Bikes are for boys: Cycling while woman
April 5, 2018 10:33 AM Subscribe
Aviva Stephens writes on cycling while woman.
Excerpt: While there are several aspects of bike commuting that are unwelcoming to women, I think the largest hurdle to get over is sweat. First, women don’t sweat…but we do, so confusing... While I have yet to change the minds and hearts of American society that will allow women to sweat out loud, I have discovered a few tricks that have helped me overcome this unrealistic sweat-less standard for my daily commute.
My wife cycle commutes about 15 miles total a day. I'm not sure she's ever worried about sweat. She's too busy worrying about being mugged or run over.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:43 AM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:43 AM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
So I am sympathetic to the condescension and/or surprise to cycling. As a man I'm immune to some of this but when cycling long-distance in Australia years ago I had a few comments along the lines of "wow, a bike? I used to ride a bike before I got my drivers license..."
25 years later, let me say fuck you random yobbo
posted by GuyZero at 10:48 AM on April 5, 2018 [10 favorites]
25 years later, let me say fuck you random yobbo
posted by GuyZero at 10:48 AM on April 5, 2018 [10 favorites]
In Philadelphia there are a number of bike shops that host rides exclusively for not-cis-men. This includes the WTF Road Ride at Fairmount Bicycles and I'm fairly certain that Neighborhood Bike Works has something similar, though I can't find it.
Unrelated: antiperspirant ruins clothes. Just let that sweat flow.
posted by grumpybear69 at 10:50 AM on April 5, 2018
Unrelated: antiperspirant ruins clothes. Just let that sweat flow.
posted by grumpybear69 at 10:50 AM on April 5, 2018
Ms. Stephens should visit the Bicycle Belle store in Cambridge, MA. Suffice ti to say, there's a lot of money to be made by not being stupid with women customers, and BB rakes it in.
posted by ocschwar at 10:53 AM on April 5, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by ocschwar at 10:53 AM on April 5, 2018 [6 favorites]
I love this bit from her blog:
At least once a day I hear “you’re braver than me.” They call me brave because of their fear, not mine.posted by enn at 10:57 AM on April 5, 2018 [15 favorites]
Had not seen the Bikeyface blog, fantastic. Just in the what to pack illustration: sketchbook, tea-to-go, pastry, a good book, spare pastry!
posted by sammyo at 11:00 AM on April 5, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 11:00 AM on April 5, 2018 [6 favorites]
BrotherCaine and GuyZero: it's true that bike commuters of all genders deal with condescension and physical danger all the time (I'm all too aware of this) but women in the US bear an additional sexist burden that comes from within the bike community and bike industry itself, as well as the higher standard for women (esp women of color) to look "professional", and that's what this article is about.
posted by splitpeasoup at 11:00 AM on April 5, 2018 [38 favorites]
posted by splitpeasoup at 11:00 AM on April 5, 2018 [38 favorites]
Cycling has been male-dominated in Seattle for a long while, but I'm starting to think that trend might be on its way out. Anecdotally, I see far more women cycling on my commute route than I used to. Lately, it's not uncommon for me to see more women than men on a given day.
That doesn't mean the cultural problem is solved. If anything, it makes it more infuriating -- the marginalization is happening even though it would seem to be worse and worse for business.
I wonder if there are any economic reasons for it -- e.g., guys tend to spend more on fancier bikes and gear -- or if it's just pure entrenched bigotry.
posted by gurple at 11:04 AM on April 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
That doesn't mean the cultural problem is solved. If anything, it makes it more infuriating -- the marginalization is happening even though it would seem to be worse and worse for business.
I wonder if there are any economic reasons for it -- e.g., guys tend to spend more on fancier bikes and gear -- or if it's just pure entrenched bigotry.
posted by gurple at 11:04 AM on April 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Seconding her appreciation for the Cascade Bicycle Club. I went to an all-women's bike maintenance class there and it was great -- and they're coming to my Girl Scout troop soon to help them earn the Rolling Along badge.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:05 AM on April 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:05 AM on April 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
Her discussion of dressing/showering at work is really depressing. For the last nine years I've been lucky to work at places where I can arrive as sweaty as I want to be, shower and start my day.
The reasons that she doesn't feel empowered to do that, however much she might want to, speak to a mountain of cultural baggage that has nothing to do with cycling, specifically. Being a woman seems like so much more work.
My daughter's 7. I hope by the time she's an adult things are a little better, but that hope is pretty dim.
posted by gurple at 11:17 AM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
The reasons that she doesn't feel empowered to do that, however much she might want to, speak to a mountain of cultural baggage that has nothing to do with cycling, specifically. Being a woman seems like so much more work.
My daughter's 7. I hope by the time she's an adult things are a little better, but that hope is pretty dim.
posted by gurple at 11:17 AM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
Has anyone noticed that almost all bike share bikes are women's bikes, by which I mean they don't have the upper middle horizontal support bar? Just wait a few years, and bikes will be bikes thanks to bike share.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:20 AM on April 5, 2018
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:20 AM on April 5, 2018
don't be normative, bro; they're step-through bikes
posted by entropicamericana at 11:24 AM on April 5, 2018 [30 favorites]
posted by entropicamericana at 11:24 AM on April 5, 2018 [30 favorites]
don't be normative, bro; they're step-through bikes
Whatever the terminology, the most common defining characteristic of a 'mens bike' is that the upper bar is higher and on women's bikes it's lower or doesn't exist. If the #1 type of bike becomes step through, and men ride them and they don't collapse or whatever that bar is for due to manly riding, then it's going to eventually go unisex.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:30 AM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
Whatever the terminology, the most common defining characteristic of a 'mens bike' is that the upper bar is higher and on women's bikes it's lower or doesn't exist. If the #1 type of bike becomes step through, and men ride them and they don't collapse or whatever that bar is for due to manly riding, then it's going to eventually go unisex.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:30 AM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
...but that hope is pretty dim.
Hope Implies Doubt is an adage I repeat constantly...but I have No Doubt your daughter will benefit from your inclination to...doubt. Being a woman, being a minority by terms of a privileged class refusing anyone other than itself advocacy as an entity, IS WORK. Instead of Little Women, how about Alcott's novel Work?
That "support" bar is the stupidest thing...like a curved bar that allowed a skirt doesn't structurally support? I refuse to ride bikes with a "racking" bar, you know? I mean, fuck that, no? The tolerance to hike my leg over that bar and NOT rack myself is a few centimeters. It's such a macho thing, straddling a bike with a rack bar. Oh, look at me, I'm so tall and male and my sack is a few centimeters above the racking bar.
posted by lazycomputerkids at 11:30 AM on April 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
Hope Implies Doubt is an adage I repeat constantly...but I have No Doubt your daughter will benefit from your inclination to...doubt. Being a woman, being a minority by terms of a privileged class refusing anyone other than itself advocacy as an entity, IS WORK. Instead of Little Women, how about Alcott's novel Work?
That "support" bar is the stupidest thing...like a curved bar that allowed a skirt doesn't structurally support? I refuse to ride bikes with a "racking" bar, you know? I mean, fuck that, no? The tolerance to hike my leg over that bar and NOT rack myself is a few centimeters. It's such a macho thing, straddling a bike with a rack bar. Oh, look at me, I'm so tall and male and my sack is a few centimeters above the racking bar.
posted by lazycomputerkids at 11:30 AM on April 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
It is absolutely a cultural problem. Here's a good read on sexist behavior on trails, and how it stifles ridership in the cycling community, particularly among women and minorities.
