Huge congratulations to the amazing host of our On Location Tasmania series, Nicole Frain! Not only has she joined the Parkhotel Valkenburg Team on an 18-month contract, but she’s been selected to ride the Tour de France Femmes starting 24th July. If you haven’t ridden the Cygnet Coast Road workout in SYSTM, give it a go and you’ll see just why Nicole got selected.
29 Likes
That’s great news! Congratulations and bon chance!
Though maybe Le Col Wahoo missed out, @David.McQuillen.KoS?
#girlsonbikes
2 Likes
Go Nicole!
I’m curious @NorthumberlandHill would/do you have ‘an issue’ with the hashtag?
I’m trying to understand for the likes of @Francois-Wahoo and others who make such a reference, when is it out of line and when isn’t it? What is the guiding principle you raise to highlight when it is offensive?
I used to use #girlsonbikes all the time on the 'gram under it’s original use. But unfortunately it now tends to get used by accounts posting sexualised photos of young women in mostly unzipped too small jerseys and impractical hot pants length bibs which will result in so much saddle chaffage who are never actually riding a bike, but have unbelievable gorgeous straight out the salon hair and are draped suggestively over their bicycle.
I’m all for bringing back the original use of the #hashtag but we tend to use #realwomenonbikes now.
Chapeau to Nicole, she is SUCH a strong rider.
Can’t wait for TdFF. Haven’t watched even a minute of TdF. Giro Donne has been insanely gripping this week. The leaders on the descents this last stage…such good bike handling skills. Sadly not full coverage but what there has been has been incredible.
12 Likes
Again, we are entitled to take offence at anything we like actually. And I DO object to being referred to as a “girl” when I have been a woman for decades and the men are referred to as men. My reasons for this are entirely MINE and I have the right to feel this way.
I may not be popular for saying this, but suggesting what other people should and shouldn’t be in such a rush to be offended by is not ok. So please do not say things like this.
My opinion has no impact on anyone and I don’t often express it unless asked. You dictating what my opinion should be does have an impact. On me. On my daughter. On other women. And it makes it ok for other men to dictate how we should feel, behave, and have an opinion on also. No man, or women, gets to tell anyone else what to think, feel or have an opinion on. Having a wife and daughters doesn’t give you that right either. You speak from a place of male privilege. Please use that privilege to celebrate everyone’s diverse opinions, and talk to them about their reasoning. You are entitled to your opinion on things absolutely. But you’re not entitled to tell us not to be snowflakes and use your status as husband and father to imply that gives you the right to dictate to us. It doesn’t.
9 Likes
Oh @#$%…really? Must the internet ruin everything?
2 Likes
No offense at all if it is aimed at girls. But if at women , personally yes i would. I think a good way of review is if it said #boys on bikes would you start thinking about kids and teenagers, or would you think grown men. Would you be happy if you were referred as a boy at all times.
I also think you are slightly hamstrung by the English language, there are not many words that are positive descripters of women.
But can i also echo what someone said earlier why is its womens football, womens cycling, when mens version of the sport is just , football or cycling. They are not the unisex version, they are the mens version. Why does it have to be a gender on a bike? It has to be , because women are taught from a young age its not appropriate, not ladylike , not feminine … (Insert your own version of rubbish) . Women have to be encouraged into sport because of how the world treats them differently, so why continue to support that difference, that lesserness by calling them girls. Women are encouraged to be pre pubescent at so many turns, be it what is the ideal body shape, lack of body hair (both which i subscribe to as its what society expects ), why encouraged by language as well.
7 Likes
Fair enough, @DameLisa, and well argued. I readily and very much apologize for my not-well-thought-out post.
I am keenly aware of my privilege, and usually try to do a better job of keeping it in check - especially in relation to gender equity. Was only trying to point out that the hashtag was actually created by women as a statement of empowerment. But apparently that’s been co-opted as well now, because internet. Very sad.
8 Likes
You’ve articulated it far better than I did! Thanks! And I concur.
The only man I know who REALLY gets it was actually born physically female and lived like that for decades. He’s also the only man I know who cracks up at these memes:
4 Likes
All good @CPT_A and appreciate that you understand where I’m coming from. I know it is very hard to articulate things as you would wish on a forum as well, so that doesn’t help either.
And yes “the internet” changing the meaning of things is actually men downgrading us everytime we try to stand up. Appalling isn’t it. Keep on calling them out every single time. We will get equal behaviour eventually, but that means equitable reactions in the interim, see pic below, it explains this better than I can.
We shouldn’t even need a #girlsonbikes or #womenonbikes hashtag. It should just be #peopleonbikes 
but we are, sadly, a VERY long way away from that.
7 Likes
Good discussion, guys - and all done with much respect, listening and thought. Excellent. Now, bringing things back to the original post – I think we just need to use the hashtag #TotalBadassOnABikeWillWinStageofTour. That should do it.
9 Likes
Pretty sure this is now trending on twitter.
5 Likes
I rode that workout! Where’s my contract! lol.
But seriously, congrats to Nicole! That is awesome! Can’t wait to root for her in the race!
3 Likes
Nice one!
4 Likes
Ian, I apologize if you feel I dragged you into something. That was not my intention.
Having been privy to the earlier thread and reading other POV’s, and then seeing your # , I am learning more about something that I have not been impacted by and as such, cannot pass judgement therein, hence my post.
I will comment on that the nuance of the term boys and girls has become misconstrued, and that I feel too much emphasis on the literal meaning of either term is focused on, rather than the context.
I am becoming sensitive to the fact that because it was done in the past doesn’t necessarily make it right, hence the change. Slavery is a great example of this.
Here’s where I am at, case in point, I’m having beers with the boys after work. With 2022’s version, I will likely be arrested for enticing underage children to drinking alcohol, and likely other forms of abuse related offences. Am
I correct in thinking this?
Has context to the use of the terms girls and boys been obliterated?
I’m asking as I don’t know the correct approach.
What is the distinction as to when I may refer to my adult male friends as boys?
To be forum PC, I am off to ride with the men. There may be girls and women riding too. No boys riding today. #nonbinaryonbikes
1 Like
If you’re male, you can call your male friends boys or men as you wish. Women would generally prefer that you call us women, not girls. We (women) will refer to you as men, not boys, because that is what you are.
Men may not care about being called boys or men.
Women do care because we get pushed into looking like girls (be thin, be free of wrinkles, be hairless). We are women. Not girls. And we are rightfully disturbed by the societal norms that appear to prefer pre pubescent girls to ehat women actually look like.
Does that help? Sorry, it is incredibly hard to articulate the depth of this. But it is important and we DO appreciate all you men for working so hard on this. I know it is hard to break norms of a lifetime, or when you personally aren’t offended by the equivilent applied to your gender and it is hard to understand.
8 Likes
In my experience, they don’t care at all which may explain (at least partially) why men generally don’t understand why women have a problem with the apparent interchangeability of woman/girl.
2 Likes
What is the best way of watching the TDFF in the US?
1 Like
As many have commented, probably a vpn to Europe to watch on GCN or Eurosport.
That said, I dropped $3.99 for NBC’s Peacock Sports feed. The non-USA feed is acceptable. They’ve not done a highlights cut since stage 2, though, so you have to either watch live or pull the replay and FF through it (or not) as you like.
2 Likes