Why Our Stories Matter In Cycling

Published on Patreon July 8, 2019

The stories we tell matter. The history of lack of women, LGBTQIA+, and bipoc representation in cycling reveals their marginalization and exclusion, especially in cycling media and sport. And it speaks to a bigger cultural issue of how marginalized groups are continually ignored and misrepresented. We cannot shy away from telling our stories in cycling just because it doesn’t suit the narrative the cycling industry sells. 

To ignore our histories and stories in this sport does a huge disservice to the many women,  LGBTQIA+, and bipoc who fought to take the lane and play the sport they love. Women who held onto races and teams by the skin of their teeth and faced substandard facilities and closed doors. Without these voices, we would not be enjoying the incredible growth and success of cycling at home and internationally.

Through CGR, I wanted to take a different approach to how we celebrate our spaces and places in cycling. When the history of women’s cycling is pushed to the edges of the field, this has an impact well beyond the boundary line. By only telling half the story and not celebrating the rich diversity and vibrancy of the history of women’s cycling, we reinforce broader inequality in the community. When we tell each others and our stories, all the depth and complexity and beauty breaks down the barriers that we have long endured to participate.

People on the inside and outside of cycling may think there is one way to do “cycling”. However, different perspectives are incredibly valuable as they enhance and enrich the narrative of the sport.

Creating safe spaces and supportive environments where women, LGBTQIA+, and bipoc can speak out and speak up on cycling, has the potential to translate to making things better on performance, participation, and representation. In pro cycling we know athletes are contracted and told not to speak up and stay quiet that may shut down their performances because the alienation of teams and organizers place on them. Athletes who are supported are recognizably valued for their positions of equality and might perform better.

Cycling has an endless array of purposes to inspire, engage, motivate, and transcend. How we define and articulate these purposes in our stories determines the lenses of how we understand and interpret it. When a social and human rights purpose are attached to cycling, it opens our eyes to the power it has to contribute and make an impact in communities around the world.

My hope is that our cycling narratives will continue to provide visibility and create space where social change can become a core purpose. Opening safe spaces would represent positive change. I see this trend emerging through grassroots organizations led by Black, Indigenous, People of Color, disabled, LGBTQIA+, undocumented, houseless, youth, and elderly folks in cycling. We/they do so because it is how many of us hold ourselves with dignity by speaking truth in a space that ignores us.

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Cyclista Zine is underway of being introduced to the world. Because of my busy travel and work schedule, I'm rethinking it's form and platforms to make it more inclusive. Website will be up this August 2019.