#imallforequalitybut

It is, at minimum, a weekly occurrence that I get explosively mad at institutionalized sexism, specifically in the bike industry.  It is an enveloping reality, that I navigate sexism everyday of my life in one form or another.  When I got into riding bikes and racing, It was really a little haven for me to be able to bond with other woman and a lot of like-minded men and have some time to remove myself from that reality. However, as I’ve entrenched myself further into the industry and the good-ol’ fight for equality, my haven is often interrupted by assholes on the internet and beyond bringing me down. This week specifically, it was the news from the British Cycling Team and Shane Sutton, and the follow up from certain members of the international cycling community *cough cough* PETTER KENNAUGH, that really got my blood pressure up. 

Common concerns peons have about woman racing:

Women don't deserve the same prize money because we don't attract the same revenue.

Women don't deserve the same prize money because our races are often shorter than the mens races.

Women don’t deserve prize money because we’re women. 

Women can’t race a longer course because we’re women.

Women need women’s specific bikes. IE, a men’s bike that is pink with shittier parts on it for the same price as then ‘mens’ version.

Women can’t possibly compete at the same level as men because we are emotional, menstruating, weak-willed catty individuals. 

I’m really only going to touch on 1-3 here because I feel the rest of it shouldn’t need to be explained. As far as point 4 is concerned, If we are going to talk out of context about the genetics/evolution/physiology between men and woman in sports, lets just pay Cheetahs the most. 

Prize money in racing.  It’s a hot topic and a sensitive one.  Also a topic that has come up a lot on my twitter recently. I truly feel like a lot of this disconnect comes from the sentiment “this is how its always been.”  In Mountain Bikes and most CX races I've taken part of, it’s never been a question.  Prize money is the same for the Pro races. Fact. In road and some CX races, I feel like we have a lot of promoters who don't want to pay equal because they never have had to before. The women’s fields were small or didn't exist years ago.  Now women’s racing is flourishing, fields are large, we have a lot more presence. 

As far as attracting the same revenue, I look to woman’s soccer and in bikes, the hour record most recently attempted by Evelyn Stevens. If promotors and marketers give us the platform to stand on and the coverage to shine, we will. 

This little exchange was from yesterday and I went on a rampage retweeting a bunch of sexist garbage. Where would I like that money to come from? In most instances, I think offering equal prize money is the onus of the promotor. Don't host a race you cant afford. If you are offering prize money based on reg numbers though, my only comment is A rising tide raises all ships.  If you have $2000 to split between fields on race day, start at the top and equal it out between the men and woman. Each of those fields get $500 and you can divvy out the rest between your Masters fields that inevitably have lower reg numbers than the cat4 woman’s field. Also save yourself some money and don't give prize money to cat4-5s of any gender.  Give them medals, they don't deserve money yet. 

Kind of like your tax money, you as an individual, shouldn't/dont have a say how your reg fee is spent. If you are a shitty man and go to register for a race and say “i don't want my reg money going to women’s racing because i wont watch it” youre an asshole.  And thats basically what Fuck-Face McGee above was getting at.  

My participation in a race shouldn’t be defined by money, especially when my cost to race is the same as the men in my category. My effort while racing, even if my course is shorter, is no less than my male counter-parts. My cost to race, maintain my equipment, and live as a human being is the same as a man. Saying that my financial worth as an athlete begins and ends on a race course is short-sighted and insanely selfish. “Sexist” is the word I’m looking for. 

The be-all and end-all of this, is don't be sexist. We all have a moral obligation as members of the same species to not be dicks. And honestly, if you see some shit at a race fucking say something.  Call a dude out.  You see a dude giving a beginner woman a hard time during a race or heckling inappropriately on the side lines, STAND UP TO THEM. Don’t let them be shitty without repercussion. You are not an ally if you dismiss oppression to a cause that doesn't effect you. 

In closing, Women are great.