CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: What do people think of this?

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: What do people think of this? http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: What do people think of this? en Sun, 31 May 2026 16:57:50 +0000 the canuck on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094&page=2#post-259494 Wed, 06 Sep 2017 10:15:49 +0000 the canuck 259494@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ yes, that advert makes me cringe, but i'm not the target market. i think the target is a woman in her 50s who's never cycled much except on family holidays in the country, but thinks it might be nice to cycle to work some days only she doesn't want to wear lycra. (i don't want to wear lycra either, but without padded shorts, my left toes go to sleep.) This target woman is standing next to a husband who isn't sure the road is safe, or thinks she isn't fit enough to ride. i like the red. i'd love a step through bike--they are much more comfortable, but not really designed for big hills. and it is unfortunate that they are marketed for women--in Cambridge, lots of young men ride them, but i suspect that has a lot to do with students wanting any old cheap bike for getting around. gembo on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094&page=2#post-259427 Tue, 05 Sep 2017 18:35:07 +0000 gembo 259427@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @acsimpson we do get that far west, they have not seen it. They have seen the Korean War memorial near torphicen, the strange grand design house nearer torphicen that looks like a water treatment centre., some have seen the henge and fake stone circle of cairnpapple too @ejstubbs B8020 just south of winchburgh, it is a plane cockpit and pink surely it is on street view? acsimpson on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094&page=2#post-259424 Tue, 05 Sep 2017 17:32:14 +0000 acsimpson 259424@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "none of them had seen the big pink aeroplane poking its nose out of a normal sized garage due south of Winchburgh" Had they seen the fairy house/pet memorial near Torphicen or do you not get that far west? PS on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094&page=2#post-259368 Tue, 05 Sep 2017 10:33:11 +0000 PS 259368@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ the main barrier is that they won't swap the safety of their car for the random risks of Edinburgh's roads. Of course, the solution to that (segregated and safe cycle infrastructure) would in a win-win kind of way also encourage those who are concerned about the make-up, hair and clothes aspects to cycle. The men who are put off by the clothes, appearance and sweatiness as well. They also exist. ejstubbs on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094&page=2#post-259364 Tue, 05 Sep 2017 10:19:31 +0000 ejstubbs 259364@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @gembo: "none of them had seen the big pink aeroplane poking its nose out of a normal sized garage due south of Winchburgh" Ooh, is that on Street View? (My excuse for not having seen it being that I've never knowingly been to or through Winchburgh in any direction.) chdot on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094&page=2#post-259354 Tue, 05 Sep 2017 09:23:47 +0000 chdot 259354@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "Which is exactly the same reason as the not-cycling-but-would-like-to men I know." You'll have heard the phrase "man up" which used to be quite often in the minds (and sometimes allowed out in public) of people against segregated infrastructure. Usage seems to be in decline... c30c60 on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094&page=2#post-259352 Tue, 05 Sep 2017 09:14:12 +0000 c30c60 259352@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @Tulyar I agree. My feathers are ruffled because it implies that women don't cycle because of hair + makeup + clothes. Of the women I know, the main barrier is that they won't swap the safety of their car for the random risks of Edinburgh's roads. Which is exactly the same reason as the not-cycling-but-would-like-to men I know. Hrrmph. Tulyar on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094&page=2#post-259333 Tue, 05 Sep 2017 03:57:26 +0000 Tulyar 259333@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @c30c60 Its bowtie & braces brigade attempt to prove they were worth employing for their creative abilities but I wouldn't expect any comment from Cycling UK other than "we know we despair too" about the tenor of this event driven by British Cycling - as they can easily slip and start calling the ride a race, with all that this implies. chdot on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094&page=2#post-259300 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 19:48:47 +0000 chdot 259300@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "It would be fine, if it was alongside a bunch of other bikes: a fast road bike, a mamachari, a gnarly mountainbike, a cargobike, a recumbent." I should have taken pictures of the other two bikes. I don't remember the accompanying text being gendered at all. chdot on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259297 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 19:43:08 +0000 chdot 259297@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "So is there any actual consensus that girls need a different apporoach to boys?" Unlikely. As you know, personally and professionally, teenage years are difficult - not just for girls. UK generally regards cycling to school