A few days ago I posted about a bike brand that made lovely bikes and then, for reasons I don’t understand, had a page about ‘recommended clothing’. The post illicited many responses, which is always great. Many people, however, wandered off onto tangents. Let’s tidy it up a bit by shovelling the proverbial footpath. Firstly, yes yes yes, we all all aware that Minneapolis is cold in the winter. Although, having spent most of my childhood - for reasons beyond my control - growing up in Calgary, Canada, Minnesota winters are girlie winters to me… :-).
And like the Montréalers on the blog, others know too well the chill of winter. One of the chaps behind Larry vs Harry cargo bikes used to be a bike courier in Montréal, in the winter, and he couldn't recognize the need for such Rambo gear in the previous post.
'My winters are are colder than your winters' is not the point of the post or anything to do with what I'm trying to say.
Many visitors to this blog ride their bikes or are involved with bike policy in cities around the world. Those of you in North America are in a minority. It is in everybody's interest to do whatever we can to change that to a majority, or at the least increase the numbers.
One of our readers, the always interesting Adrienne, wrote in the comments that:
"What if every person in America decided to ride bikes? That would be wonderful! What if everyone of them decided to do it in helmets and lycra and clips? Would that make it less so?"
On paper, it would be fantastic. I believe, though, that no matter how you twist it or turn it, the majority will never end up as 'bicycle enthusiasts'. Just look at the cities that are moving forward these days. Portland isn't filled with lycra-clad, Oakley-glassed, carbon-fibered cyclists. There are many average people on average bikes. Look at New York City - the day is coming when New Yorkers Who Ride a Bike will outnumber New York Cyclists. Look at Paris. Nowhere on the planet has seen such a massive increase in the number of bikes on the streets in such a short amount of time as in the French capital. European cities - both those with great numbers of people on bikes and those who are booming - have traditionally avoided the overcomplication factor and they are reaping the benefits on all levels of society. Reduced traffic and pollution, better health standards, fewer sick days for citizens... and so on. People just want to be inspired to ride a bike and that's what we should be focusing on.
Here's another comment from a reader who has recently embraced urban cycling in New York, as posted on the piece about New York's increase of cyclists.
"It is true, yes, in New York although it's harder to see the change from my perspective as a participant in it (started riding daily mid-summer). There has been some mild resentment of the new riders from established "tribes", but I think even they realize that normalized cycling is better for all. American cycling lore (the gear, the outfit, the helmet) will continue to be passed down through the athletic segments (currently, half of my ladyfriends are "triathletes") but submission to that lore among everyone else has been broken with surprising ease. It makes me think that the massive conformity displayed previously was more a result of self-selection (adults that want to compete in athletic events, or place themselves in front of speeding cars with no support from infrastructure or law) than any part of our nature, which is a huge relief!"Encouraging news which backs up my postulate about how most people aren't going to end up in lycra or on the membership rosters of bicycle clubs.
Most people have clothes like this. It is enough. All they need is a bike. Spread the word.
