Article: Slow Down! And Four Other Ways to Make People Love Cyclists

[Anonymous]

@Tim Kelley 118710 wrote:

The “interested but concerned” are who BikeArlington would like to focus on the most.

Fair enough, but do you really think that

These cyclists probably spent upwards of $1,000 on a bike, are often male, and everything about them signals that cycling is not for mere mortals.

and

Specialized bicycle clothing is a signaling device. It communicates that cycling is for experts, not for everyone –

are actual problems or barriers in any significant way that needs to be addressed in order to reach your audience?

Most people rode a bike as a kid, or at least knew other kids that did. You can buy a bike at Target. A significant number of adults already own a bike that they ride occasionally, seldom, or never. These people are almost all your “interested” people which is why they own a bike in the first place. Nobody sees the guy in full kit on a $5K carbon bike and thinks they have to do the same thing in order to own or ride a bicycle. That is just not a thing.

I was what you would consider in that category for probably close to 10 years. I owned a bike which I rode occasionally. I was vaguely aware of the existence of those cyclists and basically considered what they did to be completely irrelevant to anything I might do on a bike, in about the same way I consider nascar and monster truck rallies to be irrelevant to anything I might do with a car or truck. Certainly the way someone else dressed while on a bike or the kind of bike they chose to ride in no way presented any kind of barrier or disincentive to me riding more.

Know what did? Richmond Highway and the GW Parkway. Cars that passed too close and too fast. Not knowing enough about techniques for riding in traffic to minimize close passes and navigate busy intersections. And the (very rare but frightening when it happened) driver who screamed at me to get the f*** off the road you w****.

These kinds of articles are a distraction at best and in my opinion insult the intelligence of the people they’re supposedly trying to reach out to, who have genuine concerns about cycling that don’t have much to do with whether or not they think they’d fit in with a group of fast roadies.

[PotomacCyclist]

@baiskeli 118724 wrote:

I may have missed it but I didn’t see a personal jab.

Wow, only 24 words. I didn’t think that was possible.

Sounds condescending to me. Someone tell me if I’m mistaken here. I’m willing to let it go, but you brought it up again.

[rcannon100]

[Crickey7]

Group hug time.

[vvill]

This was a surprisingly horrible article for a pro-people transportation group. Even the title pits “Cyclists” vs “People”.

If I had anything to do with Mobility Lab (or Modacity) for that matter, I would actually take the article down and issue an apology.

[Henry]

@Crickey7 118743 wrote:

Group hug time.

I know a nice bike-accessible meadow where we can all get together and sing Kumbayah.

[Dickie]

Quit reading after the first line and instead commuted home in lycra on my road bike obeying all the laws and encouraging a young kid struggling up a hill… I’m such an a-hole!

[ShawnoftheDread]

@PotomacCyclist 118737 wrote:

Sounds condescending to me. Someone tell me if I’m mistaken here. I’m willing to let it go, but you brought it up again.

You’re mistaken. See my previous post. Let it go.

[rcannon100]

[Tim Kelley]

@Amalitza 118734 wrote:

are actual problems or barriers in any significant way that needs to be addressed in order to reach your audience?

Yes, I think that’s a small part of it. Here are a few thoughts:

On infrastructure:
I think the biggest barrier for people is perception of safety. We need more protected bicycle infrastructure that is good for people ages 8 to 80: protected bike lanes for families and new riders to feel safe using. There are great examples of this popping up in cities across the country and Arlington needs to embrace these types of facilities and put them in places where they will be used. The way this will happen is if the public lets their elected officials know that this is important and push them to make pro-bike choices.

