I think if you are new to getting into cycling, it’s always a tough sport to get into. But if you are on the curvier side it’s also that bit harder but then if you are also female then it can feel extremely daunting.
I was literally new to the sport, 100kg and really struggled to ride 10km. And then it makes you feel like you don’t really fit in. But wanted to share my experience if you are feeling that way.
Thank you so much to Peppermint Cycling Co for sponsoring this video 🙂
For This is the kit I’m wearing:
Signature jersey: https://tinyurl.com/y2zkefjf
Signature bib shorts: https://tinyurl.com/5n7zbhm5
Signature sports bra: https://tinyurl.com/3k92exua
Socks: https://tinyurl.com/4n6pm3y5
And this isn’t in the video but I haven’t really taken this off since I’ve had it… I LOVE it so much!
Will show you in another video but my fave jumper 🙂
I have the colour rosemary: https://tinyurl.com/3r4mz667
// Cycling eBook: https://www.ilikemountains.cc/s-h-o-p
// Instagram: http://instagram.com/katiekookaburra1/
// Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/3352833
// My Zwift Club: https://tinyurl.com/4wusdwxp
// Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/katiekookaburra
Super happy to have the following brands support me and my ol’ cycling adventures. So you will see some of their products I choose to use in my content 🙂
https://www.shimano.com/en/
https://www.garmin.com/
https://www.zwift.com/uk
https://exposurelights.com/
Shokz: https://shokz.cc/3Sq4IXJ
[Music] gretings video today I’m want to show you my new favorite Loop now the weather has finally got Sun I think it’s about 20° today probably tell why I’m sweating so yeah my new favorite Loop 60k 1,000 M but it is so many good climbs so so many good views but I also wanted to tell you I mean I’ll tell you this in a little bit when I’m less out of breath just if you’re getting into cycling or you feel like you don’t necessarily fit in cuz I do think that the cycling it can be really caky and if you’re not in the right socks or the right kit or the right bike or I just I don’t like it I’ve always been totally anti that and I’ve always tried to show that in my videos because I don’t want anyone to ever feel like they don’t belong on a bike or to ride a certain way do you know what I mean cuz I hate that I love cycling but that is the one thing I would change about the cycling community of how kind of cleck it can be for any of you that are local this is a climate of New Hay up going to down towards then I love [Music] it you okay let help each other out don’t we [Music] yeah basically he spoke broken God I just love this weather this honestly this route and I’ve done it three this will be my third time in a week in this route cuz it’s so beautiful and hilly and Lush and remote and pretty do you know what I only showed that as well because the amount of times I’m at the side of a road and Ries will go past I’m not saying everyone does this no one will ask if you’re all right or you need a hand I just think we should all just be inclusive look after each other and just say hello right top of the first climb almost how beautiful that is love it love it love it [Music] how nice is this view I cut the rock route because this is got like a little bit of a rock there this is up at melam I think it’s melam is it melam a lot of you will tell me but basically let’s get into oh my God can you hear me is the wind going to be too bad let me pop down here so I can talk from my experience and I guess what I’ve seen in the cycl industry but I feel like if you are new to cycling if you are are female and also if you are female and you are on the curvier side then I think they are the three toughest groups or I guess um characteristics to make getting into cycling so difficult because I think that everyone that you see generally or the way I saw it when I started sing in 2013 By the way in 2013 I was like 100 kilos I’m like 5’9 5′ 10 so I was larger than I am now and I found that hard because everyone just looked so lean and thin and in all their lier and so honestly when I started probably for the first six months I just wore leggings and t-shirts because I just felt a little bit uncomfortable I guess bearing everything in Lyra and then as I progressed and I got um I got more fit I lost a little bit of weight I then was like actually I should probably look at getting cing kit not because I felt like I should fit in but it is beneficial they’ve got pockets on the Jersey so you can carry stuff they’ve got shammy in the bib so it’s comfier on the saddle but then when I looked um for cycling kit I couldn’t find anything and I felt at that point really out of place and I was like should is cycling is yeah I just felt really out of place and I felt like I didn’t really fit in because I didn’t fit The Stereotype of what a cyclist looked like to for me um and so I ended up going to decathlon they had some kind of like 3/4 length like leggings tights