urinary track infections more often and easily. My biggest mistake was applying what was supposed to be an antibacterial gel to my shammy. Turns out that just acted as a conveyor belt for bacteria. The utis for the most part went away when I ditched the gel and also when I sat on a saddle fitter's indoor trainer. I peddled for two hours on a saddle that mapped my sit-bones to a computer monitor - enabling a very personal and customized saddle design and position. That helped incredibly. I feel the strength and endurance and confidence that comes with mountain biking really did help me through the roller coaster ride that is menopause. I do so genuinely wish that GCN would devote a few episodes, even one episode, addressing pre and post menopause challenges that can be eased and even greatly helped with cycling - whether on a road bike or a mountain bike.
Yes yes yes 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 LOVE this video and open conversation around women’s issues in cycling. And I absolutely went into fan girl mode when Stacy Sims was brought into the conversation as an important resource. The more we discuss this, the better it is for everyone. ❤
@@gcn Selene Yeager has the Hit Play Not Pause podcast on menopause. Dr. Stacy Sims is the best on women's performace and training during menstruation cycles.
Yes please! Menopause, hormones and any slightly older or much older female cyclists. It's great to get the personal perspectives and the science - where it is today and where it's going.
Loved the video! Thank you for having an open conversation about these topics. Maybe a future video about bike fitting for women would be great. Especially about picking the right saddle: what is out there for women, what are things to consider, etc :).
I was so hoping Dr. Stacy Sims was going to be mentioned during the part about the menstrual cycle. She studies active females/female athletes often with a focus on cycling. I’d LOVE to see her as a guest in GCN!
Great video 👍 I really enjoy riding by myself. I love the freedom of just heading out into the countryside, and the mental space away from everyone else. You can get a lot of confidence from knowing the Highway Code - what you're allowed and supposed to do, and it helps you understand the behaviour of other road users. After a few hours cycling in the countryside I do find myself eyeing up gaps in the hedgerows to see if there's somewhere I can pop behind for a quick pee... men seem to be comfortable just stopping anywhere... A few other things I've learnt: 1. My life was transformed when a friend pointed out that you don't have to wear a chamois. No more feeling like I was cycling wearing an uncomfortable sanitary towel. No more lower back pain from not rotating forwards on my hips, no more chaffing from chamois seams... Its hard to find cycling shorts without one though... and you need to avoid a midline seam... but last year I cycled 7000 miles chamois free. No pain, no chaffing, no worries. 2. Let your bush grow wild and free. Or certainly don't shave any time before a cycle. Those bristles can lead to a lot of discomfort and painful ingrowing hairs 3. Not only do you need a saddle with the right space for your giblets, but saddle width is important. Not all women need superwide saddles. These used to dig in under my bum and cause me pain. Turns out I needed superslim. As with life, don't do what other people tell you you should do. Find what's right for you. And be open to this changing with time... Ride your bike. Be happy. Be free.
Hey! Thank you so much for all your advice! There's a lot to figure out with cycling as a woman and often not many places to find the right information, hopefully we can change that! 😊
Pearl Izumi (only brand I know, but chime in if there are others!) makes bibs that you can pull around your hips for pee stops. They're my favorite for long rides!
Thank you for this. As a trans man, I frequently experience the problems that women cyclists face (such as saddle comfort, hormones and suitable toilet stops), all whilst the people around me are seeing me as a man. It was very helpful hearing tips that are also relevant to me.
It’s great Manon you’re getting the space to do these videos not just with the guys. As a man, I’ll take anything that helps me understand better. It’s about respect. As a rider, confidence is a common thing. A lesson I’ve never forgot is the 3 steps are first courage, second capability (trust your skills) and third commit (go for it). When it works you get confidence and go again.
Thank you! I really like that women cycling gets more attention on the channel lately, featuring great and inspiring cyclist! Yes, cycling is cycling, but I think it's still important for women to have women role models in the video's. I know this specific video is mostly targeted torwards beginners. Would it maybe be possible to make a video specifically dedicated to relative energy deficiency in sports among women? It's something very serious and I think many, more advanced women cyclist struggle with, losing their menstrual cycle (pun intended). I speak from personal experience. Even training just 4x/week creates challenges.
