Kissena Women's Team - Forum Archive

Apr 27, 2014 at 01:02 AM

Seriously - twittergrambook that sh*t!
We need a hashtag for Erika's hill-hungry rampage... Something like #saggyarmwarmerballer but cooler, and preferably with some kind of katana-strike ish ring to it...

Unknown

Apr 27, 2014 at 02:24 AM

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Jules

Apr 27, 2014 at 04:05 AM

Erika Tarte said:

4) Road racing on a cross bike (my cross bike) is hard. Beast points to @Garrigan and @Eragot and all others who regularly do this.

Now off to recover w/ a burrito and white wine. Cheers!

You do realize that you're one of the ones who does this now, right? Sorry to hear about the crash Gwynna, hope you still go well tmrw!

Erika Tarte

Apr 27, 2014 at 10:16 PM

So sorry to hear about the crash, @Gwynna! The beast mentality of you MTB'ers amazes me. Hope all went well today! Race report? Also, in general, no moar crashes!

Erika Tarte

Apr 27, 2014 at 10:26 PM

@Jules #kissenakong !!

Jules

Apr 27, 2014 at 10:57 PM

Erika Tarte said:

@Jules #kissenakong !!

#kissenZilla ?

Erika Tarte

Apr 28, 2014 at 12:21 AM

@Jules, I like what you've done there but Kong is so classically NYC. There's always #bellelap #andthebeast.

Unknown

Apr 28, 2014 at 08:10 PM

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Unknown

Apr 28, 2014 at 08:11 PM

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Jeffrey White

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:24 AM

Ladies.

I feel justified in saying I want to see one of you in this.

Craig Zolan

Apr 30, 2014 at 01:23 PM

I think we should have someone in the leader's jersey and this jersey. Might as well aim high and run the tables...

EmilyAtwater

Apr 30, 2014 at 01:26 PM

The leader "gets" to wear that? No comment.

Meredith Martin

Apr 30, 2014 at 01:36 PM

I think we need to start supporting this trend of wearing a bustier over our jerseys. Stylish solutions to back pain? What the heck? But whatever. Since it's an image consulting company, maybe we can protest the image on the jersey.

Unknown

Apr 30, 2014 at 01:40 PM

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dstokes

Apr 30, 2014 at 01:43 PM

You could follow the lead of the NBA and wear it inside out.

Bruce van-Schalkwyk

Apr 30, 2014 at 02:25 PM

I liked this on FB, and here, because I think it's great they have a leader's jersey, it's great there's a women's field in this race, I'm stoked the race has sponsors and they're running the series again this year. The recognition is fantastic. I want to support that.

But I just don't get it. The woman who wears this jersey will be one of many who trained like a monster, in the sun, the rain, the cold, the heat, who made sacrifices to make it happen, who got up early on a Saturday morning, who went to be early on a Friday (probably). In short, a dedicated racer who has spilled sweat and tears and blood, like everyone else in that race.

So, pink piping? A tall, thin woman on the front with a sundress and a pretty purse. WTF. I'm kind of offended, and I think it's ridiculous what the women have to put up with. I'm sorry. The winner is breaking the very stereotype the graphic on the jersey portrays.

I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, but I'd like to suggest a plan. Win. Take that jersey. Wear it. Tell everyone how stoked you are that you won, that you got points, that there are sponsors. And then suggest a design change for next year. Use your power as a winner, as a cyclists, as a KCC teammate, to help direct this in the course we want to take. I'll support you.

And if you don't win, make the suggestion anyway. We absolutely want to keep sponsors. And I think we also need to help guide how women cyclists are recognized. I don't think we need to tell the sponsors this is crazy, I think we can suggest, wouldn't it be great if the graphic was. . . a cyclist, a logo, dear lord anything but what they have. No graphic at all would be fine.

Just one guy's opinion. Happy to hear others.

vlad

Apr 30, 2014 at 02:51 PM

Elena is Charlie's girlfriend. He promotes our races and is the best area promoter by far.

http://www.stylish-solutions.com/About-Elena.html
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stylish-Solutions/594694577214603

She's been gracious enough to sponsor this series (again). Why shouldn't her business be featured on the jersey? What is wrong with that? What's wrong with being a stylist? What's wrong with fashion?

