Cycletta or DIVA cycling events
For women who want to cycle with other women, female-only cycle events come under several well-known brands, such as Cycletta, DIVA, Breeze ride.
Physically they are very similar to sportives – there is a signed course of 20 – 100 miles, and riders leave in small groups. Breeze rides are a little different and range from much less formal events upwards.
The key difference is in the atmosphere. Currently, the main aim of these events is to provide a cycling challenge that is encouraging and not intimidating. Although there is a growing number of performance-focused riders, the event team expects and welcomes those who have done little cycling recently or never cycled further than a few miles. If I had to generalise, the feeling is informal, friendly and excited whereas a sportive may be competitive and a little macho.
Whilst everyone should make sure they arrive with a roadworthy bike, non-racing bikes are commonplace.
The facilities often include:
- changing or baggage area at the start
- trade stands relating to health and fashion as well as cycling equipment
- toilet facilities at the feed / rest stops
These events currently cost a little more to enter than sportives, and the support costs and level of staffing are higher.
What to expect from the support team
As with sportives, the support team should understand what attracts riders to this type of event. A good team member should:
- be a good judge of when confidence is needed
- encourage riders to understand how to keep their cycle working, and to mend any punctures
- be aware of the different reactions that confident / experienced and unconfident / less experienced riders have to an incident
Contact me to discuss the experience I have had with female-oriented cycling events, and how we could work together to create exactly the event that riders get talking about in a positive way.