How hard is it to be a woman in the cycling industry? Well, a new video from engineer and YouTuber Hambini in which he seeks to discredit Cycling Weekly technical editor Michelle Arthurs-Brennan unintentionally underlines the point that it can be very hard indeed.
Clearly Hambini, who has more than 45,000 subscribers on the platform, has put a lot of time into producing the video, which has been viewed over 30,000 times – including trawling through Arthurs-Brennan’s social media accounts and personal website, as well as her posts published on Cycling Weekly.
According to his website Hambini works as an aerospace engineer and has sidelines in designing and making bottom brackets as well as producing his YouTube videos, with one uploaded recently criticising a Cycling Weekly article regarding testing of aero helmets.
As we reported on our live blog on Thursday, Arthurs-Brennan had taken strong exception to his reference to engineering tolerances in a caption to a picture of her. In a post on her personal website, she refers to it as “The ‘asks 44k people to comment on my vagina’ one.”
Hambini, who believes that he is blocked from commenting on Cycling Weekly videos on YouTube because of his skin colour, seeks in his latest video to refute the accusations of sexism that have been directed at him in the wake of Arthurs-Brennan’s tweet – although the title he has given it, Feminist Cycling Journalist is clinically roasted by autistic Engineer in a suit would suggest to many that the fact she is a woman is a big part of his issues with her.
Referring to the journalist more than once in the video as “a girl,” among the accusations he makes against her are that she was guilty of “irresponsible behaviour” by tweeting that she had intended to ride from London to Brighton and back, which he claimed was against social distancing guidelines.
The tweet made by Arthurs-Brennan to which he refers was dated Saturday 21 March – two days before the UK entered lockdown, with cycling alone or with members of the household one of the forms of exercise that is permitted.
Moreover, the ride she did end up taking was confined to roads on the Kent and East Sussex borders, and covered 62 miles, which pre-lockdown, would not strike anyone as being excessive, particularly for a Category 1 racer.
Among other things, Hambini also flags up the infamous ‘Token attractive woman’ caption that accompanied a photograph illustrating an article published by Cycling Weekly in August 2017 – one that Arthurs-Brennan was certainly not involved in, and for which the magazine subsequently apologised.
Towards the end of the video, Hambini takes quotes relating to female anatomy and sex life from a post Arthurs-Brennan published on her personal website entitled Nine bloopers of being a woman in the cycling industry.
Then, providing no context, he throws them back at her in what can only seem an attempt to demonstrate that because Arthurs-Brennan used those words herself, she can’t accuse others of sexism, something that many people – and not just women – would see as a bit of a headscratcher.
Hambini also claims, “I asked an NHS doctor with a speciality in psychology to have a look through this and she was of the opinion that she [Arthurs-Brennan] was a feminist attention seeker.”
That “opinion”– any ethical considerations from a medical professional point of view apart – presumably helped embolden Hambini to posit, “If you were genuinely troubled by sexism, would you actually post this on your website?
Early on in the video, for no apparent reason, Hambini posts a picture, taken from her Twitter account, of Arthurs-Brennan, sitting on a train, wearing a dress.
“If you are going to comment on her appearance,” he says, “you might find a screenshot with her user name on Twitter that she’s taken later on today. I hope some of you that you won’t care but I’m just pointing that out.”
That certainly seems to go well beyond any criticism, valid or otherwise, of someone’s credentials as a journalist.
Editor's note: The old internet adage says 'don't feed the troll' so we thought long and hard about reporting on Hambini's latest video, but given that this particular troll has 45,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel and seems intent on proving the point that some people will go out of their way to make life hard for female cycling journalists we felt we didn't have a choice.
We also considered carefully whether we should embed, or even link, his video on this article. We decided on the former so our readers can see the video for themselves and form their own opinion as well as commenting on it should they wish to do so.
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102 comments
Might have been three. However I would suggest they are either Hambini Bots (would be interesting if the IP addresses are very very similar) or just his "fans" who probably made some of the comments shown after the original story.
Well whoever they are, their whataboutery powers are strong anyway, Like Hambini, not one of them have said it was wrong to do the original comments and instead have whatabouted the content of the original CW video being bad, and other websites content.
Well, I have. I (and others as well) have said that I don't like the vajina this'n that and the other namecalling. But to go from a perhaps in manners childish roast to call in the big weapon of sexism and the mob that follows is ridiculous. Fact is that the internet cycling press and the cycling industry need to shape up. Most are at best selling snake oil.
On here? On this article or the other one?
Because all these single figure posters on this page, including you have just done whataboutery from what I can see.
Being sexist is worse than being called out for that sexism.
No matter how "big" that weapon may seem.
Don't be sexist, then you cannot be legitimately called out for it, simple enough?
Yes I agree, ban them all! Especially those who don't agree with you.
Why not call out other cycling press like cycling today for there appalling post http://cycling.today/female-cyclists-you-should-follow-on-instagram/
Probably because that isn't the cycling press but a collection of illegal live streams of pro races (some of which didn't even go ahead) and one "article" that you seem to take issue with.
Also, no need to deflect from Hambini and his misogyny - he could have apologised and learnt something but instead directs a worrying level of vitriol at the person who called him on it. Tactics straight from the Trump playbook or even Joe Exotic!
