Sports & Play
Female riders challenge the archaic concept of the "bitch seat"
Toronto's incarnation of International Female Ride Day 2010, involving participants all over Canada, the United States, Australia, England, The Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Israel, Qatar and Denmark, saw local women riders take to two wheels yesterday.
Female riders make up the fastest-growing facet of motorized two-wheeling, though oft-marginalized in a male-dominated culture. Founded four years ago by motorcycle racer Vicki Gray, International Female Ride Day is a celebration of change, challenging the archaic concept of the "bitch seat." It's all about taking the controls and owning the road.
These ladies braved last night's stormy weather to partake at Keating Channel Pub. It was a cold and soggy ride home for sure!
Writing and photography by Armando Lulu aka dzgnboy on Flickr.
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Now that is to say that it is awesome to see more women behind the controls of some great bikes (like the vintage Honda in the first pic.)
The only difference between a motorcycle and a scooter is the varying sizes of engines, the automatic transmission and no need to throw you leg over the bike to get on it.
Kind of like the difference between male and female bicycles? ;)
It's great that the women are out there doing their thing. I hope my girlfriend (who just this week graduated from the "bitch seat" to the front of her own bike) will be joining them next year. Great pics and story :)
I'm perfectly happy to admit that my small penis makes me ride my vintage 1150 cc motorcycle instead of a scooter. But I must say there are huge differences between the two. Engine size, and automatic transmission you covered, but wheel size, wheel base, stability, manoeuvrability and weight are also big differences.
You'd never catch me doing 100kph on your average scooter, purely from a safety perspective but I frequently exceed that when keeping up with traffic on the 401, gardiner, etc. on a motorcycle.
Anyways, my main point was that I have a hunch that a significant portion, if not a majority, of the scooter demographic is women. Therefore a woman on a scooter is not challenging any kind of perception.
I don't think we need to make assumptions about women trying to 'be' more like men. Women like choices. We're not trying to prove anything by riding motorcycles. We just like to ride as much as the guys do. It's just great that there are more women than ever out there riding, in what used to be male dominated culture. (Yes even scooters were male dominated if you know your British Mod culture, you'll see that.)
I don't need to prove my 'toughness' to anybody, let alone some ignoramus who thinks scooters are 'feminine'. I've proved myself for years schooling guys off-road in the mud, and now I like to enjoy the simpler pleasures of scooting around town...
(And don't assume that scooter the chick is on-is her only ride. She may just have a bigger bike that she's saving for the highway or the dirt. Likely leave you in her dust, baby.)
Nice article, sweet shots! ;)
Dont know why you would think scooters are feminine. I know a few guys that ride them, and they are not what you'd call 'girly'. Then again, a couple do have larger bikes in their garage. Guess they have more hair on their chest? I bet they simply don't have anything to prove either, so are confident riding whatever suits their needs. Scooters are sensible for city riding, so I guess women are smarter too then?
Note: ("no need to throw your leg over=ladies bike")
The lower top tube design of the bicycle made for what North Americans call "ladies bikes" are pretty common design in all European commuting bikes. (Which are not given a gender.)
Essentially the exact same bike here in NA, but ladies rode them to accommodate different riding attire. Don't think it limited performance or efficiency though, just made for a classier mount.
Men and women both ride these step through styles, even here finally, with Bativus and other Dutch brands selling big to the hip commuters.
I am a feminist, merelý pointing out that using what is typically in the "two-wheeled communtiy" a form of transportation that is associated with women does in know way "challenge the norms".
To the women who ride two wheeled transportation, keep it up! The world would be a better place, and a less congested one, if we all made similar choices
Stereotypes exist for a reason. I'm not pushing it, it's true that it is a stereotype, like any other. Anyone who has been a part of the motorized two-wheel community for any length of time (I've been a licensed motorcyclist active in the community for 10 years) will know that in that community, especially in North America (not Europe) scooters are the "feminine" variety of motorized transport. There is no shame in this, even if there is perhaps little validity (yes there are loads of males who ride scooters).
Because of the existence of this stereotype, what I am saying is that portraying female scooter riders as 'pushing the boundaries' is not really accurate.
I'm a bit saddened to see that critical discussion is unwelcome on BlogTO and quickly degenerates into childish comments and offensive insults (frankly being called a mysoginist by someone who has no clue who I am, for pointing out the existence of a stereotype made me rather angry) and I responded in kind, which perhaps I should have avoided.
After this thread has run its course I will return to being a silent reader like so many others, and you can all get back to patting yourselves on the back and virtually lynching those who disagree with you because we all know that's the path to true progress.
The organisers of the ride - Motoress- supports ALL women riding, regardless of style and size of the ride. Even though the woman who founded it is a kick-ass racer/rider of BIG, FAST motorcycles, she has the capacity to respect ladies on scooters too. I think the writer included that scooter shot for that same reason.
