Say hi to Alexis
here
1) How/when did you get into cycling as a
profession?
Though I have the usual fond memories of bicycling as a child, it
wasn't until I was 25 that the bicycle fascination, addiction even,
hit me. Within a year I progressed from a cruiser rescued from a
thrift store for $10, to a mountain bike from
Working Bikes for
$75 [I was too terrified of the drops style handle bars to get a
road bike then], then finally to my first new bike since I was 13.
Like so many, I rode for transportation, for convenience. Waiting
for the red line to get home from my job became intolerable how
long my bike commute would take.
I also wound up hanging out in my local bike shop a lot. I watched
how customers acted, how the mechanics and sales folks treated
different people when they came in. It was interesting to profile
the different riders, to see the breadth of personalities and
backgrounds that brought people to bicycles. Eventually, I applied
for a job at a bike shop. They wanted a woman to work the sales
floor. It took me about two hours to realize why. The drastic
difference in the way female shoppers were treated versus men, even
when they had equal knowledge about bicycles, was shocking. I
worked that one day and then declined the job. That just wasn't an
environment I wanted to be a part of.
I'd found it was the same thing in the fixed gear scene. Not
intentionally, not at all. There are a lot of really cool, really
great guys out there [otherwise I wouldn't do the
TyK/B calendar].
But when folks were messing about with their bikes together, it
wound up being the same dynamic. Guys stepping forward as the
authority, the ladies somehow winding up sidelined.
So, we decided to flip that on its head. Give the ladies the
spotlight, bring forward the strongest female cyclists in
Chicago.
2) How does your organization directly benefit
cyclists?
Women need a space to feel powerful and sexy in the bike world.
TyK is
intended to give women that space. Every lady who walks into the
studio walks out transformed. She's experienced what goes into
those glamorous photo shoots but she's also gotten closer to her
own body. Granted, we only have twelve months of pinups each year,
so we work hard to ensure that the ladies of
TyK set an great
example to other women out there. We all need a reminder that we
have permission to embrace the disparate sides of our personality
and sexuality. With thirty-eight
TyK alums we've got
a lot of ladies out there now.
TyK also
forwards the knowledge that there is affordable health care out
there by promoting
Chicago
Women's Health Center [CWHC]. Riding is great for you, but it
can also take a toll on the body if you're not getting the care you
need. Every last dime made from the sales of TyK goes straight to
CWHC making sure that affordable health care stays available for
the future.
3) Do you specialize in a certain type of
cycling?
For years now I've been wanting to get out to the track and to try
out
cyclocross. In the meantime though, I've got six bikes
and just love riding around with friends. I bike to work rain or
shine and take the train as a treat. I do own a car, but there's a
reason that it's only got 60,000 miles on it after 10yrs. It's used
for hauling huge quantities of groceries, bringing bevvys of
friends with me to the other side of town or to get across state
lines and onward for adventures.
4) What are your "must-have" items for cycling (this could be a
tool, an accessory, a food, etc.)
15mm crescent wrench, a multi-tool, a merino wool [or thrift store
cashmere] sweater, and apples. There's a whole lot else, but those
are the tools I just love to hold, and after realizing the wonders
of wool I will never go back to synthetics! Apples are just
awesome, and they're also the perfect drink/snack for on the road.
5) What do you see as the biggest area of opportunity in your niche
market?
As a personal goal? I'd like to see bike shows hire actual female
cyclists for their demo ladies. I'd like to see a bit more respect
for women across the industry. There have been great strides made,
but there's still a long way to go. After two years of going to
Interbike
out in Vegas you really can see which companies that are moving
forward and those who are trapped in a boy's club past.
I'd also love to bring health and cycling closer together. In
raising money for
TyK, I've found that a lot of companies see 'bike
sponsorship' very narrowly. They either sponsor a racing team or
fund a race or two, and that's about it. The unfortunate part here
is that companies wind up preaching to the choir. They're
completely missing a chance to speak to the market who hasn't
already bought a bike or decided on some brand loyalty.
Biking is at its core about being fit, being in control of your
body and the freedom that brings. Cycling has had a long history of
being paired with women's health and empowerment. I'd like to see
the cycling industry help people realize that health isn't just
about diet and exercise. It's about living a lifestyle that brings
you more rather than less freedom to live and experience the world.
6) How do you think the cycling community has changed in the last
year or two?
From Urban Outfitters selling fixed gears to
Bike Snob
being revealed and going on tour, there's been a huge national
shift in bicycling. It's mainstream. Milwaukee Ave has turned into
a bicycle traffic jam during rush hours. The removal of parking
meters caused less of an upset for drivers than it did for the
cyclists who were suddenly left without anywhere to park. I used to
recognize at least half the people on my commute in the morning.
These days, I know hardly anyone.
On the one hand, all of this is great. More bikes on the road is
never a bad thing. On the other hand, the way that a few cyclists
use a road is different than how large numbers of bikes need to
navigate traffic. Cities were designed for car traffic and are as
yet ill equipped to provide a viable multi-use street. Chicago, is
set for a major shift and will need to move quickly to adapt and
adjust the rules of the road. Striping bike lanes is just the
beginning.
There's the other side too. Biking is no longer an identifier of
someone's personality. It's no longer something that sets you apart
or is a co-indicator of other habits or beliefs. Cyclists are not
all vegetarian Democrats. Anyone can ride a bike.
AND FINALLY......
7) If you could go on a bike ride with anyone (living or dead), who
would it be?
I've always been pleased to find some of the great minds of history
saw bicycles as the same metaphor of freedom and empowerment that I
see them as now:
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must
keep moving” - Albert Einstein
"Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you
live." - Mark Twain
"When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the
future of the human race." - H.G. Wells
But perhaps most pertinent to what I do:
"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. It has done more to
emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives a woman
a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every
time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of free,
untrammeled womanhood." -- H.G. Wells , New York World,
February 2, 1896
I'm sure most people have read these quotes before. But I'm
incredibly interested in how the bicycle has opened the minds of
our great thinkers.
To that last quote, and as Ms August 2009 embodied as a
suffragette, I would love to go for a ride with one of those ladies
back in the early days of women's cycling. I know the freedom that
I feel, but I would love to hear it from them.