they were still a little bit in the biggest size they were still tight on me and I was like well that’s all I’ve going to wear um and then a little bit after that I then started riding more and I got clip shoes clip C shoes and I then lost a little bit more weight and then I was like okay I want to try and get like an actual like full nice kit and I remember going to Giant um and I still think this is one of the nicest kits theyve ever done um and I was I felt so excited to go and get it and even then I had to have the biggest SI I think I had a large top and an extra large bottoms and the extra large bottoms still were quite tight on me and I had I remember like pulling I think that’s why now I’ve got a really funny thing with like leg rippers because they were just really thick and I had to really stretch them I almost like to rip the stitching so that they would fit around my thighs and honestly like I it just made me feel really oh hi oh well done that was the guy from earlier um it just made me feel really like just I love the kit and I felt really good in it but knowing that I was like at the top end of that scale and it was still tight I just felt like it wasn’t catering to me and it wasn’t inclusive and it wasn’t encouraging inclusivity is so important to me to feel like everyone can cycle and everyone can enjoy the benefits of cycling because if I had been put off then and been like cycling is not for me because it it could do for a lot of people but I was like no I I don’t care I don’t care what people think I’m just going to carry on um I wouldn’t be able to enjoy rides like this I would have been able to make cycling my job I I think about what my life would be like without cycling and I just can’t even imagine it carry on now but I want to have this beautiful descent and I’ll chat to you a bit more about inclusivity because I think it’s so crucial to give people the opportunities to be able to ride and feel comfortable and confident because I think when you feel confident you then take on bigger things and you just do bigger challenges and you push yourself more and so I think feeling that is very important but right let’s go let’s get from behind this [Music] bush all this green beautiful country side I just love it I pretty much stop here every time just have a little little Gander out uh but just carrying on from what we talking about before like when I started talk like what 12 no 11 years ago there wasn’t I guess the kind of variety of clothing for women either and I think that’s like another problem that we have in a male dominated sport in that it was called like pink it and shrink it so basically was like take men’s kit make it Pink and make it small but luckily like it’s not like that anymore and I guess one of the reasons it’s not like that anymore is because of companies and Brands like peppermint cycling Co like I’ve worn um their kit I’ve been trying it out I think you saw the videos with Juliet I had tried it on then and they set up their company specifically it’s only women’s clothing to cater for that Gap in the market and it’s mainly run by women as well the designs are by women for women and I always want to support Brands and companies that do that and fill that Gap in and make people like me feel like included I guess because their size range is unreal it goes from extra small to double XL and I wish that I’d had or known about that when IID first started sing it would have made me feel more included in the siing community and the kit is really beautiful it’s really comfortable the bibs are unreal I am very picky with bib shorts I mean you you’ve seen all my reviews but these are really good the Sham is really good and the main thing the leg Ripper I’ll show you in a second the leg Ripper is not too thick like as in chunky it doesn’t dig in you don’t get sausage legs with it and my favorite thing and mean I’m not going to show you this but they have a thing called drop bib which basically means you don’t have to take all your kit off you can just kind of pull them down at the bik to go for so sh Comfort breaks little tinkle stops when you’re out and I just think that that is so important and I love a women’s cycling company and brand has done that for was women because that is the worst especially in Winter having to take all your layers off I will leave a link they have very kindly sponsored this video I’ll leave a link to their website below you can have a this is the kit really soft really comfortable also the tops this top is the signature and the bottoms of the signature as well they’re both upv 50 so they are going to protect you against the sunshine also I will add about peppermint that they cover road gravel mountain bike and I guess their main ethos is just to ride whether you’re commuting whether you’re racing whether you’re doing endurance whatever it is it’s not a specific thing it’s not like a race specific it’s not you know it it’s inclusive