[Closed] Totalwomenscycling article

Riding bicycles? They should be at home doing the washing.

I want more pink clothing

Nice to read an article by a female bike shop owner!

Anyone seen the new Assos ad featuring a female? *shakes head*

Yes C-G it goes in the same category as Diet Coke *shakes head*!

The article is missing something, surely? In anything other than black, the answer to the "all-important question" must be "yes it does." And that wont do much for harmony 😉

teamhurtmore - bet you've never been patronised out on the trail???!!!

C'mon C_G, SOH required!!

But, yes by better riders FWIW!

OK, sorry! 🙂

May I ask whether the 'better riders' were the opposite sex? And were you called a name?

Actually yes - two were female coaches and brilliant riders. We had a lot of fun especially being wound up by them. "Woos" and "Nancy" were a couple of non_PC names used. Surprisingly appropriate too!

I was patronised and called names by a female rider last Sunday as I went up the climbs at BPWs, she left me for dust 😥

It was a great date 8)

I can understand the criticism of magazines in some ways, but on the other hand, MBR (for example) has Janet Coulson as a regular contributor, bike-tester etc, if you want to look at it proportionally their female-specific coverage is way in excess of the proportion of guys to girls. And guy-stuff isn't necessarily male-specific either.

As for racing, well just for the same of argument lets just say that Rachel Atherton's 57th-fastest time at the worlds this year got her a lot more attention than the 56th-fastest dude 😉

And where pink's concerned, I'm still sore that I didn't manage to close the deal on the pink 224 I nearly bought. Blue is so dull 🙁

cinnamon_girl - Member

bet you've never been patronised out on the trail???!!!

All the time! Not normally for gender, but often for appearances. Your bike is too big/too small/too old, why are you wearing all that body armour, blah blah blah. Idiots be idiots.

I joined totalwomens cycling forum, traffic wise it's just not that busy at the moment. I guess its fair to say that proportionally less women do cycle. Although that seems to be changing judging by the number i see on my commute.

The pink thing doesn't phase me. If its pink and I like it, i'll buy it. If it's pink and i don't i'll get something else.
Seen lots of pink accessories on guys bikes, chris king headsets and the like.

Not sure i've ever been slated for being a female on a trail or on the road. If anything it's the opposite. Getting kudos just now for beating a male colleague on a strava segment.

I don't mind wearing pink, in fact it's comfort and practicality over colour for me.

I've got a pair of running shorts that have a pinkish stripe on the leg, and a wind proof that is really bright pink, but that's more so I'm seen in winter.

Good article, Lol'ed at the Raceface website. CG I've seen that assos girl, I know what you mean, even if I could afford their stuff I wouldn't buy it on principle!!

I've not got a lot of cycling specific stuff apart from a couple of pairs of shorts ( canondale I think) that I found on a sale basket. Most of my other kit has to be for running and cycling.

I was SERIOUS! don't ignore me.

On second thoughts, ignore me. 😥

Regarding the limited number of pictures of women in magazines, aren't there very few pictures of black, asian, oriental, over 60 and under 15 riders as well ? Oh, and tandems and map boards. 😉

Magazines are going to aim for their target audience, which then goes in circles with only the target audience buying the magazine.

That's my view as a middle aged, British, white bloke with pink hoses and cables on his bike.

Thing is though, how many of those groups have pictures that are used to sell to the men who buy the mags?

I can think of a few companies who use images of women that aren't that far from porno or page 3

I see what you mean. I guess there are two issues here and I was thinking mainly of the lack of pictures that readers can identify with.
Maybe, because I live with a female mountain biker, I just automatically ignore the Sex Sells type adverts.

Graham, I know, loads of mags ( Singletrack is much better at it than most*) struggle to get beyond the " a funny- ish article about a girl who cycles" as if its sooooo rare and unusual!

*Thank you Jenn and Jorji for just writing and being cyclists who happen to be girls!

I liked this article about differing marketing styles to women:-
http://totalwomenscycling.com/lifestyle/marketing-to-female-cyclist-14095/

My (cycle) helmet is pink. My OH hates pink cycling stuff & actively rebels against it

great article. Has anyone actually bought anything because of an advert though? (not a 50% off advert)

I haven't.

