In this particular instance, I feel that the potential goodwill made in terms of a broader human representation is in danger of being erased. Specialized has some solid initiatives in things like Soil Sampling and Outride, but those still seem like drops in the bucket to my full-tilt socialist idealism.
Also, I never got around to saying this: change does not happen overnight, nor does it occur in a vacuum. The push toward ambassadors cracked the door open, created a greater culturewide visibility for people other than white dudes, and I am very thankful that this became important for so many brands to lean into. My concern now is that this is a fragile state, and that the very prevalent "Dude, stop bumming me out with all this inclusivity; I came hear to read about bikes" vibe that came up time and time again at Bike and Beta whenever we talked about any sort of race or gender issues will reassert itself and discourage those voices.
I also am incredibly thankful that the readership at nsmb.com generally resonates at a higher frequency than the virtual dick swinging, troll-baiting, close-minded jingoism that permeates the comment sections in so many other places. Thank you all.
Jan. 12, 2023, 11:26 a.m. - Mike Ferrentino
In this particular instance, I feel that the potential goodwill made in terms of a broader human representation is in danger of being erased. Specialized has some solid initiatives in things like Soil Sampling and Outride, but those still seem like drops in the bucket to my full-tilt socialist idealism. Also, I never got around to saying this: change does not happen overnight, nor does it occur in a vacuum. The push toward ambassadors cracked the door open, created a greater culturewide visibility for people other than white dudes, and I am very thankful that this became important for so many brands to lean into. My concern now is that this is a fragile state, and that the very prevalent "Dude, stop bumming me out with all this inclusivity; I came hear to read about bikes" vibe that came up time and time again at Bike and Beta whenever we talked about any sort of race or gender issues will reassert itself and discourage those voices. I also am incredibly thankful that the readership at nsmb.com generally resonates at a higher frequency than the virtual dick swinging, troll-baiting, close-minded jingoism that permeates the comment sections in so many other places. Thank you all.