# So Sheet hit the Fan on Pinkbike the other day...



## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

I don't know how many of you are active on Pinkbike, but a very interesting thing happened the other day.

In short: European downhill rider posts video of her riding with sexually themed intro. Chaos ensues in comment section.

Here's a link to the video/comments: Video: A Girl And Her Bike Are A Wonderful Thing Part Two by lindapaluc - Pinkbike

I'm curious what you ladies here think about this. Here was my comment:

_
"I don't understand why so many women feel that it is necessary to bring up their sexuality in circumstances that are inherently non-sexual (ie. mountain biking). For example, 99% of videos of males riding mountain bikes don't have any sexual themes, but a much larger percent of women's' videos do. In many of these cases, it's the WOMEN who are casting themselves in a sexual light. This does a great disservice to those women who want to be taken seriously for their ABILITY and not have their gender be brought up at all. I know that when I ride my bike, I want to be considered a mountain biker, not a "female mountain biker", or a "girl rider", or have my gender even mentioned.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in female empowerment and body positivity and all that ****. I also recognize that there are differences in gender, and that there are certain environments where it is ok to embrace sexuality. When I go out to the bars, yes I'm going to put on a short skirt and heels..because the goal their is of a sexual nature. But when mountain biking, the last thing I want is attention being drawn to the fact that I am a female.

I think if women want to level the playing field and be appreciated for their true ability, then they need to stop sexualizing themselves in environments where sex isn't involved."_

Discuss!


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## MtbRN (Jun 8, 2006)

Your comment was very well stated.
Honestly, when I am out riding my goals are to have fun, get a good workout, not crash, keep up with whoever I am riding with and feel I have ridden to the best of my abilities. The good days are when I accomplish all of that. I would prefer that my companions not perceive that I am slowing them down, but otherwise I'm not worried about how I am perceived by anyone. 
Maybe the women who made the video you are talking about were just having some fun with the subject matter. Not having seen the clip, I can't comment specifically. But I don't see any harm in it.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

The intro seemed kind of cheesy, but I liked the rest (most) of it.


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## DennisF (Nov 4, 2011)

A guy's perspective:

This video, as well as other sexualization of women in mountain biking (think Emily Batty posing in a bikini), isn't the same as a high school girl who lets it all hang out and sleeps around because she thinks her looks is all she has going for her. The accomplishments these women are judged solely by the stopwatch, and has nothing to do with how they look.

We do what we do with our bodies, which must be in tip-top shape. We are made in the image of God, and healthy bodies are attractive. I like the athletic body type. I think female athletes and especially female mountain bikers tend to be the most attractive women there are.

Remember, most of their fans are male. I don't think any less of Emily Batty for posing in her bikini. I guess most women aren't into looking at men as men are into looking at women, but I bet if Vincenzo Nibali were to pose shirtless for his female European fans, no one be upset about it.

If nothing else, female riders who pose for tasteful but sexy photos let other women know that you don't need DDs and an hourglass figure to be sexy.

That said, I think the intro to this video was just plain silly and stupid. It did not flow well into the rest of the video at all. It says "****ty" more than "sexy" to me. But perhaps if it had been Georgia Gould (more age-appropriate relative to me), WITHOUT the lollipop, I might feel differently.


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## sooshee (Jun 16, 2012)

Trailrider92, I think your comment was well thought out and on point!

I watched the video, and to me it just looks like an attempt to get more views and attention. Why else would you put that in there? And it's working, because people are watching it for the part added at the beginning, not really the riding that comes afterwards. Honestly, it's why I watched it - so I could give my opinion on it in this thread. Otherwise I would've never clicked on a video of a girl riding downhill.


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## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

May I chime in with another man's perspective?

I side with neither the prudes nor the senseless exhibitionists in most cases. I don't think that if one wishes to show their body for the sake of showing their body, they should be afraid to do so because of what the more conservative people think. Nobody is forcing them to watch anything they don't want to see. However, I also don't think that (semi) nudity offers any entertainment value to a viewer watching a sports video for the sake of seeing some real athletic talent.

