Why We Price FLINTA Tickets Differently at the Bristol Rally

Written By Claire Sharpe

At the Bristol Rally, we want the start line to feel like what we’re trying to build in the sport: welcoming, accessible, and genuinely diverse. That intent shows up not just in route design or community spaces, it starts with ticketing.

Ringfenced FLINTA tickets aren’t exclusive, they’re equitable

Ringfencing tickets for FLINTA riders (women, trans, non-binary, intersex, and gender-diverse people) is about creating access where a lack of access currently exists.

We know from decades of gender inequality research, from earnings to leadership representation, that under-represented genders systematically face barriers getting to events and spaces where they should belong. A lot of these barriers come down to confidence, time, money, care responsibilities, and cultural conditioning, not a lack of desire or ability.

By setting aside a proportion of Rally tickets for FLINTA riders, we:

  • Reduce the “first come, first served” advantage that tends to benefit people with more flexible schedules or disposable income.

  • Create space for riders who might take longer to commit, check finances, or coordinate travel.

  • Signal that this community values participation equity over grabbing the first available ticket.

But this year we are going one step further. FLINTA tickets will be priced lower as well…

Why are FLINTA tickets priced lower?

Because the financial playing field is not level.

The UK government’s most authoritative data on the gender pay gap comes from the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). According to the latest release:

  • The median hourly pay for full-time employees was 6.9% lower for women than for men in April 2025 meaning women earned about £0.93 for every £1 a man earned.

  • Looking at all employees, including part-time work, the gap is larger. 12.8% lower overall for women compared with men.

These differences aren’t just numbers they reflect real disparities in day-to-day economic power.

When an event ticket is priced equally for everyone, that equality in price doesn’t translate to equity in access. If a portion of your potential audience earns less on average, they’re more likely to find an event less affordable, even at the same ticket price.

Reduced pricing for FLINTA riders is a deliberate choice to acknowledge and partially offset these structural disparities. It’s not charity. It’s informed pricing based on real data.*

What’s behind the pay gap

The gender pay gap isn’t driven by a single factor, it’s the sum of many:

  • Women are more likely to work part-time or in lower-paid sectors.

  • They’re more likely to take career breaks for unpaid care.

  • They’re under-represented in top-paid senior roles.

  • Pay progression and job mobility patterns differ by gender.

These factors are part of why median earnings differ consistently across years and across jobs.

Our goal isn’t to fix the world at the Rally.

It’s to meet people where they are so that cycling feels more accessible and welcoming for people who’ve historically been under-represented.

Once you’re on the route with us, your experience isn’t defined by your ticket category. It’s defined by your ride, your camaraderie, and your achievement, just like everyone else’s.

How this relates to Bristol Rally values

  • Access over urgency: Tickets shouldn’t be about who can click fastest or spend first.

  • Evidence over assumptions: Our ticket pricing isn’t guesswork, it’s rooted in official statistics.

  • Respect over exclusivity: Lower pricing isn’t about value judgement, it’s about acknowledging real economic differences.

To put this into practice: this year, our general admission tickets are £100. To reflect the 12.8% gender pay gap, FLINTA tickets are priced at £87. It’s a small, tangible way to acknowledge the financial barriers that shouldn't exist in our sport, but do.

We hope this helps you understand the why behind these decisions and that it resonates with you as part of a broader commitment to growing the sport in a way that’s genuinely inclusive.

Claire Sharpe
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