On clothing:
The best selling point for riding a bike is riding a bike. Everyone on the Forum understands that–often times it’s as simple as just getting someone to try riding to see how fun and easy it is and then they are hooked! Getting someone to ride a bike to work is actually pretty hard (people might have to get their kids to school in the morning, they might have to carry a heavy laptop, they might have concerns about a helmet messing up their hair, etc…)–it’s easier to start them off on shorter rides for errands or easy “fun” trips. In Arlington, where housing, retail, and dining are very dense there is little need for specialized clothing to ride a bike. (Here’s my favorite comic on the topic) You don’t need lycra to go the grocery store for a loaf of bread, or the coffee shop, or out to dinner. For someone who lives in Arlington and commutes to Fairfax (or vice versa), lycra might be the best choice, but that’s a really hard trip to convince someone to jump into doing right away.

Biking is still not viewed as mainstream (although marketers love it) so when it comes to clothing, choose what works for you, but the more “people in regular clothing riding bikes around Arlington” that “interested but concerned” crowd sees, the more normal the activity becomes. I think the point that Modacity is trying to get across is that biking is a fun, normal, activity that anyone can do, and all it requires is a bike. Clothing is not the biggest barrier to getting people riding, but as professional bike encouragers/advocates, it is something that we are aware of and make choices about. For example, we try to choose photos for our website that show people riding in normal clothes without lycra or a ton of hi-viz reflective gear (although we definitely agree that there is a place for that–we sell/giveaway BikeArlington jerseys, which are super comfortable and fantastic for doing 200 mile one day rides in, as well as reflective vests, pant straps and zipper pulls).

On cars vs. bikes vs. peds:
We try to connect with people on an emotional level. It’s a hard habit to break, but referring to them as “people on bikes” instead of cyclists or bikers is a subtle attempt to remind everyone that it’s not us vs. them. People who are on bikes, people who are in cars, and people who are on foot, are all someone’s son or daughter, likely have friends and family who care about them, and need to be treated with respect by all other users of the road. (Bike Pittsburgh has an excellent campaign just for this). This is where PAL comes in. It’s a more eloquent way of saying: be kind, watch out for others, and don’t be a jerk.

Does all this make sense? My opinions have evolved over time, and if you think I’m off base I’m happy to hear everyone’s thoughts and am open to other’s points of view.

[Crickey7]

Infrastructure is the biggest area where I am aware that my flavor of riding does not serve broader interests of promoting cycling. By sheer dint of riding enough, and long enough, I’m perfectly comfortable on many roads without cycling infrastructure. As long, though, as I don’t advocate for my preferences to the detriment of increasing cycling infrastructure, my style of riding has no negative impact on cycling, and probably some slight positive impact in that it acclimates drivers to the presence of bikes on roads. No amount of bike lanes will remove the need for that. I’m happy to support a style of riding that I don’t find particularly useful because I’m not the appropriate model for the kind of advocacy we need, and I know that.

[vvill]

@Tim Kelley 118750 wrote:

Does all this make sense? My opinions have evolved over time, and if you think I’m off base I’m happy to hear everyone’s thoughts and am open to other’s points of view.

I agree with your points – my problem is the way the article communicates that cyclists who do wear lycra/ride a non-cruiser, etc. are militant, scofflaw, obsessed junkies – and encourages any bicycle-hating readers to mentally add in their own existing biases. It’s treatment there is not that far off Courtland Milloy in the end: “They are not a family of militant, extreme-sports cyclists – and that’s the point.”. That’s the point…? To not be associated with certain other bicycle riders (painted with a big stereotypical brush)? Next time I buy a car I’ll make sure to find the slowest, heaviest one so people don’t think I like watching NASCAR. And I won’t wear my seat belt! That would be too specialized and might give off the impression that I’m a speed freak. (FWIW, I don’t think helmets should be compulsory but given how divisive the issue is, I don’t think “Helmets Optional” is a helpful recommendation.)

Aside from the article though:

In my experience, if I ride with even just a backpack, I do find that drivers are more courteous (I assume because there’s the indication I am riding for transportation rather than sport). I often ride with a reflective ankle strap for perception as much as actual safety – I’m telling other road/trail users I would like them to watch out for me, and I’ve made an effort to make it easier for them to do so.

