Booth Babes @ Interbike

[zoom-zoom]

I have seen SO many pictures of hoochies from Interbike, like this one:


I have half a mind to write Cannondale and tell them that I'm going to put opaque tape over every one of their danged brand graphics on the THREE Cdale bikes in our garage. The bimbos they chose are clearly not even cyclists (tiny, undefined thighs with no tan lines). I would have thought Cannondale had more class after they sponsored the Reve tour. Guess not.

MTB had a photo that garnered a lot of well-deserved criticism, too--on their FB page--from irritated women and men. Eventually they pulled the photo and replaced it with a shot of a guy in the dunk tank. Seriously, is that the best idea they could come up with to sell product? Cyclelicious also discussed the issue and offered some really interesting links on the topic.

I understand that the show is in Vegas, but isn't it possible for vendors to attract retailers their product without resorting to silicone boobs? If that's all they've got going for what they're selling, then it's a wonder they stay in business. That crap is offensive to at least half of the public.

[Kiwi Stoker]

I have to agree that this is really not required. Even the podium girls at TdF wear more clothing than these ones!

When I worked in the industry I NEVER used women in such a way in any advertising or promtional activity. When someone came up with such a bright idea I would ask "so can we have a stripped to the waist ripped guy in bike shorts as well?" and that normally deflated it.

[tulip]

Wow, a different scene than the National Women's Bicycle Summit last week, which was so positive and empowering. And what's up with the bishop impersonator? I'm not Catholic but that strikes me as being in pretty poor taste and irrelevant to a bike show. Come to think of it, the whole thing is in poor taste and irrelevant to a bike show.

Elly Blue has a great test: http://takingthelane.com/2012/09/19/...t-to-the-test/

[shootingstar]

Make our views known. Maybe if Sue O. was interested, send this thread to some of these major bike manufacturers.

I wouldn't have a problem if these women were also regular cyclists. This form of advertising is just getting OLLLLLLD and cheap reach. And hiring those ladies probably is more expensive than a more intelligent but still fun way of market reach in a different way.

[OakLeaf]

Back in the day someone started a company to market umbrella girls for motorcycle races, who were racers themselves. They were babelicious and they dressed in ordinary scanty umbrella girl fashion - but they had impressively developed forearms, and plenty of them had scars from where they had rods in various bones.

The company is still around, marketing to a variety of sports, and the women are no longer (at least exclusively or visibly or per the press materials) participants in the sports. It was cool while it lasted, even if it didn't move past "sex sells."

[limewave]

I am really turned off by the pictures I've seen come out of Interbike. It's upsetting. There's a new local bicycle fabrication company that started posting bike p0rn every week. At first it was just of the bikes/frames. They were stunning photographs, nice craftsmanship. Then they started posting photos like this (see below) . . . So turned off. At first I thought how cool it would be to own a locally built, handmade bicycle. Now not so much. At least not from them.


. . . just now they posted "babe" free photos for this week. We'll see how they decide to continue to market their brand . . .

[zoom-zoom]

Back in the day someone started a company to market umbrella girls for motorcycle races, who were racers themselves. They were babelicious and they dressed in ordinary scanty umbrella girl fashion - but they had impressively developed forearms, and plenty of them had scars from where they had rods in various bones.

The company is still around, marketing to a variety of sports, and the women are no longer (at least exclusively or visibly or per the press materials) participants in the sports. It was cool while it lasted, even if it didn't move past "sex sells."

Yeah, you know...I think that's what gets me--that none of these booth babes appear to be actual cyclists. I know some very sexy, attractive women (and men--why only have female babes?) who are seriously accomplished athletes. I think I'd be much less annoyed if real riders were hired and paid to catch people's eyes, but also talk up a product and know what they are talking about from personal experience.

[zoom-zoom]

Elly Blue has a great test: http://takingthelane.com/2012/09/19/...t-to-the-test/

That is a great blog...bookmarked!