Plus, barriers to women cyclists go beyond just the sexist culture and higher standards for physical appearance. Female cyclists are almost twice as likely as their male counterparts to be subjected to harassment or bad driving.
The best thing we can do is get more women on bikes is investing in safer infrastructure like separated bike lanes (which most list as the top barrier when surveyed). The other thing that tends to affect women's ability to commute is that they are still usually the ones in charge of childcare and other domestic tasks like shopping, which is of course a harder problem. That said, I do see things getting better - my office building actually just opened a new bike room with showers last month.
posted by veery at 11:30 AM on April 5, 2018 [19 favorites]
Plus, barriers to women cyclists go beyond just the sexist culture and higher standards for physical appearance. Female cyclists are almost twice as likely as their male counterparts to be subjected to harassment or bad driving.
The best thing we can do is get more women on bikes is investing in safer infrastructure like separated bike lanes (which most list as the top barrier when surveyed). The other thing that tends to affect women's ability to commute is that they are still usually the ones in charge of childcare and other domestic tasks like shopping, which is of course a harder problem. That said, I do see things getting better - my office building actually just opened a new bike room with showers last month.
posted by veery at 11:30 AM on April 5, 2018 [19 favorites]
BrotherCaine and GuyZero: it's true that bike commuters of all genders deal with condescension and physical danger all the time (I'm all too aware of this) but women in the US bear an additional sexist burden that comes from within the bike community and bike industry itself, as well as the higher standard for women (esp women of color) to look "professional", and that's what this article is about.
Noted, and I was not trying to downplay that. We had something like one woman owned bike shop in the entirety of the bay area and she just retired. The women I know who are bike mechanics had to fight hard every step for opportunity and respect. My wife works at a CPA office and does bike advocacy in addition to being a commuter so this article will definitely speak to her. Neither of us know what being a cyclist of color is like, although we have friends in that boat.
The industry is often horrible, despite local WTF events, and I try to support bike stores and apparel stores that at least employ women. I also try to support my wife by making sure we spend at least as much or more on my wife's bikes and gear than on mine. Not always easy as she's a bit more frugal and my weight and power demands a minimum quality of components and frame or things tend to fall apart.
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:42 AM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
Noted, and I was not trying to downplay that. We had something like one woman owned bike shop in the entirety of the bay area and she just retired. The women I know who are bike mechanics had to fight hard every step for opportunity and respect. My wife works at a CPA office and does bike advocacy in addition to being a commuter so this article will definitely speak to her. Neither of us know what being a cyclist of color is like, although we have friends in that boat.
The industry is often horrible, despite local WTF events, and I try to support bike stores and apparel stores that at least employ women. I also try to support my wife by making sure we spend at least as much or more on my wife's bikes and gear than on mine. Not always easy as she's a bit more frugal and my weight and power demands a minimum quality of components and frame or things tend to fall apart.
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:42 AM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
Whatever the terminology, the most common defining characteristic of a 'mens bike' is that the upper bar is higher and on women's bikes it's lower or doesn't exist. If the #1 type of bike becomes step through, and men ride them and they don't collapse or whatever that bar is for due to manly riding, then it's going to eventually go unisex.
Step-through frames require the bottom bar to sturdier, which means more weight and more expense, or they don't last as long as, what to call them, crotch buster frames.
Plus, barriers to women cyclists go beyond just the sexist culture and higher standards for physical appearance. Female cyclists are almost twice as likely as their male counterparts to be subjected to harassment or bad driving.
All too true. But the people who engage in this behavior are not IN the cycling community, and so cannot be dealt with by confronting any of the other issues discussed her, like mansplainy bike store staff. If anything, calling out that behavior will at best get those assholes to be more equal opportunity in how they harass bikers.
Or, well, more and better bike lanes, so God will bless those people and keep them, far away from us.
posted by ocschwar at 12:04 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Step-through frames require the bottom bar to sturdier, which means more weight and more expense, or they don't last as long as, what to call them, crotch buster frames.
Maybe so, but the expense part of that equation is taken care of by bike rental companies. They've put thousands of bikes on the streets of my city, equaling or possibly dominating private sales.
And the life cycle/long lasting aspect of them is unknowable and undetermined (there must be tons of old bikes somewhere but the brand new sales market at current market prices still seems fine) - so I'm not sure it makes any kind of difference. Kind of like guns in that aspect. Sure there's an aftermarket for older ones but not one that any manufacturer cares about.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:15 PM on April 5, 2018
Maybe so, but the expense part of that equation is taken care of by bike rental companies. They've put thousands of bikes on the streets of my city, equaling or possibly dominating private sales.
And the life cycle/long lasting aspect of them is unknowable and undetermined (there must be tons of old bikes somewhere but the brand new sales market at current market prices still seems fine) - so I'm not sure it makes any kind of difference. Kind of like guns in that aspect. Sure there's an aftermarket for older ones but not one that any manufacturer cares about.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:15 PM on April 5, 2018
don't be normative, bro; they're step-through bikes
I have the pictured Triumph (and its 'his' counterpart) -- the step-through is the nicer looking of the two and they weigh about the same.
There is also the "mixte" frame.
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:24 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
I have the pictured Triumph (and its 'his' counterpart) -- the step-through is the nicer looking of the two and they weigh about the same.
There is also the "mixte" frame.
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:24 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
i need a mixte fixie because n+1
posted by entropicamericana at 12:36 PM on April 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by entropicamericana at 12:36 PM on April 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
Eh, she kinda lost me at sweating. Sweating is a gender-neutral obstacle to cycling. Nobody gets to be sweaty at an office job, and most workplaces don't have showers. It takes awhile to cool-down and the extra set of clothes / changing of clothes / fixing of the hair has to happen for dudes, too. There's a lower bar for men, appearance wise, but sweaty is below that bar. It's kind of a strange thing to get into if you're trying to make a point that women face more obstacles, because this is like, a pretty big obstacle for men.
posted by everythings_interrelated at 12:38 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by everythings_interrelated at 12:38 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
May I gently suggest that if you don't know the names of basic elements of a standard bicycle frame, you may be slightly less qualified to hold forth on their purposes, merits, and trade-offs than the various people who have designed and built these things for a living over the past century-plus?
posted by enn at 12:40 PM on April 5, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by enn at 12:40 PM on April 5, 2018 [8 favorites]
Her list of specific properties to look for in office-friendly bike apparel is pretty spot-on. I bike to work every day, in snow, rain, or heat, and I almost never bother with a change of clothes to do it. (There are locker rooms with showers at my workplace, but I've never had reason to use them.) My daily work outfit is a knee-length A-line dress, with leggings/tights and wool sweaters, or fucktons of sunscreen, as appropriate. I don't bother with a step-through, since a compact diamond frame does fine with all my dresses. My general answer to sweat is to ride slower, and also unscented baby wipes in a pinch.
We really need more and better bicycle infrastructure to keep us safer and to make biking the low-stress, practical, enjoyable transportation it is when it's good. That's not just well-designed protected bike lanes that keep drivers away while allowing us to make turns and cross intersections safely. It's also things like convenient bike parking that accommodates bikes that are set up to carry things (try loading your bicycle's baskets or panniers when the parking rack is some horrible wheelbender, if you can even cram your bike into it in the first place, if parking exists at all.) Or trains that can handle bicycles without requiring you to haul them up several stairs.
