An open letter to all condescending male chauvinist cyclists

[steveindenmark]

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

The bubble shop....DUH....

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I've had comments passed by men relating to everything from why I shave my legs to why my bike is set-up with a quite large saddle-bar drop and how it should be etc etc

Yet I ride primarily with a female who has never once questioned anything I do or offered advice I didn't ask for (She is primarily a runner, and I for triathlon reasons ran too) we talk generically between sports

 

[Bimble]

Just out of interest - this to the women of CC BTW - how often does this sort of thing happen when you're out cycling? Is it and almost-every-time kind of thing, or regularly, or just occasionally / rarely?

 

[Mo1959]

Just out of interest - this to the women of CC BTW - how often does this sort of thing happen when you're out cycling? Is it and almost-every-time kind of thing, or regularly, or just occasionally / rarely?

Can't think of it happening at all to be honest but that may be because I live in rural Perthshire and there's not quite as many cyclists.

 

[summerdays]

Just out of interest - this to the women of CC BTW - how often does this sort of thing happen when you're out cycling? Is it and almost-every-time kind of thing, or regularly, or just occasionally / rarely?

I'd go with rarely.... I think... for me, and it could be different in different parts of the country, perhaps if felmales are less well represented in the general cycling population?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A few years back on a CTC ride I got a puncture on the rear wheel of the tandem I ride with a blind friend. Fixed puncture and carry one. Later on we notice the handling isn't quite right. At a regruop we get off and take a look. The rear rim has split, and nothing to be done. We are at the point where we are about to head off into lanes taking us much further away from home. So we decide we are going to carefully ride back home before the wheel goes completely. We tell the ride leaders that is what we are doing. The group starts heading off. A number of blokes in the group (as they pass) ask if we are ok, to which the reply is, yes we have a split rim and are going to head back home now. The number of them that just stopped like dependant puppies , expectantly wanting to do something. Till they were told they'd best get going before they lost the group. Even then it took far too many hints.

Climbing a hill on an Audax on the tandem. A young guy on a bike made of soot passes and says well done keep going. Cheeky f@cker, tandems are generally slower uphill or did no one educate him? Even if we are slower, did we give any impression we were finding it hard? Even if we did happen to find it hard, do you think your comment is motivational? We leave him for dead on the descent and flat after shouting "well done you'll get better" as we pass to which he pulls a face as he fails to catch us and disappears in our slipstream.

 

[hopless500]

Just out of interest - this to the women of CC BTW - how often does this sort of thing happen when you're out cycling? Is it and almost-every-time kind of thing, or regularly, or just occasionally / rarely?

I've had a cycling friend (male) try to make me change cadence and I got a wee lecture which I completely ignored.
Apart from that I've not had unsolicited comments from male cyclists (apart from a 'well done' from a chap who went past me as I got to the top of a hill - he'd have heard me cursing and swearing far in advance of seeing and overtaking me!)

 

[KnackeredBike]

A few years back on a CTC ride I got a puncture on the rear wheel of the tandem I ride with a blind friend. Fixed puncture and carry one. Later on we notice the handling isn't quite right. At a regruop we get off and take a look. The rear rim has split, and nothing to be done. We are at the point where we are about to head off into lanes taking us much further away from home. So we decide we are going to carefully ride back home before the wheel goes completely. We tell the ride leaders that is what we are doing. The group starts heading off. A number of blokes in the group (as they pass) ask if we are ok, to which the reply is, yes we have a split rim and are going to head back home now. The number of them that just stopped like dependant puppies , expectantly wanting to do something. Till they were told they'd best get going before they lost the group. Even then it took far too many hints.

Climbing a hill on an Audax on the tandem. A young guy on a bike made of soot passes and says well done keep going. Cheeky f@cker, tandems are generally slower uphill or did no one educate him? Even if we are slower, did we give any impression we were finding it hard? Even if we did happen to find it hard, do you think your comment is motivational? We leave him for dead on the descent and flat after shouting "well done you'll get better" as we pass to which he pulls a face as he fails to catch us and disappears in our slipstream.

Doesn't sound like either was a really big problem. I have stopped to help other riders and other riders and even cars have helped to stop me. I didn't think "What a shower of bastards I can do this by myself" I either politely accepted or declined the help.

IMO it is one of the good things about being a cyclist that people stop to help each other. I hope if my wife, who despite my best efforts wouldn't be able to mend a p*ncture, got stranded someone would stop to help her rather than being afraid of being thought of as chauvinistic.

 

[PK99]

One thing I have enjoyed about cycling since getting my first ever road bike 10 years ago, is the friendly advice proffered by people I was riding with - from gearing on hills to optimum cadence on the flat. Seat height was improved also. I'm a better cyclist because of that unsolicited advice. Also the offers of help from passing cyclists when stopped with a puncture or mechanical are one of the nicest things about cycling folk.

