Adele Mitchell is an award winning blogger, journalist, mountain biker and of course regular Total Women’s Cycling contributor. She’s also an avid consumer of mountain bike media, so it aware of what’s out there, what’s changed, and what still needs work on.

“UK mountain bike media is still a ‘man’s world’. Most of the journalists are men, as are most of the readers. Most of the advertising is aimed at men too. You’d be forgiven for thinking that women don’t really ride mountain bikes, nor have any intention of spending any money on them.

However, things are a lot better than they used to be: there is much less of the  ‘my missus hates my bike’ school of journalism for instance, and some editors are clearly making a conscious effort to include women riders and women specific gear reviews in their editorial mix.

How could it be improved?

While I enjoy reading about mountain biking from men’s points of view, I’d like to read about women’s experience too. So, more stories about fabulous women riders, more trail guides with women riders testing the routes, more women testing gear, and more women writing about their experience of riding bikes. There is so much ability, opinion and achievement missed just because we are women. Let’s tap into it.

One more thing – as women, we need to support the titles and sites that are starting to get it right. Click on the links, buy the magazines to read in the bath, and LET THEM KNOW when you read something you love (or be constructive about something you’d like to see done differently). The best editors will listen – right, guys?”