An open letter to all condescending male chauvinist cyclists

[PhilDawson8270]

Jesus, can't everyone just get on there bike and ride it. Do we have to shoebox, divide and categorise every cyclist. Its just bods on bikes, most people are doing it because they enjoy it.

Until somebody does something stupid, then they're not a cyclist. They're just a person on a bike

 

[subaqua]

Raving?

The entire purpose of gender is to make the inequality of the sexes appear normal and natural in order to perpetuate it. This life-changing insight is feminism's gift to you. You're welcome.

PS I fix people's mechanicals too. Most often men who've already destroyed two inner tubes, used up all their CO2 and didn't bring a pump.

If you have never been taught something how do you know it's meaning ....

And by raving , imagine napoleon and snowball where all are equal except some are more equal than others .

That sort of raving that really winds my wife up as it does nothing to help .

Me I don't care if your male or female , straight or not , all I care about is people not getting hurt . If I see something on any bike that's going to be an issue with that I will talk to people.

Usually a " not sure if you've noticed but .." generally works pretty well and gets a positive response.

The person I spoke to this morning who I asked if their hips or lower back hurt after riding their bike was appreciative of the suggestion of dropping the saddle height an inch to stop the severe hip rocking.

 

[Dogtrousers]

You don't wanna do it like that!


(If some random who I don't know from Adam suggested to me that I change my saddle height, I would do all in my power to rid myself of them. This may involve swearing, but it's more likely to be along the lines of "Oh, thanks. Bye.")

 

[Julia9054]

 

[subaqua]

I have had the experience of cycling slowly up a hill when one of the group I was with (a bloke, natch) rode alongside me and said, 'Nice low gear, good girl,' and patted me on the back. A friend was riding up a hill on a cycling holiday when some bloke saw fit to say to her, 'You want to change down a bit, love, makes it less of a slog.' In all the years I've been cycling, no woman has ever, unsolicited, said anything approaching this in terms of uselessness and sheer patronising ego-trippery. Men in general simply have no idea how often things like this occur, and not just related to riding a bike. It wears you down and makes you start to lose your sense of humour, especially when men then deny and deny that this happens with any frequency.

Now that is patronising behaviour from a bloke.

 

[steveindenmark]

I am going to start a similar post about DIY within the home. I know how to use a drill and am fully aware what the bubble in a spirit level is for.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

View attachment 346737

Only thing wrong with this is the "lady", and the "she". I consider all of that to be a good flow chart on how to behave to everybody. Unless you're a persons coach, you have no right trying to tell somebody how to do what they're doing unless they have asked.

I have 1 duck foot, that points out at the toes (right foot), my left is straight. My cleats are adjusted to keep the natural angles of my knees. I've lost count on the amount of times, another cyclist has pointed out to me, that my cleat positions are wrong. Or that they will cause me an injury. Yet they know nothing about me, or my body geometry, or my experience. By the way, everyone of these people were male. Never once, has a female commented about it.

I also do archery, and the club has clear guidelines. Do not offer help unless you are a coach, or have been asked. So many people don't understand how to behave in a socially acceptable manner. Maybe it's a chemical difference between the sexes that causes this. But then I'm unsure. I'm terribly competitive in everything I do, but I still wouldn't go around butting in about what people should and shouldn't do. So maybe it is just being a good person?

 

[hopless500]

I am going to start a similar post about DIY within the home. I know how to use a drill and am fully aware what the bubble in a spirit level is for.

Ah, but do you know where to buy spare bubbles from?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Feels like this thread should be in the Politics sub forum to me

But it wouldn't be an open letter if it was in an opt-in forum

 

[subaqua]

Blimey, so it is! Thanks.

Shakes head .

So men can't make a comment now can they ???

Get off that high horse .

 

[Speicher]

I am going to start a similar post about DIY within the home. I know how to use a drill and am fully aware what the bubble in a spirit level is for.

I know the offside rule, and how to use opposite lock when driving/reversing. I only take two pairs of shoes with me on holibobs, can I join your thread? You can show me how to use a drill.

 

[Ian H]

Shakes head .

So men can't make a comment now can they ???

Get off that high horse .

I thought she treated you very gently and with good humour.

 

[subaqua]

You first.

I wasn't one one but it would be Ladies before Gents unless that offends the sensitive types . ( gender neutral )

I got called chauvinist for holding a door open ( which I do for men and women as it's you know , polite) for a lady.

I shall stop being polite to people as I don't fancy getting a gobfull of bile from people who don't understand doing things because it's polite .

I shall also stop offering help , then we can see threads about how nobody offers help anymore.

 

[jonny jeez]

The last 14 pages have not made it sufficiently clear?

Yes but the first page didn't and is what seemed to have caused the last 14.

I am not at all offended by pats OP but have been offended with a number of posts that seem to lump me and others into some male chauvinist camp, simply for asking for clarity. Which, as I have stated over and over is that idiots are idiots.

I've joined many discussion on the topic and have learnt a lot about the impact and about what I can do to change that. This thread was never allowed an opportunity to do that and spiralled immediately into a slinging match. All seems like a lost opportunity to me.

Sorry @Pat "5mph" , I just think its an important topic that deserves some thought. Btw pat, that list that you posted of things that idiot men had said and done....those things have all (pretty much) happened to me, so I'm not convinced its a male thing at all.

I am convinced that a "male thing" exists.....but not that this is it.

 

[jonny jeez]

I have had the experience of cycling slowly up a hill when one of the group I was with (a bloke, natch) rode alongside me and said, 'Nice low gear, good girl,' and patted me on the back. A friend was riding up a hill on a cycling holiday when some bloke saw fit to say to her, 'You want to change down a bit, love, makes it less of a slog.' In all the years I've been cycling, no woman has ever, unsolicited, said anything approaching this in terms of uselessness and sheer patronising ego-trippery. Men in general simply have no idea how often things like this occur, and not just related to riding a bike. It wears you down and makes you start to lose your sense of humour, especially when men then deny and deny that this happens with any frequency.

I rekon the issue here isn't the interruption...this has and does happen to me all the time (try riding Flanders without some idiot telling you you need to "float" or stop cheating when you fall onto the smooth gutter, or worse still barging you into the gutter as they flail by)

I think the issue is the default use of language that is offensive, massively patronising and sexist.