FEATURE


THE GOOD AND BAD OF THE BIKE INDUSTRY


There are many reasons each of us works in the industry. Everyone has their own motivation.


Look around at any event, trade show or many workplaces in the bike industry and I’m sure you’ll agree that we’re not the most diverse. But there has been change, things are slowly improving.


But this isn’t about blame, it’s about experience. Good and bad. We asked women about their experience of working in the bike industry, and we hope that sharing it highlights what’s good and where there’s room for improvement.


VECTOR IMAGE: MELITAS, SHUTTERSTOCK “It took me a long time to get over my imposter syndrome as a mechanic, and this has to be in part due to feeling like I didn’t really belong. Working with other women


and gender-diverse mechanics has led to beautiful connections and ways of working and learning together that I now really appreciate, and this experience has made me more secure in my position.


That said, my (male) boss in my last job played an absolutely crucial role in my learning and development as a mechanic and industry professional. He always had my back and would not hesitate to send customers my way whilst praising my expertise. He would also step in to support me where it was necessary. One of the moments that really sticks with me as an example of sexism that really got my back up was when I was working solo in the Rapha Workshop. I was behind the workshop counter, clearly staffing the shop, and a guy walked in, looked at me and said “Oh, is the mechanic not in today?”. I was so angry and all I could think to do was muster all the professionalism I had in order to prove that women mechanics exist and are at least as good, if not better than anyone else.” - Bike Mechanic, 5+ years in industry


50 | April 2025


www.bikebiz.com


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