bikewonder
06-07-2007, 02:04 PM
Hello everyone, thanks for joining us last month. If you weren't able to make it here are the notes from the discussion on the bike industry.
Also, we will have another meeting on June 20th 6-8pm at the Kennedy School - Community Room. Feel free to join us and bring names of companies you would like to write letters to about women and cycling (See below in next steps). Also we will be working on a plan for addressing bike buyer/owner outreach, like how to inform cyclists of the rules of the road.
Cheers, Janis, Barb and Alison
PS- Questions? Feel free to contact Janis at janis.mcdonald@pdxtrans.org
May 2007 Women for Bikes Forum
We brainstormed topics that women in the industry needed from us and that we (general public) wanted from to communicate to the industry:
Product development –
Technical aspects – industry assumes incorrectly that women don’t need/want all those techy things.
Sizing – not consistent with other types of clothing – e.g. xl bike short fits m-lg woman
Look/Appearance – color, design – pink and pastels are not the only colors for women’s wear
Shops and industry have female employees – sales, design, writers
Want to be treated as serious market –
Advertising
Recognition as a market in apparel, products, magazines
Outreach to public/cyclists on riding –
Education on riding (etiquette and basic rules of the road)
Reach girls – especially middles school and high school
Networking for bike shops – women in shops need to connect
Education on products –
Shops use regular language to start off the conversation – but don’t assume women don’t know the bike language
Shops ask lots of questions when someone comes in to shop – and LISTEN
Customers need to know what they want, maybe not in product but use - women have a self-awareness and confidence when shopping
Next Steps
Letter writing to industry
Card to hand out to “women on the street” telling them who we are
Creating industry “group”
Education of shops on how to listen to women consumers
Outreach to girls
“Brochure” to new cyclists or when they buy a bike on rules of the road, resources, etc.
Also, we will have another meeting on June 20th 6-8pm at the Kennedy School - Community Room. Feel free to join us and bring names of companies you would like to write letters to about women and cycling (See below in next steps). Also we will be working on a plan for addressing bike buyer/owner outreach, like how to inform cyclists of the rules of the road.
Cheers, Janis, Barb and Alison
PS- Questions? Feel free to contact Janis at janis.mcdonald@pdxtrans.org
May 2007 Women for Bikes Forum
We brainstormed topics that women in the industry needed from us and that we (general public) wanted from to communicate to the industry:
Product development –
Technical aspects – industry assumes incorrectly that women don’t need/want all those techy things.
Sizing – not consistent with other types of clothing – e.g. xl bike short fits m-lg woman
Look/Appearance – color, design – pink and pastels are not the only colors for women’s wear
Shops and industry have female employees – sales, design, writers
Want to be treated as serious market –
Advertising
Recognition as a market in apparel, products, magazines
Outreach to public/cyclists on riding –
Education on riding (etiquette and basic rules of the road)
Reach girls – especially middles school and high school
Networking for bike shops – women in shops need to connect
Education on products –
Shops use regular language to start off the conversation – but don’t assume women don’t know the bike language
Shops ask lots of questions when someone comes in to shop – and LISTEN
Customers need to know what they want, maybe not in product but use - women have a self-awareness and confidence when shopping
Next Steps
Letter writing to industry
Card to hand out to “women on the street” telling them who we are
Creating industry “group”
Education of shops on how to listen to women consumers
Outreach to girls
“Brochure” to new cyclists or when they buy a bike on rules of the road, resources, etc.