[Amira]

I understand that the show is in Vegas, but isn't it possible for vendors to attract retailers their product without resorting to silicone boobs? If that's all they've got going for what they're selling, then it's a wonder they stay in business. That crap is offensive to at least half of the public.

AMEN!!!!!!! I find it insulting.



Although, I have to confess, I don't have any tan lines (ha, or tan) either, despite riding all summer. Sun block, knickers, sun sleeves on my arms and more sun block. Got to keep my dermatologist happy.

[zoom-zoom]

Although, I have to confess, I don't have any tan lines (ha, or tan) either, despite riding all summer. Sun block, knickers, sun sleeves on my arms and more sun block. Got to keep my dermatologist happy.

I don't have much in the way of tan lines, either--I'm pretty pasty. DH is a melanoma survivor, so we go pretty all-out with the sunblock and protective clothing. He was the coach in Tahoe with white arm sleeves. We still don't seem to be the norm, of course. We still have friends that pride themselves on their tan lines. I personally don't want cancer or wrinkles, so staying pale is a win-win. I like getting carded at almost 40!

Even without tan lines, those women are all far too "skinny fat" looking to be doing much of anything athletic, with the exception of the little platinum blonde who strikes me as maybe someone who lifts a bit and runs from her nature of her muscle definition.

[Amira]

I don't have much in the way of tan lines, either--I'm pretty pasty. DH is a melanoma survivor, so we go pretty all-out with the sunblock and protective clothing. He was the coach in Tahoe with white arm sleeves. We still don't seem to be the norm, of course. We still have friends that pride themselves on their tan lines. I personally don't want cancer or wrinkles, so staying pale is a win-win. I like getting carded at almost 40!

Me too. Melanoma 5 years ago. Now I'm super cautious about it. I wish I'd see more people wearing the arm sleeves, although I think that clothing manufacturers are becoming more conscious of this and I definitely talk them up at rest stops (when people ALWAYS ask me if I'm hot in them). I cringe at all the women I see on long rides around here in full sun and wearing teeny little cami's and tanks. It's just so many hours of brutal sun and it can't be good for them, no matter how much sunscreen they might wear.

I wear the arm sleeves even in the hottest weather and I've learned that not only do they help me not get burned, but they actually make me feel less 'beat up' by the sun and keep me cooler. I had to experiment - the Pearl Izumi ones are way to thick and hot for Texas, but I LOVE the Craft ones - super light, but SPF 50 and wetting them as you ride definitely works to keep you feeling cooler in hot weather. I also love the YMX by Yellowman ones (and their wild jerseys). I was wearing one of the YMX ones (from TE) in Tahoe. I always look to see the SPF rating on clothes and even shorts now are getting better about SPF ratings on them. I wish Craft would make a similar sleeve for your legs - I know TE carries a different one made for legs (forgetting the brand now), but they look sorta like support hose. I ordered a pair, though, and will try them with my shorts. I'm not above looking like a total dork if I'm saving my skin.

[zoom-zoom]

Me too. Melanoma 5 years ago. Now I'm super cautious about it. I wish I'd see more people wearing the arm sleeves, although I think that clothing manufacturers are becoming more conscious of this and I definitely talk them up at rest stops (when people ALWAYS ask me if I'm hot in them). I cringe at all the women I see on long rides around here in full sun and wearing teeny little cami's and tanks. It's just so many hours of brutal sun and it can't be good for them, no matter how much sunscreen they might wear.

I wear the arm sleeves even in the hottest weather and I've learned that not only do they help me not get burned, but they actually make me feel less 'beat up' by the sun and keep me cooler. I had to experiment - the Pearl Izumi ones are way to thick and hot for Texas, but I LOVE the Craft ones - super light, but SPF 50 and wetting them as you ride definitely works to keep you feeling cooler in hot weather. I also love the YMX by Yellowman ones (and their wild jerseys). I was wearing one of the YMX ones (from TE) in Tahoe. I always look to see the SPF rating on clothes and even shorts now are getting better about SPF ratings on them. I wish Craft would make a similar sleeve for your legs - I know TE carries a different one made for legs (forgetting the brand now), but they look sorta like support hose. I ordered a pair, though, and will try them with my shorts. I'm not above looking like a total dork if I'm saving my skin.

