I'm fairly sure there's many more women who ride a mountainbike than there are those who bikepack.

Yes I'd say so, based on bike shop sales and who I see out and about. It's a fair bit higher in road riding. But I expect it's higher again in traditional touring (more so among older riders) or at least similar to road riding. Maybe that's where something like the TCR or TNR could have appeal over a bikepacking event - the terrain, plus being open to riders using BnBs or hotels as well as bivis? Or the Jennride having 1 overnight vs than the WRT's 2?

I know the WRT is relaxed and 'make it what you will' though. It might just be a promotion thing. Get WRT on instagram

#WRT and its variants is all over instagram for a few days either side of the event, just not in any official capacity.

What's it like on the moors 100?

The having to choose your own route thing limits things somewhat. As an example look how many people went on John's LHC earlier this year

I think folks just want to turn up and ride, if you had a couple of preset routes that people could choose that might make it more welcoming, and then folks can ride as they like and know they might bump into people.

I know that's quite different to the spirit of the WRT previously or currently, and personally I like plotting a route. It's part of the fun for me.

EDIT - the LHC means someone has to lead. Following a route means folks just choose when and how they ride without needing to worry about the rest of the group

Selling routes for charity had being mentioned ... but would anyone really trust me

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2019 9:58 am Selling routes for charity had being mentioned ... but would anyone really trust me

In your defence you did me a route once and it was excellent. I rode it with Rich G and Blackhound, apart from the horrendous weather it was excellent and all rideable

You could do an 80 mile route with some lovely forest or open tracks picking up the odd cafe and pub. That would let folks add bits on if they want to but also make it very achievable

jameso wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2019 9:08 am

I'm fairly sure there's many more women who ride a mountainbike than there are those who bikepack.

It might just be a promotion thing. Get WRT on instagram

Promoting the rides - advertising them more widely I think would be the key but i’m not sure that’s what you’d want Stu is it?
It would seem the natural BB demographic is is older, balder men with a hint of cynicism
To get more women you probably need more people in total and to provide events that are maybe too far away from the current offerings - sparklier, more corporate etc

sparklier, more corporate etc

Careful TCR isn't any of that, as well as something you need to plan your own route for, and it's got a much more balanced entry list than most events. Some of it must be actively encouraging women to enter and some of the rest may be about the on/off road thing. I was kidding about instagram, though any event, product or brand etc has a certain aesthetic that might make a difference here.

What are you saying about these aesthetics Mr O, how very dare you , if I remember right stu used that photo to advertise this years LHC so that maybe the reason for lack of female participation

Maybe people are thinking I don't take this stuff seriously enough

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2019 9:58 am Selling routes for charity had being mentioned ... but would anyone really trust me

FWIW I reckon your BB200 rpute was rather lovely. Couldn't quite manage the whole of the dyfi forest nasty slippery world cup section though but the gravel backs around me seemed to manage it all just fine. Well done

Serious? Perish the thought! Curiously (some) people think I don't take things seriously enough either whereas in fact my burden is quite the opposite. It's a funny old business.

That typeface worries me a bit - very satanic. Or maybe it needs The Good The Bad And The Ugly (*) playing [in]discreetly in the background. Who are those people??! I loved your original response to the photo in Jan though Stu

(*) Borderer to the punctuation help desk please.

That typeface worries me a bit - very satanic.

I was kind of going for the whole cowboy, magnificent seven kind of feel Reg ... sorry if it turned out more Secret Seven and Enid Blyton.

Excellent! Bunch of cowboys it is!

Gawd I love This Place.

'Enid Blyton' - please, don't set me off 'cos it's Cheery Friday: 'Bearbones Meets Enid Blyton', where do we even start?!

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2019 5:26 pm

To quote Half Man Half Biscuit “still evading capture, still at large”

http://halfmanhalfbiscuit.uk/no-one-car ... /terminus/

https://open.spotify.com/track/7FHhlssg ... UI-hpXRmfA

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2019 5:26 pm

Aesthetic : Valleys band doing Ennio Moricone covers? I'd certainly go to the local to hear them.

*Whistles and clangs a pan* hoo-haa..

Just struck me - we're probably getting close to reaching page 3 of this thread and have had no posts from any women. I'm going to assume that proves some kind of point?

Cue Monty Python now of course: "are there any women here today?".. <lots of shuffling and mumbling no, no, no and shaking of heads>. In fact all of us BBB chaps are probably wearing fake beards.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Oct 19, 2019 9:11 am Just struck me - we're probably getting close to reaching page 3 of this thread and have had no posts from any women. I'm going to assume that proves some kind of point?

Are you sure?

Are you sure?

Bollox - thought that was a different thread. Sorry Bridget.

Think you just need to take the "Build it and they will come" approach

You just need to find a me/Reg of the female persuasion, whos willing to promote something like this, and go from there

If comparing to the female attendance at the Jennride is it not likely that she had a number of female followers on FB/Insta etc who would likely do so because they had a shared interest and would, therefore, be more motivated and informed about that particular event? Maybe you need to convince a Lee Craigie or a Jenny Graham etc to commit to the WRT and see if that garners some of the right publicity/profile.