Creating a Body-Inclusive Cycling Community

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Creating a Body-Inclusive Cycling Community – Streetsblog Chicago Streetsblog Chicago

Chicago, IL - Last month I attended a webinar on ways to create cycling communities that are welcoming to people of all sizes. “Fat Bikers: Creating a Size Inclusive Bike Community” was lead by Marley Blonsky and Kailey Kornhauser. Marley was featured in a Washington Post article about fat bikers. Kailey wrote for Bicycling magazine about her experiences as a fat biker in, “I’m a Fat Cyclist — And I Don’t Need to ‘Fix’ My Body.”

During the pandemic it’s hard to say when we will be able to go on group rides again. But this information can be helpful for ride organizers and bike shop owners looking to create a space that is body-positive.

The webinar began with a few ground rules. These rules can be extended to group rides and cycle shops to create a more welcoming environment:

1. Fat is not a bad word. The speakers acknowledged that everyone’s relationship with the word “fat” is different. Some people see fat as a descriptor, just like “tall”,“short”, or “red-headed,” while other people are offended by the word. If you’re unsure of whether or not you’ll offend someone, “plus-sized” or “people/person of size” should be fine. A good rule of thumb is to mirror the other person’s language.
2. No diet talk. Comments such as referring to the ride as a way to “work off” a meal fall under diet talk.
3. No body shaming. Unfortunately I’ve seen a lot of body shaming within the biking Twitter community I’m a part of. Lots of people poke fun at people of size and comment that if they biked for transportation they wouldn’t be fat, or imply that all fat people are “lazy.” These comments suggest that being fat is some kind of personal failure. A person’s body size or weight has no bearing on their worth as a human being.
4. Beware of coded language. Beware of your assumptions and judgements around people with larger bodies. An example of coded language is, “You’re so body positive!” or “It’s so good you’re taking care of yourself.” These things are rarely said to thin people.
5. Celebrate your body for what it can do, not what it can’t.

After the speakers discussed the ground rules, they introduced the concept of ...

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Comment: Sebastian Baptiste Huydts
Perhaps (as a bent-rider myself) we could make a plug for recumbent bikes. A good part of the problem is that bike design has concentrated on making the bike lighter, fancier, but that—with all due respect to John's suggestions—the thing is an ergonomic fright for many people. It puts stress on your neck, arms, and butt area, and that combined with Chicago's "rustic" streets makes for a bad combo. Recumbents (two or three wheels) are widely for sale nowadays (in Niles there's an awesome bike shop who sells them, Amlings Cycle) and increasingly affordable, a fraction of the cost of acquiring and maintaining a car.