Having written a little about the correlation between appearance and bicycle in the female of the species I thought I'd best expand on one of the tribes I mentioned- the Racer Girls. I include in this category females riding racers, road bikes, single speeds and most especially fixies. The Fixie Girls are in fact the purest expression of this genus, which all members aspire to be.
Racer Girls wouldn't be seen dead on anything as clunky as a hybrid, or as 'twee' as a Pashley. Edgy is everything. They have adopted the Lycra Lads mantra of reducing air friction, but only as a side effect of a streamlined East End aesthetic. The jeans are tight, the colours are neutral or neon, the hair is short, blunt and (this season) white/grey. Long limbs and the next The xx on their iphone headphones completes the look. And that is it. Sleek, sharp, a little bit scary. No helmet, ever. I have no idea where they store all the crap I seem to need to lug about with me in a fat pannier. Do they never need to change? Surely they do some kind of creative job that requires a MacBook? Obviously they can save room on carrying an actual book by tucking a slim graphic novel in their back pocket, but everyone needs a wallet at least. The lack of baggage never ceases to amaze me.Perhaps the defining feature of a Racer Girl is that they pack light.
Agyness Deyn would be the archetypal Racer Girl, except that she rides a Pashley. I wonder if she knows she's in the wrong tribe?
"I have no idea where they store all the crap I seem to need to lug about with me in a fat pannier." Exactly!! I have to haul my pannier around, looking hugely uncool I'm sure..but how else do I get my laptop, handbag, jacket and stuff home?! Loving these Cycle Tribe posts!
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