Lexicon Edit: Velominata

Without a doubt cycling is dominated by males.  Stop for a second and make two lists.  One list including all the male  pro cyclists you can think of off the top of your head, male riding companions of yours, and other male Velominati.  On the other list, jot down all the female pro cyclists you can, female riding companions of yours, and most importantly, female Velominati.  Without a doubt, guaranteed, fo’ sho’ the first list you made is considerably longer than the second.  Furthermore, I’m guessing your second list, the one with the names of women, has something like 5-10 names in the pro column,  something less than that in the female cyclists you ride with column, and something smaller still in the female Velominati column.  Far be it from me to pontificate on why this might be, although I do have my suspicions, so let’s just say it just is.  But that doesn’t mean it can’t change.

That said, we’ve received some pointed feedback from the fairer sex that we’re a bit of an old boys club here at the site.  Moreover, some of our female readership has taken umbrage with our use of the term Velomihottie.  Upon further reflection, we can understand why.  In its inception, Velomihottie was meant to convey a female Velominatus, a feminine derivation of the term which denotes a cycling disciple of the highest order.  Seems simple enough, right?  However, the misogynistic tone of the word “hottie” has been pointed out as something that is turning female readership and participation away.   That is not something that we, the Keepers, ever intended.

Taking their feedback a step further and actually making it constructive, something women are much better at than men are, our female counterparts offered up a suggestion: Velominata.  This makes perfect sense, no?  It seems the correct feminine derivation of our hackneyed faux-latin masculine Velominatus.   So with that we offer up an edit to the Lexicon:

Velominata: A female cycling disciple of the highest order.

So thank you to all of our female readers, no Velominata, who visit the site, lay down the V, and appreciate this place enough to actually offer up a great suggestion.  You are correct, we can be a bit of an old boys club around here sometimes.  But if you stick around, let your voices be heard, and tell us to HTFU often enough that can change.  More importantly we want you to share your passion for cycling on these pages.

By the way, the Velominata pictured above is Katrien Van Looy.  She’s Rik Van Looy’s grand daughter.  If you don’t like this change to the Lexicon then talk to one of them.  They’ll rip your spindly little legs off.