Macho Latino Bike Culture: Yield for Latina's

ARTICLE:

I love sub communities. The article about nerd culture took a look at one of these sub communities, and how women find themselves in a precarious balance of dominant masculinity and their own femininity, which makes them inauthentic or ill-suited in some participants eyes for that culture. Now I've come across a rather interesting article about Latina's and bike culture. Bike riding in the LA's Latino community is seen as a male activity; it's dangerous, aggressive, and essentially an off-shoot of car culture, which countless hours and dollars going into tricking your (bike) ride. With only one in rive riders in LA being female, and many Latina's never taught how to ride as children, it's not the most egalitarian activity for Latinos. The Ovarian Psycho Cycles Brigade is one female biking group that use "feminine positive slogans and catchphrases" as a way to empower themselves. And empowered they are; they ride at night from Watts Towers to Hollenbeck Park, organize political rides and coed rides--which are often kicked off with a lecture on male privilege or machismo. The ride has had multiple benefits, from breaking down gender constraints, creating social groups, and providing a new outlet to exercise for a community afflicted with diabetes and other health issues. Ride on sisters.

LINK: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-psyco-riders-20130923,0,1719866.story