Fat Lad At The Back has launched a controversial campaign to draw attention to body bias present in the cycling and fitness industry.

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By ben_haworth

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Fat C*n’t? Actually Fat Can

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We should be encouraging everyone.

We had this a while back – https://singletrackworld.com/2021/03/shimano-all-bodies-on-bikes/

This is worth a look too – https://www.salsacycles.com/salsa/sponsored-riders/mirna-valerio Mirna is a Salsa sponsored rider.

Reported for swear filter evasion 😉

Haha! Just what I was thinking scotroutes 🤣

Fat C*n’t

Oi, I resemble that remark!! Good on em

As a large chap myself ive always quite enjoyed a good heckle as you get to watch they’re sh*rt eating grins disappear as I sail passed 100 miles later eating sh*rt and grinning.

Or telling the enduro bro leaning against his transporter in the trail centre car park that you rode further in a single race than they did all last year.

The article starts with a mention of it being in the cycling and fitness industry.
Can we have examples of these businesses so we can avoid their products?

Larger clothing should cost more on account of the extra resources used, otherwise I’m subsiding it.

Normalising obesity isn’t great. However, supporting people who want to get to a healthier weight should be applauded.

Er… are we talking about a campaign to challenge negative assumptions about overweight people in sport being launched by a company called ‘Fat Lad At The Back’?

Reported for swear filter evasion

yet one of my posts was deleted as it the letters BJ in it.

Double standards

yet one of my posts was deleted as it the letters BJ in it.

Well he really is a can’t.

Er… are we talking about a campaign to challenge negative assumptions about overweight people in sport being launched by a company called ‘Fat Lad At The Back’?

Didn’t their slogan used to be “dead last isn’t the looser”. I’.e. still better to be participating in a sportive, than put off that nothing Castelli makes fits.

ScotRoutes
Full Member

Larger clothing should cost more on account of the extra resources used, otherwise I’m subsiding it.

Obvious troll is obvious.

Very good campaign.

Normalising obesity isn’t great.

Flipside – being (or the assumed aspiration to be) athletic/slim has been normalised in advertising and ‘sport’ for a long time and is responsible for eating disorders and body image issues that are harder to see and not great for general health either.

Cycle clothing companies need to sort out their sizing – my partner had a size L women’s & it was smaller than my size S when laid on top of it.

campaign to draw attention to body bias present in the cycling and fitness industry

I wonder if they’ll ever promote fat folk to take up diving. Those Commonwealth Games divers didn’t have an ounce of fat on em, makes it seem a really non-inclusive sport.

I wonder if they’ll ever promote fat folk to take up diving. Those Commonwealth Games divers didn’t have an ounce of fat on em, makes it seem a really non-inclusive sport.

Larger clothing should cost more on account of the extra resources used, otherwise I’m subsiding it.

Shh or we’ll eat you!

Shh or we’ll eat you!

Not enough fat, be dry and tough by the time they’re cooked through. Probably fairly bitter too.

As a card carrying fat lad who is quite often at the back, I just don’t care what folk think. I’ll bimble my way round on my bike like I’ve been doing in mtb for 35 years.

Advertising is odd.. in general.
In this story we see a few posters, and an E bill board. I wonder if this is an actual outdoor ad campaign… has anyone actually seen the ads in the real world? Or is it just two sites, posters up until pasted over the next day… but you have your shots, and that is the modern media digital ad campaign.

Nice creative…. is it available as a jersey? Should be.

Shh or we’ll eat you!

You’d have to catch me first!

Are we not heading towards normalising unhealthy body types?*

Cycling close for people who aren’t racing snakes would be welcome though.

*Said as an over weight knacker who would currently struggle on a sportive.

Are we not heading towards normalising unhealthy body types?*

I was listening to ‘Bad People’ podcast the other day and one of the presenters, comedian Sophie Hagen said that she wanted to be called fat, instead of obese or overweight.

Calling someone obese, medicalises her body shape, and overweight suggests that there is an ideal weight, which she didn’t agree with.

Big lad at Ard Rock both competing and sending it all ways on the air bag. Not sure who it was but my mate had seen him on social media and I expect he has quite a following.