I haven't[b] conciously[/b]

I've not seen the Assos ad - but I do have a pair of Assos bib shorts (kind gift from OH). Is it referencing the fact that you have to take EVERY SINGLE piece of clothing off (including your helmet) in order to have a wee?

I tell you, discovering that on a 140km road ride in Belgium was hysterical.

*No pink clothes or bikes*

I've not seen the Assos ad - but I do have a pair of Assos bib shorts (kind gift from OH). Is it referencing the fact that you have to take EVERY SINGLE piece of clothing off (including your helmet) in order to have a wee?

It's referencing the fact that when you wear Assos, you're supposed to stand like you've broken your spine, holding your boobs because you're not wearing a bra. Whilst wearing PVC leggings and stripper heels.

Well, it's one way to make the trail more challenging.,,

Can someone put a pic of the Assos advert?

And can someone tell me where I can get some pink lycra to fit a 36" waist?

Thanks.

Bibs are a total faf, but they are the comfiest cycling gear i own.
The assos girl looks like shes never been on a bike, but i wouldnt half mind looking like her (if i get to wear a t-shirt)

I'm sure the Assos guy is also representative of the majority of male riders on STW:

[img] [/img]

The advert in question is:
[img] [/img]

Taken from this fairly comprehensive evisceration:
http://www.fatcyclist.com/2013/03/05/level-13-an-open-letter-to-assos/

Can someone put a pic of the Assos advert?

Well, I won't put up any of their topless marketing (as it's against forum rules), but to give you an idea of the general tone...

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

^ GOOD LORD WOMAN, WHY ARE YOU STANDING LIKE THAT? I can just imagine the photographer - "Yeah, if you can just imagine you've got legs like a dinosaur, walk like a velociraptor... YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT BABY! WORK IT!"

I spotted the same model in an Esprit shop a while back.

But it's an interesting point. Assos have been using her and her various un-cycling poses for some time (though to be fair, the male models do some pretty odd poses too). I have wondered who they're advertising to - I figure that it's either advertising to men to buy kit for their other halves (seems unlikely given the price) or that the advertising goes down better in other countries.

The pictures I can live with, have you looked at the words!

Assos SS.Lady ellisse Jersey adua

WHAT IS IT?
It's the ASSOS celebration of the year 2013! ladyElisse was created and designed as a tribute to our female customers and to please the eyes of the entire ASSOS community. Number 13 has a special place in the ASSOS world: it's level 13, symbolizing the manga.Yio state of mind, the perfect ride, ASSOS nirvana.

LTD.
Means available only for the summer season of 2013. The featured graphics are unusual compared to what we are accustomed. Let it grow on you. It will all make sense. The colors and names selected have been inspired by great operas, except the Moussa. Its featured color is what the fashion world and textile industry have established as the color of the year. This color of the year decision process is taken by a select group of influential individuals who meet once a year in a secret place in France to discuss trends and technologies. When the day is over, the color decision is formulated and the color of the (coming) year is announced. When you wear the Moussa, you show that you are on the cutting edge.

ALS CLIMARANGE
summer.2

ALS TIPS
To be incorporated in the summer outfit. ASSOS suggests using it with the interactive summer skinFoil bodyInsulator underneath and the T FI.Lady_S5 shorts.

ENGINEERING
Every single aspect of this product's creation was engineered with just one clear objective: provide total comfort when in the saddle. As well, ASSOS equipment is designed to allow you to reach your maximum physical capacity. So, unleash your potential. Let yourself focus on what's really important: your riding pleasure!

AEPD CAMPIONISSIMO LADY
ASSOS Ergonomic Pattern Design. Technically, ladyElisse is based on the standard SS.lady, and engineered to offer legendary ASSOS comfort to our female clientele. With its anatomically correct fit and ergonomically pre-shaped components, SS.lady is tailored to perfectly fit the female body when in the cycling position. This shortsleeve jersey features ASSOS Plasma fabric, making it lighter and better contouring.

