Why we (probably) won’t be making a themed women’s issue of Singletrack Magazine

Interesting and I get it.

Maybe have an “outliers” (there’s probably a better name) section in each mag?

I think this is absolutely right, whether it’s a story of an up an coming female enduro rider or a group ride with mixed or two men on an epic….. it really doesn’t matter. It’s all bikes, just bikes and biking, keep up the great work team!

Yeah outliers not the best word. I just mean the type of stuff they might want to theme issues about.

Yes, this. Making an issue (arf!) of something doesn’t help to normalise it, it just serves to make it more ‘other’ and gives idiots more reasons to be idiots. Be inclusive by not having exclusives (you can use that if you like!)

This subject of having a women only edition is quite interesting. I’ve always thought that STW magazine has been an outsider in the cycling magazine and cycle industry in the way that it appears inclusive to both genders.
However, I do think that the bike industry as a whole is dominated by white men and cycling as a leisure pursuit by white men with reasonable “disposable” income. The question is, how do we encourage more people from disadvantaged and different ethnicities to enjoy the freedom and fun that a bicycle can bring?
During the first lockdown I was inundated with people from disadvantaged backgrounds who needed their bicycles to get to work and avoid public transport. I got their bikes running and safe, often for nothing, pointed out training schemes and gave them the Chesterfield Cycle Campaign maps. The smiles on their faces were something to see, hopefully they’re still cycling! There are lots of schemes around the country that recycle bikes and distribute them but I’m not sure how far their “market penetration” goes. Sometimes magazines may put off prospective cyclists by giving too great an emphasis to the need to have the latest gear and spend most of your time doing jumps, I stopped reading most of them due to the macho nonsense – show us your injuries etc.
Which brings me to Issue 141. The articles about Hattie Harnden and the Minehead club can’t help but enthuse beginners, but in particular Pilgrim’s Regress, normal people on normal bikes – not a strap-on in sight!
Now, STW, how do you encourage more ethnicities into cycling?

Both biological sexes better?!!

Retired in 2010 though, things have moved on, rapidly! I sense a rabbit hole coming along and lot’s of people diving down?

I guess the question you need to ask is why would you do it, what is the benefit, and i mean real benefit, not just the benefit being that you can do it.

Personally i find ST magazine articles, reviews, etc are pretty much for all, how many folk have read a article and thought ‘that’s men only stuff’, honestly, ask the question, what is the benefit and why do it if you’re contemplating it.

If gender-based inequality didn’t exist – you wouldn’t need a woman-focussed issue. Unfortunately it does, so:

themed issue is a pathway to making that happen,

Sounds a great idea to me. I’m just as interested in hearing about the exploits of women as men.

A ‘the joy of fat bikes’ themed issue – I’m in!! But it better be twice as thick….

What a great article and approach. STW does seem to be a making strides both in the magazine, and to a lesser extend on the forum.

I do wonder if this sort of thing might be the marker of a society properly on the way to change. For me the watershed moment will be when ‘Woman’s Hour’ on R4 is rebranded or the content is disseminated into different programmes. Not that then content is not needed/wanted but it does not need the flag waving above it to say this is safe content made just for you little ladies, away from the ‘manly’ talk of complicated things about politics or numbers.