'I'm fat – and I'm OK with that': The size-inclusion campaigner seeking to make cycling safe and accessible for everyone

After struggling to find riding kit in her size, Marley Blonsky made it her life’s mission to make cycling more accessible and welcoming to riders of all shapes and sizes

Marley Blonsky riding her bike on the road
(Image credit: Marley Blonsky)

This article was originally published in Cycling Weekly's print edition as part of the long-running MY FITNESS CHALLENGE series.

"There’s a lot of gatekeeping in cycling, a lot of ‘If you don’t look like a typical cyclist, you’re not welcome on our group ride’ and ‘If you can’t keep up, there’s no place for you’,” Marley Blonsky paints a damning picture of a cycling scene awash with judgement and petty rules. “But it doesn’t have to be that way.” The 36-year-old knows that change is possible because for the past five years she has been blazing a trail for plus-sized riders. 

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David Bradford
Senior editor

David Bradford is senior editor of Cycling Weekly's print edition, and has been writing and editing professionally for 20 years. His work has appeared in national newspapers and magazines including the Independent, the Guardian, the Times, the Irish Times, Vice.com and Runner’s World. Alongside his love of cycling, David is a long-distance runner with a marathon personal best of 2hr 28min. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in 2006, he also writes personal essays exploring sight loss, place, nature and social history. His essay 'Undertow' was published in the anthology Going to Ground (Little Toller, 2024).