Yes, Cultural Appropriation Is an Issue in the Bike Industry

Yes, Cultural Appropriation Is an Issue in the Bike Industry

In the last several weeks, the discussion of cultural appropriation has (finally) reached the cycling world. In late July, Czech brand Apache Bicycles made its Eurobike trade show debut with a booth that featured not only the Native equivalent of blackface—white women dressed in buckskin dresses, sporting eagle feathers and posing under tipis—but bikes with model names such as the “Scalp,” and imagery of deceased indigenous leaders. A couple of weeks ago, in response to social media outcry, the brand apologized and announced plans to rethink its modeling and product names. A few days later, CyclingTips published a thoughtful op-ed, “Cultural Appropriation on Two Wheels, and Why Representation Matters.”

But while Apache is latest and most egregious example, it’s hardly the only one in the bike industry.