The title may be a tad misleading, as it does set the reader up for some heavy sexual politics, and doesn't quite follow through with a punch. 'The 'comments' were able to land a few though.
:)
It's also should be noted that many women pick up riding motorcycles through their boyfriends, brothers or dads too, as many women on those bikes above have. There really needs to be no segregation of the sexes anymore the way I see it. I learn so much from the guys, and I turn to them for bike advice of all kinds. There is nothing wrong with that at all - Team work people!
The people I ride most with, and will as I get bigger bikes, are usually guys. But- I have always loved to see a sweet vintage Honda go by and then realise with delight it was another lady rider, which always made my dream bike seem more possible to me.
We should organize a BlogTO ride to get everyone together, regardless of ride, and show that away from the computer we can all be reasonable, intelligent and kind people.
I would love to be riding a 70's Honda CB350 or an old BSA, and have wanted to - of my own volition - for years. Until I find the right one, I am happy to be at the bars of my sweet scooter. I've been smashing stereotypes all through my life, don't need to do it here.
But it's good to note: no matter what size the engine, some gals were just never meant to ride said 'Bitch Seat". It's about independence and passion for the ride, either way, it's all good.
A BlogTo ride sounds like a fine idea! I'm in.
I believe there's merit to your suggestion that women on scooters aren't exactly knocking down boundaries - because scooter culture isn't defined by the same kind of desperate manhood that traditional motorcycle culture is. I believe, the scooter more than anything, is accepted and perceived as a sensible (and fun) mode of urban transportation, which of course crosses gender boundaries.
That said, we hit a serious disconnect when you suggest that the scooter is "the more feminine of the two rides". The differentiating qualities that you outlined between the rides include engine size, top speed and automatic transmission (true in the case of newer scooters anyhow). Basically, you're assigned a gender quality to genderless characteristics and in doing so suggested that the weaker/less capable ride = "feminine". There lies the problem.
Read your initial comment again. To me this is a passive-aggressive (if unwitting) insult to women and scooterists in general with the same touch of class as "you throw like a girl!"
We see this all the time in sports products: the 'smaller, easier, less intense, less mechanical, softer, lighter, more practical' versions of anything, are marketed toward women, right down to pink and lacy decals. Sad state in this day and age when women have done so much in leaps and bounds to verify their strengths, abilities and power to rise above the 'weaker sex' stigma.
You're of course correct, I could have phrased my initial comment better. It's not that scooters in and of themselves are "feminine" or have female qualities, it is that there is a perception in the male dominated motorcycle world that scooters are for girls. In the same way that many ignorant males view field hockey as a "girls sport".
So there were two different discussions being had. One was how IMHO the image of a woman on a scooter does not challenge "the archaic concept" mentioned in the title.
The second discussion which unfortunately got rounded in with the first, is the difference between scooters and motorcycles. Which came about from John's comment about the lack of a difference.
Anyway, glad we all got that sorted. Keep the shiny side up whatever your ride.
And it is even more beautiful now, than in the pic, since it has new chrome etc. It is almost ready for her to finally ride. She's been seen on a sick 650cc in the meantime.
I'm always making eyes at her ride, and she thinks my scooter kicks ass too.
We don't Judge.
We Ride!
Just out of curiousity which scooter is faster and handles better than an 1150cc motorcycle? I haven't seen too many powerful scoots around but would love to ogle one online perhaps.
As well, my sexy boy (All/most guys' bikes are female? Then my scoot is male!) has two wheels in front, independent, parallelogram-design suspension, and the front wheels tilt when the bike tilts. (Piaggio MP3, anyone?) I can take more road obstacles or potholes than most motorcycles can and still manage to stay upright because I'll still have two points of contact on the road at any time one wheel is dealing with the obstacle/pothole. And as cool as the Can Am Spyder is, unlike the Spyder or traditional Harley-style trikes, My boy's thin enough and can tilt enough with his two front wheels to carve the corners and snake through stop'n'go traffic like any Japanese crotch rocket, and not have to worry about potentially flipping over in tight, fast corners. (All due respect to all kinds of bikes, mind you. Each bike is exactly perfect for the person who made the educated decision to purchase and ride it.)
I say enough with the, "Yeah, scooters are cool and great for girls but they'll never be as powerful/agile/fast/otherdickswingingmetaphor as <insert non-scooter bike here>." When someone rides by with his Harley, a person on the street goes, "Stupid loud pipes! Now I'm deaf for the next 10 minutes!" When *I* ride by on my MP3, a person on the street goes, "Did you see that? That thing has three wheels! And they tilt! Cool!" ;D
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