Sometimes it seems like we're looking for a reason to be offended. Osmo ring a bell? These are legitimate businesses with honest approaches that support the sport we love.

Jeffrey White

Apr 30, 2014 at 02:55 PM

Are you guys kidding me, that thing is perfect. The stupider, the crazier, frankly the uglier, the BETTER. It's a leader's jersey, that's practically the point. No matter how fugly the leader's jersey is, everyone still covets/admires/wants to touch it.

Meredith Martin

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:16 PM

Yes, it's nice to have sponsors. Pink doesn't bother me. Ugly jerseys don't bother me. I love stylists (isn't our team made up of stylists?) and I love fashion -- that's not the issue. The issue is that the cartoonish logo of a barbie body on the front of a jersey is incongruous with the sport and promotes an objectified view of female beauty that is SO deeply imbedded in our culture that it appears to many to be "not a problem." As Bruce says "The winner is breaking the very stereotype the graphic on the jersey portrays." If the body were healthy and muscular, wearing a helmet, on a bike, whatever, that would be one thing. The only thing I can think of that might be similar is if the men's leader's jersey's had a Ken doll on it -- a regular, non-anatomically correct Ken doll. You won! Be proud to wear a castrated, helmet-haired cartoonish representation of your sex.

If I were looking for an image-consulting company, I would shy away from one that had that logo. I don't know what the deal was with Osmo, but I think sponsors are great.

This particular image, though just seems particularly earnest & non-ironic and therefore kind of odd to me.

http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/film-oppressed-majority

vlad

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:21 PM

You are a billboard. That is a fundamental truth to the history of the sport of cycling. The image on the jersey is not meant to be representative of the rider. That image was not drawn up for the racer.

EmilyAtwater

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:23 PM

The only thing offended is my personal sense of style because I think the font/logo is ugly. Otherwise I don't think anyone should take the "issue" too seriously. More power to ladies getting recognition. Whoever wins it can either embrace or subvert the stereotype, or just rock it because it is awesome. It's not a big deal. One girl's opinion.

EmilyAtwater

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:29 PM

[mic drop]

Meredith Martin

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:30 PM

@Vlad I totally agree. Love sponsors. Happy to have them. That's why I made mention of the castrated Ken doll. That's all. If you can find me a men's jersey with something potentially offensive to men on it, great. Like I said, sponsors are great. Just pointing out why this particular image might be offensive to women.

Jules

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:41 PM

You want offensive? Check out the font on the old KCC kit

EmilyAtwater

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:50 PM

Yeah but that's "vintage"

mugwump

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:52 PM

If my eyes don't deceive me, that's a much fancier jersey than the ones the guys get for leading their respective series. We get the cheapest ones around. You get to wear the premium.

Glori Campbell

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:54 PM

hi guys!

I am avoiding this one! But for something completely off topic....anyone know of some good routes/rides in the Ocean City, Maryland area? Or the eastern shore of MD? I'm heading there this weekend and looking for some nice rides!

Thanks!

dstokes

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:56 PM

@Jules. No comparison. We are talking social justice here, not aesthetics. This is a charged issue and made extremely complex by the Elena/Charlie nexus. Even if there were a consensus, I'm not sure there is a solution. But people who don't get what the issue is should probably go do some research.

Marc Bertucco

Apr 30, 2014 at 03:57 PM

mugwump said:

If my eyes don't deceive me, that's a much fancier jersey than the ones the guys get for leading their respective series. We get the cheapest ones around. You get to wear the premium.

JP and the rest of us who had to ride behind him are still scarred from his time in the translucent grey jersey shorts of the Master's Leader.

Bigger question for me. Who of our women's team is racing?

David Yang

Apr 30, 2014 at 04:07 PM

As far as I can see on the pre-reg page, Meredith is the one and only right now.

https://www.bikereg.com/Confirmed/23426

Ladies? Racing with a team mate is 10000% more fun!