I cycle with a Breeze group, they have inspired me in so many ways, cycled 100km last year for charity, would never have done that without my friends from Breeze x
That sounds awesome - cycling with a supportive group of people (who often become friends) really does make getting out for a ride much more enjoyable! Are you planning any big rides this year?
@@gcn yes we are, no one wants to try for more fund raising this year so I am trying to put together a 60-70 mile ride for the summer to mark my 60th birthday this year :) Yes, Breeze ladies are the best x
Thanks Manon and gcn for making this video! Saddle discomfort was my biggest issue when I got back into cykling recently. Along with a good pair of bib tights, the best tip I ever had was to experiment with tilting the saddle slightly forwards, did wonders for comfort. You want to be careful so you don't get to much weight on your hands, though. Also, a rubbery feel to the saddle makes it easier to keep the position than a slippery one (to state the obvious...)
Glad you were able to get your saddle sorted! It's one of the biggest elements of enjoying being out on the bike. Anything else you'd recommend to help people looking?
@@jx14aby Yes it can work and there are saddles with drooping tips to achieve less pressure on sensitive bits. There are TT saddles without tips and a split in the middle. Alberto Contador used to ride Specialized Shiv TT bikes and constantly slipped forward on the saddle. Despite added rubber bands across the saddle. Lycra slides on saddles. I suffer from the same issue on my Shiv if I tilt the saddle down on the front.
I actually started to use a menstrual cup because Manon already told about it in an older video that this is the best for cycling. And I love it! Even when Im not cycling.
Enjoyed this a lot.I wish event organisers for sportives / audax etc would list public toilets on route sheets. There are a number around in UK and it would be so useful to know where they are.
This is just so good! Having taken up cycling in the last few years and having had to figure out alot of things myself I just love that these amazing women are willing to share their knowledge. Love love love!
It can be so difficult to find the information you need as a woman cyclist but let's hope things will change! Is there anything you figured out that you'd like us to share in a future video? We'd love to hear what you've learnt! 😊
I’ve been riding and racing for over 40 years, and I thank you for voicing some of our common challenges! I would also suggest that women new to cycling take a lesson or clinic from a coach to learn proper form and pedaling technique, and to get a professional bike fit. As you say, the saddle shouldn’t hurt, nor should the rest of the riding experience!
Glad to see the sheer support of women within the cycling community. Although I am a male, I do support and encourage highlighting a smaller group within a hobby, or lifestyle and promoting them to make them better, and feel more fit in.
I love having women in the group. I think it makes for a kindler, gentler community. When I played golf, there were rarely any women, and it was just a bunch of drunken a-holes.
Brilliant video. 🎉 also love the hoodie! The saddle thing is a nightmare unless you’re a millionaire. The ‘bike shops will let you try’ thing seems to be a bit of a myth/exaggeration and when you buy online they’re often attached to a card by the dreaded zip tie so you can’t try and send back. Have been cycling daily for over six years and can’t find the right saddle. It’s the thing that makes me get off my bike rather than tiredness/pain in legs so that’s pretty annoying. Anyway. Great video. Thanks Manon and everyone. :-)❤
Specialized really do let you try the saddles (as long as, if you dont get on with it, you plump for one of their others). I suffered for so many years, but since I found the right saddle for me, I don't even notice I'm sitting on it!
As a petite woman (1.55 m), my issue is finding a bike small enough for me. I also have the same issue when on holiday trying to rent a bike. My own bike has narrow handlebars, with smaller drop and the levers adjusted so I can get my hands around them.
Great video. Would love to see videos of how to ride and train for pre and post menopausal ladies. I'm just post menopause, really feeling I want to develop better as a rider but cannot recover as well from training schemes as younger riders
This. I'm an experienced rider, but I had several years off due to health issues. It's not my first time coming back from a break, but man it sure is a lot different at 51 vs 45
I really appreciated this video as a woman but it also made me realise that I rarely or have never seen GCN make videos where Black people or Asians people are featured. And not specifically because of our colour but because we're also part of the cycling community. We cycle too but we are so underrepresented in the media. I find it sad that it's also the same with GCN. We're kinda invisible.
God please stop....race,race,race.....There are many very "talented" black and Asian riders. Christ you'd think you're from the ridiculous B.S.that goes on over here in the states.
