Winning Women: Our Conversation with Asja Paladin

My name is Asja Paladin and I’ve been riding bikes since I was a child. I stopped racing in 2020, and I’ve been part of Enough Cycling since then, continuing to live my passion for bikes to the maximum. My relationship with Fulcrum began in 2020, thanks to the first collaborations. For me, they are first of all a group of friends and good people with whom there has been reciprocal trust right from the outset. So much so that now, four years later, they are still one of my teams’ closest partners.

 

The media has played an extremely important role in the growth of female cycling: television has increased its coverage of professional women’s races, which I was a part of up to four years ago. I remember that, when I began my career as a professional, you didn’t even know that, for example, a Giro d’Italia Donne was taking place. Now it’s become an important event throughout the world, and it is getting decidedly more coverage in the media. Social media has played its part, too. The possibility of sharing experiences first-hand and to communicate immediately helps in motivating and inspiring each other. I believe that this helps to motivate girls to have a go and start believing that they can do it, too. Last, but not least, there’s all the non-competitive and social events that have mushroomed around cycling. Usually, they draw very mixed groups that bring together experts and novices. When the pace is right, girls can feel that they belong in this world, too.

 

The biggest obstacle for a woman is herself and the false belief that she is not up to pedaling, because she thinks that “I’ll never be as strong as you”. This causes a lot of hesitancy in starting and this is why I think that another large obstacle is the high initial investment required to buy a bike that you can enjoy. To overcome this, people are organizing social rides/bike tests where bikes can be tried and where the social aspect is key. On these occasions, nobody needs to feel stronger than anyone else, and everyone is included. As the saying goes, appetite comes with eating. The same with riding :)

 

I think that cycling brands are already doing a lot for women’s cycling. As I mentioned earlier, when I was racing as a professional, few sponsors invested in women’s racing. Now, there are lots of advertising campaigns, lots of ambassadors, etc. for women and with women! So, this is a great improvement, and this is certainly the right step forward. The more women we show on bikes, and the more we show that we believe in women, the more women we will be able to bring into this wonderful world.

 

 

Pedaling is beautiful. It’s freedom, it’s discovery, and not only of the outside world but also of ourselves. Every bike ride, race, event or journey on our bikes is something new that we take home with us, and that helps us to grow and face day-to-day life with new energy and a different attitude. Those who have pedaled or pedal have the edge! The energy that a bike can give you is unequalled, it’s something unique.

 

Guys share your bike experience with your girlfriends, wives, friends and sisters but without showing off. The important thing is to share the beauty of bikes simply, without pressure, respecting the times and appreciating the effort that the first rides require. The important thing is to pedal, fast or slow it doesn’t matter, just don’t give up and keep going.