When I was a kid, I had a bike like any other kid. It had a banana seat, ribbons and a cool pink paint job. One day the boys in the neighborhood caked mud on my banana seat while I was playing inside and it dried and hardened in the summer sun. It was the first of many messages I received that girls are to be teased and my bike would be the tool of that message. My dad was a great advocate for cycling and gathered us all on family bike rides on many weekends along the canal trails in my home town. I always wanted to be as fast as him, but it seemed like my fear of safety would always get in the way.
Fast forward years later I started dating an avid cyclist. I hadn't ridden a bike since those early teen years on the trails and my dude inspired me to get back on the saddle. My dad was gracious enough to hand down one of his older road bikes, and I began the love affair again. I fixed the bike up to fit my body better, adjusted some of the accessories and I was in business. I am so proud of my bike that I decided to name her Betsy despite the fact it's a man's bike (much to my father's chagrin).
My boyfriend was an advanced rider, as was my dad at this point so my riding consisted mostly of long flat trips around the Oakland perimeter and of course the social organized rides like Bike Party. Eventually, my dude wanted me to go on more advanced rides and pushed me to ride up from my neighborhood to Skyline Blvd. which is famously steep and long. About half way up, I bonked and had an emotional breakdown. Looking back I'm really proud of how far I went up, but after that ride, I had a hard time trusting my ex to gauge my level of ability. He stopped asking me to go on longer rides and he went out with his friends that were more advanced instead. I'm not blaming him for my lack of follow through, but it does beg the question of womyn in cycling, in a world dominated by men.
When I first got Betsy, it took me months to research various parts and accessories I could change to make the ride a more comfortable fit. I read books and articles and online resources to help me understand why my arms hurt so much and why I felt like I wasn't "one" with the bike. Despite the bike being a man's frame, there are also issues of clothing and for me, style. As a womyn, I refused to put on any spandex or gut clinging material just because that's what people wear. I went to bike expos, and shops and perused boutique online designers for womyn inspired alternative cycling gear. There's just nothing out there that appealed to my aesthetic and also provided function; and was affordable. The great thing about cycling though, is you don't actually have to have special fabrics or gear to just get on it and ride. I've made do with some old Derby skorts and a custom made saddle bag to carry my lock and wallet. I even made my own custom made plarn crochet backpack with a specially designed strap to buckle above my breasts so I could carry a load ergonomically and comfortably.
But this all points towards a larger conversation that we seem to keep having. Men can just throw a lock in the back pocket, wallet in the front, keys on your belt loop and go. I don't like to leave the house without my list of safety net items: Helmet, jacket with zipper pockets for easy access to cell phone and money (the saddle bag is a pain to get in and out of easily), riding gloves because despite the months of effort to affix the correct angled stem the geometry of the top tube is still too long for my shorter arms so my palms kill about 10 mins in, and of course some kind of leggings or a skirt/dress that won't get caught in the bike chain. This can be exhaustive when just trying to get out and ride. I never leave without ensuring I have a spare tube, pump and patch kit either. The bike is certainly a great way to be self sufficient, but I'm especially conservative when it comes to be a GIRL and self sufficient. I would never want to get caught with a flat somewhere in West Oakland on my own with no tools or supplies to fix it myself. That would be completely irresponsible. But I talk to men all the time who never brings tools or anything along. More than once at bike party I've had to help someone fix a flat who didn't have any tools and it's just irritating. Without "roadside" assistance, you wouldn't expect another car to just stop and help you fix a flat or even give you a new tire would you?
I stumbled upon this article where three womyn from different cycling cities weighed in about advocacy of cycling and being female riders. There are more events and groups out there creating awareness for this disparity in gender and cycling. The truth is, I still want to be as fast as my dad, and climb that mountain one day, but it feels as though there is a larger hurdle to get over before I can even get out of the house. This article starts part of the conversation, about womyn needing to feel safe and comfortable on the road. It has certainly been a huge topic of conversation in my own mind. At this point, I'm slightly gun shy about getting back out there. I am a safe and still aggressive urban rider. I am not scared of cars or traffic or pot holes. I can hold my own and I have confidence on my steed. The problem lies in simply being comfortable on the bike.
So, the trick is now, to shake off those set backs... the mud seats and the bonk inducing boyfriend and to ride on anyway. Womyn will only gain more traction and advocacy by riding more themselves.
