"Ride like a girl"... How do you feel about that?

[Running Mommy]

Ok, so Terry has a bunch of products with the phrase 'ride like a girl' on them.
We have the saddle in our terry test program here in the shop.
At first I thought that women would like it, or think it was kind of cute.
I've actually gotten quite the opposite reaction.
I'd say that three out four women tell me that they find it demeaning.
I had someone railing about it today...
So out of curiousity, what do you think about the "ride like a girl" merchandise- and things like it??

[crazycanuck]

I wonder if a woman would like something that says "ride like a boy"

I don't have a problem with it & wouldn't make a fuss about it.

I want the shirt that says "run like a girl"

[TxDoc]

Well, I have not had the chance to see any of the merchandise, so I'm speaking out of ignorance and I'm never fortunate with women-specific items (especially bikes and saddles, I find them totally uncomfortable, most of them!)...
But I would think that "ride like a girl" is appealing, it inspires the idea of items that are girly and maybe nice, colorful, or with some nicer design... So I guess if I see "ride like a girl" on the box I will at least stop and look at what's inside.
Not sure it makes sense, but it would make me curious to look at it or try it.

[Eden]

Intentionally girly things do not generally appeal to me. I would be highly unlikely to buy anything with the phrase on it in any case, insulting or not.

As I think about it more, I suppose I'd rather not be considered a "girl" for the rest of my life either.... I have grown up. I doubt you'd ever find things aimed at men that have the phrase "like a boy" associated with them. Men don't tend to find that cute at all - referring to a grown man as "boy" is usually a pretty bad insult.

[Zen]

I agree with Eden. I'm a woman and I'm not too fond of it either.
When someone says of a man "he (runs, swims, rides, whatever) like a girl, it's said as an insult. To perform a task "like a girl" insinuates the performance is sub-par.

[Kalidurga]

I've seen that "Ride Like a Girl" stuff in other shops and catalogs, and I also agree with Eden and Zen. I wouldn't say that I find it demeaning, but it does annoy me a little bit. I was well into my thirties before I began to feel like I had outgrown girlhood, so to be referred to as one now makes me feel like I'm back in kindergarten or something. Especially when other full-grown women go around calling each other "gurl" and "girlfriend".

And yet I have a severe case of Peter Pan syndrome and have avoided many of the more obvious trappings of adulthood. Go figure.

Could someone just come out with gear that reads "Ride Like a Person"?

[makbike]

I'm with Eden and Zen. If you were told you "throw like a girl" it would be an insult and leaves no doubt that you can't toss a ball. I personally would not purchase anything with this on it nor would I make a fuss about it. I simply would spend my money on other products.

[sfa]

My daughter had a shirt that said "dunk like a girl" that she wore to school when the second grade boys told her that girls couldn't play basketball. She showed them girls can.

I think that's the intention behind the "...like a girl" merchandise--it's taking a phrase that is meant traditionally as an insult and turning it into an asset. When you "ride like a girl" you aren't weak and powerless, but skilled and strong. Now, I might have a problem with it if it was put on wicker baskets with plastic daisies, but if it's put on quality performance products, it's all good.

Sarah

[indysteel]

I have a couple of "ride like a girl" items so they must not bother me too much. I think it's intended to be a little tongue in cheek. If anyone else, however, says I ride "like a girl" I'd be mad. There's a thread on Roadbikereview's forums about whether women feel uncomfortable climbing out of the saddle. Some of the gender stereotyping in the discussion has me a little miffed. The most irritating comment came from a guy complaining that his GF "climbs like a girl.". What, exactly does that mean? If that were my BF I'd run him over with my bike!

[ilima]

I don't mind the 'ride like a girl' stuff, but I probably wouldn't buy it, either.

OT-I can't believe your website is still hijacked.

[Flur]

I like it. I don't generally like "girly" stuff - flowers embroidered on my saddle, script lettering, etc, but if "ride like a girl" is done in a sporty manner, I'm down with it. I grew up as a tomboy, digging in the dirt, jumping off the top of the jungle gym with the boys, etc. People still gave me dolls and flowery dresses and that made me mad. My own aunt, who was a tomboy type herself, would ignore me b/c she thought I couldn't play catch with the boys, so she'd take my male cousins out to play instead. That made me mad too. But as I got older I made my peace with it and am proud to be a girl. I don't tend to think of myself as a woman even though I am one - to me it sounds too matronly to accurately describe me. So, yeah, I'm proud to throw like a girl, run like a girl and ride like a girl. After all, I'm a girl. And as anyone who's seen the Olympics knows, we girls can do all those things pretty well.

[SadieKate]

I have "ride like a girl" socks in multiple colors and love 'em. I wear them mountainbiking when I'm usually the only girl and frequently one of the faster climbers (cuz I ride with a lot of old farts) -- and do the least whining.

I'm never felt very feminine growing up even though others thought I was and I just didn't "get it", but as I've gotten older I'm really happy and content being feminine and doing the same tomboy-ish things. I was well into my 40s before the women on this board got me to try a pedicure and I've been hooked. Nothing like taking off your "ride like a girl" socks and having a huge bath rub ring on your ankles and grime ground into your sparkly toe nails.

It's just plain ol' fun.

BUT I wouldn't use a saddle or wear a jersey with the motto. It's has to be something small and inconspicuous to keep it a little personal joke.

[singletrackmind]

Like I could ride any other way???


Could care less about the slogan, but I don't like traditionally 'girly' stuff. For awhile there I was known as the chick that rides like a guy, whatever that means, and that didn't bother me either. It's the context that counts.

[Tuckervill]

"You throw like a girl" is one of my biggest pet peeves in youth baseball. I've been around youth baseball for 20 years, and now I'm president of the local league. More than once I've heard a coach say, "Don't throw like a girl!" and more than once I've said, "Hey! What's wrong with throwing like a girl?!"

I really didn't want my sons (with no sisters and therefore not as much exposure to girls as some other boys) to get the idea that being a girl was bad.

So for the last 4 years, my son has been on the all-star baseball team with a girl. When she was much younger she was really as good at baseball as almost any boy on the team, although some of the coaches didn't like to admit it. They still picked her every year, though, because she was that good.

At almost 15, though, the boys are starting to out grow her in a big way, so it won't be long until she can't hit their fast balls anymore or out run the throws to first. (That's okay becuase she still plays football and competitive fast pitch softball.) She gets comments sometimes from other teams. so this year at the state tournament, she smacked a ball way out in the outfield and burned the outfielder. Because I'd heard a comment from one of the boys on the other team, I stood up and yelled, "That's how to hit like a GIRL!"

It was such sweet revenge for having to listen to all those misogynist coaches all those years!

So yeah, take it back! Do it "like a girl."

Karen

[LBTC]

I used to go to a ladies only kickboxing class. We were looking at getting "kick like a girl" shirts made.

As long as the imagery that goes along with the phrase is tough, the empowering aspect of taking the phrase back really works for me. But, hey, I know that I'm not like other girls.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~