http://superiorbikes.eu/en/collection/mtb-lady/

Patronising marketing text of the day. Can’t believe people still think this is OK.

Female cyclists do not generally need to push their limits, race against time and increase their adrenaline when riding rough downhill trails. They just want to enjoy the time spent in nature on the bike, and their expectations from the bike are completely diff erent than men’s. They look mainly for safe, easy and, of course, stylish bikes that have good and natural handling.

Bikes that can briskly ride on asphalt surfaces and are reliable even in a more rugged terrain. Bikes that can be easily mounted and safely dismounted at any time.

I am actually lost for words…

There’s a lot of truth in that.

Thing is, it’s also true for most male cyclists too.

Actually, if more men understood the truth of that, far more WAGs would ride 😐

The brilliant thing about MTB is that it provides a wide range of experiences, from white-knuckle stuff through to “enjoying the time spent in nature on the bike”.

It’s all riding, and it’s all good.

A lot of cyclists go outdoors mainly to share the experience with their friends. And even though they don’t compete with their bikes, they still have high requirements and want to really enjoy every ride. The SUPERIOR brand responded to these needs with the models of the SPORT MTB category: Lightweight, durable, perfectly controllable bikes that provide riding comfort and confidence in a difficult terrain as well as when riding on paved surfaces or in the city.

Basically the same bike with a frame more suited to the male build, with no challenges to masculinity in the marketing – ego massaging references to ‘high requirements’, desiring ‘confidence’ instead of a ‘safe’ ride and no hint that the target market for these bikes may not be so keen on pushing limits and adrenaline rushes.

I suspect the marketing department pitched it right for the men but got it very, very wrong for the women.

Yes as a woman I can safely say they got it very wrong!

I knew this was Europe from the 1st sentence. As another (probably bad) generalization; places like the Czech Republic are sometimes not as ‘tuned in’ to what in the English speaking world would be considered patronizing and sexist.

Some amusing responses (and awesome photos) going up on their Facebook page

Does it come with an alarm which sounds in case a lady attains speeds above her station?

Cycling Weekly have rounded up a few comments on this;

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/twitter-reacts-to-manufacturers-sexist-blurb-on-female-mountain-bike-range-175003

Some interesting trolls in the comments of the cycling weekly article… I did bite, have backed off now, not worth it!