Why aren’t there more women signing up for mountain bike races in the UK?  What are the common barriers we experience and what can event organisers and the industry do to encourage more women to enter?

This is what I chat about in today’s episode with Tess Cakebread-Brown . 

Tess shares her experiences with entering races and what it is like to stand on a podium when there were only 2 women in her category. 

She also shares the thoughts gathered from the mountain bike community after she posed this topic on her instagram.  There was a phenomenal response and it just shows that us girls want to race but there are several common barriers that get in the way.   

These hurdles could easily be remedied with a different approach to organising races and then promoting them… but this then leads to the question..

...What comes first? More women entering races or the efforts and changes needed to get more women to enter races? 

Get stuck into the pod and hear the full convo, it is sooo interesting and I would love to hear your thoughts on this, head on over to my instagram or facebook page and leave a comment https://www.instagram.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/girlsonwheelspodcast/ .

The Guest: 

Hey there! :) I'm Tess, a MTB enduro rider based in the north east of England. I started riding quite late, at the age of 25, and have been sharing my journey primarily via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mud_and_no_makeup/?hl=en.

I have completely fallen in love with the sport as it keeps me fit and happy, as well as allows me to visit amazing places and hang out with awesome people. My main aim is to share the buzz of the sport and encourage more people to get involved. You'll also find lots of tips and how-to videos in my feed, which I hope will help on your own mountain bike journey :)

You can also find Tess on YouTube where you can watch all her great how to videos, I certainly learn a lot from them.

Take away's from the episode:

• There is a large number of everyday female mountain bikers who want to enter races but don't feel like they can due to some common barriers:
• Advertising of events.  Where are all the girls in the event promos and other marketing material?  Why don't we make the cut? You can not be what you can not see. 
• Gaps between racers is a biggy. Leave big gaps to give us a chance to go down without the pressure of a faster rider thundering up behind us. Enduro mash up events and womens only waves are also great ideas for filling up those female categories.

• Costs and childcare and not knowing how to find where the races are.

• The barriers mentioned are easy to fix, it just requires a commitment and intention from race and event organisers and those creators who make the promotional material. 

• We love bikes.

Check out the key points in the episode below:

00:00 - Show me the love. How did Tess find mountain biking and become obsessed?  

23:50 - the biggest things that can stop women entering races.  Leave a big gap between racers.

28:30 - A solution for the gap issue.

32:00 - Pedalhounds race series and their womens waves 

33:25 - Women aren’t used in the marketing of events so therefore it will not attract women. 

37:50 - Is there an unconscious bias when it comes to making the promotional material for events? 

43:41 - Childcare and costs put women off too

48:00 - What comes first, the women joining the racing or the efforts to get them to race?

54:40 - Why does Tess choose to race?

59:30 - Quick fire questions

01:07:05 - Squid impression

Useful Links:

To check out upcoming races head on over to https://www.sientries.co.uk/

For enduro races check out http://www.pmbaenduro.co.uk/ and https://pedalhounds.co.uk/ , https://tweedlove.com/ , https://ardrock.co.uk/ .  The Malverns festival is a great place to do your first enduro or downhill race https://malvernsclassic.com/ .  

For downhill races check out http://minidownhill.com/ , https://www.instagram.com/mijdownhill/?hl=en and https://www.instagram.com/gravityeventsuk/ For races at Cannock chase join the racers guild facebook page https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/49035601311/

Check out the forest of dean insta account as they usually tell you when a mini downhill series is on.  Fab events to do your first races. https://www.instagram.com/fodmtb/?hl=en

There are so many other events out there. Ask around, message people you know have entered a race. Look at marshalling, spectating. Get a feel for it before taking the plunge if that helps.

The Pod:

Don’t forget to head on over to Girls on wheels website and subscribe to the newsletter, where you’ll get a peek at upcoming guests and be in with a chance to get involved, with topic suggestions, coming on to share your story, or joining the panel for random episodes.  Plus you can stay in the loop about what GOW has planned. Exciting.

If you have liked what you've heard then please leave me a review on podchaser.  It will help the show to grow and make me do a happy dance.

Don’t forget to hit subscribe on your favourite podcast app so you don’t miss the next episode where I chat with Sarah about the power or being brave and vulnerable and how reaching out to the mountain bike community helped created her life as it is today. Tune in next week to hear more.

Girls on wheels coming at yaaaaaaaaaa.

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