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Barriers Women Face in Cycling |
| Let's date back to when I first started bike racing. The sport is intimidating, for one. When I started out, all women's categories raced together, so I would be on the start line with the likes of Alison Sydor and other highly skilled, professional cyclists. At my very first bike race, this is what happened. It was at a weekly criterium. I showed up wearing a hot pink jersey, mountain bike shoes and a road bike that was too big for me, and I am almost certain my helmet was tilted sideways. I probably lasted about two laps with the pack and then rode alone for the remainder. For some reason, I wanted to come back to it and conquer. I did, I learned, I sat on the back, I watched, I followed, I stayed out of the way and stayed quiet. I was intimidated, and I have to say the vibe wasn't the friendliest in the Peloton, but eventually, I cracked the barrier and realized that this is what I wanted to do. The feeling that I had when I did manage to stay in the pack was a forceful one. It takes a certain passion, devotion and, I believe, a tenacious attitude to race a bike. Through this sport, I have met some amazing people. This is one of the reasons that I have stayed in the sport. It has introduced me to some diverse training partners. Training with men has helped me get stronger. Sourcing out group rides that I felt welcome to join and becoming a member of a club where there were women of my own caliber that I could train and race with was also beneficial. I first started out with a regional club, whose mandate was "you are only as strong as your weakest rider". That being said, the group had a controlled pace, and everyone rode together. Road cycling is not an easy sport. There is no hiding and anyone can be beaten on any given day. Everyone sees you if you get dropped, and that can be hard on your confidence. You are going to have good days and bad days, days when your body is not cooperating. It is just not you and your bike on the road. We are not superhuman and bottom line, we are pretty blessed to be able to go out there and race our bikes. We do not do this sport because we have to do it; we do it because we want to do it. We love the sport and it is an absolutely amazing feeling being able to push the body to obtain all that speed, power and control. Believe me, there are some days I question what I am doing but ultimately, there is something that keeps me coming back to it and wanting more. With some drive and determination, it is amazing what can be done. Marni Hambleton is a member of the ValueAct Capital Cycling Team. A native of Vancouver, B.C., Marni was the 2007 silver medalist at Canadian Nationals. |