Thank you Manon for a great video. The one thing I would add as a recreational cyclist is to have clothing suppliers be size inclusive. As a tall, plus sized woman, kit, let alone fun kit, is very difficult to find.
Thank you so much ladies for actually addressing the menstrual cycle as I find this so difficult to deal with when you are wearing skin tight clothing and it is that difficult time of the month… it is a real issue that is never discussed so thank you 🤗☺️😊👌🏻
Glad you found this video useful to you! It's not always easy to discuss topics such as periods but they are a part of so many of our lives so we must normalise the conversation! 🙌 Is there anything else you'd like us to cover in future videos? 🤔
Most saddles stay the same level of comfort/discomfort no matter how many miles you put on them. I got fed up with trying different saddles, did some research and plumped for a Brookes. Yes, it was uncomfy at first but after 500 miles it started to improve. It’s now like an easy chair.
I wish there were female shop assistants to talk to when shopping for a comfy saddle. Having to explain how my weight is distributed on what's down there to someone who has different bits gets a bit awkward..
Fabulous, great content. I started riding in my fifties and didn’t have to contend with periods, many of my co-riders still had issues with cramping and would miss any a ride. I liked the content about dealing with bibshorts. I just bought two different styles one with magnetic buttons and one that has a upper mesh halter style. Hope they’re easy to work! Great show!
1. Bring a change of clothes and get out of that chamois. UTI is very common in women who ride and wearing a chamois after not washing them is a big reason. 2. On the subject of saddles, don't be afraid to go more narrow. I've been riding 30yrs on road bikes and tried ever single "women love this saddle." It wasn't until I dropped down to a 140mm width that I could finally do 2-3hr rides.
I’ve been waiting for a video like this! I’m new to cycling again (took many years off) and oh man the saddle feels very different in my late 30’s compared to how it did in my early 20’s. I’m grateful my bike club has a great women’s presence and many female ride leaders.
We ladies need more small frame bikes!!! many brands only have XS or XXS frames (45, 44, 42) in entry level models - what sense does that make? I WANT to spend my hard earned money on a top bike! But they do not fit me :-(
I have that issue as well, I’m only like 5’7”. I have a Surly, they make 36-58 frames but they’re all a pretty low quality steel. No carbon or Ti or anything fancy like that. The bigger companies need to start putting more effort into designing small bikes instead of just shrinking down bigger bikes and calling it good.
Im 163 and have quite short legs so need an 48 frame to be comfortable. Canyon for example does an even smaller frame size than that. And they also adapt wheel size and the rest of the components to smaller body’s, so 27,5 wheels and narrow handlebars (:
Forgot to add: crank length was a problem for me, so I switched to 155 rotor cranks, now if I’m in a really aero position I’m not hitting my knees into my stomach anymore :) Added bonus: they are way lighter than the shimano ultegra cranks my bike came with
Do you get toe overlap on these smaller bike frames? I know sometimes they spec them with 650b wheels to keep the wheels more in proportion with the the reduced frame size.
@@a1white I ride 650b Wheels. I still get a bit of toe overlap, but not in any way comparable to the toe overlap with 28" Wheels. with the 27.5" I only notice it when im trying to weave really really slowly through barriers or something really tight and you get used to it. I just know how to move my feet to avoid that. at normal speeds it doesnt affect anything :) And that's only one reason to like the 650B wheels. also im just lower to the ground, so that the bike handles like its geometry intended and im not sitting way too high up on a, relative to the hight, quite short frame. Like this I can get a quick and responsive bike without it feeling out of balance :)
THANK YOU MANON &gcn! Amazing, frank honest open video! Thanks too to Ashleigh &the gang who chimed in. I am sharing this with all my cycling friends who are women! Great no holds barred discussion! Periods, peeing the lot. Resources: Saddles: Molly Hurford's Saddle Sore (started as book for women now has chapters for men. Periods: Diva Cup. My partner used it in the 90's. Amazing product. Kit: too many companies do not make good kit for plus size women and they get excluded from the get go. Marley Blonsky of All Bodies On Bikes has great resources. Podcast: Hit Play, Not Pause. Hosted by Selene Yeager. Amazing podcast all around staying competitive throughout Menopause. This video will definitely help women, so thanks for that, but as you point out it's instructive for men too (especially on a mixed gender group ride!) WELL DONE! 3 thumbs up!
