Cycling as a sport has historically been predicated on racing. We have modeled our bicycles and appearance as cyclists (both on and off the bike) for decades now after our favorite racing heroes. We have measured our physical efforts by the same athletes and in turn molded both our rides and riding styles with performance based metrics and goals in mind. The bicycle lifestyle has become a pseudo carbon copy of what we see on euro-sport/sporza, read in bicycling times/dirt rag and lust over in bike shops the world over. Entry cost into this sport of ours soars easily into the quadruple digit figures before factoring all the cycling apparatus, lifestyle gear and accessories.
Being taken as a "serious cyclist" even within the supposed "non-racing" cliques has become increasingly difficult as bloggers work diligently to bombard our desktops with images of the slickest, newest, most stylish buzz-kit of the moment. Acceptance into these uber-chic cycling communities seems to be a silent rite of passage dictated by monetary status, physical ability and lush amounts of leisure time. Seldom do we see features of "serious" riders/rides with people who use lots of "dated" second hand gear, lack adventure/racer cred or have the ability to engage in "epic rides" for whatever reason physical, monetary or social reasons. We see photo dump after photo dump of typically well dressed, male cyclist riding on often strikingly beautiful hand built/custom bikes, with absolutely amazing bling parts while often looking like doppelgangers of one another.
This is often the first point of contact for newly interested people getting into cycling. The blogs, the races, the magazines and bike shop experiences will almost always leave a taste in the mouth and a mental echo of how cycling should look, feel, cost and be like. If the first image planted in our newly developing cyclist psyche is that of an affluent white male flooded with recognition and style points, we will continue to see individuals attempt to measure their own personal experience based on false ideals and disproportionate representation.
 | |
| The message hasn't changed much since the early century. Get rich, get fit, get a nice bike, get the girls. |
Cycling has no race, status, size or color
Silly though the header above may sound, it feels almost essential to emphasize the fact that bike riding is something that nearly anyone, anywhere on the planet can do for relatively little to no money at all. The activity in and of itself is one of the few social equalizers that exists today: an activity where people can exercise, engage socially with others and negate costly forms of transport simultaneously. Cycling is a hobby that transcends the definition of hobby in the sense that it melds seamlessly with lifestyle to the degree that the user makes it so. The line between "bicycle commutes" and "serious bike rides" become blurred as longer rides often become forms of transport, exercise and social stimulation all at one time.
The problem with these hypothetically simple and low-cost forms of cycling is that they often never occur due to elitism, sexism, and varying forms of prejudiced that unfold in the aforementioned contexts. The glamorizing of unrealistic levels of monetary success, superior fitness and high social status are key deterrents to an otherwise openly accessible and affordable activity. As people are increasingly introduced to these false faces of cycling they are being subconsciously swayed from ever dipping their feet into the waters of experimentation. If you never believe that you can take up cycling as a form of commuting or sport because you are either too poor, physically unequipped, not macho enough, the right color or gender, or simply not smart enough to learn about it all, you have fallen victim to the alienation of modern-day elite bike culture.
 | |
| The legendary Jacquie Phelan. One of cycling's first big female faces to break norms and give women cyclists a positive image. Still riding that same bike... |
Representation and integration
When we start walking the walk and talking the talk we can begin to make a tangible difference for long-established cyclists and new faces alike. When we invite people on our rides who have "inferior" quality bicycles that are "ill-equipped" for the job we can truly start opening new doors for those who are curious. It is when we represent the masses of cycling with realistic physical figures, black/brown skin tones, and non cis-gendered passing males in adverts and blog posts that we start to tear down the walls of alienation and misrepresentation in cycling communities.
Whether writing blog posts or talking about these things personally with people, I try my best to use images of people with all physical builds, photos of women, children and faces of color and all walks of life in general. I try to make it clear that anyone is capable of getting into riding if they desire, regardless of what contrary words and images the marketing powers that be have conjured for display and sale; regardless of monetary status or class. I try to encourage everyone to treat one another equally, with similar levels of respect regardless of preferred cycling disciplines, age, social status or any other potentially divisive factor. When I ride my bike and discuss cycling ideas, I try to do so in a way that I would want others to do as well; attentive, careful, compassionate and all-embracing. If we can all broaden our horizons, subscribe less to the "serious" rhetoric, ideals and behavior that dominates the cycling waves and be more openhearted/minded about all of this, we will grant such a service to all parties considered by helping perpetuate this simple little activity that we have all come to love so much - and not just our white male counterparts.
No comments:
Post a Comment