Women, show us yer bike face...

[citoyen]

Press release from CUK today...

Cycling UK asks women to show their ‘bicycle face’

UK cycle charity turns a Victorian health scare on its head by calling on female cyclists to post pictures of their ‘bicycle face’ to encourage more women to take up cycling.

During the Victorian era, ‘bicycle face’ and other scare tactics were deployed to prevent women from cycling.

At the time women were viewed as weak and fragile but the bicycle craze sweeping the nation was challenging this notion. Women were suddenly able to travel independently, more practical fashions were evolving, and women were campaigning for the right to vote.

In response, 19th century doctors warned women that cycling was dangerous for women’s health. Cycling, they said, would give women a hunched back, wearied face and masculine features, ruining their chances of finding a husband. 

Luckily, the benefits of fresh air and exercise that the bicycle brought were soon recognised, and the myth of bicycle face and other health scares were exposed.

The struggle for equality has continued into the 21st century, with men still accounting for the majority of miles cycled in the UK.

Cycling UK’s annual Women’s Festival of cycling is taking place between 17 July and 1 August and is sponsored by British cycle manufacturer Raleigh. During the festival the charity is asking women to share photographs of their ‘real’ bicycle face on social media, and tag their friends, to demonstrate the fun and freedom cycling really brings.

Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK chief executive, said: “We want to celebrate the diversity of women who cycle and the broad range of cycling they do. Whether you’re a commuter, mountain biker, leisure cyclist or road cyclist, share a picture of yourself. If we’re ever to see gender parity in cycling, women need to see more women like them cycling.”

So, share your bicycle face photos and videos to celebrate the Women’s Festival of Cycling. #BeYouByBike #WFOC2021

[citoyen]

I actually think this is one of CUK's better ideas, though I can't help thinking there's also something slightly weird about it that I can't quite put my finger on.

[arabella]

I think what would encourage non-cyclists is pictures of "people like them" who happen to be riding bikes and doing "normal" stuff.   
Whereas the way it's worded I think they'll get a lot of pictures of people looking bright eyed and wearing a helmet and lycra.

Thought: people don't seem to 'fear' that they don't understand cars, nor worry about mechanicals.  Why is the same not true for cycles?  Would an advised maintenance/service/whatever schedule help (I think there is something like this for cars).

"Laydeez"

[citoyen]

   
Whereas the way it's worded I think they'll get a lot of pictures of people looking bright eyed and wearing a helmet and lycra.

Yes, I think that's what it is that's making me uneasy about it.

Although, if you look at their PR pictures, they have managed to include some fairly normal looking women on bikes (and indeed trikes).
https://www.skyfish.com/p/cyclinguk/1941930

"Laydeez"

Sorry. It was meant to be ironic. 

(I've now edited the thread title)

[citoyen]

There's a video too - much better tonally than the press release:
https://youtu.be/kABL6I4EEOE

[Cudzoziemiec]

Those photos look like the kind of thing they try to put in Cycle magazine. Ordinary looking people on bikes and trikes doing normal sorts of things. They don't look like the kind of photos they tend to get to accompany readers' articles though. Nor, to be fair, most of the photos on here.

So who will respond to them? Will it be "cyclists": sporty young women in lycra? Or "CTC women": older women in woolly hats and sensible touring gear? Or random responses through social media?

(Obvious generalizations made)

[Kim]

Those photos look like the kind of thing they try to put in Cycle magazine. Ordinary looking people on bikes and trikes doing normal sorts of things.  They don't look like the kind of photos they tend to get to accompany readers' articles though. Nor, to be fair, most of the photos on here.

People don't tend to take photos and write articles about doing normal things, because normal things aren't interesting.  Stands to reason that cycling enthusiasts will tend to make the most noise about the things they find interesting, be it further, faster, muddier, heavier loaded, geekier, gorier, sillier, bodgier, going somewhere new, or a social event.

Just riding to the shops is normal and ordinary and not worthy of note for us unless it somehow qualifies for one of the above ("Aldi had a special offer on cement mixers, good thing I brought my long bungees..."); or something unrelated to the cycling happens that's worthy of note, but the cycling forms part of the wider context (this twitter post from last night springs to mind); or we're deliberately making noise about ordinary bike journeys for campaigning reasons.


Presumably the idea is that it will encourage people to who otherwise wouldn't to advertise their normal bike journeys, and they'll be able to cherry-pick the more 'normal-looking'^[1] ones from the social media firehose of sporty young women and the CTC wooly hat brigade.  But more importantly, it's making people talk about the Women's Festival of Cycling.  Including us.


_{[1] For values of 'normal' that should be but aren't.}

[Cudzoziemiec]

normal things aren't interesting. 

The lack of interest in the mundane is one of the reasons why modern life is rubbish.

[arabella]

this is what we need in the pics (from another thread):

A long time ago in Hackney I saw a young lady riding in London rush hour traffic with a slice of toast and blackcurrant jam. At the time I was intrigued to how she had mounted and started riding with one hand busy.

Yesterday I saw a young lady riding while holding, and drinking from, a cup of coffee, again in London rush hour traffic.

answer: you straddle the bike first and push off from already being seated (btdtgtts, when in enough of a hurry).  Easier on a SUAB than drops.

"Laydeez"

Sorry. It was meant to be ironic. 

Ah, failed to spot, soz.

[quixoticgeek]

this is what we need in the pics (from another thread):

A long time ago in Hackney I saw a young lady riding in London rush hour traffic with a slice of toast and blackcurrant jam. At the time I was intrigued to how she had mounted and started riding with one hand busy.

