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 been a bike commuter in Seattle now for 15 years and I have never had this experience. What is great is now most bike shops,here, also have women mechanics. Yeah! From my own experience, being in the tech field, I have been discriminated against much more by other women, who automatically assume I am not as tech savvy or as competent than my male co-works. I think that women need to be conscious of our own stereotypes towards each other and that in a lot of way we discriminate against each other a lot more than we realize. This has been my experience, anyway.
Bike stores are second only to auto part stores in my experience. In the part stores, the version of the tiny woman’s section (and where any female employees are likely to be stationed) is seat belts and steering wheel covers. The real part of the store, all the parts in storage, you need to get someone to get your part for you and somehow I’m always at the back of the line. Unfortunately, I know more about cars than I do about bikes, so I often end up having an easier time at the part store than the bike shop! We’ve started using the local mobile repair guy (he comes and repairs my bike on the sidewalk outside my apartment! All his tools are in a bike trailer!) because of exactly this annoyance.
Hah, this cartoon is right on, at least for the way too many bike shops used to be. In the 70′ & 80’s, if you did not appear to be in the know you were looked down upon – males and females. Besides, lots of biker guys like to talk tech and brag about their latest ride all of which which leads to talking about beer and sausage. The guys above who complained probably have no trouble calling me an old fart MAMIL.
I’m fortunate to have a bike shop, aptly named ‘The Bike Shop’, in my area where ALL of the staff are very attentive, regardless of the sex of the customer. I stopped in just the other day to inquire about whether they stocked the things I’d need for my new (to me) Fuji Supreme that I bought from a pawn shop and the tech that was working stopped what he was doing because the clerk was waiting on someone. He answered all of my questions and was very helpful. I guess your experience depends on the shop you’re in.
should be “Dicks’ Bikes”