Women only trackdays?

[Silver]

Jeanette has been to every trackday with me that I've done and is vaguely interested in having a go herself. The biggest thing that puts her off though, is that she's worried about people saying she's slow, aggressive male riders etc.

I remember seeing an advert sometime last year for a female only trackday at Silverstone. Can't remember the organiser though. Does anyone know who does these or if it's a common thing? I haven't seen any others advertised (and I virtually live on https://www.uktrackdays.co.uk ).

[yambabe]

Tell her to have a look at the bikegirl website (I think its www.bikegirl.co.uk but I've not been on there myself for ages) as they have put together a womens race team, and someone on there will probably know.
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[MementoMori]

Ah babyyam beat me to it.
I found this:

https://www.bikegirl.co.uk/snippets/events/silverstone_171004.html

I know it was an event last year but you can see how things happen and there might be some information there or you could contact Silverstone I guess to get info
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The tiger who came for a pint

[Bendy]

So getting cut up by agressive female riders is alright then?

[Laura]

Why not send her along to one that were all doing and when more of the females of the forum are riding on track?

Plus why the hell should she care if shes slow on track its not a race day and most track day organisers give out novice bibs for the nervous etc which warns other riders to stay away. Plus their is always the tution on a track day.
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[Kickstart]

Hi

There are plenty of slow people on track days. For example, I might be there.

However if she is still worried and you do find a women only track day then let us know as we know someone who might be interested.

All the best

Keith
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[Bendy]

A novice-only trackday would make far more sense.

[Kickstart]

[Fruit'n'nut]

[Bendy]

Okay, my 2p on the matter:

It's your first track day. You are meant to be nervous.

The novice group is called the novice group for a reason. It's full of novices.

The majority of trackday companies offer brightly coloured bibs for the extra nervous. Wear one - it means the people coming to overtake you will know you're nervy and will give you plenty of room. It also warns them that you might do something unpredictable.

Nobody is singling you out. Nobody cares how fast you go or how slow you go. The only person putting that pressure on you is yourself.

Instructors are available, for free, at every trackday. Use them.

Ride for yourself. You will find that you get faster than you were at the beginning of the day. What everyone else does is irrelevant.

I honestly don't see how a women-only or novice-only trackday is going to change anything at all - you are still going to be on a track with X other people who you don't know, some of whom are faster than you, some of whom are slower, some of whom are considerate, some of whom are dicks.

A trackday is not a race, there is no minimum expectation level, you don't have to be 'on the pace' - the whole point is just for you to go out and have fun riding your bike, and generally learn a thing or two about it in the process.

To be blunt, if someone's that intimidated by the concept of sharing a wide piece of tarmac with 30 odd other riders, all going in the same direction, it makes me wonder how they can cope with riding on the roads, cos that's far more of a headfuck when you really think about it.

[JonB]

It's like giving Men only trackdays, the furoré that would happen would be amazing.

I can see some company called Diamond, giving women CHEAPER women only trackdays though.
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[nc30 chick]

I agree with Bendy, I wanted to do a female only track day but have now come to the conclusion that I dont care anymore and as long as I ride for myself then it doesnt matter. If I get slaughtered by men on the track, who cares! I dont. Im there to gain confidence on my bike and to ride for myself.
Im now waiting for a suitable date to come up for either castle coombe or Brands now that me and hubby can do.

[MarJay]

I was very scared on my first trackday. I had a slower bike than most and had been riding for a fairly short amount of time. It was a big fast track with lots of R1s and Blades scooting about.

I was third from last every session, but it gave me loads of space to breathe. The faster riders were ahead and two slower ones were behind. So what? I had a whale of a time once I was out there. No one intimidated me, no one cut me up and no one overtook me recklessly.

The only time I have been intimidated on track was at my first Cadwell trackday where I was cut up by three bandit 1200 riders who should have been in inters. I believe they got a warning after that session. Even so, I held my ground and did not fall off. It may also have been to do with the fact I was riding a 955i and 'fair game' as such...

Still I'm here to tell the tale, and so are all other members of this forum who have done trackdays. Confident or nervous, Male or female.

Just do a trackday is my advice!
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[jay12329]

My first track day i was on a 33bhp hornet, after owning it only 3 months. I was also at cadwell park where a few months before one of the top riders in world motorbike sport almost died. I was shitting myself. I was the only person on a naked bike, and to make it worse i missed the first session so didn’t have a clue where i was going. After the first session of toddeling around a track i had a huge smile on my face, even tho i didnt get about 60mph i felt so much freeer than on the road.
I was extremely slow, only got 4-5 laps a 20min session. And i was much slower than everyone else there, i survived and a year later i am riding in the intermediate group.
You dont need to be on a fast bike, you dont need to be a fast mega confident rider. You just need to go at your own speed and be happy within your own limits.
I am an externally nervous person, and was physically sick before my first session. I was shaking sat in the holding area. But as soon as i got on track i concentrated on what i was doing and let everyone else get on with what they were doing.
HTH
J

[G]

You do occasionaly find people being tits in the novice group; if this is the case, then do tell the instructors or other officials.

May even be that the people don't realise they are scaring other people.

[JonB]

A bit off topic, but do you ever find Bandit 600's doing the tracks at all? I know you get Hornets buzzing around but they are more powerful than a Bandit, just wondering if it is worth doing.
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[jay12329]

Jon you get gs500's, cb500s, hornets, bandits, fazers. You can track day anything!
J

[JonB]

Me like a lot.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[iCraig]

As other people have said you will be nervous anyway doing your first trackday, no matter what.

I was totally shitting myself in the morning before my first session at donington and I was shaking like a leaf and couldn't stop going to the toilet every five minutes, but as soon as the first session came I went out on track and soon found confidence and began to learn the track.

And think about it with your helmet on, no one knows if you male or female nor do they probably care.

Also I'd like to point out you can do a trackday on any machine bar a cruiser probably, look at me I did it on a 500cc 'commuter' bike.

[Kickstart]

[Fruit'n'nut]

[G]

[Major_Grooves]

I don't think there's any problems with "women only" days. Many women just feel more comfortable doing something new in the company of other women. I don't think its an inferiority complex thing. Just because the women that post here are confident around guys doesn't mean all women are.

Out of interest do the girls here who don't like the idea of a women's only track day (Bendy, Laura, nc30 chick) hang aroud with mainly girls or mainly guys? I would reckon it would be the latter.

At the climbing centre I go to there are regular "women's nights" and they seem quite popular.

btw I'm a bloke
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[JonB]

[Bendy]