Geoffrey great advice. Just listening to the podcast. Never ever had thought that this topic would hit me that hard. Not only as a person, but also as an athlete. The generation of my mum was not very open on the topic and scientific knowledge at that time was not as accessible as today. So please GCN keep it coming. But I cannot point out enough how included I feel by GCN as an female athlete.
Really enjoyed this video! Thanks to Manon, Ashleigh and co. for discussing these topics. It would be really great to see more content like this. I love all the content GCN puts out but it's lovely to have some content that covers issues I can relate to as a female cyclist. Please do more of this going forward! 😊
This s is a great start, but would really love it if gcn could also talk to amateur women, 50+ women dealing with peri-and post-menopause hormone changes, and normal non-racing women not in English speaking countries, because the women's cycling scene and amateur race scene (both genders) is far far more limited or non existent,its just gran fondos. Really hard to get into racing once you're an adult.
We've taken note of everyone's suggestions and this one has come up quite a lot so hopefully this is something we can cover in a future video! Thank you 🙌
Brilliant, thank you GCN and Manon! about time some of these things were covered more widely and kudos to GCN for stepping up to the mark! I'd love to see more about womens bike fit, saddle choice etc etc! Further to the discussion about menstruation, the menstrual cups are a great invention, not just for the environment, but I find that they help with the pain (though have no idea why) - and most importantly it gets round the potential for wearing pants under your shorts....
Glad you liked the video! It's great the menstrual cup is being normalised more now. I remember when it was a new thing and too scary to try but with more open discussions surrounding periods the more comfortable we get at giving these sorts of things a try! 🙌
There are some companies making bib shorts with a zipper in the lower back or a quick release... game changer for me, so easy for "technical stops" as they call it. Great video!!! We need to keep talking about this so more women who want to try the sport are less scared of it!
Menstrual cycle and hormonal changes aren't just an issue to be fixed. There are also training benefits if you synchronize different training types to the different parts of the hormonal cycle. The hormones also protect from muscle tears. Being a woman isn't just a series of issues to be fixed, it's a strength.
The toilet is my biggest problem. During the pre- and the menstrual periods I generally stay off the bike, because everything is foggy, I can't focus my attention and coordinate my movements well; I also have trouble keeping my balance. As for the toilet, I never go too far from home so that I can be back in about 3 -4 hours. Thank you for this much needed video.
I know what you mean, my best day was when I found on my local 3-4 hour ride, a lovely church with a porta loo open to all cyclists and walkers for a voluntary donation, so much easier than crouching in the bushes :)
Don't know how it is where's you're from but here there's almost always a toilet at every church. And there's lots off them here in Denmark. Plus there's app that show where's the nearest toilet are 🙂
@@alinapopescu872 most churches on the countryside here does. Plus fresh drinking water But almost everyone pays church taxes here to so it's the least they could do xD
I ride in a mixed group and the men are all respectful of the women’s need to stop a bit more often then the men. Keep in mind that you can use the loo in public buildings like libraries, parks, court houses, local government buildings at least here in the US it’s ok to do so.
This was such a good video! Another tip from me is also to find someone to teach you basic mechanical skills including dealing with a flat tyre. Helps give you confidence to know you can sort yourself out on the road! Ride on Ladies 💕
Such a timely video - hopefully many women will find these suggestions useful as we approach spring and the weather becomes more inviting for getting outdoors on a bike! The women in the video offer many useful suggestions for hesitant cyclists. I especially encourage hesitant cyclists to ride with someone more experienced or find a local group to ride with. Your local bike shop can be a great resource. They may offer group rides for women who are beginners or who want to increase their mileage along with free bike adjustments (checking tire pressure, adjusting shifting, checking for proper fit) to ensure you have a good ride with the group. Riding is fun!! You can do it!!