In our crapsack world, household errands like shopping and child schlepping are often gendered tasks, so making cycling more accessible to women requires planning for bikes and bike infrastructure can accommodate those needs.
posted by asperity at 12:44 PM on April 5, 2018 [17 favorites]
We really need more and better bicycle infrastructure to keep us safer and to make biking the low-stress, practical, enjoyable transportation it is when it's good. That's not just well-designed protected bike lanes that keep drivers away while allowing us to make turns and cross intersections safely. It's also things like convenient bike parking that accommodates bikes that are set up to carry things (try loading your bicycle's baskets or panniers when the parking rack is some horrible wheelbender, if you can even cram your bike into it in the first place, if parking exists at all.) Or trains that can handle bicycles without requiring you to haul them up several stairs.
In our crapsack world, household errands like shopping and child schlepping are often gendered tasks, so making cycling more accessible to women requires planning for bikes and bike infrastructure can accommodate those needs.
posted by asperity at 12:44 PM on April 5, 2018 [17 favorites]
May I gently suggest that if you don't know the names of basic elements of a standard bicycle frame, you may be slightly less qualified to hold forth on their purposes, merits, and trade-offs than the various people who have designed and built these things for a living over the past century-plus?
You may. "Rivendell Bicycle Works, another California-based manufacturer, has seen success with its beautiful lugged steel models, the Betty Foy and Yves Gomez – basically the same frame, loosely branded as “hers” and “his” bikes. I asked Rivendell founder Grant Petersen for his thoughts on why the mixte is still seen by so many as a ladies’ bike. “Well, they are, aren’t they? Perception is reality and all,” he responded good-naturedly."
Which ones am I supposed to be agreeing with? Is perception reality or is engineering reality?
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:51 PM on April 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
You may. "Rivendell Bicycle Works, another California-based manufacturer, has seen success with its beautiful lugged steel models, the Betty Foy and Yves Gomez – basically the same frame, loosely branded as “hers” and “his” bikes. I asked Rivendell founder Grant Petersen for his thoughts on why the mixte is still seen by so many as a ladies’ bike. “Well, they are, aren’t they? Perception is reality and all,” he responded good-naturedly."
Which ones am I supposed to be agreeing with? Is perception reality or is engineering reality?
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:51 PM on April 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
the extra set of clothes / changing of clothes / fixing of the hair has to happen for dudes, too
Looking around my office right now, every woman in my sightline is wearing at least some makeup and most of them have the smooth sort of blow-dried hair that takes, at minimum, 20 minutes (the black women's impeccably styled hair probably takes much longer, though on a different schedule). I don't see any men in obvious makeup and I'd guess that none have more hair styling than a dollop of product or a two-minute blow dry. Makeup and hair styling are not things one should have to to do be seen as professional, but they're norms that are challenging to fight.
posted by mosst at 12:58 PM on April 5, 2018 [30 favorites]
Looking around my office right now, every woman in my sightline is wearing at least some makeup and most of them have the smooth sort of blow-dried hair that takes, at minimum, 20 minutes (the black women's impeccably styled hair probably takes much longer, though on a different schedule). I don't see any men in obvious makeup and I'd guess that none have more hair styling than a dollop of product or a two-minute blow dry. Makeup and hair styling are not things one should have to to do be seen as professional, but they're norms that are challenging to fight.
posted by mosst at 12:58 PM on April 5, 2018 [30 favorites]
It's a woman's bike if I'm riding it. I would say that's more real than inaccurate marketing terms used to sell bicycles.
posted by asperity at 1:00 PM on April 5, 2018 [20 favorites]
posted by asperity at 1:00 PM on April 5, 2018 [20 favorites]
Can we please drop the ridiculous debate over whether she is allowed to share her opinions on her blog? Maybe if you have an experience bike commuting you can talk about what you do to make it effective.
I am excited to start bike commuting soon. Last year I would bike 6 miles, wait for one of two showers in the building that 15+ people shared, change into generic working man clothes, and be at my desk around the same time.
Since then I've moved to be only 3 miles from work and I'm hoping I can compile a wardrobe that lets me commute without showering. I think mornings will be easier than evenings - I'm not sure the max temp for biking in jeans.
posted by rebent at 1:06 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
I am excited to start bike commuting soon. Last year I would bike 6 miles, wait for one of two showers in the building that 15+ people shared, change into generic working man clothes, and be at my desk around the same time.
Since then I've moved to be only 3 miles from work and I'm hoping I can compile a wardrobe that lets me commute without showering. I think mornings will be easier than evenings - I'm not sure the max temp for biking in jeans.
posted by rebent at 1:06 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
There are times where I'm super glad I work with other environmentalists, and therefore many other bike commuters. There are showers, but I don't usually bother with a change of clothes or shower. Although I do sneak in doing my makeup at my desk, cuz ugh, not sweating it off before I even get here, thanks!
Also, I used to wear shorts under my dresses when biking, which worked great. Before the last election made me stop wanting to wear dresses, even to work. Because the patriarchy, man, it's worse than I even knew.
posted by ldthomps at 1:35 PM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
Also, I used to wear shorts under my dresses when biking, which worked great. Before the last election made me stop wanting to wear dresses, even to work. Because the patriarchy, man, it's worse than I even knew.
posted by ldthomps at 1:35 PM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
I've been trying to find a good mixte frame for years that doesn't require Rivendell like custom prices. I'd love to have a mass-market mixte "Crosscheck". The Trek 920 is getting close, but it's a single bar, not that classic French design.
posted by bonehead at 1:42 PM on April 5, 2018
posted by bonehead at 1:42 PM on April 5, 2018
Looking around my office right now, every woman in my sightline is wearing at least some makeup and most of them have the smooth sort of blow-dried hair that takes, at minimum, 20 minutes
Yes. We have a gym here in my office and I'm guessing none of the men who use it have a bag of makeup and a hair dryer in their desk drawer, as I do. I am not a fancy lady, but I have a high profile job and there are inescapable corporate norms.
That said, I agree with the general principle that showering after biking to work is (or at least should be) something that isn't required more of women more than men. I used to ride 10 miles to work and I was a mess when I got there. Granted, I am in the circle of hell that is the American South, with its accompanying relentless heat and humidity for 6 months out of the year, but while I showered for my own comfort, not for my coworkers', I admit I would prefer they do the same. Nobody would be in great shape after a 10 mile ride through North Carolina in July, even in the morning.
posted by something something at 1:44 PM on April 5, 2018 [8 favorites]
Yes. We have a gym here in my office and I'm guessing none of the men who use it have a bag of makeup and a hair dryer in their desk drawer, as I do. I am not a fancy lady, but I have a high profile job and there are inescapable corporate norms.
