From now on I am going to imagine that the haters are all secretly jealous of my ability to conquer the elements and to lead a life of activity and adventure that they can only dream about. =]

I just usually say, "Thanks for the concern," when it is co-workers or such saying those things about me biking by myself. Most of the time I don't think it's about my sex, but more a general concern about safety. I don't think they are looking to be convinced either. If they say that I'm crazy, I say in the sunniest, upbeat, non-threatening way possible, "I think you're crazy for sitting in traffic everyday."

If I have Q-Bop, and let me tell you about the lectures I get riding with him in a trailer in the winter, I just say, "Yes, I'm a bad mom," because that is what they are thinking and it usually disarms people to have what they were thinking spoken outloud.

Exactly. They aren't jealous of the actual cycling. They are jealous of your ability to do it. I've always gone by the saying, "Today I do what others won't so tomorrow I can do what others can't"

It may not be jealousy. They may just not care to do it themselves as it's not an important part of their lives.

Low,
I didn't mean that staying out of the LRT at night has anything to do with gender, I meant its creepy period.

according to a thread I read yesterday on another bike forum, cycling is just not something women do. I haven't seen blatant anti WTF talk here so, I want to share my appreciate for this forum, this thread, and the ability to commune with you all.

I don't know what forum it was, maybe Bike Forums, but it was up on one of the 'puters at the house, so am assuming that Japillahan, Josh_IRO or (possibly) Gizmo was reading it.

Original poster queried the nets to see if creating a step through conversion for his ladyfriend was a bad idea. There were several bike advice related responses that were pertinant to the topic. Then of course, there was a full page of responses about girls not riding bikes, girls not riding bikes well, girls being weaker than guys, girls only riding occasionally, girls not able to ride long distances, girls need to be fashionable.. several guys bitching about their girlfriends not riding the bikes they built up for them, etc. It made me sick and made me think of this thread.

One of the reasons that the mentality of "unsafe for ladies to ride at night" still exists is because we perpetuate the cycle of belief that women are weaker, and must be taken care of. This institutionalized sexism permeates to our core, and the only way that I can think of to fight against it is to recognize it exists, recognize when we buy into and then to try not to.

I don't have any answers Low. Really, I don't, I wish I did. FUCK the Equal Rights Amendment STILL hasn't been ratified.

Oh, I believe it is. Look, people don't volunteer their opinions on things they genuinely don't care about. They talk because they feel confronted, and unless you started the conversation, they're being confronted by something inside. Anyone who's taken a 'virtuous path' knows the drill, because it's the same every time:

Vegetarians: Haw haw! Want a carrot? I need to eat meat, because I'm manly/American/straight!
No Television: Haw haw! You're so perfect! I'll bet you listen to NPR and drink tea! I have a TV because I'm a regular American, not a communist!
Drive a small car: Aren't you afraid your little tin can will be crushed on the highway? I drive a huge truck because I'm blah blah blah...
Take the stairs instead of the elevator...
Don't eat dessert after a meal...
etc.

You get the point. I was a vegetarian for over a decade, and not once did I or anyone I knew who also was a veg say to a meat eater, "Wow, meat again? Your colon must feel so fucked." But I was probably harangued by a hundred different people during that time about eating bark or some nonsense.

My hypothesis is that most people speak out of insecurity, not superiority. By projecting their fears on you, they validate their own choices. The shitty comments, in my mind, are a clear admission of fear and self-loathing. And really, I can see women catching more than their fair share of these comments. After all, if a girl can do it...

People mock vegetarians because the existence of bacon proves them wrong. It's not jealousy. Maybe you want it to be jealousy, but that's more of a window into your mind than theirs.

But to get back on track, there will always be a certain subset of people who can't accept that X group can do Y activity. Blacks in the military. Women in the military. Gays in the military. Social shifts take generations, and even then there will always be that (dwindling) subset. Just remember, it's their problem, not yours. Unless you choose to make it your problem...

I never thought of linking that quote with the Trench. We might have a new Mon Night Trail Watch Motto.

"Yea, though we bike through the trench of the shadow of the Nicollet Kmart, we will fear no bottle throwers, for we are the baddest motherfuckers in the trench... and we carry axes... but we don't use them unless you're a big bad wolf... but not on regular wolf, because that just be awesome to see... "

As an omnivore I find that both funny and true, to the extent that bacon tastes good. But I'm pretty sure that the compulsive bashing of someone who shows restraint or courage is an indication of weakness, not strength.

EDIT: Funny, just now on Facebook an acquaintance just posted a picture in profile of her torso. She's dropped about 40 pounds, and is on track to lose the last 25. She's working with her doctor on a safe weight loss program. About fifty percent of the comments were praise, the other fifty percent were people telling her how ugly she'll be when she's skin and bones.

Jealousy. Weak people fear and hate the strength they see in others.

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This is exactly why I love knowing you!

i do love my movie quotes. though my wife doesn't know many of them. which gets me lots of odd looks.

for this quote, someone should definitely make a t-shirt or poster using winter bikers based on the original model (for anyone who didn't recognize the blues brothers reference)...



although this might be more iconic pose to emulate



okay, done threadjacking, resume...

Good phrases. I like them. The first thing that I ever read that really made me think about how it is different to be a woman with kids on a bike was biker_lee's piece in Dames on Frames about riding with her kid. It made me tear up a little. A caption for a photo of Lee saddling up with her son in a trailer reads, "This is one of my favorite photos- it embodies an important aspect of bike feminism, I think- that is, the mobility of a mom and her child... it's of me at a picnic. -Lee" I think that you are punk as fuck for living how you want to live and doing what you think is best for your family. Right on, sister.

Great wisdom, Reverborama. Carpe diem!

PIC, this is for you:

In this weather, I can't really imagine how you'd tell the difference between a guy and a gal riding a bicycle on a dark trail.