#lbkwag

[wagazine-blog]

MAY SCHEDULE

Thursday, 4 May – Skill Session – Hand signalling @ LBK - BOOK NOW

Tuesday, 16 May – Hill climbing @ Brixton Cycles - BOOK NOW Sunday, 21 May – Cinnamon Bun Run (Ride to Windsor) - BOOK NOW

Monday, 23 May – Hill climbing @ Brixton Cycles - BOOK NOW

Saturday, 27 May – Track Morning with Velociposse @ Lee Valley Velodrome - BOOK NOW

[singyamatokun]

Don't have em, but I learnt about gears and I feel good about that! Thank you @monmon_zet ! Thank you @lbkwag @ldnbikekitchen! Learning about stuff is NEAT. #knowledgeispower #lbkwag #londonbikekitchen #bikes #wag (at London Bike Kitchen)

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#IAmEndurance

I’ve just come home from a talk night at Look Mum! No Hands on Old Street where there was a panel discussion on the portrayal of women in cycling’s media (panel - Chris Garrison, Adele Mitchell, Laura Laker and Jools Walker).

Since starting to cycle properly a few years ago (with commuting 18 miles round trip per day, then a Highlands and Islands trip) I have gone through the motions of increasing my gear, but have been disparaged by the lack of good women’s clothing, or at least stylish non-purple non-brand non-expensive clothing. I can’t afford Gore-Tex, but I also want to feel comfortable when I have to pop into the shop in my cycle gear (I already have a massive blue helmet and red face to deal with).

So, my first gripe is the lack of reasonably priced and stylish female cycling gear. My second gripe comes from watching a small race in Stockton-on-Tees (I didn’t even realise there was a big cycling thing in Stockton) where the women started later, yet managed to pass a couple of the males. Why should there be a head start for the men, or, why couldn’t the women go first? My third gripe is possibly one that comes from feelings of insecurity about my portrayal as a female cyclist. It really gets my goat when male cyclists will go around to overtake me at lights - I’m assuming that they’re assuming I’ll be a slow starter, however, this isn’t the case as I’m conscientious at the lights, prepared in the right gear and I have good thighs. Yet, perhaps they’re not overtaking me because I’m female, but because they think highly of themselves - as if they’re not judging my abilities, but judging their own. The gripe is that I am insecure I’m being portrayed as weak, though I know I’m not and, whether that insecurity comes from an overall emotional insecurity or whether from a primal insecurity that woman are ‘the weaker sex’.

The discussion was interesting, and I learnt new things and was spurred on in a small way, but then I was also a little annoyed that it was biased towards women. My main question is this: are women rarely portrayed in cycling as anything at all because they’re just not present? Are women actually just not putting up a big enough fight and so they can’t physically be in the media as there’s nothing to be talked about? One comment Chris made is that we, as women, need men to push women into the spotlight. But why? Why do we need men? There are women in marketing, there are women in politics, there are women working in the sports industry. There are all of these women cyclists. We don’t NEED men. They could help us out, but so could all the women.

#IAmEndurance anyway, is a video by Seal Skinz about a woman who went through an abusive relationship, and now uses mountain biking as her strength and freedom. Cycling is a freedom for so many people. I personally like the thrill of going fast, having control of the bike through my body, and that deep sense of satisfaction that comes from enduring something only you could have done. I have this feeling now, one of empowerment, where I want to do the London to Brighton in June as a fuck you to my ex who said to me, “no, you wouldn’t like it” after I was sick and chose not to go ahead with it last year. This year could be my year. No more gall bladder, just experiences and thrills and the full control over my body and mind to pull me through anything. I’ve even been considering a PhD - I’ve for the 2 years since my MA thought, well what would I research and the other day I had a brain wave that it could be about sustainability in the sportswear industry, and as an extension, within cycling (see my first gripe). So... yeah, let’s do something great.