That said, I agree with the general principle that showering after biking to work is (or at least should be) something that isn't required more of women more than men. I used to ride 10 miles to work and I was a mess when I got there. Granted, I am in the circle of hell that is the American South, with its accompanying relentless heat and humidity for 6 months out of the year, but while I showered for my own comfort, not for my coworkers', I admit I would prefer they do the same. Nobody would be in great shape after a 10 mile ride through North Carolina in July, even in the morning.
posted by something something at 1:44 PM on April 5, 2018 [8 favorites]
Bonehead, the Soma Buena Vista is a pretty great classic mixte, but the newer ones went disc brake!
posted by advicepig at 1:51 PM on April 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by advicepig at 1:51 PM on April 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
The New Albion Starling is pretty cheap, but has a single top tube like the Trek.
posted by advicepig at 1:53 PM on April 5, 2018
posted by advicepig at 1:53 PM on April 5, 2018
Has anyone noticed that almost all bike share bikes are women's bikes, by which I mean they don't have the upper middle horizontal support bar? Just wait a few years, and bikes will be bikes thanks to bike share.
I needed those when I was a kid, this bar was so painful to fall on.
I can't ride a bike to work if work doesn't have a shower, way too much sweat for just a change of clothes.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 1:55 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
I needed those when I was a kid, this bar was so painful to fall on.
I can't ride a bike to work if work doesn't have a shower, way too much sweat for just a change of clothes.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 1:55 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Seattle is a great town to be a cyclist, and I'm pushing myself to become more of an activist for building more inclusivity. I started from a more male-centric stance, orienting toward biking in traffic and being more visible as the way to make improvements for cycling culture. The longer I've commute cycled (equally correlated with aging), the more I find common cause with women activists in the community - infrastructure and design need urgent addressing. And there are great many women cycling activists, Twitter is a great organizing force for this movement:
NoSpandexReq
Vicky Clarke
Kelsey Mesher
Marley Blonsky
Worth also calling out several men, not because "all bicyclists," but because they do a good job engaging outside the cis-cliques that used to be common when riding:
Dongho Chang
Davey Oil
Seattle Bike Blog/Tom Fucoloro
The most recent news from the movement to build a "bike network" is a contentious campaign in the north end, where locals are falling on both sides of the argument for and against separated lanes along NE 35th. Some negative framing by the "anti" posed that this was for "techbro cyclists," only to be shown up by cycling moms organizing group rides on 35th. Pretty awesome.
posted by SoundInhabitant at 2:09 PM on April 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
NoSpandexReq
Vicky Clarke
Kelsey Mesher
Marley Blonsky
Worth also calling out several men, not because "all bicyclists," but because they do a good job engaging outside the cis-cliques that used to be common when riding:
Dongho Chang
Davey Oil
Seattle Bike Blog/Tom Fucoloro
The most recent news from the movement to build a "bike network" is a contentious campaign in the north end, where locals are falling on both sides of the argument for and against separated lanes along NE 35th. Some negative framing by the "anti" posed that this was for "techbro cyclists," only to be shown up by cycling moms organizing group rides on 35th. Pretty awesome.
posted by SoundInhabitant at 2:09 PM on April 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
Rivendell makes lovely bikes but I would not hold up Grant Petersen as any kind of model of progressive reasonableness. His entire brand is based on grouchy curmudgeonhood and a "my way is the only way" attitude. Beautiful bikes, but more despite their creator than because of him.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 2:13 PM on April 5, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 2:13 PM on April 5, 2018 [6 favorites]
RIDE LIKE A GIRL!
*glowers at rain and drizzle impatiently*
posted by loquacious at 2:16 PM on April 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
*glowers at rain and drizzle impatiently*
posted by loquacious at 2:16 PM on April 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
I kind of feel weird commenting because though I'm a woman who bikes to work, I also am not that femme (or professional) and so a lot of the concerns about wardrobes and showers don't register for me personally. I do recognize they are a barrier though and we need workplaces with bike friendly infrastructure (like showers) to make it easier for people to bike commute.
But then I see all the men commenting, "what about us!" and I think Stephens does a good job of outlining how you're largely taken care of. I just needed to get a new jacket for cycling in the rain and the price and range of men's jackets were so much wider than the women's. Same goes for pretty much everything else. I'm actually wearing a pair of men's Levi's commuter jeans right now because I decided to go for pockets over fashion, but it's stupid I have to choose.
I am fortunate to live in an area with a lot of women who ride and a nascent women bike commuter culture. For the most part it's not a problem, but it can be irritating when guys in their 20s are annoyed by me and my slow ass step through city bike with a kid's rack on the back are in their way. What do they want? Me to drive a Subaru and cut off cyclists? Bike culture has gotten better, but it has a long way to go. It's also still, sadly, hella gendered.
posted by kendrak at 2:17 PM on April 5, 2018 [16 favorites]
But then I see all the men commenting, "what about us!" and I think Stephens does a good job of outlining how you're largely taken care of. I just needed to get a new jacket for cycling in the rain and the price and range of men's jackets were so much wider than the women's. Same goes for pretty much everything else. I'm actually wearing a pair of men's Levi's commuter jeans right now because I decided to go for pockets over fashion, but it's stupid I have to choose.
I am fortunate to live in an area with a lot of women who ride and a nascent women bike commuter culture. For the most part it's not a problem, but it can be irritating when guys in their 20s are annoyed by me and my slow ass step through city bike with a kid's rack on the back are in their way. What do they want? Me to drive a Subaru and cut off cyclists? Bike culture has gotten better, but it has a long way to go. It's also still, sadly, hella gendered.
posted by kendrak at 2:17 PM on April 5, 2018 [16 favorites]
Cycling efforts should concentrate on getting kids riding to school, friends, and other places every day in safe lanes. End the car dependency before they get their first cars and first car-distant homes and develop a dependency on cars.
posted by pracowity at 2:17 PM on April 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 2:17 PM on April 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
I'm doing it! Lots of people are, but I totally get why people don't bike with kids from a young age because it's a huge hassle. Also a lot of kids don't live reasonably bikeable distances from school/other activities. Most kids have parents who are car dependent and thus begins the vicious cycle.
posted by kendrak at 2:26 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by kendrak at 2:26 PM on April 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yeah, that's exactly the dependency I'm talking about: parents buying a home on the moon and then saying we have no choice, we all have to travel by Saturn V, and their kids buying equally remote car-dependent homes when they move out.
Get kids on bicycles every day so they choose wisely when they move out. Encourage them to want to live a bike ride from college or work, and to look for homes and workplaces that are in bike-friendly areas and have bike-friendly policies.
One angle to push: kids riding bikes to school frees parents from the school run and lets kids start school at a brain-friendly later time.
posted by pracowity at 2:41 PM on April 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
Get kids on bicycles every day so they choose wisely when they move out. Encourage them to want to live a bike ride from college or work, and to look for homes and workplaces that are in bike-friendly areas and have bike-friendly policies.
One angle to push: kids riding bikes to school frees parents from the school run and lets kids start school at a brain-friendly later time.
posted by pracowity at 2:41 PM on April 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
> the people who engage in this behavior are not IN the cycling community, and so cannot be dealt with by confronting any of the other issues discussed her, like mansplainy bike store staff
Is that you, Jeff ? I've had male cyclists yell gross stuff at me. Just because a guy is on a bike doesn't mean he's somehow a better person than he was when he drove his car yesterday.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:42 PM on April 5, 2018 [11 favorites]
Is that you, Jeff ? I've had male cyclists yell gross stuff at me. Just because a guy is on a bike doesn't mean he's somehow a better person than he was when he drove his car yesterday.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:42 PM on April 5, 2018 [11 favorites]
Get kids on bicycles every day so they choose wisely when they move out. Encourage them to want to live a bike ride from college or work, and to look for homes and workplaces that are in bike-friendly areas and have bike-friendly policies.
