Bicycle Face

[Emm]

I find these articles amusing, but not at all surprising. “Science” has been used to keep women and minorities out of sports for a LONG time. Although I think things are vastly improved from where we were, there are still issues going on. E.G. The fact women’s ski jumping has now just become an Olympic sport, although only the shorter jump. Officials at the international ski jumping organizations and high-level coaches made comments to the effect that ski jumping would screw up a women’s uterus (google it, it made a splash around the time of the Olympics). Women have only been allowed to run in marathons in the Olympics since the 80’s, Boston marathon since 72.

And don’t even get me started and how hard it is to find a good selection of women-specific bike clothes…

[Geoff]

On the other hand, there was an article yesterday about a possible link between the amount of time a man spends biking and his chances of prostate cancer. 😮
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-finds-link-between-mens-biking-and-prostate-cancer-erectile-issuse-not-found/2014/07/14/34cbda54-0847-11e4-8a6a-19355c7e870a_story.html

[cyclingfool]

@Geoff 90342 wrote:

On the other hand, there was an article yesterday about a possible link between the amount of time a man spends biking and his chances of prostate cancer. 😮
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-finds-link-between-mens-biking-and-prostate-cancer-erectile-issuse-not-found/2014/07/14/34cbda54-0847-11e4-8a6a-19355c7e870a_story.html

But they didn’t ask study participants if they rode on a Brooks saddle, which I’m sure offsets the risks. They need to do another study to control for that variable!!! In all seriousness, I’ll take my increased risk of prostate cancer over an increased risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, depression, etc., etc. that would result from me not cycling.

As for bicycle face, I heard about this on a podcast yesterday. Given that the bicycle was seen as a tool for women’s liberation/feminism, it’s not surprising that codgy old men used bicycle face as a scare tactic. My favorite part of the whole piece was the retort by the female doctor:

“[Cycling] is not injurious to any part of the anatomy, as it improves the general health. I have been conscientiously recommending bicycling for the last five years,” she said. “The painfully anxious facial expression is seen only among beginners, and is due to the uncertainty of amateurs. As soon as a rider becomes proficient, can gauge her muscular strength, and acquires perfect confidence in her ability to balance herself and in her power of locomotion, this look passes away.”

Vive la femme! Vive le velo!

[dasgeh]

Anyone thinks that these sort of sexist ideas about the need to protect women from sports that would hurt them needs to watch Half the Road (the documentary that Team Sticky Fingers showed at the Drafthouse last month). It’s very well done. And you get to see the current president of the UCI — THE PRESIDENT OF WORLD CYCLING — basically saying that we need to protect fragile women from the rigors of endurance cycling.

That documentary got me so mad that I almost agreed to start racing. Then I remembered that road racing and I would not be a good fit.

[dasgeh]

I do love the description in the article:

It went on to describe the condition: “usually flushed, but sometimes pale, often with lips more or less drawn, and the beginning of dark shadows under the eyes, and always with an expression of weariness.” Elsewhere, others said the condition was “characterized by a hard, clenched jaw and bulging eyes.”

Sounds a lot like parent-of-toddlers face.

[cyclingfool]

@dasgeh 90350 wrote:

Anyone thinks that these sort of sexist ideas about the need to protect women from sports that would hurt them needs to watch Half the Road (the documentary that Team Sticky Fingers showed at the Drafthouse last month). It’s very well done. And you get to see the current president of the UCI — THE PRESIDENT OF WORLD CYCLING — basically saying that we need to protect fragile women from the rigors of endurance cycling.

That documentary got me so mad that I almost agreed to start racing. Then I remembered that road racing and I would not be a good fit.

There was, of course, the movement to have a women’s race run along the same route as the TdF this year (more here). They were able to secure a women’s single stage race into Paris the same day as the men, called “La Course”. It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s sad that in the in this day and age this is something that is still so hard to get done. It’s had fits and starts (see history of women’s Tour in linked article), but never really gained sustained traction. The fact that patronizing BS from people in high places masqueraded as health concerns helps keep women from being able to have their own grand tours, e.g., is despicable.

