Getting more women to the track- my 2 cents

[A-Dogg]

I started this thread as a spin off from the women and racing thread to add more focus to the discussion.

It has been observed that their are lots of new riders and a lot of women riders also. This is observed through the different meets and social gatherings as well as the riding Instructors.

I think we need to cultivate the group before we can get them to race. What I mean by that is we need to get the 125 and 250 riders out to the track right away to help them improve in a safer and faster manner. Let's give them a goal and a starting place.

Once we have a good turn out of women at general track days then we can further the efforts of having a women race group.

I do not feel that their is enough women right now on 600 super sports to keep a grid filled.

My suggestions are as follow:
1. create a central website for all for all of the information

2. setup a transportation system or pooling to get them there and back

3. gear, setup a rental system with vendors or post up your old gear for sale or rent your old gear out, enforce strict and proper gear.

4. prepping the bikes, most women do not have the tools or really want to deal with servicing a bike. That is my observation. How many women that ride know what a torque wrench is much less an oil crush washer.

5. let them know in advance that there will be 3 groups or so and someone to show them around the track. Please do not just unleash these people into the general track day without initial guidance.

6. Above all else, can the leaders please remove all stickers and the attitude I am a girl rider look at me or passed my a girl sticker. This is silly and childish when you think about it. I do not take those women seriously so don't expect that all the guys will take us seriously either.

7. I think this needs to be a targeted and focused campaign to help develop new riders. Why would a beginner try to compete with some of the other women with done up bikes and who are blisteringly fast. That will just decrease their confidence.

8. Maybe we get our hands on some preped CBR125's or Ninja 250's and allow people to rent them from us to try out. We can remove the whole worry about what if I dump my bike.

Once we have a large pool of avid track day riders only then will we be able to run a women race series.

I am not in favor of splitting up the gender because this is one sport where it's up to the person riding the machine and nothing else. Women are allowed to compete in the men's series, will we let men in our series. I think the whole women division sets us back but that is just my opinion.

Can you please keep your responses targeted on these points and how to improve upon them assuming my points are valid to begin with.

Thank You

[reciprocity]

there already is a central website.

http://www.womenscup.ca/home.htm

[bjturner]

these are really good points.

A support system and some efforts to facilitate the new female track rider will likely be helpful in developing more women racers.

It should probably be noted that new female track riders are different than new male track riders.
Women and men learn differently and put their experience into practice differently as well.

I'd be happy to help out in any way and I know my husband would be too.

I started this thread as a spin off from the women and racing thread to add more focus to the discussion.

It has been observed that their are lots of new riders and a lot of women riders also. This is observed through the different meets and social gatherings as well as the riding Instructors.

I think we need to cultivate the group before we can get them to race. What I mean by that is we need to get the 125 and 250 riders out to the track right away to help them improve in a safer and faster manner. Let's give them a goal and a starting place.

Once we have a good turn out of women at general track days then we can further the efforts of having a women race group.

I do not feel that their is enough women right now on 600 super sports to keep a grid filled.

My suggestions are as follow:
1. create a central website for all for all of the information

2. setup a transportation system or pooling to get them there and back

3. gear, setup a rental system with vendors or post up your old gear for sale or rent your old gear out, enforce strict and proper gear.

4. prepping the bikes, most women do not have the tools or really want to deal with servicing a bike. That is my observation. How many women that ride know what a torque wrench is much less an oil crush washer.

5. let them know in advance that there will be 3 groups or so and someone to show them around the track. Please do not just unleash these people into the general track day without initial guidance.

6. Above all else, can the leaders please remove all stickers and the attitude I am a girl rider look at me or passed my a girl sticker. This is silly and childish when you think about it. I do not take those women seriously so don't expect that all the guys will take us seriously either.

7. I think this needs to be a targeted and focused campaign to help develop new riders. Why would a beginner try to compete with some of the other women with done up bikes and who are blisteringly fast. That will just decrease their confidence.

8. Maybe we get our hands on some preped CBR125's or Ninja 250's and allow people to rent them from us to try out. We can remove the whole worry about what if I dump my bike.

Once we have a large pool of avid track day riders only then will we be able to run a women race series.

I am not in favor of splitting up the gender because this is one sport where it's up to the person riding the machine and nothing else. Women are allowed to compete in the men's series, will we let men in our series. I think the whole women division sets us back but that is just my opinion.

Can you please keep your responses targeted on these points and how to improve upon them assuming my points are valid to begin with.

Thank You

[A-Dogg]

there already is a central website.

http://www.womenscup.ca/home.htm

How many women riders on this site even know about that site?
I think you will have to look high and low for that

[kneedragger88]

Who is the "we" you speak of? Are you planning to start a womens only trackday ?
While I support the womens class and have actually stepped up with my money and time to create a class with SOAR. I have to say there is alot of we should, you should, somebody should do this and that etc. All I can say is that although the female riders are growing the track interest is stagnant and will likely remain that way. I personally know many women racers and more than a few have no interest in a women's only class. The resounding reason is always the same. They don't want it simply because its one of the few places where women can compete heads up with men and do well on merit and not sex.
My feeling is womens classes will never be more than a feed or starter class. Most women move into mixed racing almost immediately. Some even leave womens only racing all together.
I commend your ambition but you better have deep pockets because you will take a financial bath on this at least for a good while and possibly all together. It took till our last round before we could field a modest 6 bike grid and that was after much heat I took last winter to build the class.

[ChainReaction]

I started this thread as a spin off from the women and racing thread to add more focus to the discussion.

It has been observed that their are lots of new riders and a lot of women riders also. This is observed through the different meets and social gatherings as well as the riding Instructors.

