Scott Reeder wasn't "ascribing a gender to an inanimate object." A "girl's bike" describes the person riding the bike, not the bike itself. The salesperson was an idiot as well as a jerk.
Scott Reeder wasn't "ascribing a gender to an inanimate object." A "girl's bike" describes the person riding the bike, not the bike itself. The salesperson was an idiot as well as a jerk.
Step through and step over bikes are suitable for anyone / everyone. I never really understood why 'boys' bikes were designed to inflict the greatest pain (and possible injury) to their riders in cases of accidents and the like.
Two guesses on the design: The additional bar provided extra strength to the frame. Manufacturers assumed that boys would be harder on their bikes, so they needed bikes with stronger frames.
Or, maybe designating some bikes for boys and some for girls enlarged the market: As a kid, I would never have ridden the perfectly good bike that my older sister had outgrown, so my parents purchased a new bike for me.
Or, it could be that it was not "ladylike" for a female to throw her leg over the crossbar (or it was difficult for a lady wearing a skirt to do so), thus the "step-through" style bicycle was born.
I thought the design of the "girls" bike was to accommodate girls and women who wore skirts back when women rarely wore slacks. I don't think it was appropriate for women to "step over" wearing a dress in those days.
One does not often get to use the term "slacks" which in itself is probably gender incorrect since Wendy ascribed it to women. Wow is this ever tiring.
Scott Reeder wasn't "ascribing a gender to an inanimate object." A "girl's bike" describes the person riding the bike, not the bike itself. The salesperson was an idiot as well as a jerk.
Step through and step over bikes are suitable for anyone / everyone. I never really understood why 'boys' bikes were designed to inflict the greatest pain (and possible injury) to their riders in cases of accidents and the like.
Me neither! I don't understand that design at all.
"Boy's bikes" are structurally more sound than step-through bikes (generally).
Two guesses on the design: The additional bar provided extra strength to the frame. Manufacturers assumed that boys would be harder on their bikes, so they needed bikes with stronger frames.
Or, maybe designating some bikes for boys and some for girls enlarged the market: As a kid, I would never have ridden the perfectly good bike that my older sister had outgrown, so my parents purchased a new bike for me.
Or, it could be that it was not "ladylike" for a female to throw her leg over the crossbar (or it was difficult for a lady wearing a skirt to do so), thus the "step-through" style bicycle was born.
That makes sense. Thanks for your input, Jay and Jim!
I thought the design of the "girls" bike was to accommodate girls and women who wore skirts back when women rarely wore slacks. I don't think it was appropriate for women to "step over" wearing a dress in those days.
That makes more sense than the two guesses I posted. I bet you are correct.
One does not often get to use the term "slacks" which in itself is probably gender incorrect since Wendy ascribed it to women. Wow is this ever tiring.