Should Women Cyclists Train With Men?

Question: Hi Gale. I'm an aspiring female road racer. The news that there will be a greater focus on women's racing at the Tour of California and at the Tour de France gives me hope that one day soon more women will be able to race at the professional level and make a living. I'm also hopeful that the increased attention will bring more women to race at the amateur ranks. It's more fun to race when there are more than a handful of women at the start line.

Sorry for the long introduction, but it brings me to my question. Last season I did a few races and absolutely fell in love with the sport. As I prepare for the upcoming season of racing, I was contemplating training with a group of guys that have a fast ride on Saturday mornings. Some of my friends think the Saturday ride is a good idea and others think it's a bad idea. Without swaying your opinion with their reasons, I'd like to know what you think.

More: Women-Only Cycling Issues Explained

Should female road racers train with the guys?

Thanks, L.P.

Answer: Hey L.P. I'm excited to read that you're enthusiastic about road racing. As you and other women take to the sport, it can only raise the level of support at all levels. You have a great question, and I'll do my best to give you the good and the bad of training with the guys.

Learning Environment

When I was learning about road racing and group riding etiquette, there were literally no women's group rides to help me. I found supportive men that were willing to help me learn group-riding skills and race tactics. It doesn't matter whether you train with men or women, find a group that's supportive and can help you learn the fundamentals in a safe and supportive way. Beyond the fundamentals, you need experienced cyclists to teach you race strategies and tactics too.

More: Basic Cycling Tips and Skills

Ride at Your Level of Fitness

Every rider, male and female, will benefit from riding with cyclists that are similar in ability. It's no fun to be dropped on group ride 10 minutes after it begins because the pack is at a higher level of fitness than you. If you're looking to build early season or base fitness, try to find riders that are aiming to ride at a pace that's good for your fitness goals.

It is possible for you to jump in a group of cyclists faster than you are and draft. If done the right way, you and the other cyclists in the group can still gain plenty of fitness from the activity. The key to this strategy is to know what you want from the group ride before showing up for the workout. If you know the fitness of the cyclists you're going to train with, decide if you want to be the one pulling the group or if you need to be the one sitting in and getting pulled.

Of course if you plan to be pulled around by the group for the entire ride, inquire if that's okay with the other riders. I'm sure you're aware of riders that sit in for nearly the entire ride and try to contest a sprint at the end. These tactics are frowned upon and won't win you too many friends within the peloton.

More: Ask the Experts: Cycling Smart

I'm assuming you're a very strong rider. There will be days when you can benefit from riding with guys that are faster and there will be days when it's best for you to ride with the guys that aren't as fast.

Race Distance

When it comes to adding race intensity to your training, be sure you're only doing training rides that are appropriate for your race distance. If the men are going on a training ride to prepare for an 80-mile road race and your race is 40 miles, you're best served by doing only part of the big group ride. This is especially true for all new racers, like you.

Women that do too much volume and intensity set themselves up for overtraining, and they'll lose speed. In the worst-case scenario, they'll end up with an injury. Choose your training schedule wisely.

More: 10 Secrets for Riding in a Peloton

Race-Intensity Training

I do think women can benefit from training with stronger men (or stronger women) when it comes time to do race-pace intensity. It's not easy for amateur riders to find moto-pacing opportunities or a group of guys can provide a human version to simulate this kind of training. I will say that it's easier to find a strong, mostly male, group for this type of training than it is to find a strong group of women.

Getting Chicked

Strong female riders that are successfully training with groups of men have usually managed to find men with strong self-esteems. This means that the guys they train with don't get mad, sad or otherwise emotionally defeated when passed by a female. These guys take it in stride and are usually inspired when they "get chicked" or passed by a strong female cyclist. In fact, these great guys encourage the women they ride with to get stronger, and they're usually proud to be associated with strong women.

More: Women's Cycling is Looking for a Stage

Bottom Line

I do think there are benefits for women road racers training with male cyclists—they just need to be the right group of guys. Male-dominated group rides are easier to find in most cities. Men are often, but not always, stronger than women and can offer training benefits to aspiring female racers.

I also think you should choose your male-dominated rides wisely. Avoid doing all of your training rides with men, especially if every ride turns into a race. They're not only racing you, but each other. These fast rides have a time and place, but should not be your routine.

If you happen to be the strongest female rider in your area, and you aspire to higher levels of racing, riding with a good group of guys is likely critical to improving your fitness. However, there are benefits when you do some of your training with other women. By getting groups of women together to ride, you are promoting the sport to other women who might be interested but don't want to hang out with the guys.

In short, I believe that there are times when women should, and times when women should not, train with men.

More: 5 Ways to Get Women More Involved in Cycling