I think we need to cultivate the group before we can get them to race. What I mean by that is we need to get the 125 and 250 riders out to the track right away to help them improve in a safer and faster manner. Let's give them a goal and a starting place.

Once we have a good turn out of women at general track days then we can further the efforts of having a women race group.

I do not feel that their is enough women right now on 600 super sports to keep a grid filled.

My suggestions are as follow:
1. create a central website for all for all of the information

2. setup a transportation system or pooling to get them there and back

3. gear, setup a rental system with vendors or post up your old gear for sale or rent your old gear out, enforce strict and proper gear.

4. prepping the bikes, most women do not have the tools or really want to deal with servicing a bike. That is my observation. How many women that ride know what a torque wrench is much less an oil crush washer.

5. let them know in advance that there will be 3 groups or so and someone to show them around the track. Please do not just unleash these people into the general track day without initial guidance.

6. Above all else, can the leaders please remove all stickers and the attitude I am a girl rider look at me or passed my a girl sticker. This is silly and childish when you think about it. I do not take those women seriously so don't expect that all the guys will take us seriously either.

7. I think this needs to be a targeted and focused campaign to help develop new riders. Why would a beginner try to compete with some of the other women with done up bikes and who are blisteringly fast. That will just decrease their confidence.

8. Maybe we get our hands on some preped CBR125's or Ninja 250's and allow people to rent them from us to try out. We can remove the whole worry about what if I dump my bike.

Once we have a large pool of avid track day riders only then will we be able to run a women race series.

I am not in favor of splitting up the gender because this is one sport where it's up to the person riding the machine and nothing else. Women are allowed to compete in the men's series, will we let men in our series. I think the whole women division sets us back but that is just my opinion.

Can you please keep your responses targeted on these points and how to improve upon them assuming my points are valid to begin with.

Thank You

3 5 7 & 8: maybe a good place to start would be trying to get a group of girls to sign up for fast together. I've been told the women's only day they provide is excellent. it would eliminate a lot of the concerns of having gear or using ones own bike. They have pro riders to guide you on the track and bonus being with the completion of phase 1 you are then eligible to get your race license.

6 (i personally wear all neutral colours, keep my hair in my helmet, and the only stickers i sport are of the companies i've used on my bike)..

[ChainReaction]

[They don't want it simply because its one of the few places where women can compete heads up with men and do well on merit and not sex.
My feeling is womens classes will never be more than a feed or starter class. Most women move into mixed racing almost immediately. Some even leave womens only racing all together.


+1

[chinto]

It took till our last round before we could field a modest 6 bike grid and that was after much heat I took last winter to build the class.

for the record, it was only 4 bikes

[reciprocity]

How many women riders on this site even know about that site?
I think you will have to look high and low for that

How many people on this site know there is ANY racing in Canada at all?

How many members have actually been to a race?

For the total # of members here, you'd be looking high and low for that as well.

so how is the site you are going to create going to be any different?

Why reinvent the egg, they already have an infrastructure in place, why not use it?

Ken's info is pretty accurate.

[Yamaha_Gurl]

Um, most women on this site have something either pink, flowery, or girly on their bikes....it's their style! What's wrong with that?

A-Dogg...are you a womens cup racer?

6. Above all else, can the leaders please remove all stickers and the attitude I am a girl rider look at me or passed my a girl sticker. This is silly and childish when you think about it. I do not take those women seriously so don't expect that all the guys will take us seriously either.

[eastcoast_gsx]

Women can ride bikes??? WTH?


(ducks)

[Yamaha_Gurl]

No more pics for you!!!

Women can ride bikes??? WTH?


(ducks)

[kneedragger88]

for the record, it was only 4 bikes

sorry six entries only 4 made the field
smarta$$ now get back to work. Call me when you get a chance meeting is now Thursday @ 10:30

[Mr.Azim]

it wouldn't be a bad idea to try a "women's only" track day or group (maybe in the 3-hour evening block at TMP or something).

Seriously, a lot of women that are new riders/to the track are deterred because - even though it's in the beginner group - there will always be guys who will rip it around a woman a little more than they probably should. And let's not forget the guys who can't stand getting passed by a female on the track.

[CBRJOHN]

I think Toastman & TMP did a good job with the intro to track school this year. there were a lot of women at those events. The pace was tailored to the individuals comfort level.. I think most that participated in it really enjoyed themselves.

2 of my female friends did it and had a ball.

[bjturner]

I think Toastman & TMP did a good job with the intro to track school this year. there were a lot of women at those events. The pace was tailored to the individuals comfort level.. I think most that participated in it really enjoyed themselves.

2 of my female friends did it and had a ball.

so hopefully they'll be coming back for a track day?

[toastman]

Many of the ladies have.

Perhaps a good way to get things going is to contact all of the ladies that have been a part of the school and see if they would also be interested in a ladies only session track event.

Donald

so hopefully they'll be coming back for a track day?

[CBRJOHN]

so hopefully they'll be coming back for a track day?

One of them did 3 track days after that. I have several female friends that do track days, but none are interested in racing.

[yuladormie]

I think the biggest deterrent to dedicating yourself to racing is the substantial, financial burden. There are enough women riders out there who know how to do the basic maintenance/repairs etc and are actually interested in the mechanics of riding, such as suspension setting, tearing apart your own engine etc, but it's the total cost that turns many people away. This is not just with buying gear, tires, trailer etc, but perhaps even medical bills should anything drastic happen (especially for those who don't have health benefits through work etc).

So winning the lottery would be an asset. I would totally be out on a track and racing in that case.

[CrazyKell]

I did the intro school in September and have booked in for 3 more track days.

For me it's both the financial aspect as well as the seat time aspect. I simply don't have enough seat time to get into it yet. The more track time I get the better I'll feel. This can only come with time for me. But I'm definitely interested and would pursue it in due time.