as uncool (or whatever the 2017 word is). I guarantee that more people would cycle to school if it was easy/safe to do it with two people (or more) side by side. chdot on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259296 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 19:36:06 +0000 chdot 259296@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "It says ladies bike on the tag on the bag BUT I am going to change that right now" 'Suitable for all genders or none'(?) chdot on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259295 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 19:34:25 +0000 chdot 259295@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ " I wouldn't want to try stopping it going downhill on a wet day" Not like the old days, this one has alloy rims and dual pivot brakes. gembo on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259290 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 19:17:51 +0000 gembo 259290@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I was enjoying the step through electric bike so much on my trip down leith and back through the mental road works and mental traffic that I decided to cycle it home. Through the mental traffic. All good until it cut out Error E6 just at slateford so had to cycle it all way up kingsnowe. That was. Bit of a schlepp. It says ladies bike on the tag on the bag BUT I am going to change that right now Snowy on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259287 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 18:54:51 +0000 Snowy 259287@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @gembo We are all individuals... Snowy on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259286 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 18:50:00 +0000 Snowy 259286@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Just saw the pic above...well, there's no accounting for taste. But could be considered pricey for what you get? Only 3 gears and I wouldn't want to try stopping it going downhill on a wet day... unhurt on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259280 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 16:58:59 +0000 unhurt 259280@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "Mum" and "gran" here are tooth-grinding because it's part of a long tradition of defining women's identities by their relationship to others (usually a caregiving relationship at that). unhurt on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259278 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 16:54:21 +0000 unhurt 259278@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ If somebody wants to cycle in 'normal' clothing and wear full make-up, that's up to them, as long as it's safe I am enjoying the unintentional implication that cycling in makeup might be seen as a risk factor. Though... hmm. Hi-vis and reflective eyeshadow and blusher: that's how I'll make MY fortune! gembo on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259235 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 12:58:39 +0000 gembo 259235@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ We have had previous threads about girls continuing to cycle. My soon to be 13 year old has gone off cycling. She was out running with her pal last night but they went way out in the country (her pal has moved that way) instead of just the WoL Path where she used to run because she has become self conscious all of a sudden. So is there any actual consensus that girls need a different apporoach to boys? Was the intention in the red bike bad poerm backed by a need for a female only approach? I like talking and indeed singing when out cycling (Navigator, North To Alaska, Bandiera Rosa, Will Your Anchor Hold, anything with a good tune). A lot of the serious dudes I roll with do not like this. But then none of them had seen the big pink aeroplane poking its nose out of a normal sized garage due south of Winchburgh. Too busy on their Strava/Garmin etc. I don't suppose I am typical of anything. But who is? sallyhinch on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259220 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 11:09:10 +0000 sallyhinch 259220@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ It would be fine, if it was alongside a bunch of other bikes: a fast road bike, a mamachari, a gnarly mountainbike, a cargobike, a recumbent. The reason why we formed the Women's Cycle Forum was because the women who cycle are as different as the men who cycle and we felt that variety needed to be made much more visible. As long as women who cycle are stuffed into one stereotyped box (or one basket) then all advertising aimed at them will be tone deaf. Lezzles on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259219 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 11:08:22 +0000 Lezzles 259219@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Actually this is exactly the kind of bike my sister says she wants to start riding to work instead of driving for 5 minutes. I'm on a hybrid but have a basket on the front to carry all my kids stuff to/from nursery as the bike seat on the back made me take my panniers off. With a bike like this you don't need panniers, or fancy clothing (I have to wear leggings under my dress when I'm cycling as I flash when i swing my leg over the bar). As for the wording - its a bit urgh but then they're trying to attract women who wouldn't ordinarily see cycling as something they can do because of the MAMIL connotations of most advertising. c30c60 on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259216 