CX Down Under - International Women’s Day Survey 2021: Your Feedback
One of the many great things about the sport of cyclocross is its gender diversity - as the State of Australian Cyclocross series showed that in 2019 women made up around 25% of participants in cyclocross around Australia.
While this is a higher rate of female participation than other cycling disciplines such as mountain biking or road cycling, there’s still work to be done to strive for gender equality in the sport of cyclocross, especially as it pertains to racing in Australia and New Zealand.
With that in mind, we created a survey to gain feedback on the current state of gender equality in the state of cyclocross, just in time for International Women’s Day 2021. Thanks to all those who responded. Please note that there are different levels of privacy for different respondents, each according to their wishes.
The answers are below - we hope you find them insightful.
What obstacles (if any) have you encountered that prevented/delayed your entry into the sport of cyclocross?
Information beforehand about what to expect on the day, lack of women's-only race waves.
Cate Blackburn
Access to events < 1 hour drive away. Lack of low key club events that don't feel too serious.
Anonymous
The cost of a race license.
Bethany Loates
Being Intersex
The shouting and abuse by the spectators
Anonymous
Gemma Kernich is the president of Port Adelaide Cycling Club, a highly skilled mechanic and a former Masters world champion on the track.
Photo: @thatbikenerd
What's the best thing you've seen an organiser or fellow racer do to promote gender equality in cyclocross Down Under? How did that make you feel?
Skills sessions, women’s grades—both make me feel safer and more competent on course. Melburn Durt’s huge and ongoing efforts to be inclusive and welcoming for all women/trans/nonbinary participants.
Anonymous
Create a Womens C-grade, despite not yet having a huge turnout in womens A and B. All of sudden there was space to be 'bad' at the sport, there was space to 'participate' without needing to be of a certain standard to even get on the start line.
Cate Blackburn
Port Adelaide Cycling has offered women's only skills sessions and separate race starts for women. We aren't racing for sheep stations (which the men often don't realise) and having a women's only start made me feel more comfortable as they are less aggro when passing.
Bethany Loates
Equal Prizes, Women’s only training sessions, makes me feel more comfortable being a woman in a men dominated sport.
Anonymous
My team, Mood Racing, treat all of us and everyone else with the utmoat respect. They cheer everyone and anyone. I hear them loud and clear and I am proud to be a part of a team that treats me as part of the team, not just the token older female to make them look good.
Tracy Johnson
Fancy dress cyclocross - really making it fun!
C.W.
Angela Coleman makes a hasty dismount at Garvey Park in Round 5 of the 2019 Numbat Cup. She’d go on to win an age-group National Championship in Women’s Masters 4 later in 2019.
Photo: @k__v__a
What's the biggest setback or worst piece of behaviour (related to gender) you've encountered in your time riding or racing cyclocross? How did that make you feel?
Across all cycling disciplines—the ‘why won’t women turn up?!’/‘unless x women turn up we won’t run your grades’ even though women’s participation (in terms of license number ratios) may well be as good or better than men’s, proportionally. Individual men aren’t made to feel like the future of the sport is dependent on them personally competing every race.
Anonymous
The worst setback is when other male riders (particularly in B grade when I am racing A women) yell at me to let them past and get out the way. It frustrates me because I have just as much right to the track as they do and I shouldn't have to slow up to let them past.
Talia Simpson
Non-equal coverage of racing. On race day and in the media and insta posts that follow. As a u23 woman I had an extraordinarily close nationals champs race in 2017 that received no coverage in commentary or in the media that followed. This has been repeated and continues to this day. No one seems to care about the non-Elite women's races but they care about U19, U23 and Masters men. It makes me feel ignored and lesser. Commentators and publishers and everyday people who post about Aus CX need to be more equal. I've called people out before but not seen much change.
T.M.
Having people tell me I’m not good enough and comparing me to the men my age. It made me feel upset and uncomfortable.
Anonymous
Seeing my daughter get selected on a team was a proud moment, but the team never acknowledged her as part of the team. She has never been mentioned on their socials and she knows. It is one of the reasons she hardly rides now.
Tracy Johnson
As a newcomer spectator, watching men heckle other men with sexist comments. Things like 'you ride like a girl', 'pussy', 'my sister/gf/mum/grandma rides faster than you' etc. I didn't know anyone at cyclocross and so had no idea this was just 'harmless banter between mates'. I remember exchanging a look with a mum next to me, also a newcomer with her child and I said words to the effect of ‘I'm glad I'm not going out there' and she agreed.
Cate Blackburn
Often the women's races have their practice lap after the men’s C and B races so we're warming up and getting our head in the game while men's A Grade are flying around with varying levels of tolerance for newbies workshopping some features they'd like to work at.
P.V.
Dr Kim Hurst is a proud Kiwi, a local GP, a race organiser and a pretty handy bike rider in her own right. Here she is leaning into the berm at the 2018 Melbourne Grand Prix of CX, with Nat Redmond close behind.
