Beauty and the Bike

[theclaud]

As a girlie, I find it insulting that it is thought I require some sort of special treatment by way of facilities to get me cycling. As a woman, I look at the 'it's not cool' 'It's not pretty enough' 'no one cool does it' well, frankly dispiriting, as what has gone on as regards female liberation since the 60s? It's all gone backwards. Now young women in the UK aspire to be WAGs and celebrities it seems, the adverse effects of which extend to well beyond cycling. That is appalling. As regards danger & 'feeling safe' this is the UK we live in, not bloody Afghanistan, women are safe in the UK, we are able to travel independently. It appears we have bred a generation of wimps of young women. I blame women my age for that and if I had a daughter, I hope I would not have done that to her. Indeed I have had women of all age groups express surpise that I cycle alone, on the grounds "It's dangerous out there, you are so brave!" At which point I point out that this is not Afghanistan, that there isn't a sex maniac behind every lampost and that drivers really aren't out to get us. Yet frankly, I despair of the feeble attiude towards independence in life of a lot of my gender.

I know what you mean, Waffly. I teach an adult beginners' class, and almost all the people who attend are middle-aged women. (They are also invariably tiny, so that it's hard to find a supply of bikes small enough. Make of that what you will - perhaps it's a Swansea thing.) It's heartbreaking to hear the stories of where the barriers to cycling came from - they tell of brothers that were given bikes while they were discouraged or forbidden from doing almost anything that might have been fun or liberating. And for forty or fifty years they have simply been convinced that riding a bike is one of the many things they will always be incapable of doing, because they are not men. It's almost painful that they then learn to do it, usually without difficulty, inside of two hours, for it speaks volumes about lost opportunities and wasted potential. It's vital that we don't find new ways to cripple generation after generation of girls with notions of inadequacy.

 

[Norm]

As a girlie, I find it insulting that it is thought I require some sort of special treatment by way of facilities to get me cycling.
<<snipped>>
Yet frankly, I despair of the feeble attiude towards independence in life of a lot of my gender.

My daughter rides a lot more than my son. I hope I can keep her interest through her teens but I think she's just biding her time until she can get a bike with a motor fitted.

 

[summerdays]

I have a couple of daughters and I struggle to get them cycling. One has no road sense (at 12) and we are trying one to one riding to get her to be safer on the road, but for the other one the big issue is looks I'm afraid, somehow it isn't cool - perhaps cos mum does it, and her hair gets messed up (to give you an idea she straightened her hair before she went to do Laser Quest!!!). She also isn't that keen on most forms of exercise unfortunately.

We used to think that the images we had in the mags when I was a child were bad for self esteem and that was before they could do all this retouching. With each passing generation it is getting worse. Look at the clothes that you can put tiny babies in - some completely unsuitable - why do they need to be fashionable at 3 months old? We have to try and use those same images to sell cycling - so the Duffy advert I thought was good - because it could make a connection with teenagers. Someone famous, normal clothes, coke (or was it pepsi - sorry that bit of the ad was wasted on me) ... oh yes and she was on a bike to nip to the shops...

 

[wafflycat]

That's why, summerdays, it's down to we mums to instil in our daughters the confidence & self-belief so they can cycle (and do lots of all sorts of other things too).

 

[summerdays]

Oh I haven't given up yet... just that the suggestion of a family bike rides is always met with groans even though we try to chuck in a trip to the pub for lunch or some other treat in there. I realise that when I retook up cycling she was already in the pre-teen stage so I left it a little late to really influence her. (Whereas the youngest - a boy started school and has riden almost every single day since then - probably missed less than 2 weeks in 5 years of going to school - and its only half a mile so we don't need to ride it).

 

[Norm]

That's why, summerdays, it's down to we mums to instil in our daughters the confidence & self-belief so they can cycle (and do lots of all sorts of other things too).

Umm... how would that be read if it was down to the Dads to do something? Positive sexism?