CONCLUSION
Grab one, if you can.

Composition: 85% PES, 9% EA, 6% PA

Yep, that's me on a bike. Best porno face, no bra, loads of slap. Salon hair. Not at all sweaty minging, plastered in mud in badly fitting boys shorts and a running top 🙄

Tried on bib tights once, and stood there in the changing room thinking; if I need a wee..... Didn't buy them 😆

High end brand in marketing BS to justify price tag shocker!

interactive summer skinFoil bodyInsulator

= thermals?

big rights

🙂 Not sure where to go with that...

are those pvc troos actual cycle wear?
the heels might be ok if you can fit cleats to them.

I have actually ridden my bike in leggings and FM heels, only once though!! 😆

FM heels

For Men heels?

I believe it is "f... me"

Anyway, Assos is just strange. It seems like they think they're running an underwear catalogue so the women dress like that and the blokes are usually ripped and oiled up too. Their kit is nice but the image is just totally unappealing to me.

I'd never wear pink while out riding. Salmon on the other hand...

emsz - Member
I have actually ridden my bike in leggings and FM heels, only once though!!

You realise this is worthless without pics Emsz......

I used to ride my bike in that London in merino tights and a crotch length skirt, anything longer got in the way. Oh and toe clips worked fine with any of my shoes...

It was before cycling was popular, I'd never heard of cycle clothing (or mountain bikes) and the only people to race on the way to work were the couriers.

Must be getting old!

I suppose I should be upset but I'm not, she's totally fake, airbrushed, not real, not me, not any part of any scenes of the world I, or anyone I know, inhabit.

I might buy the top if it was a fiver - I'd use it in the winter as a layer under something... the problem would be if I got knocked off I'd run the risk of embarrassment when the paramedics saw it.

But mostly I am interested to know whether Assos really, really believe that a too-thin model wearing wet-look leggings and high heels is going to appeal to women. What cocaine-fuelled ad-agency genius dreamt it up? On what level does the advertising connect with cyclists? Oh well, maybe it's a joke... or maybe Swiss women DO ride their bikes dressed like that?

What I do know is that I certainly won't be springing north of a hundred quid on a top that looks like a 1980s soft furnishing design.

Never been slated on the trail. Chatted up (badly) yes!

Agree with most of the comments regarding ASSos. Use cyclists, not models, to advertise kit. So we can see what it might look like on, y'know, a real body.

littlemisspanda - Member
So we can see what it might look like on, y'know, a real body

😉

So we can see what it might look like on, y'know, a real body.

This is a great ideal but experience says that that doesn't work. And that's not specific to women. Most men buying cycling kit have nothing in common with the gritty Rapha models or whatever other brand they buy and would likely be put off buying kit advertised with approaching middle age models with a bit of spare padding.

By all means, a bit more realism but 'real-world models' is never going to happen.

Though on that point, I thought it was quite a positive thing when a fashion mag (can't remember which one) that Mrs Clubber was reading had a fairly substantial section of 'cycling fashion' that covered all bases from full on lycra to floral dresses designed for cycling but not looking like cycling kit. The point being that it was being sold as mainstream fashion rather than something odd people who like to ride bikes might want.

Widening it out a bit, the worst portrayal of women in magazines is in "women's magazines", written by women for women.

I don't think the model is too thin, and Rapha do use real cyclists in their adverts....... Well the women look normal but the men just look like total roadie/hipster/dickhead cross

Yes, but you're the one who posted about losing 6lbs for a gf a while back. We all know you're a complete tart with body issues, Houns 😉

?? Not me, no idea what yer on about (the 6lbs bit, agree I'm a tart 8) )

MSP that's a whole thread by itself!! Lol

Widening it out a bit, the worst portrayal of women in magazines is in "women's magazines", written by women for women.

Hmm, I feel guilty as I work in (a tiny way in) fashion. Just tried to strike [url= http://www.makepiece.com/pages/Everyones-a-model.aspx?pageid=618 ]a small blow [/url]for not bowing to the fashion orthodoxy that only skinny young models sell clothes. We'll see whether it works.