Thursday 1 October 2009

Stop the madness!

I'm busy at the moment. Like, proper busy. I got back from Vegas on Monday - Interbike, radness but also involved quite a lot of cliquey bollocks which was weird. Best part? Leatt neck braces, in particular this one:

Yum, yum, yum. Vegas baby!

Anyway, I digress. So yep really busy, not getting any time on the bike due to business and busted back/ knee scenario, except to commute to work which frankly five times out of 10 just makes me angry. So when I'm busy and angry and contemplating the Cycle Show in a week, it doesn't help to get a press release about women and bikes which includes the line: 'In a first for the cycling industry, Cyclodelic's Girls Guide to Cycling will demystify many of the issues facing the growing number of women who cycle; by hosting specialist talks from celebrity experts about everything from nutrition, fashion, hair and make-up tips for cyclists training kits and how to get started in competitive cycling to the best routes around the ...' And it ends there. Which is probably good because it's hard to see where the patronising meter could have gone from there.

OH. MY. GOD.

Could someone tell me how putting on make-up and doing my hair is a mystifying issue?

When it comes to cycling the issues I want demystifying are:
1) How the sweet bloody jesus can I clear that triple at Chicksands?
2) Seriously, does beer make me a better dirt jumper or is that in my head?
3) When will someone make a DH jersey that is cool?


I could go on. But I may go to the Cycle Show, visit Cyclodelic's stand and just have a big fat laugh. Women don't need to be patronised into cycling. Here's a news flash: maybe some women don't want to cycle! Who'd have thought it? Where are the campaign groups trying to get more women into yoga? Or snooker?

And perhaps if people started thinking of women riders as athletes rather then people who look pretty on bikes, Victoria Pendleton and Nicole Cooke, Florianne Pugin and Tracy Moseley might actually get the recognition and sponsorship deals they deserve.

I'm ranting. Must go and stare at that Leatt neck brace for a bit.

But thoughts welcome.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Completely in agreement. I like how they've press released on the fact that they're doing talks on how to apply make up but not that they're going to have interviews with Nicole Cooke, Rachel Atherton, Victoria Pendleton and Shanaze Read amongst others.