Is There Still Sexism In Biking?

[Lissa]

Pete and I visited a bike shop a while ago, with several friends, and while I was mooching round looking at the bikes I overheard a conversation that made my hackles rise. A 50-something guy was walking round with a lad in his late teens, and when the lad stopped to look at a VFR400 the older guy said,'You don't want one of those, that's only good enough for a girl. It's a girls bike'

Being the quiet, reserved person that I am, I didn't immediately jump in with ,' Really? So girls can only manage small bikes then? See that dark haired girl over there..she rides a blade. The fair haired girl rides an R6, the other dark haired girl rides a 675......................any bike a girl chooses to ride is a 'girls' bike.' (Ok, so I did really But it made me sooooooooooooooo mad)

I thought about that incident again today when a lad at work made some comment about 'girls should stay on the back of bikes where they belong'. (He is still breathing..................just!) I must admit, I find it disturbing that in this day and age there are still people who look at female riders as somehow lesser than the guys, and I wondered if they are just isolated incidents, or whether any of you guys and gals had heard similar comments?

Is there still sexism in biking?

Yes, now get back in the kitchen.



just kidding, honest!!!!

[fizzwheel]

Sadly yes...

I find that if I go into bike shops with Liz and we are in our civvies. Then the people in there will talk to her not me. Even if its her asking the questions they'll ignore her and talk to me.

One particular day we paid a Visit to our local Yamaha dealer as Liz was looking at R1's we were nattering away to the salesperson who was mainly talking to me. When I pointed out to him that I had a new bike and it was Liz that was looking he said "Do you reckon you can handle an R1 do you" and he was un-believable patronising. So we both walked out of that dealer and they lost a prospective sale.

The only exception to that rule is our local Suzuki Dealer who know Liz and I well and also the service manager in Moto Rapido where Liz took her Duke for a service was good and was talking to Liz not me. I find now that if she's asking questions or wants information its better for me to stay out of the way and let Liz deal with the staff without me there.

wasnt the sv designed with the shorter and not so strong (female rider) in mind.
hence its lighter and smaller than the bandit?

least thats what i was lead to believe.

most of the time i see bikes and yes... i call them 'girls bikes'. but then most of them being riden by my male friends! he he

yeah...girls look good in leather....and on the back where it can be appreciated....but a girl in control is so much sexier...especialy on a big scary bike!

ill probably be banned for these comments now.... oh well!

[Red ones]

Same goes for buying a car - the sales guy was trying to sell a car to me (and little wife). ****ed me off - the only say I get is how to finance it, and the colour (already shortlisted for me to 2 options, I choose, then wife says, "No, I prefer black") But teh sales guy still pitched at me, even after I said I wasn't interested I don't drive a car often enough to have a say.

Buying my bike was the same - pitch to me, though the wife has a big say in what I get (usually encouraging me to go bigger)

[Biker Biggles]

Red Ones---U rating old chap.

I must admit I am always suspicious of women that ride bikes. In just the same way that I have my doubts about women that like football.

Ok fair play if they are the butch types (if you know what I mean) as they are probably just men trapped in a womans body and have masculine interests but I swear the others do it just as an excuse to enter what is generally a male hobby and to impress and get loads of attention from blokes.

Rightly or wrongly that has always been my perception/opinion.

Another thing that p*sses me off is that you never hear of a woman that is a crap rider? Have you noticed how every single one of them is supposedly "a really good rider who is quicker than most blokes".

Not from what I have seen! They have generally been poor timid riders and when the bike falls over or gives them a scare the fake masculinity disappears and they end up crying like a school girl. No doubt the odd one is a very good rider but they are a small minority out of a small minority but are talked up to make out all women riders are like that.

Those are my views, apart from this posting I always keep them to myself and never discriminate against female riders so please don't shoot me down over it! Oh and yes I am always very impressed and go weak at the knees when I see a decent looking woman handling a big powerful car or bike!

one of my mates has a vfr400, they are NOT for the faint hearted! had a lil shufty on it and it a bloody nippy lil thing. when hes out with his dad (his dad has a 1998 R1 virgin race colours, bloody gorgeous lol) and he ses that he has to work hard to stay ahead of the lil vfr! so y he said that i really dont have a clue, i mean 14500 rpm redline same power as a n sv (ish hehe) in a smaller package...ide say its a bit of a mini beast meself lol. all you can do is ignore them rlly

who let a girl on the forum

Don't take it so seriously. If they meant it they are idiots and not worth the effort. Just laugh at em. But never sink to their depths, it never works.

I hear derrogatory comments towards men all the time as part of our office banter mostly below the belt. I just laugh. At the end of the day they'll never know cos they're too ugly to find out!