Thanks Manon great content, it’s really good to get practical advice from female cyclists who understand, although I have to say that GCN always demonstrates that ethically it believes in equality of the sexes in cycling, which is great to see keep up it up GCN you are leading the field in so many ways ❤
It's great to hear such positive feedback 🙌 We're glad you find our content useful and welcoming to everyone 😊 Is there anything you'd like to see Manon do next? 🤔
Some follow up about women specific clothing for cycling e.g. is the anyway to determine which chamois may fit you best to save having to buy, what are now, very expensive bibs to test them? Perhaps a Manon review with some average women about which brand of kit provides the most woman specific clothing for beginners. The cost of bibs can often see woman buying cheap shorts which don’t necessarily provide good comfort and therefore can be a block for some women to continue cycling?
Thank you for breaking some of the taboos on these topics. It was really good to see an open discussion of the topic. My partner has struggled with many of the topics from learning the basics to riding at the "wrong" time of the month. Good job Manon. Lots of credit to you and Ashley.
Thanks Manon and GCN. I'm a dude and this reminded me of Si's video on testicular cancer, Conner and the weight loss video and Neil Donahue (GMBN) and Si on mental health.
Often wondered why bike shops don’t have a turbo that you can put your bike on and try a range of saddles. Some sort of hygienic cover could be used, Shirley?
This is such an awesome and useful ad important video. Manon you are a rockstar! Thanks for the period honesty! I have wondered what to do on my period and will definitely try the cup!
@@gcn How about a video on any differences in how women should train Vs men like can we improve faster by strengthening certain muscle groups? More day in the life of women pros. It would be cool to see Manon go on a womens beginner club ride and talk to the people on it about how they first started cycling in a group/how fit they were when they first started and how they improved their fitness to keep up because one of the biggest fears is what if i'm not fast enough/fit enough to keep up on a group ride but honestly love all the content!
We will definitely take this feedback on board! Have you seen our video with Harriet? 👉 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-d5qqt2zrNo4.html she's a rising star in our GCN team!
Thanks Manon and Ashleigh for speaking frankly about periods, saddle comfort and all the other inconvenient things about being a woman cycling. It often seems like a very male sport, so chapeau for a fab video helping us girls ! Jx
Glad you hear your found this video inclusive! We want everyone to feel welcome to cycling as it is certainly something women can do and enjoy 🙌 Is there anything else you'd like to see us cover in a future video? 🤔
@@gcn Well, my biggest barrier has been finding a comfy saddle. I feel like you need some variously sized and of different ages non pro ladies to try out different saddle types with, and explain the different types. I've already bought two different expensive saddles, neither of which are comfy (and I do get you need to give them a bit of time to get used to them). I feel someone should invent a saddle testing facility for the general public! Like a sofa showroom 🤣
Yes to everything in this video! I wish I would have had this advice when I started several years ago! Menstrual cups are a game changer, and if anyone reads this comment they can take some getting used to, so keep trying and don’t give up and you’ll be glad for it in the end! I also loved when she said to find a good chamois and buy 10 because that’s my motto for all my cycling clothes lol. One thing they didn’t mention that my fellow male cycling buddies told me about it anti-chafe cream. When I started using Chamois Butt’r it changed my life, I also wish I would have know about that years ago!
looking for a saddle is like looking for a spouse - comfortable, reliable, supportive. i hope more societies will be acceptable to cyclists/bikers in general and women cyclists in particular. outdoors should be a safe space for everyone specially for women and children. a city or town accepting to cyclists is a progressive, strong society. also, all hail to our dragon queen -- MANON!
I loved this video! I was looking for more content relating to women & was very pleased to find this. I am a junior racer and I would really like to see a video about going pro as a female cyclist possibly??
Thank you very much for sharing, always great to see contents geared towards women!! - though I really wish the host would not keep calling it “women cycling” as though it’s a different sport - but rather it’s cycling just with women or female riders.
Menstrual cups will likely be a bit difficult for her if she has just started menstruating. Sometimes when we are younger it’s a bit more rough pain wise etc, so certainly always worth letting her find her own limits gently. Thanks for being a Dad not scared of periods!
Great video Manon. Worth mentioning that there are ladies bibshorts that allow you to pee relatively easily. Rapha make a pair where the straps unclip at the back and the Endura Pro SL is designed to easily slip off (you need to see the design to understand). My wife can confirm they are both pretty effective.
