Cycling UK Forum

https://bsky.app/profile/goodlawproject ... legm27bs2l

Jonathan

deeferdonk wrote: 30 Jan 2026, 1:44pm Cycling UK (and the girl guides, WI etc) just need to grow some balls and not let themselves be bullied. (apologies for the unfortunate turn of phrase for this issue!)

Sometimes the phrase "grow some ovaries" is used. But in order to avoid all reproductive organs, we might just say "grow some guts".

Bmblbzzz wrote: 30 Jan 2026, 5:51pm

deeferdonk wrote: 30 Jan 2026, 1:44pm Cycling UK (and the girl guides, WI etc) just need to grow some balls and not let themselves be bullied. (apologies for the unfortunate turn of phrase for this issue!)

Sometimes the phrase "grow some ovaries" is used. But in order to avoid all reproductive organs, we might just say "grow some guts".

Grow some backbone!

Vertebrae for the win!

Judgment in the Good Law Project application:
https://goodlawproject.org/wp-content/u ... 3Feb26.pdf

and their FAQs on where this leaves the law:
https://goodlawproject.org/resource/faq ... -guidance/

Jonathan

deeferdonk wrote: 30 Jan 2026, 1:44pm

Jdsk wrote: 29 Jan 2026, 1:09pm This might help Cycling UK in thinking again about their awards, and in looking for new legal advice.

Unfortunately the legal advice probably won't change, as it will still be that that making the awards inclusive was never against the law, but they might be subject to expensive vexatious litigation by very well funded gender critical groups.

Cycling UK (and the girl guides, WI etc) just need to grow some balls and not let themselves be bullied. (apologies for the unfortunate turn of phrase for this issue!)

"Cycling UK's awards - call for ideas":
https://forms.office.com/pages/response ... a9cd9b0100

Jonathan

Jdsk wrote: 8 Dec 2025, 9:35am

deeferdonk wrote: 8 Dec 2025, 8:04am ...
So they can include trans women in a slightly different group? Whys this legally different? What's the difference - why not just make the whole of the WI a sisterhood group and continue accepting trans women like they have for the last 40 years??

I'd guess that the legal advice noted that they can do things beyond the organisation that they can't do within the organisation. Probably something to do with the Equality Act and with charity law.

I expect legal challenges to this from well-funded ideologically-motivated individuals and organisations.

Guardian: "‘Carnage of concern and upset’: Women’s Institute groups close after transgender ban"
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... gender-ban

Jonathan

Jdsk wrote: 15 Feb 2026, 11:41am
Guardian: "‘Carnage of concern and upset’: Women’s Institute groups close after transgender ban"
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... gender-ban

Jonathan

That is very sad.

deeferdonk wrote: 16 Feb 2026, 9:12am

Jdsk wrote: 15 Feb 2026, 11:41am
Guardian: "‘Carnage of concern and upset’: Women’s Institute groups close after transgender ban"
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... gender-ban

Jonathan

That is very sad.

Very much. And not entirely unexpectedly it's the likes of Sex Matters effectively destroying spaces for the very people they're claiming to protect

Pete.

From Cycling UK:

Update on Cycling UK's awards review

Our review of Cycling UK’s awards, which started earlier this year, is now complete. Following last year’s 100 Women in Cycling Awards, we want to acknowledge the hurt caused and apologise to trans and non-binary people in our community.

As part of the review, more than 900 members, supporters, former winners, Community Cycle Club reps, sector stakeholders and staff shared their views. Thank you to everyone who contributed. The clear message was that there is strong support for a national awards scheme, but one that celebrates people and groups making cycling more diverse and inclusive, regardless of identity.

The next step is to develop a new awards programme for 2027, and we’ll share more information once we have it.

Jonathan

The local election results are out and Reform have done very well. Folk here typically wouldn’t vote Reform and have a certain prevailing mindset, but outside of their bubble - this bubble even - the bigger picture is very different.

The next step is to develop a new awards programme for 2027, and we’ll share more information once we have it.

Seems wise to me, but it’ll be impossible to please everyone.

...I think you would be on veru sticky ground if you tried to please everyone, the best one can hope for is to use your moral compass to guide you.

Which leads me to the next statement, why have gender at all? Just cut through the moral maze and have a person of cycling year award..

If we need one...

cycle tramp wrote: 9 May 2026, 2:27pm ...I think you would be on veru sticky ground if you tried to please everyone, the best one can hope for is to use your moral compass to guide you.

Which leads me to the next statement, why have gender at all? Just cut through the moral maze and have a person of cycling year award..

If we need one...

The idea is to encourage those who are under represented, as folk seeing others like themselves doing something seems to genuinely encourage participation.
If you have anyone getting an award and you have twice as many males riding, statistically they'll pick up 2/3 of the awards, which will tend to reinforce the point that cycling in the UK is male dominated and hence "not for me" for non-men.

Ultimately the point of such schemes is to render themselves redundant, but we're not there yet.

Pete.

pjclinch wrote: 9 May 2026, 6:49pm

cycle tramp wrote: 9 May 2026, 2:27pm ...I think you would be on veru sticky ground if you tried to please everyone, the best one can hope for is to use your moral compass to guide you.

Which leads me to the next statement, why have gender at all? Just cut through the moral maze and have a person of cycling year award..

If we need one...

The idea is to encourage those who are under represented, as folk seeing others like themselves doing something seems to genuinely encourage participation.
If you have anyone getting an award and you have twice as many males riding, statistically they'll pick up 2/3 of the awards, which will tend to reinforce the point that cycling in the UK is male dominated and hence "not for me" for non-men.

Ultimately the point of such schemes is to render themselves redundant, but we're not there yet.

Pete.

I was going to post a similar point but was beaten to it.

Bmblbzzz wrote: 30 Jan 2026, 5:51pm

deeferdonk wrote: 30 Jan 2026, 1:44pm Cycling UK (and the girl guides, WI etc) just need to grow some balls and not let themselves be bullied. (apologies for the unfortunate turn of phrase for this issue!)

Sometimes the phrase "grow some ovaries" is used. But in order to avoid all reproductive organs, we might just say "grow some guts".

I have - I'm now a 42 inch waist... if anyone wants three sets of tailored shorts with pockets (beige colour) size 36 inch waist please let me know...

..could we not bypass the whole gender thing and simply have more awards? - in my motorcycling days awards used to be given for;
Best inventive repair
Most travelled
Best engineering
Most likely to break down
Best paint
...you could throw in some other ones like;
Best travel log (any medium)
Best photograph
Highest amount of litter collected by bicycle
Highest number of library books delivered by bike

And so on ... it doesn’t all have to be about the metrics... indeed by not making it about the metrics we could attract more people to cycling