Cycling UK seeing sense

[PauliesWalnuts]

I don't doubt there isn't a need for an inclusive awards, but given the number of women who don't ride due to women-specific obstacles (kit, bike frames, traffic, abuse, safety etc) it's good that we've got an awards to ourselves:

'Do we need to exclude people even more?' – Cycling UK's 100 Women in Cycling criticised for not accepting nominations for trans women | Cycling Weekly

Emily Chappell's newsletter was a lengthy essay on the subject.
Summary: what about the men. Horrid Cycling UK.

I’ve written to the organisers to thank them because I bet they’re getting a pile on from the TAs.

Yes it is a bit of a pile on mostly from women within the cycling community making statements of disappointment about this on LinkedIn or returning their awards from previous years.

Emily Chappell's position doesn't surprise me in the least. Lesbians are consistently the most vocal TRAs in my experience. Emily has also been consistently opposed to British Cycling's policy on trans athletes - perhaps she believes that just because she is faster than any man in her chosen discipline, then any woman who objects to men in their events should just try harder? Maybe Sarah Ruggins believes the same.

I'm a member of Cycling UK (I used to be a member back in the early 1980s when it was still the Cyclists' Touring Club!) and have written to them to thank them as I understand that they are getting a lot of pushback from the TRAs.

Omg, the hyperbole from Emily!

https://emilychappell.substack.com/p/setting-an-example

I’m genuinely a bit heartbroken that an organisation I care so much about has taken this step, which will unquestionably affect trans people’s access to the cycling community, at a time when they need it more than ever.
Emily, it is just a certificate. Even then, you have to request the certificate! I was thrilled to be on the list myself a few years ago. But it's not that deep. Being on the 100 Women in Cycling list isn't a permit to ride more miles. It's a list of women who have friends who have done nice stuff and who have clubmates who are good with their words. It's a very nice list, but it is just a list. That's it.

Most of the time, sex of riders doesn't matter on mixed-sex social club rides. On more competitive rides or audaxes I've been annoyed when a TIM has elbowed me out of an echelon or off a Strava top ten, but I suppose neither of those situations bother Emily.

You have to wonder what women like Emily do when faced with real situations where sex matters. Emily was on the desk for the women's dorms on London-Edinburgh-London at Northstowe this year. What would she have done, faced with one of the TIMs? Because there was certainly at least one TIM on LEL.

The clarity of language and availability of women's dorms was one thing that gave me confidence to give LEL a go this year (even if most of us didn't get very far). I very much doubt that Emily Chappell reads Mumsnet. But if you are reading, Emily, I would very much like to know what gives you the right to take my consent where it has not been given. What would you have done when you were sitting on the desk of the women's dorm overnight at Northstowe, if a TIM had asked for a bed? Would you have let a man, however he identifies, sleep in the women's dorm beside me?

Sorry about the rant. I'm so cross.

In other news, I have been given a generic email address that will make it through to Cycling UK CEO, Sarah Mitchell. Is it a good idea to share here?

I don't really do social media - spend too much time riding my bike - so not sure if sharing the email address (it's a generic one, doesn't go to anyone in particular) is just likely to lead to even more unpleasantness for Cycling UK.

Example # N+1 that trans makes people stupid.

Could you pm me the email address please.
Whilst aware of Ms Chappell’s position, her recent newsletter subjects around matters affecting the female body, led me to hope. Mistake clearly.
The LEL TIM was fairly obvious from a distance.

@CyclingSam succinctly put! It's so frustrating that she can write NAMLT pieces like this https://emilychappell.substack.com/p/not-all-men but can't see (doesn't want to look?) behind the Scooby Doo mask.

@Brevet1000 PM sent! Yes, I'm disappointed in Emily too. I know my situation above is hypothetical, but only just for me and it may well have been an issue for other female LEL riders. The TIM I met (sounds like probably the same guy you met) was long gone by the time Emily was on the desk at Northstowe; had she been actually faced with putting him in a women's dorm, probably something would have clicked. Probably.
I feel so betrayed. As a cyclist, she was an idol for me. It's left me sick and emotional to think that she might have volunteered my consent.

Just noticed that someone who I worked with within cycling who was on the 2024 list has requested to be removed and posted her response on Facebook. She was on there for inclusivity so not really surprised but disappointed. I will be leaving a message on her page.

I truly don’t understand why these women are so blind to this issue. Emily Chappell was also an inspiration and role model to me, but I rarely have time to read her newsletters, so this one passed me by. I nominated six women this year for the Cycling UK list, and I know at least two of them will be featured. I will be so upset for them if their recognition is tainted by activists rejecting their places and tarnishing this important initiative. My guess is that this will be the last year it is delivered, and it will be even harder for women to see who they want to be.