 

[PK99]

A few years back on a CTC ride I got a puncture on the rear wheel of the tandem I ride with a blind friend. Fixed puncture and carry one. Later on we notice the handling isn't quite right. At a regruop we get off and take a look. The rear rim has split, and nothing to be done. We are at the point where we are about to head off into lanes taking us much further away from home. So we decide we are going to carefully ride back home before the wheel goes completely. We tell the ride leaders that is what we are doing. The group starts heading off. A number of blokes in the group (as they pass) ask if we are ok, to which the reply is, yes we have a split rim and are going to head back home now. The number of them that just stopped like dependant puppies , expectantly wanting to do something. Till they were told they'd best get going before they lost the group. Even then it took far too many hints.

Climbing a hill on an Audax on the tandem. A young guy on a bike made of soot passes and says well done keep going. Cheeky f@cker, tandems are generally slower uphill or did no one educate him? Even if we are slower, did we give any impression we were finding it hard? Even if we did happen to find it hard, do you think your comment is motivational? We leave him for dead on the descent and flat after shouting "well done you'll get better" as we pass to which he pulls a face as he fails to catch us and disappears in our slipstream.

One of the (unwritten) rules of the CTC group I ride with is "no one is abandoned with a mechanical" I'm confused by you attitude to good group ride etiquette.

Similarly, why did you assume the comment from the guy passing was ill meant. Maybe he rides a tandem as well? A mate of mine who eschews the N+1 rule in favour of N+3 and has multiple bikes of every material plus several tandems from racing to touring. He is a keen audaxer and would be very likely to say "well done keep going" when passing a tandem going up hill as he knows it is slow.

 

[Jody]

Climbing a hill on an Audax on the tandem. A young guy on a bike made of soot passes and says well done keep going. Cheeky f@cker, tandems are generally slower uphill or did no one educate him? .

Was that not just words of encouragement

 

[nickyboy]

A few years back on a CTC ride I got a puncture on the rear wheel of the tandem I ride with a blind friend. Fixed puncture and carry one. Later on we notice the handling isn't quite right. At a regruop we get off and take a look. The rear rim has split, and nothing to be done. We are at the point where we are about to head off into lanes taking us much further away from home. So we decide we are going to carefully ride back home before the wheel goes completely. We tell the ride leaders that is what we are doing. The group starts heading off. A number of blokes in the group (as they pass) ask if we are ok, to which the reply is, yes we have a split rim and are going to head back home now. The number of them that just stopped like dependant puppies , expectantly wanting to do something. Till they were told they'd best get going before they lost the group. Even then it took far too many hints.

Climbing a hill on an Audax on the tandem. A young guy on a bike made of soot passes and says well done keep going. Cheeky f@cker, tandems are generally slower uphill or did no one educate him? Even if we are slower, did we give any impression we were finding it hard? Even if we did happen to find it hard, do you think your comment is motivational? We leave him for dead on the descent and flat after shouting "well done you'll get better" as we pass to which he pulls a face as he fails to catch us and disappears in our slipstream.

Not sure what the problem was. I'm always grateful for offers of help if I've got some bike problem, even if I don't need any help. I also have no problem with encouragement either. Last weekend up a really tough hill I was passed by a couple of young guys who said "good effort" as they passed me. To me that was just their appreciation of the effort of an older and heavier cyclist than themselves. I would say something similar if I passed someone gurning up a hill too

I will always offer help (in a non-gender specific way ) to any cyclist who I think may be in need, be it mechanicals, navigation or whatever. But I've never given "advice" to anyone except maybe a mate or two on their MTBs to get the seat up a bit

 

[Jody]

.............Seat height was improved also.

One of the things I most feel like offering advice on. Be it male or female.

 

[Bimble]

I would hope that any woman cyclist would be offered help if she's stopped by the roadside with a puncture or some mechanical difficultly. That's being helpful and polite to another cyclists. I'm sure your wife (and you) would appreciate such offers of assistance Knackeredbike, as would any number of CycleChat members, male and female.

But there's a difference between offering help and getting on your way if it is politely refused, and getting involved when uninvited - and it seems clear that Pat and other women have had to deal with this sort of insistence and uninvited commentary from men to the point of frustration.

If a woman says, "Oh, thank you, that's lovely but I'm okay. I've just got a puncture. I'll soon have it fixed." that seems to be a pretty clear signal for you to crack on and not worry about her outside of the normal 'I hope that cyclist got sorted and home safe'. She's got it covered (or wants to try and master the skill for herself no matter how difficult it might be). Hopping off your bike, digging out all your tools, shuffling her out of the way and taking over is clearly not what she wants.

 

[srw]

I was once out with Mrs W when a chain came off a bike - I forget whether we were on solos and it was her bike or whether it was a tandem chain. She was getting on with putting it back on with a stick (sensibly not wanting to get greasy hands) when an oik (male, natch) barged her out of the way and reseated it. With his hands. He was wearing decent clothes. I didn't feel sorry for him.