Masculinities and the Culture of Competitive Cycling

Drawing on extensive ethnographic, qualitative and quantitative research, this monograph provides a novel account of masculinities in an individual sport: competitive road cycling. Chapters present varied analyses on male cyclists’ relationship with masculinity, the culture of competitive road cycling, cyclists’ attitudes toward injury management, sexual minority and women’s experiences in the sport, and autoethnographic accounts of the author’s own experiences of being involved in the sport for over ten years. The author also examines how masculinity impacts male cyclists’ attitudes towards competition, risk taking and doping practices.

This book will be of interest to scholars and researchers in sports sociology, gender studies, and masculinity studies.

“The influence of masculinity in cycle sports has been largely ignored both publicly and from a research perspective for many years, until recently. Dr Hardwicke has written a compelling book based on his own personal observations within the sport and from the research he has conducted over the years. This book discusses the issues and challenges faced by the sport from a masculinity perspective, and how these attitudes can influence competitive behaviours and the normalisation of risk taking and injury. This book provides an excellent resource and reference point for anyone interested learning more about masculinity within cycling.” (Dr Howard Hurst, University of Central Lancashire)

“This book is a welcome addition to the world of sport and masculinity studies. Whether you are interested in the study of cycling, the study of masculinities, or both, you will find this to be an engaging, accessible, and sometimes surprising read. Dr. Hardwicke highlights the changing natureof masculinity within the sport, but shows that the sport faces structural variables to further change. It is a work that offers both answers to some of the problems of the sport, as well as highlighting more. Written from both a personal account, as well as providing a rich depth from the surveys and interviews he conducted, Dr. Hardwicke has written the definitive piece on the topic of masculinity within the sport.” (Professor Eric Anderson, University of Winchester)

“Academics of sport often focus on the ‘how to’ of cycling: how to improve performance and how to win races. In this book, Dr. Jack Hardwicke instead turns our attention to the culture of cycling. Here, he highlights how the sport struggles to keep up with changing cultural mores and shows the sometimes harmful impact of developing a master identity as a cyclist. Hardwicke exposes cycling’s vulnerabilities when the current concussion crisis comes to examine the sport and he examines where the sport excludesdiversity. In doing so, Hardwicke offers a window on cycling culture, one that shows the past and questions the future.” (Professor Simon Jobson, University of Winchester, England)

Jack Hardwicke is a Lecturer in Sport and Health Sciences in the Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology at the University of Northampton. His research interests include the sociology of sporting subcultures, masculinities, socio-cultural approaches to understanding sporting injury and mixed-method social research.