Ladies-only trackdays - a debate

Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

This leads on from the interesting debate stewing on BikeGirl's 'Girl Racers' thread, but I didn't want to hijack away from the original point, even though it's creeping somewhat. Anyway...

I've seen a few ladies-only trackdays organised by various individuals/companies and to be honest the idea has always somewhat intrigued me. The jist is generally 'if you don't want to ride with the boys, this is your chance to play with the girls'.

Now, this sits rather strangely with me. Mainly because any girl who rides a bike is already in a minority and I think you'd be hard pushed to find any girls who only ever ride with other girls. So surely by default, any lady rider is used to riding with men? So what makes them intimidated to go on the track with the boys?

I've done a few trackdays now, so I'm past the 'intimidation' stage. But I won't deny, I was completely terrified on the first one I did. I was the slowest person in the novice group and felt completely out of my depth. It was only half way through my second trackday that I started to feel comfortable with the whole thing.

My quibble is this. How would that have been any different if the track was full of women? There's still going to be a spread of speeds, some people being considerate, some not, some overtaking, some being overtaken. It doesn't cross my mind to question the sex of the person I'm about to pass or the person who just passed me. Might occasionally notice a ponytail flapping in the wind but it doesn't make me go "ooh a girl, I'll give her a wider berth' nor does it make me go "bitch, I'm going to pass you and show you I'm better". I just don't care - I'll pass people who are slower than I am and I'll try and do it considerately. The only thing that makes me alter what I'm doing is an orange novice vest.

If I was a guy, I don't think I'd have felt any different about my early trackday experiences - I was intimidated by being surrounded by people going faster than me. That's all.

I've seen ads for 'novice-only' trackdays - surely that's more the ticket? Nervous newbies, gender unimportant.

Interested to hear views/experiences/thoughts. Are you a lady who'd love to go on a ladies-only day? Why? Are you a boy who resents the ladies encroaching on your manly trackdays? How so? What about an 'I'm a nervous boy' trackday?
Just keep it civil ok... Thumbs Up

Neoluke · Banned Joined: 23 Aug 2004 Karma :

Only if you're all dressed in bikini's and I can tag along.
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carvell · Scuttler Joined: 05 Sep 2003 Karma :

Meh. It's all bollocks.

Any group of people in a minority seem to do the same thing and get away with it no problems, like a newspaper in London, "The paper for the black population of London". I'm fairly confident that if I made myself a "paper for white Britain", not many people would be very impressed.

I suspect the people that go to women only track days are the sort of women that like to giggle with other girlys about all sorts of girly stuff.

I suppose it is the equivilant of a "girly night out" - only with something they enjoy, which I suppose is fair enough.
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MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Agreed Bendy, I was scared Sh*tless on my first trackday. When you are out on track its very difficult to tell the gender of the person under the lid, and so IMO it makes no difference. I 100% agree that novice only trackdays would be better than lady only trackdays. It just smacks of the ladies needing something to prove against the blokes...

my Penny Coin

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Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

It is no more right than if someone organised a male only trackday, and there would one hell of a fuss kicked up if someone did that!!

People do (and rightly so) go on about wanting to be treated equally and not to be discriminated against, but you can't play that card and then do exactly the same back. If you're a novice go in the novice group that's what it is for. Doesn't make a single bit of difference if you're male or female on the track, it's your riding ability which is what matters.

And how can you tell someone is male or female accuratly on track? Can't see someone with hair out the back of their helmet and think they're female, as there are males with long hair who might be slightly pissed off if you assumed they're female because they have long hair. If anyone who is for female trackdays idea, please explain why females are unable to do normaly trackdays and share the track with males. And also would you be at all pissed off if a male only trackday was organised, or even considered? It would be a matter of minutes after it got announced before people started shouting sexist at them, so surely if it is female only then it is exactly the same?

Bendy I'm quite sure that there are people who are male who have been on their first track day and were also tarrified, anyone who has was in that position on their first trackday and male here?

Was planning on doing my first trackday back in April but took a slight detour on route, but would have treated anyone on the track exactly the same as each other. How does the fact someone is female alter anything at all? Judge people on the track by the way they act and behave. Their sex has bugger all to do with the matter, and I'm sure people who have done trackdays have had times when seen males and females being idiots on the track, and have also had time when there have been males and females being considerate on the track.

