| August
2005 |
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Fighting Obesity in Minority Communities The ‘Bikeracker Suite’ Raises the Bar for Service Memorial to Fund Teen Job Training Suburbs Ask Shoppers to Ride Bikes Federation Welcomes New Board Members Queen's Landing Crosswalk Closed |
Where Are the Women Riders? Where are the women bicyclists? Certainly not in the pages of bicycle catalogs or magazines. Many of the common bicyclist stereotypes are men: racer, mountain biker, messenger — they are all hardcore and they are almost universally depicted as male. Look at the advertising. Prevalent images are aggressive, mud-splattered young men going down challenging mountain bike paths, or competitive guys on road bikes racing fast. When we finally see men and women together on bikes, they are presented
as couples, leisurely riding along recreational, car-restricted
trails. Sometimes there are family pictures. These people aren’t
typically riding, but simply holding their bikes and wearing helmets
in wholesome poses. Of course, Madison Avenue’s sexism is legendary. So it’s not surprising that when the industry shines its beacon on bicycle products, there’s a “No girls allowed!” notice tacked on the doorway to fun and adventure. Apparently, this suits the bicycle marketing departments just fine. What I wonder is, what possible profit do they see in boxing men and women into such narrow areas of interest, and possibility? It would be great to open up a bicycling publication and see an image of a commuting woman assertively taking her lane in downtown traffic. How about a girl with a messenger bag on her back, jumping a pothole in some alley? Or any woman, with her shoulder and arm muscles flexed, jaw clenched, wearing that “take-no-prisoners” look. Instead page after page supports the notion that men grit their teeth and pound through the pain, while women smile sweetly as they serenely sightsee and stop for snacks. Portrayals of different riding styles segregated by gender begin with the youngest demographics. Raleigh boys’ bikes are advertised for their toughness and ability to withstand the miles of abuse your “little rippers” dole out. Their girls’ bikes come with matching handbags, streamers and are guaranteed to be “a hit in the ‘neighborhood style parade.” What we face is self-fulfilling, cyclical prophecy: offer boys tough bikes, advertise with photos of men riding hard, and we raise yet another generation of boys who believe that bike-riding is only about speed and competition. Simultaneously, give girls frilly, pastel bikes emphasizing style instead of function, depict women only as casual riders, or ignore them completely, and find that girls aren’t as interested in competitive, high-performance riding. Gender stereotypes are counterproductive to promoting bicycling. So is the consistent portrayal of biking as strictly a leisure activity — whether hardcore racing or casual sightseeing. Strict categories and divisions don’t represent the bikers on the street. We are women and men, young and old, big and small, fast, slow and everything in between. We ride for a lot of reasons: transportation, competition, leisure, exercise, thrills — ideally, all of the above. People who ride are diverse because bicycling is an inclusive activity. We shouldn’t allow these tired images to paint us into the same tired roles. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation strives to bring more women to bicycling, by supporting bicycling in all of its forms and welcoming all who do not fit the industry’s narrow marketing. As bicyclists, we can do our part. Look, for example, at the Cycling Sisters, (www.cyclingsisters.org) who welcome all women and who volunteer to teach bicycle maintenance and traffic skills, organize challenging rides, give racing workshops and support each other to become better riders. Look at the women who bike each day to work. Look at the ones who train out on the lakefront, fierce and proud. The real face of bicycling is out there: millions of women — and men — doing things our own way. We set the examples you won’t find in the mass media. Come ride with us.
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