Photo: @thatbikenerd
What changes (if any) would you like to see event organisers make to improve gender equality in cyclocross Down Under?
Child care facilities - a lot of time men race and women are on the side lines looking after children.
S.D.
Equal importance given to U19 and U23 women and men, even in terms of scheduling. I can't remember what the schedule was in 2019, but don't bury the girls on Saturday morning if the boys are in a near-prime spot on Sunday afternoon.
T.M.
Treat Intersex people like human beings
Anonymous
Some things are logistical—make sure there are toilets with bins, for example. Having to try and find somewhere to dispose of used period products at an event is embarrassing and awkward. And some of it is about being deliberate in use of images/interviews/event highlighting of women’s races and personalities in promoting events. Women come if they see other women there, especially a mix of women and not just A grade weapons.
Anonymous
1. Provide both mens and womens A/B/C. Always, regardless of numbers.
2. Race-length equality. If I paid the same entry fee as a B-grade male, I want to race the same time as a B-grade female.
3. Have women involved in organising races + listen to their suggestions.
4. Recognise women's efforts. Always have separate podiums and prizes.
5. Try to provide a women's-only race wave for the lower women's grades. It can be off-putting to a beginner rider to have an agressive teenage boy or man barging through and cutting you off on corners.
Cate Blackburn
I would LOVE to see Women's A grade race last. Even A and B together if that's how the numbers fall, but to finish with a Women's race would be great. To have the highest ranked woman given #1 instead of 101 is cool but a bit more subtle.
P.V.
Dr Miranda Robinson is a passionate C grade racer from Victoria, who also happens to be an obstetrician and gynaecologist and a mum of two. Here’s to always feeling the stoke!
Photo: @thatbikenerd
What changes (if any) would you like to see men (male riders and racers specifically) make to improve gender equality in cyclocross Down Under?
Not offer advice unless asked directly. ONLY if something looks unsafe ask, "can I offer some advice/feedback" and if they say no, that's fine.
P.V.
Understand the barriers that stand more in the way of women—specifically, domestic and caring duties that fall far more on women than men. If they are on committees, boards, organizing groups—look around the room for the women. If they aren’t there (or are there and not being listened to), fix it.
Anonymous
Be respectful during racing. If race organizers simply can't or won't separate waves with very large speed differentials, don't yell at me to get out of the way, pass and speak respectfully. Women's races are just as important as men's races.
Cate Blackburn
Be patient and encourage less skilled riders - we are there to race and have fun just like you
Anonymous
Equal support - order of racing mixed.
C.W.
The women’s B grade field is ready to take to the start line at Beechworth in a Victorian CX Series round in 2018.
Photo: @thatbikenerd
What's something small we can all do to improve gender equality in cyclocross Down Under?
Commentators need to ensure they know the riders beforehand, know who is in which race and don't mix this up. The amount of time I've been mistaken for someone else, not called out at all, had someone else in another grade called as the winner of my race... Publishers need to give more than one sentence to u19 and u23 women, give equal coverage to junior men and women. Actually watch the races, or consult someone who did, so you can accurately report on the results.
T.M.
Just treat everyone with respect and help out. Don't arrive, race and leave. Be part of the culture and give back. People are watching and especially the really young ones, role model appropriate behaviour and just be friendly. Cyclocross is about fun, laughter, getting dirty. Yes it is a serious sport, but you can be a nice person whilst doing it.
Tracy Johnson
Encourage the women in our lives to come and give it a go (and then actually structure racing so they stay). Remove the idea that you need to be 'good enough' or 'fast enough' or any 'enough' to come and participate. Dispel the myth that 'coming last' is a personal failure or a bad thing and champion the idea that participation alone has value.
Cate Blackburn
I don’t like female only rounds - I think they are demeaning, and segregating.
C.W.
Having "borrow bikes" that new people can try for a race or two.
Anonymous
The combined women’s A, B and C grade fields gather for a post-race photo opportunity at a 2018 round of the Victorian cyclocross series at Mt Beauty.
Photo: @thatbikenerd
In your mind, what will be the biggest sign that cyclocross Down Under has achieved gender equality?
Equal prize money all around, equal race scheduling (I don't mind if men or women are the last race on the course, but make sure junior women aren't burried or dismissed), people are excited to watch both the men and women's races and that people hang around to watch the women's races. None of this condescending cheering like "keep it going" when someone is suffering off the back of the race (I don't hear people say that to men).
T.W.
When there are as many women as men racing but that is a massive societal shift that encourages women to participate in sport and is not simply a CX thing.
Bethany Loates
Overly cocky idiot women injuring themselves in B grade at the same rate cocky idiot men currently are.
P.V.
That this is not even a question!
C.W.
Higher numbers of women (& diverse) regularly at races - with big happy smiles on their faces!
Anonymous