Station bike racks are sexist, says councillor

NETWORK Rail has been accused of sexism after a female cyclist claimed train station racks are not equipped to store women’s bikes.

Mhairi Threlfall, a Labour representative on Bristol city council, described the new stands outside Bristol Temple Meads as “sexist infrastructure” after complaining her bike could not fit on the frames.

Cllr Threlfall indicated the racks were ill-equipped to contain bikes designed for female cyclists, which she said often have higher handlebars than male ones. The stand’s manufacturer,

Cyclepods, calls the Double Brighton design “a stylish and versatile two-tier shelter”.

Cllr Threlfall made the complaint on Twitter after sharing a picture of the new racks which were opened earlier this month. She wrote: “Dear @networkrail why on earth have you opted for these? My bike has very high handle bars so will not fit, I reckon this will be similar for many women.”

The councillor ended the tweet with #sexistinfrastructure. In replies to people who commented on her tweet, Cllr Threlfall said the racks were similar to those at the University of West England where she said it was “impossible with my bike”. In response, Network Rail Western wrote: “Hi Mhairi, Sorry to hear that, we will look into it. The new racks should be suitable for all bikes even those with high handlebars which men and women may use.”

The Telegraph approached Network Rail and Cllr Threlfall for comment.

Last month it was reported the station’s new cycle storage facility would be built in preparation for a £24 million renovation project. Claire King, a regional manager at Great Western Railway, said: “Moving the bike storage facilities will allow station users to move about more freely and safely when the scaffolding is put up.”