Dear Bike Companies:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What I have a problem with, is when WSD products are labeled as such, but products designed specifically for men's bodies are not labeled. As though everything is "really" unisex but there are some b*tchy feminists who refuse to accommodate their bodies to wearing men's clothes and riding men's bikes.

Tell me about it. I was in a nice bike shop 3 weeks ago helping a woman friend to bike shop- she's not overly bike savvy. I asked the man there (who seemed very nice and somewhat knowledgeable) if they had any women specific bikes there, and he said "No, but all these bikes are Unisex and we can fit them to either men or women."....(basically meaning that all the MEN'S bikes in the store would fit all women).
GGGGRRRRRR.........
It's the old syndrome of thinking that any body can be made to 'fit' any bike in their general size regardless of frame geometry or body proportions....it can all be made to fit perfectly by tweaking stems and other minor adjustments. Hogwash I say. This dogma is all to the advantage of bike shops wanting to sell what they have on the floor- which is usually an abundance of long top-tube men's bikes made for long armed guys. Pfffftt.
My friend is still shopping around, but she knows more now than she did 3 weeks ago.

[indigoiis]

Dear Bike company (okay, Specialized...)

Did you really need to put a bright red sticker that says, "Always wear a helmet for safety sake" on the top tube of my bike? A non-removable sticker? I tried to get it off and it was like removing nail polish.

The red doesn't match the blue.

I ride along and look down and read that and then, as is the way with thoughts while riding, it becomes a chant. "Always. Wear. a helmet..."

And then my brain screams out, "I AM ALREADY!!!"

It's all wrong.

*SIGH.*