cycling · gender policing

Bikes for ladies? What year is this again?

Sam B

When bike companies get it badly wrong….

This little gem of advertising copy is making the rounds in my newsfeed this morning accompanied with lots of WTF.

From Superior Bikes Mountain Bike Lady Collection:

“Female cyclists do not generally need to push their limits, race against time and increase their adrenaline when riding rough downhill trails. They just want to enjoy the time spent in nature on the bike, and their expectations from the bike are completely diff erent than men’s. They look mainly for safe, easy and, of course, stylish bikes that have good and natural handling.

Bikes that can briskly ride on asphalt surfaces and are reliable even in a more rugged terrain. Bikes that can be easily mounted and safely dismounted at any time… Allow us to introduce our MODO collection, specially designed by women for women.”

What year, you ask? 2015…

A translation problem?

I don’t know.

Maybe I should just be relieved I don’t have to sweat, push my limits, or increase my adrenaline on the bike anymore.

Update: The company apologized. See here.

image

Published by Sam B

Philosopher, feminist, parent, and cyclist! Co-founder of Fit Is a Feminist Issue, co-author of Fit at Mid-Life: A Feminist Fitness Journey, published by Greystone Books.

13 thoughts on “Bikes for ladies? What year is this again?”

  2. I just popped the following into an email to the manufacturer:

    “Female cyclists do not generally need to push their limits, race against time and increase their adrenaline when riding rough downhill trails. They just want to enjoy the time spent in nature on the bike, and their expectations from the bike are completely diff erent than men’s.”

    You’re kidding, right? Unfortunately, I don’t think you are. Frankly, no one really needs to push their limits, race against time or increase their adrenaline when riding, but plenty of cyclists—women and men—want to. Your website copy is just plain sexist and completely offensive to women who want to push their limits and men who just want to spend time in nature.

    You’re going to apologize, right?

    Sincerely,

    Janice Lindegard
    runner and cyclist

    Thanks for bringing this tripe to our attention.
    PS I ride an Electra bike and, yes, I ride to enjoy time spent in nature. I run to push my limits, race against time and increase adrenaline. And I read your blog for fun and inspiration.

  3. Female cyclists do not generally need to push their limits, race against time and increase their adrenaline when riding rough downhill trails. They just want to enjoy the time spent in nature on the bike…

    My God, I had no idea I was female. All these years I thought I was just a guy who likes long touring rides. Excuse me while I rush off to lululemon and buy more appropriate gear. I hope my butt doesn’t look fat in pink.

  4. Well, with a ‘ladies’ ‘bike, you can wear a skirt – like this. that’s the idea.
    Unrealistic on modern roads I know, but a romantic ideal………… and you must admit, looks rather cool. (- do it in the park? – whatever)

  5. Ugh, how crappy. There’s value in “women’s specific” bikes (like Specialized’s Dolce line), but this is absolutely awful…

  7. Unbelievable. I can’t believe any company today would think that making a statement like this would be positively accepted even by women who do want to ride this way.

  8. Also not the Onion:
    “The Wisconsin Sportsmen’s Caucus wants people to hit the woods and “hunt pink.”

    A bill being proposed by Reps. Nick Milroy, D-South Range, and Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, would allow deer hunters to wear blaze pink for safety, in addition to the traditional blaze orange. While Milroy said it’s an effort to recognize and encourage the growing number of women who hunt in Wisconsin, Kleefisch added that he thinks the addition of pink could appeal to men and women alike.

    Milroy said the largest increase in new hunters has been among women. In 2014, women deer hunters accounted for 35 percent of resident first-time gun deer licenses and 36 percent of resident first-time junior gun deer licenses, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

    “We want to try to capitalize on this,” he said. “What I noticed over the last several years was a trend amongst outdoor apparel manufacturers that have really been marketing to women with blaze camo. Now you can purchase pink hunting rifles, shotguns and pistols, hunting knives made in this pink camo.”

    Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/wisconsin-lawmakers-encourage-people-to-hunt-pink/article_e8d0b729-38ae-5c3d-b511-fe205794c3ac.html#ixzz3c5gwNwxL

Comments are closed.