I’m a former brand ambassador for FLAB, been interesting to see the reaction to the ad in the last few weeks.

I’m not convinced it needed the * it would have worked with the letter a left in. They like to think they are edgy, sometimes it doesn’t work for me, but they’ve built a decent business from it.

Fwiw, their very weird baggies are the best I’ve tried.

that big lad is Lando Steezy IIRC

You’d have to catch me first!

Fat doesn’t mean unfit. My stamina is really good whippet, hope your endurance is good!

@scuttler definitely Lando Steezy. He’s very talented.

Fat doesn’t mean unfit.

It also doesn’t mean healthy, stamina doesn’t help those blocked up arteries, high blood pressure and all sorts of other negative effects of being fat for years.

It also doesn’t mean healthy, stamina doesn’t help those blocked up arteries, high blood pressure and all sorts of other negative effects of being fat for years.

Was that your “Mike drop moment”?
If so you’ve sort of helped make FLAB’s point for them.

That it’s still seen as OK by some to shame and take the piss out of overweight people and that lots of promotional materials for cycling tend towards certain body types (both make and female) is a problem.
Reinforcing any ideas about who should and shouldn’t get to take part in cycling just makes the sport/pastime/hobby worse overall.

Some metabolically blessed people could do with learning a bit of humility and empathy…

Lando Steezy is rad.

Instagram link

I’m not convinced it needed the * it would have worked with the letter a left in.

Don’t know. The implication, apart from the obvious double-take if it’s the ‘C-word’ being used is that ‘can’t’ is a dirty/offensive word. Being starred out tells you that implication imho.

Larger clothing should cost more on account of the extra resources used, otherwise I’m subsiding it.

I think race teams should have more fat riders. I made the case to one of the MTB teams when I used to ‘race’ – it’s about your advertisers getting their logos seen, and if they sponsored me they could make them 20% bigger or include 20% more on their jerseys, plus there’s little likelihood of the logos appearing out of focus as I ‘sped’ past.

I was listening to ‘Bad People’ podcast the other day and one of the presenters, comedian Sophie Hagen said that she wanted to be called fat, instead of obese or overweight.

Calling someone obese, medicalises her body shape, and overweight suggests that there is an ideal weight, which she didn’t agree with.

Medically it’s pretty clear cut – there is an ideal weight and “I don’t agree with it” is like “I don’t agree that a car going 70 would hurt if it hit me” – your opinion isn’t relevant.

In the real world though there’s probably a sliding scale. Many of us could afford to lose a few pounds/ few cms of jiggly bits, and it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of it occasionally. But obesity is a medical issue relating to being grossly overweight, that generally comes after “fat” and “overweight”, and shouldn’t be normalised, accepted or swerved because someone doesn’t “agree” with it.
It may not always be the obese person’s fault directly, but it’s their fault more than it’s anyone else’s – and the first step is acknowledging the condition and trying to do something about it! So back to the OP, the campaign’s a good one as long as it keeps encouraging people to keep trying, and keep exercising – more like this!

The more we normalise the idea that fat people look good on bikes, or taking part in any form of exercise, the more of a virtuous cycle we encourage. Exercise more, get more endorphin, feel better either physically or mentally, maybe be motivated to eat better, exercise more etc.

Doesn’t matter if you are still overweight, more activity is a positive end goal in itself.

It’s about encouragement rather than shame.

That it’s still seen as OK by some to shame and take the piss out of overweight people a

And how exactly have I done that? Being overweight is typically not healthy for many reasons which is what I pointed out in response to poster saying they have great stamina so all is fine.
No shaming or piss taking was done so I am not part of the problem even if you want me to be so stop your ranting please.

Rugby Union is about the only properly inclusive sport that I know of and yet still you get people, I’ve particularly noticed it on this forum, taking the piss out of how fat players are. Stuff that would never be said by coaches and team managers.
So join in chubbers, but just know there will be people mocking and sneering behind your back.

Fat Lad At The Back has launched a controversial campaign

Did they tell you it was controversial or did you decide that yourself?

They obviously went to the **** school of tiresomely “edgy” marketing.

Edit to say the swear filter picks up the initialisation for French Connection UK. So my statement above makes sense.