Maryam mentioned that all the women in this image are thin, bouncing around with purses and dresses. This is not what I think of when I think of bicycling women. I think of women of all shapes and sizes with panniers or practical bags and helmets. Heels and skirts are great, but not all women who bike wear them. Certainly this image of women who bike does reflect some women who bike... but by making all of the women in the image fit this reflection, are others excluded?
I think it's awesome that Epicenter Cycling's having this free ladies night event, but perhaps this caters to a particular type of woman bicyclist that is not reflective of the entire women's bike culture/community in Santa Cruz. How does that inhibit women from participating in bicycling as a means of transportation? Does this poster reflect a particular socioeconomic status that might exclude people in our community? Is it realistic that women who bike all be expected to have Barbie-sized waists? If a woman does not fit this description/image, would she feel less likely to attend the event?
Post your thoughts in the comments!
I think that this partially goes back to the divide between different kinds of riders. It's a totally different experience going into a shop with a nice bike and just looking around either with an old bike or normal clothes or whatever. You would not believe the difference in the employees' reactions (who by the way do not always know as much as they think they do) depending on what you look like to them. America needs to get over this cultural snobbishness that permeates through a lot of sports, not just cycling.
ReplyDeletePeople come in different shapes and sizes, but money has gotten in the way with racing and sponsors and people expect you to look the part of a "cyclist" or whatever your trying to do. It is this exclusiveness that will keep women who are interested in getting into cycling from going to an event like that and the same goes for people going to shops in general. I could keep going about this.
Corin, you're so right! The image of a "cyclist" as presented by the industry (with sponsors, magazines, clothing for racing cyclists, etc) has become a fixture in our society's mind of what it means to ride a bike. In places like Copenhagen, everyone bikes and it's not just people in spandex on Sunday mornings who ride bikes regularly. Thanks for pointing that out--I agree!
DeleteI think there's a way for you to tie this into your internship project... let's talk tomorrow in Gillman's class.
Hello! My name is Candice and I am the designer who created the artwork for Epicenter's ladies night in 2012, 2013 and 2014. I designed this artwork to be cute and playful and I really mean no harm. I have been with Epicenter Cycling as their marketing department for three years, and I am also one of the leading sales people. I do apologize on the behalf of our entire industry which is extremely behind with helping ladies feel welcome and included. My sister, co-owner of Epicenter Cycling, and I have been striving to make the cycling community open their eyes to the fact that women ride... and that women offer a HUGE benefit to the growth of the cycling industry. In our shops we do our very best to help everyone feel included. If you have any questions, input or concerns about our branding or imagery, please shoot me an e-mail at ccovello@epicentercycling.com, or swing by 1730 Mission Street, Santa Cruz CA. I work Monday - Friday. I would love to hear feedback!
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