"Granny gear" and sexism

[swansonj]

This cropped up in the "get home after a breakdown" thread, and several people correctly said it was a diversion of a quite useful and interesting thread. So, for anyone interested in discussing this in its own right:

The term "granny gear" is deeply embedded in cycling, is used by most people with no malign intent, but is nonetheless derogatory and sexist.

The paradigm behind it is that cycling is a macho activity; real cyclists ought to be macho enough to cope without low gears; and not subscribing to that macho culture, or simply prefering easier gears, is distinctively female (and, the imagery conveys, old, feeble females at that).

Low gears make cycling easier and more enjoyable. It cannot be anything other than sexist to link a desire for cycling to be easy and enjoyable with women.

It is damaging not just because all prejudice always diminishes all of us, but because the whole sports-derived macho culture of cycling - of which selling ordinary people bikes with unsuitably high gears is part - puts off more people discovering and embracing our wonderful mode of travel, to the detriment of them, us, and the whole of society.

Discuss (if you wish).

 

[vickster]

And some people believe that a woman might choose to use a breakdown recovery service like ETA just so they can pick up cute taxi drivers not because they may not have the interest, desire, time or skill to fix a bike at the side of the road

 

[vickster]

Or indeed maybe that a man in shining armour is just sitting at home waiting to collect them should a roadside breakdown occur, hence no need for such a service exists

 

[bpsmith]

Is the term actually sexist?

There’s a massive assumption that Granny refers to Grandmother, rather than Grandfather.

Ageist, fair enough.

 

[cosmicbike]

Or indeed maybe that a man in shining armour is just sitting at home waiting to collect them should a roadside breakdown occur, hence no need for such a service exists

I have a woman in shining armour. I hope....

 

[vickster]

Is the term actually sexist?

There’s a massive assumption that Granny refers to Grandmother, rather than Grandfather.

Ageist, fair enough.

Have you ever heard someone refer to their grandfather as granny (maybe it's normal in Wales)

 

[Welsh wheels]

Is the term actually sexist?

There’s a massive assumption that Granny refers to Grandmother, rather than Grandfather.

Ageist, fair enough.

More ageist than sexist I'd say

 

[Welsh wheels]

Have you ever heard someone refer to their grandfather as granny (maybe it's normal in Wales)

Granny in wales can just as easily refer to a elderly female sheep

 

[Pale Rider]

When someone posted about 'granny gear' being sexist/ageist a while ago I thought it was a wind-up.

 

[bpsmith]

Have you ever heard someone refer to their grandfather as granny (maybe it's normal in Wales)

The irony of being racist in a thread complaining about sexism is not lost on me.

 

[Welsh wheels]

When someone posted about 'granny gear' being sexist/ageist a while ago I thought it was a wind-up.

Aye, important not to take ourselves to seriously (as my granny would say) And my granny also wouldn't claim she could cycle with big gears

 

[bpsmith]

On the ageist point, does anyone think the following title is ageist against the younger folk who haven’t got the “experience” from decades of cycling?

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/watching-an-experienced-cyclist-on-our-roads.233778/

 

[vickster]

The irony of being racist in a thread complaining about sexism is not lost on me.

Huh? Not racist, you live in Wales don’t you and made a comment about granny being a name for grandfather. Not one I’ve ever heard in England, so I wondered if it’s maybe a Welsh thing?!

 

[bpsmith]

Huh? Not racist, you live in Wales don’t you and made a comment about granny being a name for grandmother. Not one I’ve ever heard in England, so I wondered if it’s maybe a Welsh thing?!

Glad you responded in that manner.

I was just trying to demonstrate that Intention is everything. You didn’t intend to be racist, and I didn’t genuinely think that, but using similar words with a different intention can be racist.

My point being that I have honestly never heard anyone use the term granny gear with the intention of offending anyone female, older, or both. More often than not, they are referring to themselves using that gear and not being negative usually.

Edit: the same goes for my post referencing the experienced rider thread. Zero negative intention, but the same argument could be applied.

 

[Ianboydsnr]

My wife uses the term, and she really is a granny, she doesn’t think the term derogatory, I was actually thinking of fitting a granny gear to my road bike, I am a grandad, and I don’t think the term is fixed by sex,

Is it derogatory if a granny uses the term for low gearing?

I think it only derogatory if the meaning of the person who says it meant it to be derogatory, I don’t think it automatic to assume, many words can be used that are derogatory, and most can’t be changed or banned, jumping straight into offended on someone else’s behalf is a mistake imho,