I do feel that many commuters (even longer haul) enjoy having options for “performance” cycle wear that doesn’t look like a race kit – there’s certainly an increasing market for smarter/classier looking jerseys, helmets, etc. Part of that is the bike industry finally catching up to what people on bikes would actually like to wear (and ride, for that matter, when it comes to buying a commuter bike vs. a crit machine). So organically, the movement for riding on more regular bikes in more regular clothes has already begun – there is no need to deride those in lycra to promote riding in normal clothes (though to be fair, I would not want to ride more than a few miles in anything less sporty than MTB shorts with the current humidity/temperature).

NB: I hate the term “dad bod” even more than “normcore”.

[americancyclo]

@Tim Kelley 118750 wrote:

I think the point that Modacity is trying to get across is that biking is a fun, normal, activity that anyone can do, and all it requires is a bike.

I think BikeArlington is very good at this part. I worry that the tone of the article will be present in any collaboration this summer.

Enjoy the Journey. First and foremost, this means slowing down and being present in your environment. Bicycling is often the most-efficient means of travel, and slowing down to be a bit more safe and careful probably isn’t going to change that – and is certainly more comforting and civil to those around you.

This tells newcomers that currently, people who ride bikes do not enjoy it.

alt: Enjoy the Journey. Feel the breeze in your hair as you ride to the local coffee shop. Bask in the sun on your way to get groceries. Take in the sights and sounds on your way to work.

Try a Cruiser Bike. Upright riding lends itself to a more relaxed, slower ride, and more importantly, allows you to interact with your environment and neighbors. A cruiser (or Dutch-style) bike may not be fancy or win the Tour de France, but it may make your commute more pleasant, so why not try one out. Plus, says Melissa Bruntlett, “everyone needs n+1 number of bikes, where n is the number of bikes you already own.” (There are also a lot of options such as regular shorts or pants that hide the Lycra underneath.)

This tells newcomers that they need a certain bike. this is just as bad as telling them they need a TT bike. Save the “N+1” discussion for those that are already on bikes regularly.

alt: The right bike is the one you have and the one you ride.

Dress for the Destination. Specialized bicycle clothing is a signaling device. It communicates that cycling is for experts, not for everyone. Think about whether Lycra is for practical reasons or to gratify your own ego. When at all possible, dress for the destination. It won’t always be possible in hot climates or bad weather, but it may be more practical than you realize.

Everything is a signaling device. A suit. A basket. A sundress. If this is meant to address clothing, it should address comfort and safety.

alt: Dress for comfort. If you have a short way to go, don’t even think about a clothing change. If you’re travelling a longer distance consider your exertion level, and if a change of clothes might be appropriate.

Helmets Optional. This is a controversial subject, and one the Bruntletts try to stay away from, but they believe helmets are part of the specialized gear signaling that cycling is for the experts. Plus, helmets keep people off bikes, and the most important way to keep cyclists safe is get more people bicycling. There’s safety in numbers. Also, as Chris Bruntlett says, “Helmet laws make bikeshare systems unworkable.”

alt: Helmets can protect you from some injuries, but not all. Ride safely and consider a Confident City Cycling course from your local bicycle advocates.

Be a Creative, Vocal, Leader.

I think this is too much to ask of a newcomer.

alt: Have fun and share your adventures on social media!

[Vicegrip]

@Tim Kelley 118750 wrote:

Does all this make sense? My opinions have evolved over time, and if you think I’m off base I’m happy to hear everyone’s thoughts and am open to other’s points of view.

Well said. Send that to the the guy that penned the original article.

I think people get into bike riding from many angles and for one of many reasons. Once riding they can then learn about other aspects and add or not. One thing i dislike seeing is when someone tries adult bicycling for some reason but soon thereafter quits due to lack of know how. “My ______ got sore. There is no place to ride” or the like.

[Crickey7]

And what kind of article about bike advocacy omits mention of both beer AND pancakes?

[Author]

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