"You throw like a girl!"
Hearing that'll ruin any boy's day. I heard it again, today, except that it wasn't directed at me. Then again, I wasn't throwing anything.
If I were to throw anything, would I throw like a girl?
I just got another catalogue from Terry Bicycles. Some of their products are printed or emblazoned with the logo "Ride Like A Girl!"
That got me to wondering whether one rider in the Tour de France peloton ever told another, "Vous pedale comme une fille!" What, exactly, would "pedalling like a girl" look like?
I remember the time a couple of years ago when I passed a couple of guys on Greenpoint Avenue, just after crossing the bridge from Long Island City. They caught up to me when I stopped for the light at the intersection with Manhattan Avenue. One of them yelled, "You ride real good for a lady!"
Then, there was the time--not too long ago--when I was riding down Van Sinderen Avenue in East New York. A bunch of young guys and a couple of slightly-older men looked like they were having a campfire, sans the campfire, on their bikes. A couple of the younger guys yelled, "Hey, babe." Another added, "Wanna ride with us?" As I passed, I heard one guy say, "That's no chick. She rides too fast!"
So...Fast women aren't supposed to ride bikes? Hmm...Well, I'm not a fast woman. First of all, I just ate. And I am--and always have been-- monogamous, if serially.
Now let me get this right: I might ride like a girl because I ride real good for a lady, but I'm too fast of a woman to ride like a chick. Now, if I can formulate a relevant syllogism from all that, I might get tenure someplace--unless, of course, some student actually understands anything I said.
Besides...How can you be offended to hear "You play like a girl" after you've seen Mia Hamm? And why would "You ride like a girl" stick in your craw if you've seen Rebecca Twigg or Paola Pezzo on their mounts?
The irony is that all of the time I spent riding with guys so I could ride like them, only better, actually helped me to my current path. So where will riding like a woman take me?
I remember the time a couple of years ago when I passed a couple of guys on Greenpoint Avenue, just after crossing the bridge from Long Island City. They caught up to me when I stopped for the light at the intersection with Manhattan Avenue. One of them yelled, "You ride real good for a lady!"
Then, there was the time--not too long ago--when I was riding down Van Sinderen Avenue in East New York. A bunch of young guys and a couple of slightly-older men looked like they were having a campfire, sans the campfire, on their bikes. A couple of the younger guys yelled, "Hey, babe." Another added, "Wanna ride with us?" As I passed, I heard one guy say, "That's no chick. She rides too fast!"
So...Fast women aren't supposed to ride bikes? Hmm...Well, I'm not a fast woman. First of all, I just ate. And I am--and always have been-- monogamous, if serially.
Now let me get this right: I might ride like a girl because I ride real good for a lady, but I'm too fast of a woman to ride like a chick. Now, if I can formulate a relevant syllogism from all that, I might get tenure someplace--unless, of course, some student actually understands anything I said.
Besides...How can you be offended to hear "You play like a girl" after you've seen Mia Hamm? And why would "You ride like a girl" stick in your craw if you've seen Rebecca Twigg or Paola Pezzo on their mounts?
The irony is that all of the time I spent riding with guys so I could ride like them, only better, actually helped me to my current path. So where will riding like a woman take me?
My wife's family are very athletic. Two of her cousins were offered pro-baseball contracts (which both turned down). Lorna played second base on elite softball teams well into her thirties. I married her because I liked her grace turning a double-play. Like a girl.
ReplyDeleteRakhoiTV là nơi tổng hợp các kênh xem bóng đá trực tuyến cực kỳ uy tín, các bạn vào xem bóng đá trực tiếp hd thỏa thích với tốc độ siêu nhanh
ReplyDeleteXem bóng đá trực tiếp qua các kênh Rakhoi TV chúng tôi cung cấp chính là những địa chỉ tin cậy khi các bạn cần xem một trận đấu, hay một giải đấu nào, bất kỳ lớn nhỏ trên thế giới
ReplyDeleteThis piece highlights the empowering spirit of cycling, regardless of gender. "Riding like a girl" reclaims strength and skill, proving stereotypes wrong. As we celebrate all riders, let’s also ensure accessibility for everyone, including Rides for Seniors, enabling them to embrace the joy and freedom that cycling brings at any age