Decathlon says it still has “progress to make” after cyclist points out that new “micro pockets” on women’s bib shorts can just about hold a cereal bar

Capt Sisko wrote:

Can someone explain in simple terms why it is masculine to have a pocket large enough to hold a mobile phone and feminine to have one only large enough to hold an energy bar?

Firstly, Smaller pockets are cheaper to produce, and women's clothes typically have cheaper production values. An argument on a website can't do value to the wider issues here.

Secondly, women's clothes are typically more designed for the appearance than for function. A throwback to when women were to be looked at rather than do things. There will be plenty of women who purchase clothes for the appearance rather than function but equally it's a real issue, especially on uniforms, that function is not designed for women's bodies on clothes

Agreed. High heeled shoes being a typical example -they look so impractical and uncomfortable.

perce wrote:

Agreed. High heeled shoes being a typical example -they look so impractical and uncomfortable.

Tell me about it, it's why I've had to restrict trying on my wife's to when she's at work. 

Me too. I keep falling over. I'm no Jack Lemmon.

Couldn't agree more. I've not been reading this site so much since the turn of the year, and it seems to have got worse. Seriously considering whether renewing my subscription will be worth it next time - something has to be done.

I miss the days when John Stevenson would join in, be very assertive with the miscreants and then boot them off.

They have learnt, through experience after being thrown off before, what they get banned for, and what is distasteful and plain nasty for most of us, but not enough to get booted off.

Any cyclist knows? I've heard that phrase before somewhere.

brogs wrote:

Any cyclist knows you have pockets on jerseys, never on bib shorts

Bib leg pockets seem to have become quite popular in recent years. Haven't tried them myself but can see some sense in being able to see where you're stowing things on the move (and whether things fall out while you're rummaging).
Being "more 'pro'" isn't everything in cycling.

The fact that people buy and use these shorts suggests that they're actually quite useful, especially in winter when getting stuff out of jersey pockets underneath pocketless jackets can be a right faff.

I've got bib shorts with jersey style pockets at the rear. Not quite as handy as I thought they would be.
I've got MTB style shorts with more pockets than you can shake a big stick at.
Great for commuting as they zip up and hold safe and separate my keys, parking door fob and office swipecard.

My Endura Zymes, two summer and one winter 3/4 are excellent, lasted many years, pockets galore. Shame they discontinued the range.

Decathlon is a great store, the clothing is great value, but whenever I've popped in, and no one has ever complained about me taking the bike in, the clothing I wanted was never available in my size. Ah well.

But, good stuff otherwise. Cheapest muc off disk brake cleaner. Spare parts galore, cheap too. Bargain latex tubes a while back. Managed to pick up 2 sets of tacx jockey wheels, unavailable in the rest of the country, but available in my local store, according to internet. Wandered around a lot, eventually asked mechanic and he pulled both sets out of a drawer. Bargain too, though I would have paid much more.

Comments like that are part of the problem that is endemic in society. Women make up 50% of the population so 50% of the potential sales for any product but their specific needs are often completely ignored by design teams usually staffed by exclusively or mainly men. Cycling apparel isn't exactly flying off the shelf, these manufacturers are struggling so they tell us and yet they can apparently still afford to alienate half the market.

Fit, shape and sizing are just three issues why most women won't "just buy the mens ones then".

ChuckSneed wrote:

Just buy the men's ones then.

I don't know if you've noticed this Chuck - possibly not had the chance to check IRL? - but men and women are built rather differently in terms of hip and pelvis shape and, ahem, "equipment" around that area and so women require a very different cut of shorts and different-shaped pad inserts to be comfortable. If it was as simple as "just buy men's shorts" all shorts would be unisex.

Of course I suspect you know this and your comment is just another step in your apparent campaign to leave a stupid and annoying comment on every single article road.cc publishes.

Thank you for informing me of the differences. Did you find this out while trying on your wife's clothes in the flat that she owns?

if i dont like your comments,, and im easy going, imagine how much you hate yourself!

ChuckSneed wrote:

Thank you for informing me of the differences. Did you find this out while trying on your wife's clothes in the flat that she owns?

Does Andrew Tate have Internet access from his prison cell in Romania? Maybe it's just one of his acolytes.

I've just been reading about the infinite monkey theorem. It's very interesting.