It's a shortcoming of our blog that none of the writers are women. I don't think this is so much because we've actively tried to exclude anyone, but more because our blog isn't very good so no women have any interest. Maybe I'm wrong. Who knows? If you're a bike riding woman and want to write about it, sent us an email. It would definitely make things better.
Anyway, that's not what is actively vexing me. It's women trying to buy bikes. I'm going to relate some anecdotes and keep things strictly anonymous.
Some women I know have tried to buy bikes in bike shops. Instead of wandering around the the bike shop in peace and staring at bikes, the bike salesmen walk with them and ask them vague and strange misleading questions about what kind of riding they want to do and talk about the length of their arms and legs and torsos and hair and other unrelated things. This seems to invariably lead the salesmen to think that these women I know need to purchase nerdy hybrids.
When I go into a bike shop, none of these questions are asked and nobody comments about the length of my body parts. I wander around and sometimes take a bike of my choosing out into the parking lot. Nothing about me suggests that I'm a guy that knows anything about bicycles.
These weird disparities and general weirdness lead the women I know to be fearful bicycles and think that there are all these weird restrictions. They're also uncomfortable in bike shops. This doesn't have to be.
I am all for bikes fitting people correctly, but that should be something that happens towards the end of a sale- not first. Let everyone browse and let people gravitate towards whatever they want. Just because some says they might ride on the road and might ride off of it in no way means they want to ride a hybrid. Riding a hybrid is no fun anywhere. That's why the world's garages are filled with hybrids that no one rides. Further, if you posed the question of where I want to ride to me, I'd answer that I want to ride on the road sometimes and not other times. I certainly don't want to buy a hybrid. Why oh why do the world's salespeople think it's a great idea to sell women weird things that they don't want?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Bikes and the ladies
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8 comments:
Way to go B...paving the way for women bike bloggers....maybe.
I think we are sort of heading in this direction last year when you had the "we're not as manly as we think we are" post about the voice of blogs. I'm think having a woman blogger would be nice...but only because it would be great to shake things up...why can't anyone who wants to blog be allowed to?
And about the bikes. Before i moved to West Hartford this past summer, i remember writing to you guys and asking for some bike buying tips because i was going to be purchasing my first bike. i used the email address listed on the blog and never got a response. boooooooo.
Aww, I love my hybrid! (Though yes, it's currently sitting in a basement, but that's due to weather conditions; my road bike is on my indoor trainer still. I'm not as tough as you all-weather riding guys.)
I prefer all-weather riding people, although there was not nearly enough ladies riding out there all winter as I know are capable.
The hybrid has its place. Besides what is a hybrid beyond a label? Of all things the LHT is a hybrid of the most strict definitions; road, commute, tour, fire road, dirt, all of the above, a hybrid I argue. The stereotypical hybrid may not be a thing of beauty but many beasts that qualify are so indeed.
Easy solution... send them to Dave at Tolland Bicycle! He's sold bikes to my mother and cousins and I don't think he ever asked about body parts!
Seriously, great shop for women and men for that matter. Bike shops seem to be vexing to buyers in general, they're either bike snobs or unhelpful... not sure which is worse.
I don't really care about the label on my bike. I was looking for something I could use in off-road triathlons, hook bags onto for commuting into work (no longer needed since I moved downtown), and generally cruise over to parks or friends' houses with, etc. I couldn't use my road bike for off-road triathlons and didn't want to be locking up my beauty outside, so no commuting on her. A hybrid happened to fit my needs.
I personally wish more people were out and about on hybrids rather than the crappy mountain bikes that the big boxes are putting out to pander to the need to fit into "outdoorsie" stereotypes. I think more people would take to riding bikes if they had a functional, comfortable, do everything machine, rather than an overweight behemoth with oversized knobbies.
This doesn't justify a bike shop's tendency to steer women away from good mountain bikes in favor of a more "tame" hybrid, but for some (male or female) it may be a blessing in disguise to end up on a hybrid if they really are not going to be mountain biking.
Whatever works to get people biking.
Sounds to me like your friends aren't going to the right shop. "Instead of wandering around the the bike shop in peace and staring at bikes, the bike salesmen walk with them and ask them vague and strange misleading questions about what kind of riding they want to do..."
The reason we ask questions about where they want to ride helps us to understand what kind of bike is going to best suit their needs. We actually engage our customers (instead of just "letting them wander around...") and ask questions because we hate being ignored when we go into places where we want to spend our hard-earned money.
Not to mention that we treat everyone here the way we like to be treated. It doesn't matter your age, gender or what kind of riding you like to do, we've all been ignored at other shops because we don't fit their "customer profile". I don't have to tell you that not getting assistance or being disrespected sucks. Hope you're all getting some rides in!
Matt
Pedal Power
Middletown, CT
www.pedalpowerct.com
Thanks Brendan for bringing up this theme.
I also can attest to a certain dread walking into a bike shop for the first time. I'm sure many people (men, women, sasquatch) would find car dealerships, mechanics or other specialists equally intimidating.
I recently visited Austin bike shops where there are women working sales, service etc. However, a vagina doesn't exclude one from being a bike snob.
If you're opening up the blog to guest entries I'd be glad to send you some rants. Also, I'm organizing a foodie bike ride in April/May. It's not about going fast, it's all about pedaling to arrive at cool destinations where we can sample tasty beverages and get some eats. I will keep you posted!
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