TBF everyone comes out of this looking like a prize a cunt don't they?
"Editor's note: The old internet adage says 'don't feed the troll' so we thought long and hard about reporting on Hambini's latest video, but given that this particular troll has 45,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel and seems intent on proving the point that some people will go out of their way to make life hard for female cycling journalists we felt we didn't have a choice."
AKA In the absence of any news this will do to keep the lights on.
Well, this story is definitely incereasing sign ups.
Positive RaceView Cycling reviews anyone?
Thanks for the reminder to re-read the thread where they embarrassed themselves. For anyone else who would like a chuckle:
https://road.cc/content/forum/176025-anyone-ordered-raceview-cycles-co-a...
The new forum software seems to have muffed up the threading, so just view it in "Oldest First" mode.
Is Hambini a part of the cycling industry?
yes he makes or resells bb bearings
Hambini makes the best bottom brackets you can buy; exquisite pieces of engineering.
Fair enough then, I had thought he was just a comentator. But he is also a bit player.
But the point I would make probably still stands. MAB asks how hard it is to make it as a female in the bike industry. But Hambini's invective, in so far as he is at best a bit player in the industry, is more symptomatic of his kind in general rather than of the bike industry in particular. MAB could equally have come up against the same headwinds in any industry.
I suspect the bike industry does present its own particular difficulties for women, but not because of the likes of Hambini, whom you could encounter anywhere. However, the bike industry, leaning as it does on the underlying competitive sport, takes on the popular bias towards male competition.
Name a top cyclist. I know, you can probably dredge up some women's names. But I'm pretty sure the men's names come more easily. Same for olympic 100m winners. And so on.
Reading this it sounds like Michelle has rung around mates asking for support.
This article is not only biased journalism, it's as poor as the Cycling Weekly aero video that started all this.
So beeing feminist implies beeing a woman then? No, you're trying to make something larger than it is. Show me anywhere where Hambini says or implies that he seemingly thinks she's incompetent because she's female! I think he roasts all equally. Mr Aerocoach should be the one most offended. To me it serns like a lot of whining. Take it as a signal to up your game. Start doing proper jobs instead of just selling stuff. We're tired of it and nowadays we have other sources instead of fake news. There are a lot of competent people out there telling things like they are and no sales bs.
Hmmm, one post only and on this story. Are you Hambini?
Yes, we are all a hambini
Thanks, but no. I'm not even a russian bot as far as I know.
If you watch all of his videos, if you can be bothered, he roasts people and companies that deserve it and bigs up people that deserve it. He knows his stuff about engineering and applies it to bikes. Consumers are fed so much rubbish and unfortunately only get the chance to read about manufacturers that put bikes into the hands of journalists. Thank goodness for dc rainmaker and Hambini et al who only look for truth. There are different ways of presenting it agreed, you have a choice, don't watch it. If you are doing a crap job expect to be roasted regardless of colour, creed or gender. Power to the individuals with the knowledge and time and passion to call out the bullshitters and incompetent. Ridicule is invited by those confident in what they do.
I have watched a lot of Hambini's videos - and I enjoy the educational aspect. But inviting ridicule at a personal level is quite different from saying 'this is bad engineering/silly marketing.'
Crying racism is not compelling. Saying he's received death threats is almost certainly nonsense. Lying about asking a psychologist is damning for someone who claims to be a 'truth-seeker'.
I believe he did ask an nhs psychologist/psychiatrist, very very likely his wife.
Except he's a fool who uses perjorative and vindictive language against seemingly any group that doesn't contain him.
Because he knows engineering he gets a free pass does he? As for don't watch it, sure but also call it out for what it is and challenge his bullshit.
Don't forget Luescher Teknik. Gotta love his video showing the frames and forks cut out.
I'd also question the journalism of this article, sounds suspiciously partisan.
Partisan in the sense that we're reporting on someone using there Youtube Channel to pick on a female cycling journalist?
For what it's worth our view on Hambini is that in his limited field of specialism he's clearly a talented engineer - if you look back though some articles on road.cc you'll see we've referenced him on some things - ceramic bearings being one. But he also clearly talks about stuff the he doesn't know half as much about as he thinks he does which undermines his credibility. And then there's him being an arse. Normally we'd be indifferent to whatever he's got to say - but if you're going to spend the time and effort to produce a video trashing one of Cycling Weekly's tech editors for no better reason than she pulled you up on your own sexism then I think you can expect it to be newsworthy to the rest of us. Even websites that aren't Cycling Weekly.
Firstly it seems pretty bizarre your even reporting on something like this, but if you are going to I think it would have been more professional to report the facts and let people make their own minds up.
Why impartiality? Road.cc isn't the BBC. And as for the reportage, clearly it's a talking point that people are engaging with.
No they don't have to, but for a site that relies so heavily on seemingly impartial reviews, you'd think they'd be more inclined to. This article just feels like blinding defending one of "there own" and in doing so I think people will question the integrity. I do, I previously didn't.
registered just because of this. you clearly have no idea what engineering means when you say an aeronautical engineer has a limited field of specialism.
speaking only from an engineering point of view, having anyone without any training or understanding in any engineering discipline lecture the general public about engineering concepts and whatnot just to make a buck does tend to raise some pulses. not everyone handles bs politely. i can understand hambini.
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