Will be fairly nervous when I get to do my first trackday, and all the other riders on the track being male or all being female I fail to see how that would make the slighest bit of difference

Laura · Playboy Bunny Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Karma :

I was wetting myself on my first trackday.
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bikegirl · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 29 May 2004 Karma :

In fact I wasn't too worried on my first track day, and I've been happy to be a girl amongst all the blokes ever since. Yes, the majority of my mates are blokes since I'm such a bike nut and always have been.

However, there are MANY women who aren't like that. There was a mention of competitive edge in the other thread and to a certain extent I agree, women are naturally generally less competitive. I've been on two ladies track events years ago. One was a Ducati Ladies Day. If peed me off a bit to be honest since I'd done a couple of tracks and there were so many very slow women that I couldn't enjoy Brands that much. The same happened on a ladies track evening at Donington. But the majority of the slow women were there because they wanted to be that slow and just enjoy the track without feeling intimidated. I might not feel that way, and some ladies on this site might not either.... but many do.

A bog standard track day novice group is never full of novices. Track organisers will always squeeze people in when the usual rush for the intermediate group is over. This will ALWAYS worry the underconfident women. If it's restricted to the generally more polite women who are less likely to undercut and steal a line, then those women are more likely to have a go.
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Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

So should there be male only trackdays where male novices can ride without any pressure from female novice group riders?

izzi81 · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 24 Apr 2004 Karma :

I've never done a track day, but I wouldn't be any more encouraged to do one if I saw a 'women only' one. I am more nervous of being on track with more experienced people than I am of being on track with more experienced men!

billy whizz · Scooby Slapper Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Karma :

I have ridden with both male and female riders on the track and apart from the different bumps i couldn't tell who was who until the helmets came off! Conclusion there's good male riders and bad male riders, and good female riders and bad female riders but most importantly they are all riders! Wink

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Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

Fazed's a lazy bastard who won't even post his own opinion but said I can paste it from IRC. Rolling Eyes

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

fazed · Korn is my hero! Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Karma :

Thanks Bendy Smile

fazed

The lazy one

Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

Random thoughts:

I'd be more intimidated by going on a road ride with people I wasn't matched with than on a trackday. On a trackday, you're going round and round. On a road ride, you can be left behind.

I get on better with boys than girls. Always have. Maybe if I got on better with the girls, I'd want to do a day with them, as Korn says, you like to play with your own 'kind'.

I get competitive when the opportunity arises to pass someone I *know*. Me & Mark and me & Jay have had some good fights on the track, cos you know there's gloating potential afterwards if you kick the ass of a mate. Laughing

hellkat · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

I would absolutely and utterly HATE a ladies only track day.

I am definitely not a Dancing Round Handbags type of girl at all, and I'm no more likely to go to a females-only track day than I am to go to the loo with the girls and talk about the boys at the pub.

What would be more interesting would be a "Novices" (mixed) track day, as at least then we'd all feel like utter frit twats at the same time, and could measure how well we were doing against how well other people of equally twatworthy ability were doing at the same time.
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JonB · Afraid of Mileage Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Karma :

bikegirl · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 29 May 2004 Karma :

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

How do you know the rider who is intimidating on the track is male though?

bikegirl · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 29 May 2004 Karma :

Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

We're talking trackdays, not racing...

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

Why does who is in the paddock matter one bit? What matter is the people on track with you and how they behave and treat others. So how on the track can you tell if someone is male or female easily?

Sparks! · Sir Tart-a-lot Joined: 30 Aug 2003 Karma :

Just imagine everyone is riding around in their underpants.. then you won't find them so intimidating Cool

HTH

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bikegirl · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 29 May 2004 Karma :

Sparks! · Sir Tart-a-lot Joined: 30 Aug 2003 Karma :

TBH, my first motard track day I wondered WTF was going on, some of the people in it were bloody quick on full race spec bikes... madness, but it taught me a lot, I wasn't quick at all, fell off a few times, enjoyed the day and wanted to do it again, but it wasn't great..

2nd track day.. was amazingly good, so much faster, pushed it a lot better, was overtaking a lot, spent a lot of time on track to push myself further, followed a few of the racers that were there, managed to keep up for a lap or two Shocked

and generally had a much better time and can't wait till my next one in a few weeks time.

First track day = nervous.. just do it, you won't regret it.. I went for ages wanting to do a track day but not ACTUALLY doing one, then I just booked up and done it and am now so addicted that the R6 has to go to free up some ££ for a better supermoto..

Do your first one, enjoy it, take it easy... then book another and step up the pace a bit!!!

I still haven't the guts to do a road bike track day though...
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Current Toys: 06 Yamaha WR250F | Nissan 350Z GT | Tech 4 Homes