I agree with you pracowity, but I also know it's not that simple. I am often that annoying anti-car asshole, particularly with my friends. I know all the kids at my kid's daycare are kinda jealous that we bike commute because they talk about it every day when I pick my kid up. I want people to be aware that they have choices and their individual behaviours have a knock on effect to the world beyond them, but I know society, land use, and everything is gear towards single-family houses and car-based commutes. I also know factoring kids (school drop off and other child care necessities) often makes it much trickier to do it by bike. I am lucky that I live close enough to work and we got a daycare spot where I can bike every day. I also know most people cannot afford to work and live in the same city around here, which makes bike commuting a kind of privilege.
But I have also told my kid several times that they better keep liking biking because they're never getting regular rides to school. Other than in a bus.
posted by kendrak at 2:53 PM on April 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
I agree with you pracowity, but I also know it's not that simple. I am often that annoying anti-car asshole, particularly with my friends. I know all the kids at my kid's daycare are kinda jealous that we bike commute because they talk about it every day when I pick my kid up. I want people to be aware that they have choices and their individual behaviours have a knock on effect to the world beyond them, but I know society, land use, and everything is gear towards single-family houses and car-based commutes. I also know factoring kids (school drop off and other child care necessities) often makes it much trickier to do it by bike. I am lucky that I live close enough to work and we got a daycare spot where I can bike every day. I also know most people cannot afford to work and live in the same city around here, which makes bike commuting a kind of privilege.
But I have also told my kid several times that they better keep liking biking because they're never getting regular rides to school. Other than in a bus.
posted by kendrak at 2:53 PM on April 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
This is part of why I bike past the neighborhood elementary school in the mornings -- showing both parents and kids that they have options. While I don't ride a full-on cargo bike (yet), it's pretty clear that my bike can and does carry stuff (so much stuff) for work and life.
The other part is that the school is on my street and is directly between me and the train station I use in the mornings, and I'm too lazy to detour past all the idling cars in front of the "children breathing here: turn off your engine" signs. Plus it gives me great joy to make aggro drivers stop behind me to let little kids cross the street (even when they do rage-pass me right after we clear the school. I have cameras now, shitheads!)
posted by asperity at 2:54 PM on April 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
The other part is that the school is on my street and is directly between me and the train station I use in the mornings, and I'm too lazy to detour past all the idling cars in front of the "children breathing here: turn off your engine" signs. Plus it gives me great joy to make aggro drivers stop behind me to let little kids cross the street (even when they do rage-pass me right after we clear the school. I have cameras now, shitheads!)
posted by asperity at 2:54 PM on April 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
Ehhhh, a lot of people are living in the suburbs/far from their jobs not because they want to be, but because they can't afford to live closer in. Many of my wretched millennial brethren would give one of their less-beloved fingers to live within biking/walking distance to work, but hell if they can afford it.
I am lucky enough to live within walking and biking distance to work (although it's expensive, and I may not want to pay the premium for much longer), and I do love biking, and I have been a bike commuter before. But I don't love the constant threat of horrible and un-avengable death when I'm just trying to get to work.
I walk most of the time: still possible for me to get smushed, yes, but a bit less likely. I actually found bike commuting way less terrifying in Palo Alto than I find it to be in Harvard Square. It's one circumstance where the big wide streets built for car-culture work actually work better for bikes than tiny antiquated streets with minimal room for both bikes and cars.
I am very envious of the Dutch, who have found a way to have great biking infrastructure in old European cities. And everyone bikes there: men, women, little kids. Because you are a lot less likely to die a horrible death when you are just trying to get to work.
posted by faineg at 4:20 PM on April 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
I am lucky enough to live within walking and biking distance to work (although it's expensive, and I may not want to pay the premium for much longer), and I do love biking, and I have been a bike commuter before. But I don't love the constant threat of horrible and un-avengable death when I'm just trying to get to work.
I walk most of the time: still possible for me to get smushed, yes, but a bit less likely. I actually found bike commuting way less terrifying in Palo Alto than I find it to be in Harvard Square. It's one circumstance where the big wide streets built for car-culture work actually work better for bikes than tiny antiquated streets with minimal room for both bikes and cars.
I am very envious of the Dutch, who have found a way to have great biking infrastructure in old European cities. And everyone bikes there: men, women, little kids. Because you are a lot less likely to die a horrible death when you are just trying to get to work.
posted by faineg at 4:20 PM on April 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
don't be normative, bro; they're step-through bikes
Actual conversation I overheard a few years ago at my bike shop’s service counter:
Old Dude with heavy French accent and a vintage mixte bike: Why do people call my bike a beech bike?
Mechanic: A beech bike?
Dude: No, they say Beech bike!
Mechanic: Oh, a beach bike?
Dude: No, a BEECH bike.
Mechanic: Ummmm... do you mean bitch bike?
Dude: Yes, why do they say this beech bike?
Mechanic explains step through-bikes used to be marketed to women in the US.
Dude: IT IS BULLSHIT! I ride this bike because it is my bike, it is a MAN’S bike!
Mechanic: Right on, dude.
So there’s no shortage of asshole cyclists in an otherwise great community and you should just ride what you like and like what you ride.
posted by peeedro at 4:54 PM on April 5, 2018 [10 favorites]
Actual conversation I overheard a few years ago at my bike shop’s service counter:
Old Dude with heavy French accent and a vintage mixte bike: Why do people call my bike a beech bike?
Mechanic: A beech bike?
Dude: No, they say Beech bike!
Mechanic: Oh, a beach bike?
Dude: No, a BEECH bike.
Mechanic: Ummmm... do you mean bitch bike?
Dude: Yes, why do they say this beech bike?
Mechanic explains step through-bikes used to be marketed to women in the US.
Dude: IT IS BULLSHIT! I ride this bike because it is my bike, it is a MAN’S bike!
Mechanic: Right on, dude.
So there’s no shortage of asshole cyclists in an otherwise great community and you should just ride what you like and like what you ride.
posted by peeedro at 4:54 PM on April 5, 2018 [10 favorites]
Mixtes are my favorite frame type. They never get enough love.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:58 PM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:58 PM on April 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
Whatever the terminology, the most common defining characteristic of a 'mens bike' is that the upper bar is higher and on women's bikes it's lower or doesn't exist. If the #1 type of bike becomes step through, and men ride them and they don't collapse or whatever that bar is for due to manly riding, then it's going to eventually go unisex.
I apologize but I am a big nerd and I cannot let this slide. The step-through bicycle frame was originally designed for newspaper deliveryMEN because newspapers are heavy AF and awkward and they had to constantly mount/dismount to make the deliveries. It is very difficult to get on and off a bicycle with a huge top heavy front load regardless of your private bits. The related mixte style step-through frame literally means UNISEX in French. The diamond shaped 'safety bicycle' design has absolutely nothing to do with gender, and everything to do with geometry and not breaking your skull.
Yes I know, there are all those Victorian photos of women riding them, but the whole men's/women's thing is a very stupid and recent US marketing development and it would be great if we could all agree that mixte's are fucking awesome and bicycles do not have genders.
As far as "men don't ride them" my mixte is parked right outside my office right now and I am a dude. Mixtes are the shit. If you ever see a lugged one that is like a unicorn!
