Trek launches female-only technician scholarship - and some men are apoplectic

What happens when they leave the  course and have to work in bike shops with predominantly male staff? Or are they only going to work in women's bike shops that only serve female customers? If women are avoiding mixed courses because they don't want to be with men, then that's their problem. Equally though, they should be able to go to mixed courses without fear of any kind of abuse.  But segregation is not the answer.

There are bound to be less female mechanics at the moment, because there are less female cyclists. As the numbers cycling increase, so will the number of mechanics. Cycling (certainly road cycling anyway) is generally a very accepting and welcoming community, composed mostly of those who are more socially mobile - the kind of guy that makes crude jokes and shares trump's "special handshake" is usually the kind of guy that wouldn't dare wear lycra or drive anything with less than a 2 litre engine.

To me it looks like a great initiative.

@dinosaurJR
Did it ever occurred to you that you might be the type of men that Trek want to shield these women from ?
With more than 10 posts on the subject, you sure looks like someone who always wants to have the last word.

I have no problems with this at all. If they want to run an all female course let them what harm does it do ?
No doubt there will be some who are apoplectic over this but who really cares, it's only a course and if they are better than men then that's tough on the men.

Christ almighty you lot are the worst.

I'd be all for getting more women into the industry.  But why are people so hung up about doing so?  If women really wanted to work as bike mechanics they would do so.

The reality is its a dirty, low paid and practically thankless job.  A world away from all these courses with brand new bikes in clean workshops.

Jobs like this and others similar are male dominated because most women don't want to do them.  Some do, which is great but they'll always be in the minority.  So whats the problem?

"sexist keyboard warriors"

Really?

"by Sarah Barth"

Now it makes sense.  Looks like road.cc has a sexist keyboard warrior writing articles.  Got a lot of comments which means a lot of page hits which undoubtedly makes the advertisers happy.  Chappeau.

seems to me this argument is moot - bike mechanic is a shit job, long hours, poorly paid - it's like seeing people argue over the right to be trained as a toilet cleaner!

Reading these threads reminds me how un down with the kids I actually am.

I'd love to simply celebrate this initiative and say well done trek, but there is something sticking in my throat.

Did I read it right that trek is funding these classes to the tune of 3000 dollars a throw?

If I did, then that's where I sadly get off. I utterly agree with providing segragated classes for women, men are dicks and I can see why breaking into a male dominated environment would be off putting.

However by funding these courses, trek are actively giving opportunities to someone not available to others purely on their gender... the very definition of discrimination.

I have a daughter and a son... now if either came to me asking to fund them to become a mechanic, I wouldn't, right now have the cash to do so... so essentially my sons quest to be a mechanic stops there... however, my daughter can get funded purely because she is a woman.

To me that's not what equality looks like.

Maybe I'm too blinkered by my balls.

That said, it would be good for one of them to live their mechanical dreams so well done trek!

Trek make a perfectly laudable decision to actively encourage more women into technical roles. A bunch of men get all antsy because they feel they are being discriminated against, even though the overwhelming majority of bike technicians are men. 

Really? You lot are *proper* hilarious. The fact that it was started by someone with the username dinosaur leads me to suspect satire.

Fuck me what a depressing set of posts.

God, how much of a saddo would you have to be to feel threatened by a woman getting a hand to become a bike mechanic. 

In my opinion these single gender courses are an admission of failure on Trek's part.

If there is a lot of demand for female only courses then it will show that Trek's previous courses were being actively avoided by women.

Trek would then have to ask themselves how they allowed such an intimidating culture to develop on their courses.

These single gender courses shouldn't be seen as a definitive solution but merely as a step towards successful mixed courses.

my daughter (27 years )  is an engineer, works in a refinery and she's reponsible of 4 units; not especially a woman friendly environment. She didn't have any special treatment or consideration because she's small, young and  female. Why would have had one? Ya want to know her nickname ? Little Stalin.

White males... The only group you can legally discriminate against.

DinosaurJr

jay Lou and murph are #sadface 

they ask you to stop 

The purpose is to increase interaction as the current situation is woeful at only 10%. Merit arguments only apply in isolation  in a pure meritocracy, of which I know none of in history. 

Your example is is a good one. Let's take this working class workshop in Scotland full of rough lads. Do you think women of all backgrounds would feel at ease there? Sincerely? Training for such places will be somewhat similar to the workshop itself, as the same sort of people populate it.

You refer to these women as snowflakes and buttercups, but I can tell you straight up that these rough working class Scottish guys would feel equally uneasy if I stuck them somewhere like say a city finance group interview. A dinner at legal chambers, etc.

So who are the 'buttercups' then?

Easy to talk big when you stay in your comfort zone, but I've seen how horribly uncomfortable burly, tattooed, rough working class Scottish blokes fare in mixed environments, likes planes. Confidence shattered. Sit and squirm in their seats. Can't be all shouty now,  mates aren't about. Just a bunch of judgemental strangers who act and dress nothing like you. 

Just as guys born into council estates and may not have high self esteem need help with social mobility, so too do women need help with feeling accepted into technical disciplines. So too do minorities feeling accepted into massively predominantly white workplaces and sports. 

We we need to bring out  the best in people. Accept each other's causes. Not cast knee jerk scorn at anything that isn't our bag.  

I think this course seriously discriminates against those who have absolutely no interest in bike mechanics whatsoever, it's an outrage!