There are many instances in which sexuality and athleticism or other talent are mixed appropriately and in which they aren't. Two examples that come to mind right away are the Lingerie Football League and one of the contestants on the last season of America's Got Talent. The LFL I don't think exploits women at all. They are true athletes who play with genuine ability, and fully understand that their sport gets more attention than a womens' league because of the "uniforms" than it would with jerseys and sport pants. Would a bikini league get the same attention without the genuine athleticism? Probably not. So that mix, I think is appropriate (Refer to my signature if you feel differently.). Then there was an opera singer on AGT last season who stripped off a robe to a string bikini in the middle of an opera performance. She had a great voice and a great body, but then even Howard Stern said in his critique that the stripping was unnecessary and detracted from the quality of the performance. That, to me, is gratuitous, inappropriate self-exploitation.

In this case, the poorly thought out intro had absolutely no relevance to the rest of the video. I think that she's a pretty woman and if she was posing nude with a bike and I was looking for naked women with bikes, yeah I'd love to see it and I'm not going to think any less of her as a person or an athlete for her choice to expose herself in that way. But in this case, I found her a lot more appealing demonstrating her athletic prowess than swinging her hair and licking a lollipop. She shouldn't need or do that to get any extra views and/or attention, and the type of attention that attracts should not be wanted if she wants to be taken seriously as an athlete instead of a model.


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## Glide the Clyde (Nov 12, 2009)

She has bigger balls than I do.


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

I saw this the other day, and posted it on one of the ladies cycling groups I subscribe to... The intro was cheesy as hell, but not that overtly sexualised - seriously... implied nude pseudo geek girl with overly large lollipop gets thrown a full-face and now shes downhilling? I can see why it would appeal to some, and not appeal to others. I thought it was pretty silly and out of place.

The rest of the clip was awesome - she's not going huge, shes not that fast, but shes having heaps of fun and you can tell. After the photo stills under the clip - I liked this bit...

_"So ladies, if you struggle with fear of trying downhill, grab a bike and do it, because you can!

With all love and joy,
Linda"_

And the cheesy intro was forgotten... enthusiasm, encouragement, keeping it light hearted and fun!


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

I always tongue a lollipop before I ride. Doesn't everyone?

Anyway... the vid is alternately stupid and OK and on another planet compared to my riding experiences. Which is about on par with most other bike vids out there. 

I'm currently getting geared up for my first fall night ride of the season tomorrow before the weather turns nasty. A buddy of ours has made some mods to his Ibis and wants me to test drive it for confirmation of a few things. My husband will be tied up taking our daughter to swim lessons while we're out dodging big wet piles of apple/plum/berry filled bear poop pies, lol..... role reversal FTW!


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Trailrider92 said:


> When I go out to the bars, yes I'm going to put on a short skirt and heels..because the goal their is of a sexual nature.


Boy. I must be old because I don't go to bars to have sex. I go to hang out with my friends and have a good time.

Lots of interesting comments. I don't get how we look like god though. I've never been to church and didn't realize that was a doctrine or something like that. I'm also not enjoying the either prude or exhibitionist comment. That is extreme and there's a ton of middle ground without making women feel like if they object to overt sexual content, then suddenly they are a prude. Lingerie football league. What a joke. The title alone speaks for itself. Let men hop around all oiled up in lacy underwear and play football then come here and say how it's not driven by marketing.


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

verslowrdr said:


> i always tongue a lollipop before i ride. Doesn't everyone?


hawt.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

Video: Deity - In the Groove with Tracy Moseley - Pinkbike

No gimmick needed...


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## jetboy23 (Jun 14, 2011)

Trailrider92 said:


> In many of these cases, it's the WOMEN who are casting themselves in a sexual light. This does a great disservice to those women who want to be taken seriously for their ABILITY and *not have their gender be brought up at all*. I know that when I ride my bike, *I want to be considered a mountain biker, not a "female mountain biker", or a "girl rider", or have my gender even mentioned*.
> 
> Discuss!


All said while posting in the Women's Lounge. And yet, there is no Men's Lounge. If you want to take sexuality out of the equation, it must be removed everywhere. Not just where you, i, he, she, or they say its ok to flaunt it and where we shouldn't.

BTW, the whole "sexual" intro portion of that video took 16seconds. And, i had already forgot about it in about 16seconds after that. 16 seconds of a 2min and 30sec video. All i noticed was a mountain biker shredding the trails much better than i can. SHE was awesome!


