Gravel Culture: Pride
Posted By Gravel Union
On 9 July 2021
We want Gravel Union to be a celebration of everything that’s good about gravel riding and that includes being welcoming to everyone and non-discriminatory. Emma looks into what more we could do to make gravel riding as inclusive as possible.
Just in case it escaped your attention, June was Pride month. A celebration of all things LGBTQIA+, it’s often perceived as a blaze of rainbow flags and ribbons, parties and a carnival atmosphere. But, Pride is actually a protest. I know what you’re thinking, what on earth has this got to do with cycling, and more to the point, what’s it got to do with gravel riding?
I wasn’t going to write this piece as I almost didn’t see the point. I didn’t want us to be jumping on the bandwagon like many other brands, with someone in marketing suggesting that we slap rainbows on it to look cool. It didn’t sit well with me. I also know that gravel riders are decent people and that the slightest suggestion of any intolerance would be shot down in flames. Taking some positive action is far more important than a quick social media post. But then one Saturday morning, a text arrived from one of my colleagues.
“Did you know there isn’t even one openly gay man in the World Pro Tour? In 700 riders, not one openly gay man. Statistically, that’s an impossibility”. I was out bikepacking around the Lake District at the time and the headspace made me reconsider, which is why I’m writing this piece.
The more I thought about it, the more it saddened me. Thinking about all the events I go to, I’ve been known to make the odd joke about the “great sea of straight white men”. They’re all reasonable and accepting - if they weren’t I’d have verbally ripped them to shreds by now. However, this isn’t the point. Ultimately, what does it matter what anyone’s sexuality is? Surely, we’re all here to just enjoy our love of gravel riding and not who we chose to love? It reminds me of the old jokes about “now tell me, when did you first realise you were straight?”
However maybe that is exactly the point. Gravel is widely considered to be the friendliest place in cycling. The anything goes/ride what you like attitude. A breakdown of all the silly rules which sadly seem to govern other disciplines of cycling. Yet, still, it’s really rather straight, which is an impossibility. I’ve never known anyone not be accepted into the gravel world, however, this isn’t enough. What are we doing to reach out to people who might not feel comfortable?
If anywhere can be the most welcoming bit of cycling, it has to be our gravel world? I’ve been involved in all sorts of different cycling worlds over the years, but I feel most at home in the gravel world. The great joy of gravel being that what you ride, or wear, or where you come from, just doesn’t matter. It’s purely about the enjoyment of getting out and making new friends on the trail. A celebration in itself of diversity and the antithesis of many other genres of cycling.
If the humble bicycle can be a symbol of protest then we have a duty to keep it as a symbol of protest. Just as Pride is a protest, for every kid who thinks that it’s a secret too shameful to ever admit, we have a duty to let them know that we’re allies for each other. We need to actively reach out.
Companies within cycling are changing. I don’t think I can write this piece without giving a mention to WTB. Just go onto their website and pretend you’re buying a saddle. Whoever put that together needs a round of applause! Many others have signed the Cycling Industry Pledge from Radical Adventure Riders. Do have a look at their Gravel Squad for more information about how to get involved.
Throughout lockdown I’ve been enjoying watching PriDE OUT growing, from just a handful of riders based in Manchester in the north-west of England, they’ve now extended their reach across the whole of the UK and have been petitioning the governing bodies to actively challenge the lack of diversity in our sport as well as organising regular ride outs from the growing collection of regional PRiDE OUT groups.
I certainly don’t have all the solutions. All I can do is to suggest some ways in which we can make our gravel world even more accepting. Imagine you’re the minority and think how that makes you feel. Visibility is so important. If you can see someone you identify with, it makes joining in with a group so much easier. Try and make some positive change yourself - if you hear banter that you know to be offensive, shoot it down. Reach out to friends and drag them out on a gravel ride. It’s only with actions that we can create change and enable us to be warm and welcoming for everyone.