For the second time in Scandinavian cycling history a fat cyclist is featured as a model for a jersey on a brand's website!
SWEDEN, 2021-06-17
He who dares wins!
In a daring move that challenges the status quo of the cycling culture, Sigr of Scandinavia now features a fat cyclist as model for the Explorer jersey lineup.
This is unprecedent for an established scandinavian cycling brand, having happened only once when XL Biking launched its own jersey and featured larger riders as models.
Caring for all riders - not the norm
It is important to highlight such news. The cycling industry and the cycling culture have for long been unfairly tainted by elitism, bigotry, exclusion and absurd gender norms that resulted in a great part of the continent's population feeling excluded of something they helped perpetuate: the joy of cycling. The paradoxal nature of such social phenomenon further collaborated to stigmatize fat people as if they were not real cyclists. That makes our job at XL Biking very important, but also tremedously difficult at times. It has never been easy to find cycling brands that care for riders of all shapes, sizes, orientation and functional variations. We celebrate each one of them. In a world in which caring for all riders is not the norm, a few people are leaving behind outdated ideals about body and health, and embracing modernity, intelligence and freedom. Others reamain prisoners of greed, prejudice, ignorance, sexism and xenophobia. Needless to say, we no longer buy from such.
Everyone has the right to ride a bike in their own terms.
- XL Biking.
"We need a fashion industry that liberates rather than limits" - Princess Victoria of Sweden.
Still not an ad campaign
Critical voices may say that this is still not an ad campaign, and that real integration will only happen when we begin to see fat cyclists part of the entire process of the cycling industry. They could be right, at least in part. Sigr is not paying for this feature nor the picture used on their site. But that sort of deviates a little from the point of the matter: it is a major victory for the fight for a better cycling culture. And, since I'm the one in the picture, I invoke my right to not charge for it so the cause can benefit from it. But let me enlighten you a bit: Sigr has developed the Explorer collection with the help of the XL Biking community.
Sigr created digital 3D avatars with the measurements of actual people.
Sigr has always been an encourager of the XL Biking movement from the get go. Sigr listened, researched, tried, erred, and is still willing to perfect their large clothes. Sigr is studying the feasibility if extending the sizes of their other collections as well.
That, dear readers, is to take people seriously and treat all cyclists with respect!
We know! We just so happen to do the same thing!
Expect further developement and more Sigr & XL Biking news!
For now, enjoy the moment and celebrate with us! Always remember that your voice is important for a better cycling culture! So, don't hesitate to talk to brands, ask for sizes, better products and demand respect for yourself as a cyclist.
Ride with pride!
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XL Biking.