Which ones am I supposed to be agreeing with? Is perception reality or is engineering reality?
I live riding distance from Grant's shop and he is a well known eccentric. He is probably the #1 evangelist of step-through frames and he has been writing long rants in his newsletters about how they are genderless for decades. He is also one of the only people still designing them when almost no one else does.
I've been trying to find a good mixte frame for years that doesn't require Rivendell like custom prices. I'd love to have a mass-market mixte "Crosscheck".
Soma makes a bad ass disc brake one, that's pretty much exactly equivalent to a Surly in quality. Public Bikes makes cheap mixtes and step-throughs that aren't terrible. (I highly doubt Soma would make a mixte if it weren't for Grant Peterson's influence!)
IME bike commuting for like 14 years now the only thing that has changed commuting from a testosterone driven, lane splitting daredevil adventure that only dumbass young dudes did into something much more diverse is the installation of permanent, separated bicycle infrastructure on main city thoroughfares. Now the bike lanes are way, way more diverse and everyone acts like a normal rider and not a Cat6 Racing Club because dudes aren't going to be giant dicks when it's a mom with a toddler on the back of an Xtracycle in the lane in front of them. Also the not feeling like you are going to die helps. And I think this increased visibility as not something just "reckless kids" do but also moms and professionals has changed motorists perspective as well.
I guess we are lucky here in the bay area the cycling community is VERY female led and there are a lot of women's riding clubs, shops, etc. which is great because bike bros who try to out bro each other are awful. IME it is the (male) racing cyclists and their organizations who are all-in on the entranched sexism, and everywhere else in the cycling world ladies are killin' it.
Anyways, I encourage ladies who are into doing bad ass things on bikes to look up your local randonneuring group as they are way more accepting of all genders and ages (tons of women in their 50-60s in my local club) than your typical do-you-even-paceline-bro club. Randonneuring is the oldest tradition in cycling and has always included women! Also everyone just talks about baked goods, not watts or Strava or whatever.
posted by bradbane at 5:19 PM on April 5, 2018 [17 favorites]
I apologize but I am a big nerd and I cannot let this slide. The step-through bicycle frame was originally designed for newspaper deliveryMEN because newspapers are heavy AF and awkward and they had to constantly mount/dismount to make the deliveries. It is very difficult to get on and off a bicycle with a huge top heavy front load regardless of your private bits. The related mixte style step-through frame literally means UNISEX in French. The diamond shaped 'safety bicycle' design has absolutely nothing to do with gender, and everything to do with geometry and not breaking your skull.
Yes I know, there are all those Victorian photos of women riding them, but the whole men's/women's thing is a very stupid and recent US marketing development and it would be great if we could all agree that mixte's are fucking awesome and bicycles do not have genders.
As far as "men don't ride them" my mixte is parked right outside my office right now and I am a dude. Mixtes are the shit. If you ever see a lugged one that is like a unicorn!
Which ones am I supposed to be agreeing with? Is perception reality or is engineering reality?
I live riding distance from Grant's shop and he is a well known eccentric. He is probably the #1 evangelist of step-through frames and he has been writing long rants in his newsletters about how they are genderless for decades. He is also one of the only people still designing them when almost no one else does.
I've been trying to find a good mixte frame for years that doesn't require Rivendell like custom prices. I'd love to have a mass-market mixte "Crosscheck".
Soma makes a bad ass disc brake one, that's pretty much exactly equivalent to a Surly in quality. Public Bikes makes cheap mixtes and step-throughs that aren't terrible. (I highly doubt Soma would make a mixte if it weren't for Grant Peterson's influence!)
IME bike commuting for like 14 years now the only thing that has changed commuting from a testosterone driven, lane splitting daredevil adventure that only dumbass young dudes did into something much more diverse is the installation of permanent, separated bicycle infrastructure on main city thoroughfares. Now the bike lanes are way, way more diverse and everyone acts like a normal rider and not a Cat6 Racing Club because dudes aren't going to be giant dicks when it's a mom with a toddler on the back of an Xtracycle in the lane in front of them. Also the not feeling like you are going to die helps. And I think this increased visibility as not something just "reckless kids" do but also moms and professionals has changed motorists perspective as well.
I guess we are lucky here in the bay area the cycling community is VERY female led and there are a lot of women's riding clubs, shops, etc. which is great because bike bros who try to out bro each other are awful. IME it is the (male) racing cyclists and their organizations who are all-in on the entranched sexism, and everywhere else in the cycling world ladies are killin' it.
Anyways, I encourage ladies who are into doing bad ass things on bikes to look up your local randonneuring group as they are way more accepting of all genders and ages (tons of women in their 50-60s in my local club) than your typical do-you-even-paceline-bro club. Randonneuring is the oldest tradition in cycling and has always included women! Also everyone just talks about baked goods, not watts or Strava or whatever.
posted by bradbane at 5:19 PM on April 5, 2018 [17 favorites]
Been bike commuting since 1994 here in NYC, which back then got me labeled as "that crazy person." Whatever. The only way I've been able to tolerate living here is by avoiding the subway system as much as possible. Plus riding is free and is a vastly more predictable way of getting around. My commute over the years has ranged from 1.5 miles to 18 miles one way.
I can't recall if I've encountered much blatant sexism beyond the boilerplate "oh I can't let a girl pass me; I'd better speed up" crap that I experience on the weekends when I'm out on a recreational ride. Don't worry, dude, I'll blow you off my wheel either way. One of the joys of riding is that if somebody is really irritating the fuck out of me, likely that they'll be gone in a matter of seconds. Not so if somebody is being a Creepy McCreepface on the train.
The whole sweat thing never made a difference to me. I would argue that it's not really that necessary to shower after a bike commute, but then I don't wear makeup and my hair is such that trying to make it look "done" is pretty much a joke. My current commute is about 8 miles and I'm gonna be sweaty whether it's summer or winter. The only time I worked in an office when the shower was set up, I used it once or twice and that was only after a strenuous workout in the morning. If I was smelly, either nobody has cared to tell me over the years, or it never really mattered.
As to sexism is the bike industry, it is pretty baked in, and I say that as somebody who's worked in the music industry and the print editorial world. My current anecdote on the subject is this: for the last three jobs I've held, I have been asked at each place "Oh, are you [boss's] wife?" Multiple times. I mean, what the actual fuck? Do you ask the guy working with me if he's the boss's brother or son?
So yeah, women on bikes. We're here. We'll stick a pump in your spokes.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:49 PM on April 5, 2018 [10 favorites]
I can't recall if I've encountered much blatant sexism beyond the boilerplate "oh I can't let a girl pass me; I'd better speed up" crap that I experience on the weekends when I'm out on a recreational ride. Don't worry, dude, I'll blow you off my wheel either way. One of the joys of riding is that if somebody is really irritating the fuck out of me, likely that they'll be gone in a matter of seconds. Not so if somebody is being a Creepy McCreepface on the train.
The whole sweat thing never made a difference to me. I would argue that it's not really that necessary to shower after a bike commute, but then I don't wear makeup and my hair is such that trying to make it look "done" is pretty much a joke. My current commute is about 8 miles and I'm gonna be sweaty whether it's summer or winter. The only time I worked in an office when the shower was set up, I used it once or twice and that was only after a strenuous workout in the morning. If I was smelly, either nobody has cared to tell me over the years, or it never really mattered.
