The Chainlink

Hey Ladies! What are your biggest pet peeves as a woman cyclist?

Specifically what behaviors do you feel subjected to, especially those of other cyclists, that annoy/irritate/frighten you that you feel you disproportionately experience as a direct result of your gender identity.

I am exploring this as a possible topic for an upcoming video education piece. So hit me.

Feel free to send me your thoughts in an email (jason@activetrans.org) if you don't feel like sharing with the group.

Thanks all!

Jason Jenkins

Education Specialist

Active Trans

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on September 26, 2013 at 5:13pm

Jason,

I'll answer the original question:

Shoaling and catcalls (or waving me through stops when I don't have the right of way - seriously annoying) top my list, too, but also the idea that it's still not super easy to find the perfect bike for me. I'm a pretty standard size - a little tall - and I have a hard time getting a perfect fit on a regular-priced (800-1300$) road-style bike, because bike geometry for road bikes still reflects a long torso, which I don't have. And clothes. I love the new bike-friendly, well-designed gadgets, accessories, and fashions out there for women, and patronize some companies heavily who do it right (hello PoCampo), but where are decently priced reinforced tights and jeans for women who ride bikes? Or non-ugly merino cycling sweaters/jackets for colder weather? I'm still fuming that Levis made their Commuter bike jeans line only for men - that is just plain wrong. We all want to look foxy but be practical and not be considered dabblers in transportation cycling. Let's see some effort made for women's stuff that makes that kind of sense. 

Thanks for asking.

Permalink Reply by Michelle on September 26, 2013 at 8:16pm
I had an experience tonight that was very gendered. I was riding home along Milwaukee after stopping at comrade cycles (they were great! Answered all my questions with simple, common sense answers, and were totally cool with the fact that I'm new to nice-bike-i-care-about ownership, and could spend all the time they needed with me, the shop was nice and quiet.) I was going north. Around the really busy area of wicker park I passed a dude on a motorcycle. He caught up to me and said "you're faster than me!" I said "oh... Yeah it's nice to pass traffic." The light turned green and he proceeded to ride slightly behind me, at my speed, telling me to be careful. This started to be weird. Then traffic let up a little and he past me and waved and said "hiiiiii" and looked me up and down. I passed him again at the light, and went all the way up to the front of the intersection. Somehow by the next light he was behind me again. I stopped behind a bus that was at a stop, and he actually put his motorcycle in the bike path between me and the curb and said "hello again." Luckily the light turned green again and my left turn for home meant that he left me alone finally.

Now... He may have just been a friendly person with no boundaries. But he was big. And on a motorcycle. And I was smaller and on a bicycle. That fact alone kept racing through my brain. On top of trying to stay safe in the night-life traffic, I also had to think about the intentions of this man, what he might do, and where I could hide/how I could get away/whether I should duck into a restaurant, bike and all, and just explain to them that I needed a safe place.

I'm guessing that's an experience many male bikers never have.
Permalink Reply by Michelle on September 26, 2013 at 8:18pm
IDK about jeans, but old navy has some pretty great tights that I ride in- they come in black and gray, and look like lululemon's but are $19 and NOT embarrassingly sheer.



Sarah D. 1-3.3 said:

Jason,

I'll answer the original question:

Shoaling and catcalls (or waving me through stops when I don't have the right of way - seriously annoying) top my list, too, but also the idea that it's still not super easy to find the perfect bike for me. I'm a pretty standard size - a little tall - and I have a hard time getting a perfect fit on a regular-priced (800-1300$) road-style bike, because bike geometry for road bikes still reflects a long torso, which I don't have. And clothes. I love the new bike-friendly, well-designed gadgets, accessories, and fashions out there for women, and patronize some companies heavily who do it right (hello PoCampo), but where are decently priced reinforced tights and jeans for women who ride bikes? Or non-ugly merino cycling sweaters/jackets for colder weather? I'm still fuming that Levis made their Commuter bike jeans line only for men - that is just plain wrong. We all want to look foxy but be practical and not be considered dabblers in transportation cycling. Let's see some effort made for women's stuff that makes that kind of sense. 

Thanks for asking.

Permalink Reply by Gort 12-mile Pinklegneep on September 26, 2013 at 9:35pm

IMO, your instincts are totally sound and you do not need to second-guess yourself. Imo. 

Michelle said:

Now... He may have just been a friendly person with no boundaries 
Permalink Reply by Michelle on September 26, 2013 at 9:37pm
Oh I wasn't really. But some other people might suggest it.
Permalink Reply by yai danche on September 26, 2013 at 10:15pm

This brings up a really good point.  As a woman, I sometimes "feel bad" when I think the worse of a man's intentions.  For example, I was walking alone and I saw this huge guy walking toward me smiling and I automatically put up a bitch face.  But I realized he was my local librarian!  Anyways, even if it's rational or not, women always have to assume the worse.  Your instincts are right, that motorcycle guy was definitely weird.

People shoaling are annoying, but as a vintage bicycle owner, I think it has to do with people assuming things about my bike.  I hate it when motorists yell at me because I'm "in the way."  Meanwhile I see plenty of male cyclists doing stupid shit, but I only get yelled at because I'm 5'2" woman who presumably won't pull any punches.  Oh and by "in the way", I mean I was in front of them waiting for an opening to make a left turn and even though we were both able to make the turn before the light changed, I was still "in the way."

