Cycle Sport???

[Starfish]

I want to love Road Bike Action magazine, too, and I certainly like it better than Bicycling. I was kind of hopeful with the first couple issues, but I was disappointed last time. I recently sent RBA (rbamail@hi-torque.com) this letter (I know, I know, like they'll care...but I wanted to write, since they are so new):

------------------------------------------------------------
I am a female cyclist looking for a bike magazine to call home. I had high hopes for RBA, but you have about 2 more issues to prove to me that you're not just another men's magazine. I'm looking for a cyclist's magazine.

In the pages of your March/April 2008 issue, there are 75 pages with images of male cyclists. There are only 6 pages with images of females at all...and of those, one is modeling clothes, and one is the Motobecane ride 'em cowgirl pin-up! (I recall a previous issue in which the only large image of a woman was the model doing some stretches...but the expert interviewed was a man!)

My friends and I are intelligent cyclists who train, race, spend thousands on bikes, components and gear, and sit around discussing the various merits of ceramic bearings and tubular tires. Half of us ride men's bikes because they fit us better, and we are looking for a magazine that acknowledges our brains, our abilities, our checkbooks, and our EXISTENCE.

We are also looking for magazines we can hand to our little sisters and nieces to show them that the world has changed, and that there are images of fast, brave, smart women competing in sports and running businesses.

Here is what I am looking for in the next few issues. If I find it consistently, I will subscribe. If I don't, I'll never give RBA another thought, and I'll keep looking to spend my dollars elsewhere:

1) Female test riders in the group...every time, not just for women's bikes.
2) Articles about and by women who ride, race and do business in cycling...every issue.
3) At least 25% of images in the magazine reflecting the existence of my gender in cycling.
4) C'mon...in the Litespeed article, were NO testers women? What's with the "To A Man" comment?

A lot of people are hoping you will step up on this. And, I am forwarding a copy of this to most of your advertisers.

Thank you for your consideration,

[Red Rock]

I love your letter. Especially when looking through the catalogs that are out there, the women's clothing is like the 2nd rate stuff and there is not the diversity that the men have. That is what brought me to this site to begin with. Because of the quality and diversity of the cycling clothes Thankyou TE

Unfortunatley this seems to translate into the rest of the sports world, from what I can tell. Since Title Nine was passed things have changed somewhat. The biggest difference from what I can tell is the media coverage. They will cover a men's event way before a woman's. Not only that but team sports seem to have better coverage than individual sports. And cycling is really a team and individual sport but most people do not understand how it all works, really. Another example is the ToC, they finally had a woman's race. It was a Crit, but wouldn't it be cool to see the women go off before the men along the same stage sequence?

Anyway, I do not mean to digress here but that is my opinion.

Red Rock

[Bad JuJu]

I want to love Road Bike Action magazine, too, and I certainly like it better than Bicycling. I was kind of hopeful with the first couple issues, but I was disappointed last time. I recently sent RBA (rbamail@hi-torque.com) this letter (I know, I know, like they'll care...but I wanted to write, since they are so new)

Excellent letter, Starfish! Assertive yet reasonable. Whether they care or not, they should. We have to keep saying our piece, even if it's again and again and again--no one will ever hear it if someone doesn't say it. Brava!