Saddle is such an issue for me. I am a commuter, by the way, not a sport road cyclist. The few times I have tried to get advice in bike stores, which always have male employees only, they will either say: "I don't know what would be best for someone like you" (great business strategy......). Or they vaguely try to help, while they seem to be thinking "teehee vulvas, teehee women's butts". So I just have the not too good, but also not too bad saddle that came with my bike.
5:30 if the Pill isn't working for you, keep in mind there are MANY "pills", all with different levels of estrogen and progesterone. Just like a saddle or shammy that doesn't fit, you may need to try a few before you find one that works! Another + for the mental cup is that you don't have a string hanging down where all the pressure is on the saddle. That string can cause some chaffing :(
I think you'll find blokes will be very accommodating when it comes to having a wee. I've been on many rides where us men have arranged ourselves into a wall to offer a lady some privacy from the traffic.
Great video. There's some excellent cycle shorts and cycle leggings available & make loo stops so easy. Got a pair of bibs but never wear them as they're a complete pain!
Thank you for this video, so much good information! I am fairly new to cycling an was on my region's Air Force Cycling Team last year as the only female so I had no one to talk to about certain things. Like whether or not I should be in pain during rides/have numbness from my saddle. Probably need to experiment a little more to find the right fit.
I had similar issues. I made two investments that greatly improved my comfort and therefore performance - and safety. I researched and chose a female geometry specific bike (mine's a Specialized Rumor - 2017) and I searched high and low for and found a bike shop with a specialist who uses an indoor trainer bike fitted with a saddle that mapped my sit-bones to a monitor. I pedaled for two hours and that data - the way I pedal, my anatomy and so on resulted in a very specific saddle design recommendation and saddle style. I've been much happier since. Good luck. : )
I'm loving these videos aimed at women in sport. I've been using a menstrual cup for years now, I switch to indoor training when I'm on my period, weight training and yoga is great, not heavy weights though. I would like to see removable pads specially designed when on your periods. When it comes to pee stops, I've been thinking of a shewee 🤔🤣
Ekoi has at least made women's bibs with a crotch that opens so no need for removing the shammy. Dunno if it is still in production or if others make similar bibs.
As a man I will say that real men will have your back... If there's ever a need for a pee stop, then it's a stop! I've done a lot of out back hiking/camping also and it's just stuff you need to deal with regardless!! A guy worth his salt will understand! Now for this summer I want to get my GF back on a bike... We have pretty shitty bikes, mine is a 100$ used road bike that I now use as a winter ride. I'm getting a proper bike together for this summer... Parts keep popping up as parcels on the porch, to our kids delight until GF informs them they're just new bike parts... My GF's ride is a big box store Bianchi, so big name but the thing is a boat anchor and I don't feel I can make it into something she would enjoy. She's not too mechanically enclined so I'm not getting her on an old frame with downtube shifters or even modern drop bars with any type of brifters!! So I figure If I get her on a nice roadbike frame with straight bars and a good set of grip or trigger shifters she'll be golden and the whole family will get to ride to ice creams this summer! ...........reminds me... I need to get the kids figured out! Back to shopping bike stuff I guess!!
Nice Im going to share this with a couple of lady riders I know. Stopping for a bathroom break not just the ladies us older riders need to stop more often too and if someone needs to stop for any reason I don't think anyone really minds stopping especially on a fun-social ride, we will have a reason to stop at one time or another. Most times I have found that if you need to stop be it bathroom or for a mechanical reason the group will stop and most times they will help you out the mechanical part anyway 😆, if they take off and leave you behind then you don't need to be with that group.
Exactly! Riding in a group (especially a group which suits you for pace / stops / etc) really does transform the experience. Please let us know what your lady rider friends think of the video!
Bin there, done that. Used to ride with a group, many years ago. One time I noticed that a bloke had dropped off. I went back and found him seriously struggling with bonk. Stayed with him and drafted him home. Couple of weeks later, I bonked; guess what? No one, including the previous chap came back for me. Don’t know if it was karma but a few months later he was taken out by a car and was seriously brain damaged 🤷♂️.
Great video! Thanks for that! And thanks for sharing that even in the Peloton there are women that strip down for „safety reasons“ and fear of wetness, as I do. That makes me feel much better during my toilet routine on a ride! :-)