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

jetboy23 said:


> All said while posting in the Women's Lounge. And yet, there is no Men's Lounge.


That's called "the rest of the world". Thank you for playing...Next!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

> And yet, there is no Men's Lounge.


Oh yawn, that old argument.

What she said.


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## Sven Trials (Sep 15, 2005)

An old perv.. I mean guys perspective.. Intro was ok... Nothing wrong with cute girl being cute.. Understanding the transition from cute girl to kick as biker can be subtle or a swift kick in the crotch. My wife has always handed my ass to me biking wise. She is riding better at 50 than when we were dating 25 yrs ago. So don't judge the book/cover thing and enjoy the skill of the rider. Who cares what the sex is... Pretty girl is just a bonus..


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

gabrielle said:


> That's called "the rest of the world". Thank you for playing...Next!


Ha! Perfect.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

jetboy23 said:


> All said while posting in the Women's Lounge. And yet, there is no Men's Lounge. If you want to take sexuality out of the equation, it must be removed everywhere. Not just where you, i, he, she, or they say its ok to flaunt it and where we shouldn't.
> 
> BTW, the whole "sexual" intro portion of that video took 16seconds. And, i had already forgot about it in about 16seconds after that. 16 seconds of a 2min and 30sec video. All i noticed was a mountain biker shredding the trails much better than i can. SHE was awesome!


To be clear, this is the womens lounge and the environment is slightly different in here than elsewhere in the other subforums. This is to promote and support women in mountain biking who happens to still be the minority of riders out there. Thanks to mtbxplorer for resticking the thread that you should take a look at:

http://forums.mtbr.com/womens-lounge/womens-lounge-women-guys-read-183860.html

If you don't get that or understand why your post may offend, feel free to contact Gregg about it.


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

jetboy23 said:


> My post wasn't meant to offend. I was only trying to point out the irony.


We get plenty of that, as I said, in the rest of the world.



jetboy23 said:


> I think some girls should also pay attention to the guidelines in your linked thread.


It's the *womens* lounge, not the girls lounge. And the linked thread says, essentially, we make the rules here.



jetboy23 said:


> I try to think everyone is equal.


Try harder. Move along, please.


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

she's got some big kahones!!

Girls certainly ride different to boys...

I'd be extremely happy if I could do half of what she can do ^^


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## kjlued (Jun 23, 2011)

Another guy prospective

I don't think it is so bad. I mean it is a little cheesy in the beginning but on an artistic side, it is trying to show that she is still a soft feminine girly girl but can totally shred better than most guys. 

It could have been done a little less cheesy but it isn't perverted.


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

kjlued said:


> Another guy prospective


Soooo you're not a guy now? I'm confused.


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

I finally went and watched the video. Eh. Not as bad as I feared. It was poorly done, and lets face it, she didn't have to be naked, the point would have been better made with a cutesy dress on rather than a faux porn little girl act, but the riding was awesome and smooth and it made me smile. However I completely 100% understand how it could be offensive to women. After all, every day presents a new way for us to see gratuitous sex stuff and feel terrible about our selves and our bodies.

Having said that, would the guys who are injecting their opinions into this thread please back off. You are not trying to understand and you are guests here in the women's Lounge. Heck I never even moderate anymore but don't make me hit that button, BUSTER.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

To the guys with dangley bits that insist on posting in this forum:
STOP IT! Keep your unwanted nose out of here. If I receive complaints, you are out of here permanently.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

This vid popped up on my FB feed today. While it has zip-zero to do with mountain biking, it really resonated with me for other reasons related to this discussion. With humor, too.

Maddie & Tae - Girl In A Country Song - YouTube


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## neacail (May 18, 2013)

I don't find it offensive. I find it quite fun.

I'm a woman who works in a "non-traditional" field. For decades in the industry I work in women strived to not be noticed and to be "one of the boys." It could be dangerous to be noticed. Over the last two decades there has been a huge shift in attitudes: women are finally free to be themselves. I haven't heard of a hazing in at least ten years. My female colleagues wear everything from Louboutins to Birkenstocks on their feet. Some are heavily made up. Others always look freshly scrubbed. 

I'm content to be me, and I'm perfectly content to let Linda Paluc be herself. I think this is a great time to be a woman.


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