My subscription is in my name, obviously female, and I got the insert, which I thought sucked fetid wind. The one piece that was at all of interest was the mountain-biking skills women's retreat. C'mon, the other primary article in the "women's" supplement was about why we should ride with men to become better cyclists! %&#* It was written with just a dash of humor—men are funny because they crash (because they're bigger risk takers)—but the takeaway lesson was, Hey, ladies, riding with your little female friends is fine when you want to gossip or can't take the pressure of keeping up with the menfolk, but when you want to improve your skills you're gonna have to enlist some testerone. [Expletives deleted]

I had no idea any of the "makeover" gals were TE locals, and I hadn't paid much attention to that section because, in addition to its being a flagrant example of product placement, it seemed to assume that women just weren't as serious about cycling as men—most of the products recommended were low- to medium-end bikes and accessories. As kelownagirl notes, everything she already owns is of a higher quality than what was recommended to her.

I would like the editor in chief, Stephen Madden, to imagine a parallel universe in which he subscribes to a cycling magazine that focuses primarily on female athletes, because he loves to ride and, dammit, it's a woman's world so that's all that's available—but he's accustomed to such slights and will take what he can get. Then they throw him a bone, an issue all about men and their special cycling needs and goals. Well, it's not really a whole issue, but rather an insert, included only in issues addressed to men. Darn it, Stephen's subscription is in his wife's name. So he borrows his friend Dave's copy and is flabbergasted to read all about why men who always ride with their male friends really should ride with women from time to time to develop a stronger skill set. He's also fascinated to read the magazine's recommendations for his friend Dave (who already rides a Trek Madone with a Dura Ace drivetrain): an entry-level MSD (men's specific design, natch) Giant OCR, plus a nice clavicle-baring cycling top and shorts that flatter his straight hips and "package."

Absurd, isn't it, Stephen? How we women wish it were absurd to us, but we encounter that level of condescension every goddam day.