About

Mission

Les dérailleuses is a cyclo-feminist collective founded in 2009 and based in Montreal, Canada. We want to challenge the sexism which permeates most aspects of the cycling world, through workshops, bike rides, conferences and publications. Bike shops, racing teams, and even bike lanes – we want everything to be accessible to everyone.

Our Organizing Principles

  • Non-Hierarchical 
  • Anti-Oppressive
  • Empowerment
  • Information and Skill Sharing
  • Inclusivity
  • Accessibility
  • Safer-Space

Safer-Space Norms

We

  • Make no assumptions regarding gender or identity
  • Make no assumptions regarding mechanical or riding ability or skill level
  • Pass no judgement regarding mechanical or riding ability or skill level
  • Empower people to fall in love with bicycles without fear of judgment for lack of knowledge or skill
  • Encourage those with any level of skill or knowledge concerning bicycles to share their skill and knowledge with those interested while respecting the individual’s learning style, process, stage and pace
    • That said, we also insist that anyone sharing skills or knowledge be treated with respect, without judgement of their skill or knowledge level – we encourage mutual skill and knowledge sharing and discourage competition. An individual does not need to be an expert in order to share. We all hold our own unique perspectives and a different piece of the puzzle. We share in a supportive environment in the spirit of helping the group to grow.
  • Encourage people to speak one at a time during discussions, keeping a speakers list if necessary
  • Prioritize those who have spoken less over those who have spoken several times in order to ensure all have a chance to express themselves
  • Reserve the right to ask any individual who compromises the safety of any member to leave if necessary.
    • This includes
      • name calling and abusive or aggressive language
      • failing to respect someone’s expressed need, ie, refusing to use a preferred pronoun, or doing the work for someone rather than explaining or showing them how to do it, etc
      • inappropriate touching or unwanted affection in any form, whether physical, verbal or implied (ie, body language)
      • any racist, sexist, ablist, agist, homophobic, transphobic or otherwise derogatory slurs whether directed at an individual or a group, whether they are present or not