Name: Eva Rieb
Location: Berlin
Discipline: fixed gear / fixed freestyle
What does riding mean to you?
On the one hand, generally speaking, cycling through the streets is how freedom feels to me. The daily pattern is what keeps you running – somehow – but rather like a hamster in a running wheel.
And when do you make your very own decisions? When are you really free? When do you just let go and push yourself to your own limits at the same time? Cycling is more than just a sport to me. It’s drifting into another world. Or running off when everything is getting too much. When I’m cycling, I’m one with the bike. It means to be free, to let go and to let your thoughts just be, going beyond your boundaries, which are mostly created in your own mind. It’s getting to know yourself better and better.
Furthermore, I love how connective this sport is. It’s very inspiring how the cycling community is supporting and welcoming each other, which is internationally speaking a very beautiful thing too. On the other hand, cycling, especially fixed freestyle, means to me hanging out together on random spots in the streets. Enjoying life, having a good time while drinking beer and cheering on everybody when landing tricks. French cyclists taught me how to put his feeling in just one word: „Chistole“!
What is your favourite set up?
Well, I have two fixed gear bikes. One steel from „State Bicycle“ and one aluminium/carbon from „Jam“. My steel bike has a very emotional worth, as everything I experienced, started with it. I still use it from time to time, but since I got my second bike two years ago, I totally fell in love with this set up. It’s so smooth, light and easy to go fast and push yourself with, as well as doing tricks on it. For me it combines everything I want to.
Do you think the environment is male dominated? If yes what are your thoughts about it?
Simone de Beauvoir wrote a lot about doing gender. She says: “You aren’t born a woman, you become one”. If we want to know how environment is working, we should stop comparing different times and places or making surveys. It’s so simple, because we all could just ask ourselves why things are like they are: by listening, looking around and understanding. We literally have to open our eyes.
To put it all in a nutshell: As we all grew up in a patriarchate, I’d definitely say that the environment is male dominated. E.g.: there are so many great and sportive women out there, who don’t get the same attention as men do. As long as women get marginalized and don’t get the same access to different sports; as long as women don’t get paid equally; as long as they’re getting valued by everybody; as long as the people in power are mostly men and desexualize women in higher positions (such as German chancellor Angela Merkel) to let them look stupid, feel unworthy and nonserious; as long as Disney-movies, youth magazines etc keep up the picture that women are not capable of doing great things on their very own but giving 1000 tips of how to look sexy – especially for men and as long as the mentioned points don’t change, I’m convinced that the environment is male dominated and at least focused on how to get liked by men. All the movements, polarizations, sensitizations and education are and will be completely necessary until the point where is no inequality, bodyshaming or oppression.
It may sound idealistic and I’m definitely not speaking about men’s collective guilt but I’m speaking about the fact that we still haven’t burst the bonds of patriarchalism, we just learned to live with them…
Any riding plans for the future?
I really fancy buying a gravel bike as soon as possible. Three years ago I did my very first bikepacking trip through Sweden. While experiencing every imaginable emotion, I loved cycling through nature, streets and to put my tent whenever I felt to. Students lifestyle makes it hard buying my dream bike and going abroad with it, but I’m positive and looking forward already;)
Ride like a girl is a series of interviews with WTF (women *trans femme) riders from around the world. If you would like to be contributed drop us an email.