I am getting so frustrated at women who just can’t seem to see that losing women-only spaces is an issue. Well, its prompted me to join Cycling UK this lunchtime anyway.

Yeah it’s all very disappointing. I’ve been following the various LinkedIn posts of women asking to be removed from this or previous year’s lists and congratulating each other on taking a moral stand of ‘standing up for all women’ and some of whom I genuinely like and respect. However just feel annoyed that they are essentially attempting to cancel the recognition of women’s achievements both this year and previous years. The silence elsewhere has been deafening, no one with any voice has stood up and defended it. Even, the CEO of Bikeability trust criticised but at least didn’t go as far asking to be removed herself.I did try on one closed group to defend Cycling UK and suggested it was likely a pragmatic decision but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

I think changing the awards in future to a diversity/community champion is probably the way to go as cycling does have a wider inclusion problem. Feeling very frustrated with the cycling industry just now - continually ignored by men and now I feel gaslit by the women over this.
I also feel pretty annoyed at the pile on particularly by the cycling media especially Cycling Weekly punching down when it is not really paragon of diversity and inclusion.

@Camelos Criticism from Bikeability CEO is a big surprise. I'm quite shocked. She seemed pleased about being on the 100 Women in Cycling at the time. Was that on LinkedIn? I don't do LinkedIn (got nothing to link!), and can't see anything without an account.

I always thought that the 100 Women in Cycling was a list that couldn't last. 100 is a lot of women to find each year. It was nice to be on the list, but I really felt they must be scraping the barrel by including me! Horrid if it has to end on a note like this, but it was always going to be something with a limited timeframe. I wonder why Cycling UK felt the need to put a statement out about going with the SC judgement - very much doubt anyone would have noticed otherwise!

Why do women take stances that cause damage to women as a group?

Suicidal empathy
a term used primarily in social and political commentary (coined by scholar Gad Saad) to describe an excessive or misdirected application of compassion that ultimately undermines a society's cohesion, values, and security.

My forthcoming book Suicidal Empathy further examines the descent to madness by highlighting the inability to implement optimal decisions when our emotional system is tricked into an orgiastic hyperactive form of empathy, deployed on the wrong targets. This is how the rights of a minuscule minority of trans women (i.e., biological males) trample the rights of actual women in athletic competitions. Gal Saad

Cycling Weekly, those well known feminists!
Exhibit A from 2017 (when the image is approved).

I've written to CUK, to express my support for the women only awards, the importance of women only awards and please can they continue.

I still don't understand why some women (NAWALT 😉) are so keen to put men first. Mind you I also don't understand how people deny biology either!

@YerWot Yes but possibly on X also. This is Emily Cherry’s post. It definitely is the most balanced one I’ve seen compared with the rest. My only problem is last sentence of the first paragraph. I think I must be the biggest under achiever in the world of cycling having never been on the list 🤣

Last year, I was honoured to be named one of Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling – a list that recognises women who encourage and empower others to experience the joy of cycling. With so many inspirational and hardworking champions of the cause to choose from, I was excited to see who would make this year’s list. But I was sad to see the 2025 list’s trans-exclusionary selection criteria, which are gatekeeping transgender and non-binary cycling champions from being recognised.

I am deeply passionate about enabling more people to cycle. Cycling gives children joy, delivering confidence and skills that will last a lifetime. Inclusion, impact and innovation have guided my leadership approach to take action to reduce barriers to cycling participation and ensuring that anyone who wishes to access cycle training is able to. I believe everyone should receive the same opportunities, from cycling to recognition.

I believe Cycling UK serves an important mission, to enable and inspire people from all backgrounds and abilities to enjoy the benefits of cycling: this vision can and must include trans and non-binary people. I hope to see next year’s list take a new approach, so that all women and non-binary people can be included.

I would love to see a future list of 100 Champions of Cycling!

Emily is an out lesbian. Survey after survey has shown that lesbians are the biggest trans allies (other than trans people themselves). My (incredibly cautious, for fear of getting my head bitten off) questioning of this among friends has led me to the conclusion that it is a combination of identifying a shared oppressor (straights), and a vehement loathing of anything (gender critical beliefs in this case) associated with political lesbianism.

No, no, no. Please don't accuse lesbians of this.

That’s not my experience. All the lesbians I know (and I worked in elite sport for 15 years so I know a fair few!) are pretty TERFy. Can you cite your sources/surveys?

@Camelos aww! here, I made you a certificate.

edit: this is the first time I've tried to attach a picture, and it says it's under review. I hope it passes the test!

Section 4 of this YouGov survey: https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/45983-what-do-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-brito

I agree lesbians in sport are more likely to be TERFy though.

@YerWot Thank you ☺️