Michelle said:

Oh I wasn't really. But some other people might suggest it.
Permalink Reply by natalee on September 27, 2013 at 6:59am

I think this thread is important, so I logged in for the first time in ages! 

Regarding non-douchey mechanics... I like going to Johnny Sprockets on Bryn Mawr. I've found the mechanics there to be really respectful, non-mansplainers who will still engage in bike talk with me if that's what I'm in the mood for. 

Regarding other stuff... Shoaling is a big problem. I've been bike commuting on a daily basis for 7+ years and have never noticed this as a problem with other lady cyclists. Dude cyclists will shoal the hell out of me. 

Another problem I have is having dude drivers yell gendered insults at me. The other day, a driver blew through a stop sign when I had the right-of-way (I guess because he didn't see me). I was fine to just brush it off, but he felt it necessary to drive behind me shouting "You had a stop sign, you f*cking c*nt! You stupid b*tch!" for half a block before he turned around. Yes, this guy was probably just a hothead who would have yelled at any cyclist, regardless of gender, in this case. But the fact that he called me those specific terms means that gender had at least something to do with it. 

I'm noticing now that all of my aggressive encounters with drivers have been with men. I've had one woman yell at me, but she actually yelled things like "Why aren't you watching where you're going? Aren't you concerned for your safety?!" instead of purely aggressive and intimidating things. (And she was warranted to yell... I had been in the wrong that time.)

Permalink Reply by Michelle Loomis on September 27, 2013 at 7:40am

OK time for me to chime in on this as well. I have 2 pet peeves.

-It can be difficult to be the only female in a crowd of men on bikes. I started joining chainlink group rides when I was new to the city because I really needed to make friends and I really like to ride bikes. Everybody in the groups was always friendly and welcoming which was great. Although for the first year or so before I got to know people it seemed that every ride I went on I ended up with another persons phone number, asked on a date, awkwardly hit on... something. Sometimes it is tough to see if someone is being friendly or if they want more. I am a friendly person and will talk to just about anybody. It made me shy away from the rides for awhile when I felt it awkward (until I got to know more people). As I met more friends and got to know people better this issue went away. This is a complicated situation especially because in the end I met my boyfriend on a chainlink ride- but he waited for me to approach him which I appreciated a lot.

 

-My 2nd pet peeve revolves around clothing. Not all women that ride bikes weigh 120 pounds are 5 feet tall. It sucks wearing clothing in size XL it always has me wondering 'am I really that big!?", also Levi could make a womens cycling line because I wear through my jeans as quick as men do.

 

That is about it.

Permalink Reply by Michelle on September 27, 2013 at 7:50am
I agree. The first week I started riding on the streets (I wasn't commuting yet, but testing the waters) I encountered a dude on Monroe by the art institute heading toward the lakefront trail who could have just gone around me but instead chose to ride along side me, hanging all the way out the window yelling that I was a "Dumbass b*tch on a slow ass bicycle." It ended up funny becauE I filtered up way past him at the light by the lake, and got to yell back "looks like my bikes faster than your car!" But it's still really hostile to encounter this sort of thing.



natalee said:

I think this thread is important, so I logged in for the first time in ages! 

Regarding non-douchey mechanics... I like going to Johnny Sprockets on Bryn Mawr. I've found the mechanics there to be really respectful, non-mansplainers who will still engage in bike talk with me if that's what I'm in the mood for. 

Regarding other stuff... Shoaling is a big problem. I've been bike commuting on a daily basis for 7+ years and have never noticed this as a problem with other lady cyclists. Dude cyclists will shoal the hell out of me. 

Another problem I have is having dude drivers yell gendered insults at me. The other day, a driver blew through a stop sign when I had the right-of-way (I guess because he didn't see me). I was fine to just brush it off, but he felt it necessary to drive behind me shouting "You had a stop sign, you f*cking c*nt! You stupid b*tch!" for half a block before he turned around. Yes, this guy was probably just a hothead who would have yelled at any cyclist, regardless of gender, in this case. But the fact that he called me those specific terms means that gender had at least something to do with it. 

I'm noticing now that all of my aggressive encounters with drivers have been with men. I've had one woman yell at me, but she actually yelled things like "Why aren't you watching where you're going? Aren't you concerned for your safety?!" instead of purely aggressive and intimidating things. (And she was warranted to yell... I had been in the wrong that time.)

Permalink Reply by Becky Lomax on September 27, 2013 at 8:18am
Went to Performance on Halsted and told them I was looking into a new commuter bike. Guy walked me to the back of the shop and showed me a $160 Schwinn cruiser and told me it had all the features I could possibly need. I left.
Permalink Reply by M G on September 27, 2013 at 8:24am

Yes! This is my biggest pet peeve. And, anecdotally, ONLY men do this to me. I sometimes even ask these guys why they did that. Some have been apologetic, others jerks. 

I also hate having to pass them about 10 feet after the intersection. 

Jenny T said:

I hate getting passed (read: shoaled) at red lights by guys who think they're faster than me.  I'm sure it's not always just because I'm female, but I think some make the assumption that female = slow.  Obviously they do not see my calves of steel.

Permalink Reply by M G on September 27, 2013 at 8:48am

Yes, but in my experience no women ever have. 

I sometimes ask why and include (which admittedly isn't perfect): "Do you overtake on the right when you drive?!" because that is how it feels.

Michael A said:

would it bother you as much if it was another woman who did the shoaling?

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