One thing I have been dying to talk about on the blog is the notion that cycling is for thin, fit, strong body types. When the wave of body positivity took a cultural sweep in fashion, I thought it likely that the movement in the media to showcase a more realistic and inclusive representation of human bodies would reach cycling. Through campaigns like Girlfriend Collective’s “Stay Golden”, I thought “finally!” we are beginning to see less thin bodies that give the impression of a “perfect” body type. In its place, we are seeing more diverse body types of ages, ethnicities, and sizes that are untouched and a wider-reaching representation of normal, everyday bodies in mostly athletic wear.
For some time now, women in cycling have been calling to make a change in inclusive body sizing in kit and representing real women in imagery. The messaging toward inclusivity and a better representation of body diversity, navigating language that doesn’t offend, hurt, or disrespect people while still being able to discover and present images of different body types can be a challenge but there are lessons to learn and norms to undo.
Nobody loves labels, especially ones that describe us as “average” “regular” or “normal” – so what is appropriate messaging for all of our different shapes and sizes? And then of course, what is normal anyway?
One my struggles with working with kit brands is the lack of awareness of body types in their design, sizes, and their inclusion in its social media outlets. The vast majority of women I know in real life often struggle with fitting into basic designed cycling kits from top brands and when they go to a women’s brand in hopes of finding something that works, they tell me that they often find that even women’s brands don’t have more variant sizes than standard s, m, l and they lack awareness of representation of diverse body types on their websites and social media.
Cycling is usually behind trends and movements but as women’s cycling evolves to be more inclusive and realistic in representing real human bodies, it’s important to recognize there is a proper way to do so. Whether you’re a brand, cycling club, organization, photographer, publishing or media outlet in cycling, here are a few ways to incorporate body inclusivity in your spaces.
TELL STORIES ABOUT THE PEOPLE
We love having conversations and diversity campaigns about body image or body positivity but we have to move beyond talking about inclusion of body types and just start doing it. When considering diversity in your projects, integrate a range of body shapes alongside considerations like age, ethnicity, and gender. The best way to do this is to reach out to your community who is already supporting you. Your community wants to see itself and the diverse beautiful bodies from everyday life that tell a story of their cycling experience. Just from including more body diversity into everyday cycling media imagery, we can show a more accurate representation of the cycling community and empower the people living in it and who want to be part of it.
INCLUDE CURVY MODELS
I cannot stress this enough. We have to stop using thin and young bodies. They do not have the same challenges women have in cycling wear, especially woc. One of the most prevalent body topics in current media is how to view and speak about people who have curves. Plus size has become a common descriptor in recent years, however, it can be problematic as it assumes a normative numerical baseline and that all people beyond an arbitrary clothing size are deemed “other” and an extra issue.
Curve and Curvy Models are gaining popularity as more models and women, in general, prefer to be defined by body shape rather than size. Curve models are more relatable as most people are not ‘skinny’. As media evolves, plus size continues to be a common term in cycling kit but as we implement images of curvy people, try replacing plus size with curve, curvy or curve model in tandem for more inclusive, progressive projects.
AIM FOR NO NORM
As the plus size industry and women who identify as “plus-size” continues to grow, we are seeing dialogues and a shifting landscape of what the “average” women’s body looks like. What is mostly suggested by the movement is that we need to work towards ditching the entire concept of “norm” in our brandings and media. Cycling media can greatly benefit by replacing body imagery with affirming phrases like “Every body is a bike body”, “There is no wrong way to bike”, “Train for progress, not perfection ” or “People should fuel with whatever makes them healthy and happy.” The more messaging we use to empower all healthy bodies, the more we can move toward a culture that doesn’t require unnecessary normative baselines and images.
LEARN FROM YOUR COMMUNITY
In professional cycling, there are plenty of people in who suffer from body-related illnesses. In cycling, you often see the IG post of women who feel as if they aren’t the right body type, often scrutinizing themselves for gaining weight in the off season and how much they need to lose to be cycle fit. Even in cycling we need imagery and campaigns to raise awareness about body dysmorphia and habits that cause us harm.
It’s important that we talk about the ties between media imagery, sports culture, and how it influences participation but we have to actually do things to have more inclusive body types and language that portrays and reflects the actual community that supports brands and media.
We all have the power to change perceptions and to take responsibility for the messages we send to people about body inclusivity in cycling. We as consumers and individuals can only do so much to combat being pushed to the fringes of representation and respect. Brands and media have the ability to help change perceptions around body diversity. Instead of telling people of different body types to “stop caring” about being part of the cycling community, let’s show them what we do, how strong we are, and what we appreciate that our bodies can do on our bikes.
Read more on how brands are doing inclusive marketing:
Diversity Rising: How Brands Are Winning At Inclusive Marketing
Y7 Studio and Girlfriend Collective Teamed Up to Create Clothes For Women in “Many Shapes and Sizes”
What’s Up With The Lack Of Body Diversity In Women’s Activewear?
Young Women Are Replacing the Term “Plus-Size” With Something Better
Building an Active Community with Outdoor Voices
Image: Girlfriend Collective