As to sexism is the bike industry, it is pretty baked in, and I say that as somebody who's worked in the music industry and the print editorial world. My current anecdote on the subject is this: for the last three jobs I've held, I have been asked at each place "Oh, are you [boss's] wife?" Multiple times. I mean, what the actual fuck? Do you ask the guy working with me if he's the boss's brother or son?
So yeah, women on bikes. We're here. We'll stick a pump in your spokes.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:49 PM on April 5, 2018 [10 favorites]
Cycling to school (especially for kids) in my town is predicated on whether your neighborhood was successful in fighting the town's 30 year policy of building larger and larger schools while closing down small neighborhood schools.
If it was successful, the streets are generally safe for cycling, often with cut-through paths and other advantages that make cycling enjoyable.
This leads to more kids cycling, which makes more parents comfortable with it though they will often walk their kids to school anyway, even if the child is a block or two ahead on a bike.
If your neighborhood was not successful in combat, or if it is one of the new Generic Catalog House subdivisions, having your child bike to school is, well, I woudn't do it anyway.
The monster schools are generally located near highway exits, with large, busy driveways full of inattentive parents just trying to get to work on time.
Side paths are not existent due to developers maximizing density, so children are forced to navigate multi-lane, multi-signal intersections, often in dark, rainy conditions.
posted by madajb at 6:50 PM on April 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
If it was successful, the streets are generally safe for cycling, often with cut-through paths and other advantages that make cycling enjoyable.
This leads to more kids cycling, which makes more parents comfortable with it though they will often walk their kids to school anyway, even if the child is a block or two ahead on a bike.
If your neighborhood was not successful in combat, or if it is one of the new Generic Catalog House subdivisions, having your child bike to school is, well, I woudn't do it anyway.
The monster schools are generally located near highway exits, with large, busy driveways full of inattentive parents just trying to get to work on time.
Side paths are not existent due to developers maximizing density, so children are forced to navigate multi-lane, multi-signal intersections, often in dark, rainy conditions.
posted by madajb at 6:50 PM on April 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
Regarding Rivendell and step-through frame names...Grant recently switched away from the gendered model names. Now the Clem appears in the catalog as:
STYLE H (high top tube), formerly known as Boy’s bike;
STYLE L (low top tube), formerly known as Girl’s bike
I'm a man and I ride a Riv step-through. I love it. When I'm riding it, I often think of the Eddie Izzard joke that goes something like:
"Are those women's shoes?"
"Well, they're my shoes and I'm a man so..."
posted by Drab_Parts at 7:50 PM on April 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
STYLE H (high top tube), formerly known as Boy’s bike;
STYLE L (low top tube), formerly known as Girl’s bike
I'm a man and I ride a Riv step-through. I love it. When I'm riding it, I often think of the Eddie Izzard joke that goes something like:
"Are those women's shoes?"
"Well, they're my shoes and I'm a man so..."
posted by Drab_Parts at 7:50 PM on April 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
Sexism in bike shops can get extremely annoying. Last time I investigated buying a better bike and inquired about the cost of adding a skirt guard I got this gem: "They fall off immediately and no-one needs them anyway."
FYI, Warsaw rental bikes come with skirt guards effective enough for floor-length full-circle skirts. And yes, they're step-through and it doesn't seem to cause the guys riding them to fall down in a manly swoon.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 9:35 PM on April 5, 2018 [6 favorites]
FYI, Warsaw rental bikes come with skirt guards effective enough for floor-length full-circle skirts. And yes, they're step-through and it doesn't seem to cause the guys riding them to fall down in a manly swoon.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 9:35 PM on April 5, 2018 [6 favorites]
Another note on the deep historical roots of misogyny in cycling:
Henri Desgrange was the guy who started Le Tour de France, but the precursor to that was his single-stage endurance ride Paris-Brest-Paris, 1200km as fast as humanly possible. At the time 1890ish it was a race, but it was also part of the randonneur tradition so anyone could sign up and compete. Meaning women (randonneuses!) would ride it.
The official narrative goes that Desgrange went on to found Le Tour later because single-stage races were falling out of favor, that riders couldn't compete in multiple events because of how exhausting they were and it was too hard on organizers. That is partly true, but the other half of the story is that the racers were mostly lower class farm boys and they saw the touristes as rich, upper class dabblers getting in the way of their payoff. And they especially resented that women were allowed a chance at that.
So Le Tour was partly started because a bunch of 19th century French bros just couldn't tolerate a woman at the starting line. And here we are in 2018 with (male) professional racing organizations defending stupid bullshit like podium girls, still.
Paris-Brest-Paris is still run every 4 years, and it is next year in 2019!
posted by bradbane at 10:10 PM on April 5, 2018 [11 favorites]
Henri Desgrange was the guy who started Le Tour de France, but the precursor to that was his single-stage endurance ride Paris-Brest-Paris, 1200km as fast as humanly possible. At the time 1890ish it was a race, but it was also part of the randonneur tradition so anyone could sign up and compete. Meaning women (randonneuses!) would ride it.
The official narrative goes that Desgrange went on to found Le Tour later because single-stage races were falling out of favor, that riders couldn't compete in multiple events because of how exhausting they were and it was too hard on organizers. That is partly true, but the other half of the story is that the racers were mostly lower class farm boys and they saw the touristes as rich, upper class dabblers getting in the way of their payoff. And they especially resented that women were allowed a chance at that.
So Le Tour was partly started because a bunch of 19th century French bros just couldn't tolerate a woman at the starting line. And here we are in 2018 with (male) professional racing organizations defending stupid bullshit like podium girls, still.
Paris-Brest-Paris is still run every 4 years, and it is next year in 2019!
posted by bradbane at 10:10 PM on April 5, 2018 [11 favorites]
Chuffed to see all the debunking of "girl's bike" in this thread. I know it's insufferable, but here are my top three reasons why all my bikes are step-through frames:
No cycle hire bikes (or "bike share" for the US, though everybody's renting instead of sharing) that I know of have top tubes. Step-through frames are the most generally accessible, and seem a desirable default. I have begun to summarise this by simply saying that top tubes are specialist sport gear. That's not a value judgment, but people need to accept that it's marginal gains these days, what with modern geometries and materials.
I learned to cycle in Seattle in the 80s and 90s, and did the thing we all did then: got a mountain bike (because the alternative seemed to be some kind of hideously uncomfortable-looking high-speed contraption of razor wire you were meant to ride hunched completely forward) and tried to use the new network of rails-to-trails paths. I had a hard time getting up hills and just got terrified even riding in painted lanes, and my family were entirely unsupportive of a fat kid cycling anywhere useful, insisting I should just go in circles somewhere.
I didn't really pick it back up for transport until after moving to London, and we've seen that the network of cycle tracks has begun to help shift the demographics away from the MAMIL trend and more in line with the city at large. Recent stats from TfL show that BAME riders make up 15% of 2015 cycling whereas it was only 7% five years earlier. We're all seeing a lot more women on the road, and a lot more families are taking their kids to and from school in bike seats or bakfietsen.
