baykdbeenz

@artistformlyknowasdan: yeah I’ve heard that from a lot of guys as well, there’s definitely an “in group/out group” mentality that everyone is subjected to to some degree

Just another point I figured I’d mention, I’ve had really crappy experiences in bike shops as a woman and this was a big factor in deciding to buy from my LBS versus DTC. Not that all shops are inherently bad, but I’ve been to multiple and haven’t found one where I feel respected and welcomed. When making such a large purchase, having employees speak down to me and be patronizing doesn’t really instil confidence that they’re going to help get me on the most suitable bike. It’s too bad because I’d pay more to support local and get all the other benefits of buying through a bike shop, but I’ve just been treated so poorly that I now avoid going to them whenever possible. Not claiming every woman has dealt with this at every bike shop, but I also know this experience isn’t unique to me as most of my friends deal with the same stuff. Also I can’t speak for whether this is a factor for other women when purchasing a bike, but it definitely was for me and with more woman getting into the sport it might be something bike shops want to address when discussing ways to boost sales