Bikes are for Bitches (and Ladies)

WTF's historic first session, April 28, 2009WTF (Women/Trans/Friends) is a workshop that existed to address the fact that, hey, the field of mechanics is dominated by men. And that being the case, sometimes, the less macho among us need a little fresh air. We need to feel comfy being feminine, gender neutral, or otherwise not-quite-so dudely, and STILL be wrenching. It's no jab to guys—it's just that sometimes, you need to band together when you're the minority. It's just relieving. So this is supposed to give a leg-up to whomever may feel less inclined to come to the shop during open hours due to the double obstacle of a) not knowing how to do it yourself and b) being one of the few non-dudes in the shop. At least we can knock a) out of the way so you can barrel through b) like it was nothing at all, you empowered and skillful person, you.

The Lowdown

This time it's going to be a course that will assist in your efforts to strip down your bike, piece by piece, stare at its bloody guts, reassemble that sucker and get it rolling like you never knew it could. You can come to any and all sessions you want to, and if you've been to one before it will be highly recommendable that you come back and help teach yet more people how to do this: you'll soon be an expert in bike-mechanics as well as gender relations and the creation of a safe space. Boo-yah. There will likely also be copious amounts of hanging out, punk rock, literature-producing, and patriarchy-crushing. Watch out.

The Name

Shea kicking a Peugot into shape, Oct. 2007 So maybe the original name, Bikes Are For Bitches, failed to draw a certain crowd—or failed to draw anything but a certain crowd? So the name changed to WTF, a name which came from the San Francisco Bike Kitchen. It addresses both the idea of drawing Women, Transgender, and Friends (used to be "femme," but this seems more inclusive, and cleared up the confusing and complex role of gender in progressive grassroots organizations like this one. WTF was a gender-positive space where you could share your experiences in the bicycling world and learn how to fix your bike.This group used to be a women-only gathering, but with some time, thought, and dialogue, it became apparent that the thing was about the interface: it had to be a two-sided plan in order to benefit its members. So one of the foci became about the question "How can we make the spankin' new bike collective as conducive to equal-opportunity wrenching as possible?" It's about getting all of us to respect different styles, approaches, and sensitivities to create an environment where we're all still psyched to rock the bike at the end of the day.

The Goal

To make wrenching more accessible to the female, trans, and genderqueer people of Davis and surrounding areas, and to create a time and space within The Davis Bike Collective that is a righteous, gender-conscious zone.

The Hope

That non-dudes will feel more encouraged to join the congregation (and the ministry!!!), get greasy, and get their hands on their own bike and lives!

Photos

2007-09-22 13:12:27   This sounds brilliant. I'll be your student! :D —NumiaCairaguas

2007-09-26 19:36:54   wish I could go... —PxlAted

2007-10-03 22:42:04   UPDATE: Check out this Thursday's Aggie for a feature on BR4B!!! Check out the bad ass bitches on bikes (and pixies and trikes!) —SiobhanBraybrook

2008-07-27 15:18:41   Sounds like a lot of fun—I'll have to drop by soon! —DanaSullivan

2010-07-14 16:11:00   This is genius, I went for the first time this week and it was awesome!! Will definitely be there again while I'm working on my new bike. =] —TrishAng