I refuse to cycle when I'm back in Seattle, as King County's preposterous lid law is one of the things preventing cycling from becoming a casual everyday activity. I hear it's becoming a de-facto decriminalised thing thanks to the dockless scheme that hit the city last year, but I think people haven't thought through all the equity implications of mandating cycle helmets for an activity that doesn't actually result in many head injuries anyway. That said, I have seen that many "women's" helmets seem to be designed to be "ponytail-friendly", though it seems to only support a particular kind of low ponytail that I always associate with middle-aged men.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 2:30 AM on April 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
- Easier to get on and off, particularly when my rear rack is piled high with cargo.
- If the bike tips over sideways, it doesn't take me with it by the thigh.
- If I step down quickly off the seat, I don't risk hurting my delicate external genitalia on a top tube.
No cycle hire bikes (or "bike share" for the US, though everybody's renting instead of sharing) that I know of have top tubes. Step-through frames are the most generally accessible, and seem a desirable default. I have begun to summarise this by simply saying that top tubes are specialist sport gear. That's not a value judgment, but people need to accept that it's marginal gains these days, what with modern geometries and materials.
I learned to cycle in Seattle in the 80s and 90s, and did the thing we all did then: got a mountain bike (because the alternative seemed to be some kind of hideously uncomfortable-looking high-speed contraption of razor wire you were meant to ride hunched completely forward) and tried to use the new network of rails-to-trails paths. I had a hard time getting up hills and just got terrified even riding in painted lanes, and my family were entirely unsupportive of a fat kid cycling anywhere useful, insisting I should just go in circles somewhere.
I didn't really pick it back up for transport until after moving to London, and we've seen that the network of cycle tracks has begun to help shift the demographics away from the MAMIL trend and more in line with the city at large. Recent stats from TfL show that BAME riders make up 15% of 2015 cycling whereas it was only 7% five years earlier. We're all seeing a lot more women on the road, and a lot more families are taking their kids to and from school in bike seats or bakfietsen.
I refuse to cycle when I'm back in Seattle, as King County's preposterous lid law is one of the things preventing cycling from becoming a casual everyday activity. I hear it's becoming a de-facto decriminalised thing thanks to the dockless scheme that hit the city last year, but I think people haven't thought through all the equity implications of mandating cycle helmets for an activity that doesn't actually result in many head injuries anyway. That said, I have seen that many "women's" helmets seem to be designed to be "ponytail-friendly", though it seems to only support a particular kind of low ponytail that I always associate with middle-aged men.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 2:30 AM on April 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
I am a lady who bikes to work when I will not die of frostbite or crash on ice. The thing I want more than anything is something that I think men could get behind: a bench to sit on in a secure, non-smelly room where I can peel off my bike clothes without falling over or having to put my sock or bare foot on a disgusting floor. Really, I just want to be able to peel off my multiple layers of pants (because Minnesota) without falling into a toilet in the handicapped stall. I have never had this in any place I’ve ever worked.
posted by Maarika at 6:22 AM on April 6, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by Maarika at 6:22 AM on April 6, 2018 [11 favorites]
I need to get a bike soon for small commutes in my neighborhood but these bike bros and their marketing materials are so offputting. Just saw a FB ad for a fancy (male-coded) commuter bike and the copy called it an ‚Urban Assault bike‘. Blergh...
And it didn‘t even have fenders and a chain cover and built-in lights - standards in Europe. So you can ‚assault‘ with it but your butt will be muddy I guess.
Our bike shop around the corner (which sells good products, don‘t get me wrong) is run by a bike bro so extreme in his misogyny that *several* of our friends have reported going there and not ordering through him in the end because he just couldn‘t listen to what they (women) were saying. And he specializes in kids bikes for chrissakes!
I can‘t stand American mainstream bike culture (aside from a few glimmers of light like TFA).
posted by The Toad at 7:38 AM on April 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
And it didn‘t even have fenders and a chain cover and built-in lights - standards in Europe. So you can ‚assault‘ with it but your butt will be muddy I guess.
Our bike shop around the corner (which sells good products, don‘t get me wrong) is run by a bike bro so extreme in his misogyny that *several* of our friends have reported going there and not ordering through him in the end because he just couldn‘t listen to what they (women) were saying. And he specializes in kids bikes for chrissakes!
I can‘t stand American mainstream bike culture (aside from a few glimmers of light like TFA).
posted by The Toad at 7:38 AM on April 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
One thing that works for me to get around the whole shower thing is to take my bike on public transit to work and then to bike home. This only works in places where you have adequate public transit that allows you to take bikes on it (our subway doesn't allow it during peak times but I don't commute then and take the bus anyway). The bike-transit combo also can work if transit is only available for most of the route but not the end points because then you can bike to the transit, take it as far as you can, and then bike the remaining distance to work.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:59 AM on April 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:59 AM on April 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
The bike-transit combo is great! I love that bike lockers are almost ubiquitous at many transit hubs (though come on! we need something for cargo bikes!). When my partner got a new job that allowed them to take a shuttle, I told him to get a Bikelink card. So now he bikes to the station, stores his bike in a locker, and comes back at night to a dry bike. I also get to feel kinda smug that we're now a bike-commuter household.
The one thing I really hate about bike culture is that a lot of the conversation still assumes people like cycling for recreation. I love biking as a transportation mode. It's fun! I don't like the feeling that the end game is that I'm supposed to get a road bike and start riding centuries. Like there's room for everybody, but I think the advocacy community skews to people who also ride for fun.
posted by kendrak at 8:35 AM on April 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
The one thing I really hate about bike culture is that a lot of the conversation still assumes people like cycling for recreation. I love biking as a transportation mode. It's fun! I don't like the feeling that the end game is that I'm supposed to get a road bike and start riding centuries. Like there's room for everybody, but I think the advocacy community skews to people who also ride for fun.
posted by kendrak at 8:35 AM on April 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
Yeah, pretty much all my riding is for transportation (and apparently junk food). I picked up a low-end new road bike a couple years ago as a treat, and it gets long outings a few times a year, but it's not the one I use for anything practical. I haaaaate carrying stuff on my back on a bicycle. That is sweat city, and makes me feel awkward and unstable what with the higher center of gravity.
posted by asperity at 9:21 AM on April 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by asperity at 9:21 AM on April 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
I was really surprised that she focused entirely on gender and didn't mention race at all, except for the note that helmets don't accommodate her hair well. I can't imagine that cycling while black in Seattle (or French wine country) is easy. I enjoyed this blogpost on her haircare journey.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:39 AM on April 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by hydropsyche at 5:39 AM on April 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
Biking is for everyone. That is all.
posted by pharm at 6:46 AM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by pharm at 6:46 AM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm happy to live in a country where bikes have always been considered fit for a queen. And also for a king. Our royal couple feels right at home on two wheels.
Biking culture here in the Low Lands, as noted above, is very different. I'm not sure about the situation in sporty subcultures, but commuting or shopping on a bike is not at all a gendered thing here. That is a blessing I should probably remember more often. We have plenty of misogyny, just not this particular kind.
posted by Too-Ticky at 8:17 AM on April 7, 2018 [6 favorites]
Biking culture here in the Low Lands, as noted above, is very different. I'm not sure about the situation in sporty subcultures, but commuting or shopping on a bike is not at all a gendered thing here. That is a blessing I should probably remember more often. We have plenty of misogyny, just not this particular kind.
posted by Too-Ticky at 8:17 AM on April 7, 2018 [6 favorites]
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posted by turkeybrain at 10:42 AM on April 5, 2018 [7 favorites]