Women Mean Business
This week was the National Women’s Bicycling Forum held by the League of American Bicyclists. While I wasn’t able to make it to Washington, DC, I tried to follow as much as I could online. The theme was “Woman Mean Business” and there’s a pretty serious video presentation of just how much business.
But it doesn’t take statistics to tell us women there is some serious untapped market potential out there.
But beyond simple market potential, we’re a force to be reckoned with. And I reckon there’s going to be some change coming.
I have 4 bikes with a 5th bike which I gave away to a sister when I moved across Canada. I still borrow that bike when I visit that city.
So in total these bikes are spread across 3 provinces, 3 cities in the country where I do have family and visit. And I never have to worry about a bike that fits me nor cost of air shipping /renting a bike. I never dreamt that I would have this many bikes but it has evolved as a cyclist for the past 22 yrs. I am choosing bikes because it can be the most “expensive” equipment as a cyclist. However once one bikes every day for transportation and exercise, one saves a ton of money.
Already the bike retailers in the past 3 years in our city have changed to offering a wider range of bike geometries and sizes, not just dropped handlebars to be a tight, fast moving form.
I totally laughed out loud at this one. SPOT. ON.
I hope so! I was just talking to someone the other day about how many more women would be interested in getting on a bicycle, if they didn’t feel that it required a spandex uniform. It amazes me how many people are surprised to know I ride all the time in a skirt or dress. Bike shops, pay attention!
It isn’t really just bike shops that created the myth of a required uniform.
It’s the magazines and advertisers and the gullibility of the consumer.
Marketing and promotion rarely deal with reality, especially a reality that doesn’t require additional purchases. Free your mind, your bike will follow.
Thank you! Can we please get a bike shop like Adeline Adeline in Boston that caters to real women (versus the typical weekend road warriors) that want to look like normal people when we ride. I want to see every product from the Basil and Linus collections along with functional, Dutch step through frames for bikes and accessories that help you get your kids around by bike (versus blah Burley trailers).
But I also want stores to cater to women who are commuting 25-30km a day and not just be directed to the dutchies. Really I just want stores that respect women for their cycling needs. Also for anyone who refers to the gender split in cyclists as the basket ratio to catch on fire.
I *like* Burley trailers! They’re great if you have to carry a kid a long distance, and for very small kids who can’t hold their head up. But I agree that there should be a variety of kid carriers available. I would add Vespertine for visibility, Po Campo bags, and Cleverhood reflective rain capes, too. My local bike shop did carry the wonderful Fuji Cambridge step-through frame, which is my daily commuting bike (and seems to be no longer made).
True story: My mom was in a bike shop looking for shoes. She rides a road bike, but wanted mountain shoes for ease of walking around. The clerk apparently couldn’t grasp the concept, though. Eventually, he said, “Maybe we should ask your husband.” “Good idea,” my mom said. “He’s out in the car.”
She hasn’t been back since.
I’ve seen that too. I was in a shop where a mom was looking for shoes. She had bought a road bike for exercise, but also wanted to ride with her young children to school and around town. Sales guy sold her road shoes even though mountain bike shoes would have been so much better given she was going to be chasing kids around.