 

[MacB]

Well my eldest(14) has taken to walking to and from school rather than cycling. He wants to walk with friends and is totally oblivious to my bemused looks when he complains about how long it takes, when he gets wet and when he gets cold. He has that teenage aversion to coats, layers and anything suitable for the weather. The other two leave after him in the morning and beat him home by a big margin. He gets annoyed with their smugness when he arrives, half an hour later, cold and/or wet. This annoyance also leaks over to me as I'm the main influence behind stopping lifts to and from school. In true teenage fashion it really is the fault of everyone else.

 

[wafflycat]

Umm... how would that be read if it was down to the Dads to do something? Positive sexism?

Dads should be doing it too!

 

[Norm]

Darned right we should! Check out just a little further up the page, post #142.

It just struck me as a bit, I don't know, strange to see that mums should be doing it, as if dads shouldn't. It's no biggie (see sig for details ) but it was one of those things that make you go "Hmmm...."

 

[wafflycat]

Darned right we should! Check out just a little further up the page, post #142.

It just struck me as a bit, I don't know, strange to see that mums should be doing it, as if dads shouldn't. It's no biggie (see sig for details ) but it was one of those things that make you go "Hmmm...."

Mums should be setting the example as women unafraid to be going out in the world. Mums are the closest role model a girl *usually* has, so if a Mum and daughter have a good relationship then the mum is in a particular place to benefit her daughter through example, in a way dads can't - and I say that as a 'Daddy's Girl' as my mother & I did not get along at all. Just as boys can particularly benefit from having a strong male role model, girls particularly benefit from having strong female role models.

 

[Norm]

Mums should be setting the example as women unafraid to be going out in the world. Mums are the closest role model a girl *usually* has, so if a Mum and daughter have a good relationship then the mum is in a particular place to benefit her daughter through example, in a way dads can't - and I say that as a 'Daddy's Girl' as my mother & I did not get along at all. Just as boys can particularly benefit from having a strong male role model, girls particularly benefit from having strong female role models.

Agreed.

Unfortunately, Mrs Norm hates cycling so there's no chance of that for Small Norm II. Does it count if I wear a pink wig? I do have one, and I have man boobs?

Sorry, back on topic, I'm not sure what the answer is or whether anything insightful has come out of this thread, unfortunately. I still think that it's a cultural thing and we can therefore best lead by example. I spent a couple of hours yesterday riding off-road (Swinley Forest) with a good friend who doesn't like riding on the road because of the dangers.

It's bad enough when Mrs Norm says that (and then takes the kids off for a horse riding lesson!) but from a fellow cyclist?

 

[chap]

Watched the DVD recently, it is a very well made documentary, a shame it is constrained to a select audience who by definition need little convincing.

I would agree with most of the points raised in the film, as it is a combination of poor town planning, lack of traffic controls, and lack of cycling facilities which results in an intimidating ride for many (regardless of gender.)

The fact that most of our 'mainstream' bikes do look hideous and unsuited to any stroke of glamour or enjoyment probably plays a part as well. After all, our cycling politicians (Boris and Cameron - interestingly both conservatives) both don the staid mountain bike in the city, with bulky cycle helmet, and reflective jumpers.

I cannot think of any female politicians, nor high ranking business ladies, that are known for cycling in this country. Even the leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, is seldom seen with a bike, and rarely advocates them.

This is all in spite of this countries cycling heritage (not that history really matters with regards to the future), and the fact that we have 2 non-MTB specific British bike companies in this country: Pashley and Brompton. Whilst the former does create some MTB's, they are known more for their commuters, tricycles, cargo, postal worker, and traditional bikes.

Were this program to be televised on one of our national stations, that is where it would make maximum impact. At present, it is available from their website, and select screenings whenever they occur. It has a high YouTube following, but this is once again among a select audience.

Therefore our hopes are left with the ever expanding 'cycle chic' movement; unfortunately the Guardian, predictably, so far seems to be the only major paper taking note of this, albeit on a cycling mini-site which is merely a blog (once again niched and preaching to the converted). When it spills over into the public conscious (perhaps at the London Cycle Hire Scheme launch) then that will be when it can become an effectual movement and the film a catalyst for improvement.

Until then, most will take the bus - like Caroline Lucas - then the car.