[baiskeli]

Today, bicycle face is a GOOD thing on a woman.

[dasgeh]

@cyclingfool 90352 wrote:

There was, of course, the movement to have a women’s race run along the same route as the TdF this year (more here). They were able to secure a women’s single stage race into Paris the same day as the men, called “La Course”. It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s sad that in the in this day and age this is something that is still so hard to get done. It’s had fits and starts (see history of women’s Tour in linked article), but never really gained sustained traction. The fact that patronizing BS from people in high places masqueraded as health concerns helps keep women from being able to have their own grand tours, e.g., is despicable.

Agreed. The other point they like to trot out is that there aren’t many women capable of the longer, harder races. BS. Especially given that Pro Women are paid next to nothing, of course there aren’t many women in the field right now. Offer living wages, and you’ll have excellent sportswomen step up.

[baiskeli]

@Geoff 90342 wrote:

On the other hand, there was an article yesterday about a possible link between the amount of time a man spends biking and his chances of prostate cancer. 😮
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-finds-link-between-mens-biking-and-prostate-cancer-erectile-issuse-not-found/2014/07/14/34cbda54-0847-11e4-8a6a-19355c7e870a_story.html

But also found no link to erectile dysfunction.

[mstone]

@dasgeh 90356 wrote:

Agreed. The other point they like to trot out is that there aren’t many women capable of the longer, harder races. BS. Especially given that Pro Women are paid next to nothing, of course there aren’t many women in the field right now. Offer living wages, and you’ll have excellent sportswomen step up.

Oddly, there also aren’t many men capable of the TdF…

[Anonymous]

@baiskeli 90355 wrote:

Today, bicycle face is a GOOD thing on a woman.

I appreciate the sentiment behind you posting this– just clarify what I’m about to say is not a criticism of you, but of whoever created/published the photo–

Unfortunately— Flawless full makeup not even slightly smudged under a face of mud splatter? This kind of bicycle face is a bit problematic in a different way. I’m guessing photoshop as opposed to her being actually made up then splattered in mud but either way the idea that we’re to look flawlessly made up after engaging in dirty, strenuous exercise is just ridiculous.

[dasgeh]

@acl 90360 wrote:

I appreciate the sentiment behind you posting this– just clarify what I’m about to say is not a criticism of you, but of whoever created/published the photo–

Unfortunately— Flawless full makeup not even slightly smudged under a face of mud splatter? This kind of bicycle face is a bit problematic in a different way. I’m guessing photoshop as opposed to her being actually made up then splattered in mud but either way the idea that we’re to look flawlessly made up after engaging in dirty, strenuous exercise is just ridiculous.

Standing O!!!

Also, I’ll take this bicycle face: [ATTACH=CONFIG]6197[/ATTACH]
Or this one: [ATTACH=CONFIG]6198[/ATTACH]
Or this one: [ATTACH=CONFIG]6199[/ATTACH]
Any day. Cyclists want to be judged on whether they’re good cyclists, not whether they’re models. Applies to the women just as much as the men.

[baiskeli]

@acl 90360 wrote:

the idea that we’re to look flawlessly made up after engaging in dirty, strenuous exercise is just ridiculous.

You’re not supposed to look flawlessly made up after engaging in dirty, strenuous exercise – unless you are a model getting your picture taken, like she was.

[baiskeli]

@dasgeh 90363 wrote:

Cyclists want to be judged on whether they’re good cyclists, not whether they’re models. Applies to the women just as much as the men.

Of course. But the woman in the photo was a model, not a cyclist (or perhaps both). We all know that.

[dasgeh]

@baiskeli 90371 wrote:

You’re not supposed to look flawlessly made up after engaging in dirty, strenuous exercise – unless you are a model getting your picture taken, like she was.

Again, you have missed the point completely.

[Author]

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