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 10:58:03 +0000 c30c60 259216@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Indeed. That whole page has a 'Viz meets Private Eye' feel. I've emailed CyclingUK about the text - no reply yet. chdot on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259215 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 10:54:48 +0000 chdot 259215@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ From link " Lycra, helmets and hi-viz are all seen as barriers to cycling by many women. Cycling UK's policy is to promote freedom of choice when it comes to cycle clothing. If somebody wants to cycle in 'normal' clothing and wear full make-up, that's up to them, as long as it's safe. As an experienced rider, you might show by example how stylish cycle clothing can make a ride more enjoyable. " I think there are issues beyond gender here...! c30c60 on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259214 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 10:52:09 +0000 c30c60 259214@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Dreamy! In other news from the 1970s: "Women value the opportunity to chat to each other during a ride, perhaps as much as any physical or technical challenge”. From <a href="http://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/encourage-female-participation-cycling" rel="nofollow">http://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/encourage-female-participation-cycling</a> Morningsider on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259211 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 10:41:53 +0000 Morningsider 259211@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Ah, women - why won't they choose to mix with 44-tonne HGVs, even when we give them a basket AND pretty colours. Trixie on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259195 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 09:10:21 +0000 Trixie 259195@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I'd deal with the words better if it was a really nice/aspirational bike. Cos unless it's on an airfield, you're not going to really enjoy a ride out 'for the sisterhood' on that bike. Right next to it was a sleek black/charcoal hardtail, I didn't notice the (probably manly) words because I was drawn to the bike. Then I saw the red one, saw a bit of the wording, bristled and strolled on before it bugged my chill too much. The whole step-through being a woman's bike thing is daft. It restricts both women and men. A bike is a bike. You ride what works for you. I understand that there are apparently fewer women cyclists than men. I don't think this sort of promo is going to have any impact on that. I were right about that saddle on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259190 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 08:14:15 +0000 I were right about that saddle 259190@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Looks less diddy without the seat rammed right down; <img src="https://static.evanscycles.com/production/bikes/hybrid-bikes/product-image/484-319/pinnacle-californium-2-2017-womens-hybrid-bike-red-EV275611-3000-1.jpg"> chdot on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259188 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 08:10:53 +0000 chdot 259188@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "would the wording get more girls cycling? Indeed. "How did it compare to PoP which I think has more people who already cycle than new people?" Useful question. Worth separate thread. gembo on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259186 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 07:03:46 +0000 gembo 259186@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ The step through electric bike that the council have is better than the other one with the crossbar. Wider handlebars. Trying to be less critical (just trying this out to see if it is any different from my usual bemused mild despair at formal cycling organisations) would the wording get more girls cycling? I do not know. Also did the event get more people cycling? How did it compare to PoP which I think has more people who already cycle than new people? I were right about that saddle on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259184 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 23:24:43 +0000 I were right about that saddle 259184@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @weezee Was the token bloke on an all-female rideout at the weekend. Still distilling the experience. Very positive but ever so slightly unsettling. weezee on "What do people think of this?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18094#post-259183 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 23:17:31 +0000 weezee 259183@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I always bought bikes that were classified as 'men's' because I figured that 'women's' bikes, in the price bracket I was operating in, were less well-built. That's going back a few decades. Now, my main bike is a Dutch upright because I wanted a civilised riding position and, in the UK, that is a 'women's' bike (not the case elsewhere, I am aware). I made sure it was 8 speed though. Explicitly gender-targeted advertising is cringe-worthy most of the time (c.f. car ads). I can't look at an ad that uses the word 'sisterhood' and identify with that although I am a feminist. Or indeed 3rd person labels like 'mum' or 'gran'. It just makes whoever was behind it look like numpties. Totally agree with @IWRATS, needs of people who ride bikes do not run along gender-lines.