If you ever do the DV ride I really recommend sleeves...I wore them last year and people thought I was nuts, but it's so arid out there that you can spray water on your sleeves and the evaporative cooling is amazing!

I will have to check out the Craft ones. We have Moeben sleeves, but I think that company may be no more.

I'm with you on seeing women in strappy tanks while riding. Sun stuff aside, what happens if they crash?! A friend of ours has commented to me while riding that she likes the strappy tops to tan more of her upper body. I looked at her this Spring like she was nuts and said "yeah, I kind of lost all caring about getting tan when Derek had the melanoma spot and a lymph node removed." That people even make these sorts of comments around us is really perplexing. It would be like raving about drinking to a recovering alcoholic or someone who had suffered liver damage from alcohol. People are weird.

[Amira]

If you ever do the DV ride I really recommend sleeves...I wore them last year and people thought I was nuts, but it's so arid out there that you can spray water on your sleeves and the evaporative cooling is amazing!

I will have to check out the Craft ones. We have Moeben sleeves, but I think that company may be no more.

I'm with you on seeing women in strappy tanks while riding. Sun stuff aside, what happens if they crash?! A friend of ours has commented to me while riding that she likes the strappy tops to tan more of her upper body. I looked at her this Spring like she was nuts and said "yeah, I kind of lost all caring about getting tan when Derek had the melanoma spot and a lymph node removed." That people even make these sorts of comments around us is really perplexing. It would be like raving about drinking to a recovering alcoholic or someone who had suffered liver damage from alcohol. People are weird.

I expect at some point I will do DV. I laughed that I was more trained for that, having ridden the entire summer in Texas, than for Tahoe. The starting temps were like a winter ride for me. It's funny, our seasons are really totally flipped. Riding all summer is the B!tch here! Honestly, you'll probably never see me riding without either a sun sleeve or a long sleeve jersey, so no worries about taking them just to DV. You can tell from FB that I'm wearing the sleeves in most of the cycling shots taken since last May, which is when I found them.

Yes, definitely check out the Craft ones - TE carries them as well. I have the white, black and fuscia ones. Super light. The white does get dingy after a lot of wear, but so what. I also have two pairs of the YMX ones - the red/black ones shown with one of the new fall jerseys (TE chose to pair them with a jersey this time, but you can get them separately at YMX) and the black/white 'cloud' ones. I'm kicking myself now for not getting the red/green ones that go with the Henna Sport jersey, like my sister did. Um, I may have gotten a little bit carried away with buying cycling clothes this year.

[girlontheroad]

Selene Yeager at Bicycling Magazine did a post on this exact issue with the same perspective. She got flack for the picture she posted in it but took responsibility for it pointing out that it was from the interbike website and showed what she was talking about. She makes the further point that this is not a good way to attract women consumers who make up 42% of the market.
http://bicycling.com/blogs/fitchick/...-to-interbike/

[Amira]

Selene Yeager at Bicycling Magazine did a post on this exact issue with the same perspective. She got flack for the picture she posted in it but took responsibility for it pointing out that it was from the interbike website and showed what she was talking about. She makes the further point that this is not a good way to attract women consumers who make up 42% of the market.
http://bicycling.com/blogs/fitchick/...-to-interbike/

Thanks for the link. I agree with every word she wrote. I also agree with SheFly that it's a much more widespread practice (sigh, I'm sure the camera companies, when they have their big show in Vegas, are also using a lot of T&A to show off their stuff, same is true in the ski/snowboard industry and even the SHOT show - which is all about the shooting sports industry) and that the bike companies may not be the ones doing the actual hiring, but until the bike companies hear from the 42% of the market, in force, that we don't like it and that we do put our money where our mouth is, it isn't going to change.