and that’s what I think we need more of in the side commity even now I feel like we need more of that so I’m going to carry on my little Merry way on this beautiful beautiful it s the bloody Sun’s gone in I’m going that way though the sun is out over there so let’s go let’s go so I’m now in I’ve been calling it SLA we and I’ve been told it’s slow so I’m in slow I’ve got some he hoops and some orange juice I’m just going to sit and have this there and then prob about halfway but I just love this little village it’s last time I came with Stevie they had like a duck race this is like a little like a rubber duck race it’s just like a very cute little oldie like independent shops like it’s really there was big Aldi but I was like I want to find a little local shop that I can go to rather than Aldi but yeah it’s really nice I like it a lot I’m just having the nicest day the nicest R I’m going to sit here this is where I’m start I’m just stting next to the canal hello little ducky little dug R going on there hey little duckies I don’t think there’s anything that I love more on a ride than just sitting at the side of a road I really do think like what would I have done if I’d not like stuck with it so I think if any of you are starting out and you’re feeling a little bit out of place or feel like maybe cycling is not for you please please stick with it there will be a group that you can find that you feel like you fit in with in fact I’ll show you the bibs they’re like really um like thin they’ve got rppers on them so they stay in place but they don’t give you like that sausage leg like some of them are like so tight there and I hate that like I really hate it I would say that actually these are a little bit shorter than other ones that I like but I actually prefer them shorter um yeah they’re really comfortable the Shamy is unreal in them also I will never tell you a product is good if it’s not because I don’t want any of you to buy it and then be like what is K on about like no I don’t trust her for any recommendation anything that I ever recommend to any of you is stuff that I’ve used and I’ve tried and I do think is good hi you’re right wa to meet you too what you to it’s unreal I love it rather than going on the main road down there I got this that little side climb which is steeper but it’s shorter and you get some Mega views at the top yeah I’m trying to get as many heels in as I can before heading to the Pyrenees this one’s a 3 and 1 half K climb about 200 M but I actually prefer to go this way if it’s windy it’s a bit more sheltered the other road is so open there’s always a headwind on there so I’m like I’ll take more climbing to start the [Music] headwind hi sheepies hello hi can you see now why this is my favorite route because it’s like like Green Hills really nice long roads and the Sheep it’s a little bit like the dals I will add with this jersey though that um because it’s got like a thicker waistband there when you’re climbing or when you kind of moving like this a lot it justes kind of ride up a little bit which I don’t mind but it just goes around your waist so I would say if you don’t want that I would order a size larger than you would normally get I’m a UK size 10 and this is a size small so if I kind of wanted it like a little bit of a looser fit and didn’t ride up I would probably go for a medium and I’m about to go up that rest of that Hill there and have a nice descent beautiful love love love it this is the last CL he it’s steep that is the last climb of the day I still got a couple of little more little small hills to go yeah this is where I stopped on the way out I hope you have enjoyed my new favorite little Loop and you found a a little bit encouraging if you are at the start of your cycling Journey or you are wanting to lose a little bit of weight or you just don’t feel like you generally fit in in the cycling scene like I want to tell you that you do and just keep at it just keep at it and you’ll find your people to ride with and yeah just get the most out of it cuz I love my bike so oh look at this weather now I get to do a lovely descent down here and I will see you all next video thank you again to Pint for sponsoring this video I’ll leave their links below so if you are a female you want to go and have a look what they’ve got gravel Martin light road so many different sizes and it’s very inclusive so yes oh got I have to have a drink and then head down so I’ll see you all next video okay goodbye goodbye goodbye
21 Comments
Hi Katie, I'm worried about you going to the Pyrenees. It will be extremely hot and dry in July. I went over the Pyrenees by car one summer with the plan to camp there but it was unbearably hot and dry, not pretty like the Pennines at all, so I kept driving and stopped in Barcelona instead.
I’m in my seventh decade and have loved bicycling since I was a child. The wind, sun, freedom, climbing, exploring, and not least of all cool clothes.
