You are reading a single comment by @enid and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@enid
So ladies, I've recently been trying to find myself some work as a mechanic which has led to me spending an awful lot of time trawling around bike shops and having some rather interesting experiences.
As someone with a feminist background and some awesome male friends, I often forget what 'real' people are like and the attitudes they have. I've had some pretty shitty experiences with bike shops in the past treating me like a complete imbecile, but I thought this time armed with my City and Guilds and a lot more knowledge they might treat me a little better.
Mostly, I've been met with disbelief, being asked if I can lift up bikes or if I really really can do the stuff I say I can. My personal favourite being 'you should wear jeans and t-shirts, we don't want you getting your dress dirty(!)'
But there have been some shops that have been great, and taken me at face value and believed I can do the things I say I can and taken me on for trial days and offered me some odd work.
So what experiences have you ladies had in bike shops? Why do you think the men that work in them are often so hostile? And maybe we could start a list of awesome lady friendly bike shops?