If you're the only bike commuter in your area, it means you'll soon be considered the person who did it first, before the big wave of bike commuting came. The times, they are a-changin'. Now, here in NYC, we have Wall St types elegantly dressed, riding bikes. We have pretty young women riding bikes. We have old people riding bikes and super-obese people riding bikes. Tourists rent and ride bikes here. It's a big change over the years, but when I think about it, more trips are still done by car than by bike, so we still have a long way to go.

So no, I don't get weird looks for being on a bike. In my neighborhood, a few bike commuters go by every minute. Poverty and DUI are not the first assumptions.