After a certain Italian bicycle manufacturer launched an e-bike earlier this week, they faced backlash for their casually sexist marketing. To be fair, the press release we received from Pinarello (or PinarellNO as it became on social media) by that point had no mention of women or “couple riders,” but their website told a different story. Pinarello has since apologized and removed the offending marketing material, but not before it made the rounds online.
And so, rather than focusing on a brand that is doing things wrong, we thought why not highlight one that seems to be doing things right?
Last week, All-City Cycles quietly announced their special edition cycling cap meant to support the International Women’s Bicycle Messenger Association. According to their mission statement, the WBMA “exists to develop and support a network of women/trans/femme (WTF) folks within local and international bike messenger communities. Our mission is to increase the visibility of women, trans and femme couriers and unify them around the world.”
To help them with their efforts, All-City is donating a chunk of the proceeds from the sale of this rad cap directly to the WBMA. Made in Italy, the one-size-fits-most cap sells for $28 and would make a great gift for the holidays.
WBMA Goals (provided by All-City)
- Equality: Through actively showcasing women/trans/femme identified people employed in the industry and participating in events, we can positively build and support progress in cultural norms. We support a move towards equal hiring processes, equal prizes at events, and the creation of standards for organizing races which include and celebrate non-cis-male participants.
- Empowerment: Through WBMA sponsored prizes, incentives and events, we can encourage more WTF folks to be couriers and to compete in races, both locally and internationally. We will build a space where women who are already active working and racing are able to encourage new messengers to race and to organize.
- Networks: Often times there are only a few women working as messengers within a city, which can sometimes be alienating or discouraging. Finding like-minded folks who have had similar experiences is powerful and really fun. We are building a forum, both online and in-person at events, where these experiences can be discussed and shared.
