How to Sell the Cycling Lifestyle to American Women

If we want more women to ride bikes then we must create effective marketing campaigns that speak to women.

In the Netherlands, 55% of bike commuters are women. In the US, only 24% are women. Why is this? 

First and foremost, women often don’t feel safe because there is a lack of a complete, separated bike networks and a lack of lower and enforced speed limits. However, there is also a lack of women-centric marketing and merchandising when it comes to selling the “cycling lifestyle” to American women.

So what is the best way to sell cycling for transportation to women?

The most important thing in creating a successful marketing campaign is understanding and addressing the fact that women need to see themselves in the context of what they are looking at, and we first need to acknowledge and understand that this is different for everyone. Imagery is key! Messaging in any marketing campaign should be that cycling is Safe, Diverse, Accessible and Fun.

For some, that means seeing a photo of a woman biking in heels, for others it’s biking with children, for some it’s a woman wearing a helmet, for others it’s not. Some of us are young, some of us are not so young.

The most important part is that the imagery that we use to sell cycling is diverse (women are not all the same) and that it promotes the idea that cycling is safe (or at least can be) and that it’s diverse, accessible and fun! Messaging cannot be pigeon holed into one camp or the other, or we will not reach everyone.

So who is selling cycling lifestyle to women? 

Let’s start with who is not: the big brands of the bicycle industry. Here are 5 big “bicycle industry” brands and the home pages of their websites: Trek, Giant, Specialized, Shimano & Raleigh. What message are we getting? This message is that cycling is a sport for men. The messaging does not say that cycling is for women and that cycling is a means of transportation.

Women-specific marketing campaigns created by the bike industry are not reaching the masses and the mainstream. But they should.

Professionally, I have spent the past five years advising the bike industry that:

1. Cycling for transportation is actually a thing

2. If they want more women to engage in cycling for transportation and buy their products they have to start speaking to us

For example, here are several companies that are doing a great job of selling cycling lifestyle products to women: Nantucket Bike Baskets, Felt USA and Dahon.

Here is an example of what doesn’t work: Abus (ad on left), Lazer. These ads sell cycling as dangerous, and this will not get more women riding bikes.

Luckily, there have been new companies entering the bike industry over the past few years that understand this. Most notably is Public Bikes. Based in San Francisco, Public not only has created a beautiful and appealing online marketplace, but they make their products easy to use and assemble for those that do not know how to put together a bike, nor want to go into a bike shop.