Article: Slow Down! And Four Other Ways to Make People Love Cyclists
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@Tim Kelley 118750 wrote:
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).
Well, sure, your marketing and educational literature ought to reflect the audience you’re trying to reach, and I would agree that the easiest people to get on bike are the ones who might be encouraged to hop on for a quick ride to the coffee shop or park. Absolutely, completely agree.
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.
And I think people already know this. What people don’t know is *how* to do it in a way that feels safe and stress-free. I don’t think you have a lot of people driving to the grocery store because they think they can’t ride their bikes there without putting on lycra first. What you do have is a fair number of people putting their bikes on the bike racks of their SUVs to drive their normally-dressed families to the parks and trails to take their kids for bike rides. And then making separate trips to the grocery stores and coffee shops in those same SUVs.
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.
Exactly. And you’ve done a pretty good job of selling us on that.
So it shouldn’t surprise you that we’re not all that enamored of articles that explicitly calls out people in lycra on expensive bikes as “Cyclists with a capital C” who are distinct from “the rest of us” and militant, extreme-sports adrenaline junkies who consider traffic laws to be mere suggestions.Just as there are two Americas, there are two types of cyclists,
This isn’t even forgetting that it’s not us vs. them. It’s actively encouraging us vs. them. It’s just drawing the line as “lycra and carbon” vs. “everyone else” instead of “people on bikes” vs. “everyone else”.
late to the party, but (and to follow up on HDCC discussion)
There are, in my opinion, two types of cyclists. Those who like to break down all cyclists into two groups, and those who do not
I fall somewhat in between. I think that there are certainly subcultures with different approaches and needs that are policy relevant – but far more than two (note even the famous Portland classification has three types)
I would say – there are 1. Folks who are training for competition (including some who commute, but mostly to get more miles in for training) These can be divided into those who do so while abiding by road and trail etiquette, and the jerks. 2. Folks with long commutes, who ride much like the above (road bikes, full kit, fast) simply because that works for their long rides to work 3. Urbanist hipsters (with and without fixies) with short rides, etc 4. Working class folks who use bikes because they are cheap transport – esp common among hispanic immigrants in the suburbs – many come from places with horrible road sharing cultures, and are particularly afraid to ride “VC style” and they lack all special gear, even lights though they often ride at night. 5. A range of slow mostly recreational riders – including older folks, families, etc. Some do some utility riding, or could be persuaded to 6. Folks with intermediate distance commutes
As for the obligation to “advocate for cycling” I confess to being an advocate in general by inclination (even when I do not spend my time as much that way as I would like) I need to remind myself though that someone participating in an activity I share, may focus their activism in other areas – the person on a bike who is not a bike advocate, who may not even be an activist on other issues that relate to transport and the environment, may instead be tutoring poor children, or working with the elderly, or something like that.
For those who do advocate for cycling – I am glad of whatever people do. Some will help by riding more as PALs than they otherwise would. Some will work in the political arena. Some will volunteer to help kids’ rides, or with places like Phoenix. Some give advice to friends and coworkers considering riding. All help, and it is no more reasonable to expect all to change their riding for optics than it is to expect all to volunteer at Phoenix, say.
As for lycra, I am currently helping to undermine the binary by riding in my jersey with cutoff shorts.
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