The fella on ibikelondon has a valid point in his article, Public face of cycling. We now have an image of cyclist which either scared others off the idea of riding a bicycle.
Trying to get new people to start cycling is hard work, since the image of a cyclist is either a tree hugger or lycra lout.
No matter what the magazines tells you down your local newsagent, you don’t have to wear lycra and own a £2000+ bicycle to be cyclist . You can easy ride your Dutch style “sit up and beg” bicycle (or what ever you fancy to ride) in you every day wear down to the shops for a pint of milk or a picnic in the park. Just as .citycycling.co.uk says “no matter what you ride, as long as you do” and have fun while doing it, because it is fun and you will be so much better of for it.
And you do not have be the fastest of the lot in the “tour de commute” on the Embankment every day at rush hour. Just look at how they cycle in Denmark and Holland, very relaxed and chilled out. And they still get there before the ones on the public transport or the ones in the cars.
November 2, 2009 at 2:24 am
Thanks so much for the link – I’ve added you to my list of most excellent cycling blogs around.
I couldn’t agree more with your point about £2000+ bikes – great if you have that kind of money but the fetishisation of bikes and all the gear you purportedly need to have to ride one is nonsense. I ride a cheap old bright purple hunk of crap in old shorts, trainers and tee shirt and it get’s me to work and back every day very comfortably just fine. Oh, and I have lots of fun doing it too, which of course is the most important thing, right?