Discuss: Can girls be fast competent riders

I'd say that women are less likely to ride like pricks and are, in that respect, safer riders than men.
Alex Dangerfield

I don't think that a person's sex defines their ability to ride or drive well, but their mental state does. Girls are more likely to think of all the dangers they may face or consequences of their actions.
Kernel

There's absolutely no reason why women can't ride quickly, and to suggest otherwise is an unfair stereotype associated with female car drivers who, as we all know, are completely shit.
Muzzychuck

I've put loads of girls through their bike course successfully, and I've had females on courses who surpass the males in every way. The only difference is that females are physically smaller and not as strong as males. And if the bike is not small enough, it can instill nervousness.
Taff107

Women can ride like idiots, they can ride well, or they can be somewhere in the middle. Look at your 200mph Feature - won by a woman. Blokes probably have more of an issue with ego and showing off than women, but that's offset by the women's embarrassment at having to wear pink because that's the only colour they seem to make girl's kit in
Kaideejee

Women are less likely to ride in a risky manner than men, but this makes them appear to be 'less good' because they're not as fast down a certain piece of road.
Riceburner

The only difference is the majority of women have different priorities when it comes to biking, and it shouldn't be said that competing in a male-dominated sport is holding us back. I see the 'sexism' accusations as a poor excuse and don't see why women have to be lead by the hand in this sport.
Eff Bee

Girls make more low-speed handling errors (embarrassment) and guys make more high-speed handling errors (pain) but I've seen enough exceptions to prove the rule. When girls first started doing track days I had to smirk at some of the guys claiming clutch problems!
Dayglo Jim

I've been on rideouts where there's been people who were dangerous, didn't have any road sense at all and had very little spatial awareness - all of them were male. I've never experienced that from a female rider.
MissMiniMofo

Women could be quite adequate at most things if they weren't quite so emotional about everything. Do you think that any activity that requires clear, concise and logical thought processes could be be carried out to any degree of perfection by girls?
Nidge

I went riding in  Wales and there was a dodgy-looking girl on an R1 who was just amazing around the twisty bits, I really struggled to keep up. I asked about her and was told, "You haven't met Hazel have you? Hazel had a sex change and club races a Kawasaki 400 - she is also a doctor." Ironically, my wife had to see the doctor a few weeks later and when she came back told me about the appointment she had just had with a Dr Hazel. I nearly died laughing!
WolfZX-12R

There's plenty of girls just as quick as some of the club racers and more than that as quick as guys on the road. But there's a good reason there aren't any in MotoGP. Top-level racing requires mental and physical extremes that men are just better suited to by design.
Kitch

You don't see women win many GPs, do you? I hear women out-compete men at power boating so maybe that could happen on motorbikes too if enough girls are encouraged to ride.
MyLittleStudPony

The entry route into the biking world for girls means there's less about, leading to the misconception that they are slow. By entry route I mean the masculine nature of the sport.
Irn Bru Freak

The only things I struggle with are moving and paddling the bike around when the ground is uneven, and lugging it off the side stand when parked on a bit of a camber. Everything else I reckon I have as much a chance of doing well or badly as anyone.
Stray Cat

I don't think when it comes to riding a bike it makes naff all difference whether you're male or female as long as you have the right bike for your capabilities, size, strength and environment.
MissMiniMofo

I have never seen a woman on a FireBlade riding like an utter tit in shorts and t-shirt. In fact, I have never seen a woman out and about on her bike in less than all the recommended kit. Boys, we really could teach you a thing or two!
Woo Woo

RESULT

Yes, the girls can really ride: 14
No, they don't have the balls: 3

It's completely unanimous this time: The chicks can ride!