Yesterday I saw a young lady riding while holding, and drinking from, a cup of coffee, again in London rush hour traffic.

answer: you straddle the bike first and push off from already being seated (btdtgtts, when in enough of a hurry).  Easier on a SUAB than drops.

Is that not how everyone starts off when riding?

Straddle bike, right foot on the pedal. One hand on the handle bar, other hand holding coffee, food, cake, shopping, cat, push down with right foot, lift left foot to pedal, ride.

When you see the Dutch riding around with shopping in their hand, phone in the other, it's kinda amazing to watch.

J

[Mr Larrington]

No. No, it is not.

Some of us start with the left foot on the pedal

[quixoticgeek]

No. No, it is not.

Some of us start with the left foot on the pedal

Sinister weirdo :p

J

[citoyen]

I've never tried riding the bike while holding a cat. That sounds like a fun challenge. One that the women of yacf need to embrace - and send the pics in to CUK.

Mounting the bike one-handed while holding a coffee isn't all that hard, just takes a little practice. The trick is to not start too slowly - you need to push off with confidence and momentum so the bike stays upright more or less of its own accord (something to do with the gyroscopic effect?)

[quixoticgeek]

I've never tried riding the bike while holding a cat. That sounds like a fun challenge. One that the women of yacf need to embrace - and send the pics in to CUK.

https://twitter.com/quixoticgeek/status/1413439607572631553

Mounting the bike one-handed while holding a coffee isn't all that hard, just takes a little practice. The trick is to not start too slowly - you need to push off with confidence and momentum so the bike stays upright more or less of its own accord (something to do with the gyroscopic effect?)

Yep, or just be in a low enough gear that pushing the pedal gets you going well...

J

[citoyen]

I've never tried riding the bike while holding a cat. That sounds like a fun challenge. One that the women of yacf need to embrace - and send the pics in to CUK.

https://twitter.com/quixoticgeek/status/1413439607572631553

 

Looking forward to this! 

[citoyen]

I did see someone recently cycling with a cat in one of those special backpacks with a window, but I don't think that counts.

[Kim]

I did see someone recently cycling with a cat in one of those special backpacks with a window, but I don't think that counts.

Yeah.  Cat on the rear rack doesn't qualify, either.

(click to show/hide)

[quixoticgeek]

I did see someone recently cycling with a cat in one of those special backpacks with a window, but I don't think that counts.

https://amzn.to/3wrFzPS

Yeah.  Cat on the rear rack doesn't qualify, either.

(click to show/hide)

You have a YACF hammer?

J

[LittleWheelsandBig]

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=40429.0
plus
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=93499.0

[quixoticgeek]

I've never tried riding the bike while holding a cat. That sounds like a fun challenge. One that the women of yacf need to embrace - and send the pics in to CUK.

https://twitter.com/quixoticgeek/status/1413439607572631553

 

Looking forward to this! 

https://twitter.com/reggitsti/status/1413445180850593796

[Cudzoziemiec]

I was told a couple of weeks ago about a woman in her late 60s who is cycling LEJOG on a Brompton with a small dog in a basket. Alas, I don't know how to contact her to get her photo for this. 

In India it was very common to see people riding around with toddlers cradled in one arm. But not cats or dog. Nor coffee. Why would you drink one while riding? Get off the bike and drink it at the coffee stand while chatting to the coffeewallah and your friends! I suspect the desire to drink and ride or drink and drive is partly down to the excessive size of Western coffees.

[citoyen]

I've never tried riding the bike while holding a cat. That sounds like a fun challenge. One that the women of yacf need to embrace - and send the pics in to CUK.

https://twitter.com/quixoticgeek/status/1413439607572631553

 

Looking forward to this! 

https://twitter.com/reggitsti/status/1413445180850593796

Spoilsport.

[ravenbait]

There's an older woman who rides around these parts on an old tourer, faded and baggy hi-viz panniers draped over the rack, accompanied by a border collie who trots alongside in matching hi-viz. I was walking our floofbeast the other day as she pootled past. "Wish I could train her to do that," I said, indicating my husky.

"Well, she's a sheepdog," said the woman. "They're very trainable."

I suspect the campaign is targeting all the women who say¹ their reasons for not cycling are to do with their hair, or getting sweaty, or some other cosmetic/aesthetic reason. "Look at these other women having a great time, and do they really look as bad as you fear? Or do they look healthy and happy?"

I'm not convinced this is as much of a barrier as it used to be, as women are starting to push back against conservative social pressure to be highly groomed and conventional².

Sam
1. I've always considered this to be more of an excuse than a genuine reason, even if those professing this to be a barrier seem to believe it's valid. It always seemed to be more their preference to look like a barbie.
2. Although I generally only do a full conventional performance of being a "normal" woman if I'm presenting at conferences, I have stopped wearing the eye that looks like an eye for work. It's my face, after all, and there's nothing about prosthetics having to look realistic in our dress code.

[Kim]

1. I've always considered this to be more of an excuse than a genuine reason, even if those professing this to be a barrier seem to believe it's valid. It always seemed to be more their preference to look like a barbie.

Agree.  But the problem is that we're the ones who don't give a crap, which makes us fundamentally unqualified to have opinions on such things.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I was going to say in response to the same sentence that if someone believes their reason it's valid, that makes it valid for them. Especially if it's something as subjective and superficial as appearance. "Helmet hair" only exists because you believe it does and because you believe it's important, and that makes it important to you.