I'm in my late 50s and 117kg, I ride a touring bike very slowly. I always say "hi" to passing cyclists, nod my head and raise my hand off the hood as a small wave. I would estimate around 50% of other cyclists completely ignore me, the other 50% are friendly and say "hi" back. returning to cycling after a break of 30 years the change has been noticable, in the past almost everyone would give an "ey-up" or a "morning".
Hi Katie – great video and message! I'm a 60 year old OMIL (old man in Lycra) 😄and I swear that I see people chuckling as I pass by on the bike paths. I definitely do not possess the thin sleek cycling physique. At this stage of the game however I just own it. I cycle because I love it and for my health. I stopped worrying about what others thought of my "look" long ago. 🙂
There are alternatives now to super-technical-pro-extra tight gear, mountain bikers (and snowboarders) developed a more casual-cozy-shabby-chic look, not less expensive in reality, more confortable even for overweight cyclist (but chamois must still be where it has to be)
I always ask if ok if I see a cyclist stopped. 😊it’s just polite.
Thank you so much for this! All bodies belong on bikes. Our focus should always be the joy of riding and feeling good about the strength of our bodies, and we should all be encouraging everyone to find that same joy first and foremost. I wish more brands would get the message that inclusive sizing = more customers!
When you're in Marsden try cycling up Old Mount Rd instead of Mount Rd. It's rather steep at the bottom, do you huff and puff, but you're generally alone and it is beautiful! Thanks for the great videos.
Thanks Katie lass. 'nuff sed.
Hi Katie You are very right when you speak about cycling not being inclusive. Nevertheless, could you please explain how a brand, making clothes exclusively for women, with a pricetag over 100$ for a jersey, could be defined inclusive? I think it's a clear example of exclusivity.
A lovely video and some very true words said, we all need to be more thoughtful and considerate towards others!! Especially when people are trying to get fit as it is hard work 😓
And it’s so easy to criticise 😞
Great work Katie🚴🏼♀️💨
It's so important to break the pattern of what society considers the "norm" and embrace our individual journeys. #breakthepattern
I’ve been cycling properly for over 10 years and never experienced the cliquieness you did. I’ve always found fellow cyclists friendly. I still have trouble buying kit though. I’m 6’4” and 97kg. No one makes decent stuff bigger than 2XL and I don’t like kit too tight.
Fantastic, very motivating and encouraging video….top job!!👏🏻
dont forget about diversity .. i hardly see any main uk cycling channel,vloggers showing much about diversity… it almost shows like its only for one particularl race where it’s completely opposite in uk.. i dont see gcn or any main cycling group talks about it which i find it quite fascinating!!
the number is growing which is quite huge..
Ultra distance cycling sponsorship playing big role bringing minorities but they are other clubs too..
katie if this is something u want to bring different content it will be great
XS-XXL is nowhere near a wide range of sizes… I'm not even that big and I'm an XXXL with the VERY FEW cycling apparel brands that even offer that kind of sizing. The only option for years was just normal clothes or Fat Lad At The Back.
I am in that spot right now. I had to buy an XXL size bike short. It was the biggest size they had. I have never felt soooo fat. I know I am overweight, but I didn't think I was that bad. My doctors has never been consurned. Felt so fat.
Couldn't agree more Katie it's because of the cliquey side of cycling because it's for that reason I don't ride in a club because I have a gravel bike and any of the local clubs near me want me to change my wheels and/or tyres and that's what I refuse to do.
Katie, cycling needs more ambassadors like you! Your work to make sure everyone is welcome and included is a big reason you are on my subscription list. Another reason is your willingness to show where your cycling journey started. There is also your exuberance! Thanks and I look forward to your next video!
There’s a lot of fat asses out there but doesn’t mean that they aren’t strong cyclists.
I can relate totally to this..I stopped recently to help a man in difficulty on the side of the road and rather than a thank you his first words were ‘but you’re a woman’ I replied calmly that I was but I had mechanical kit with me and he had nothing!!!😅 Also being a curvy lady I understand about finding brands that fit and comfy, it means I can pedal for longer periods and whoop all the way!!😊