Originally Posted by
Darth Lefty
Do you dress or choose gear in order to give an impression? What impression? Do you think of it that way?
A lady just posted on my local Facebook community forum:
She goes on to describe the typical iniquities and indignities we often talk about here (insults, thrown garbage, and specifically today, loose dogs).
It's quite regular in BF Commuting for us to tell people they need to get out there on a 25yo mountain bike, with a backpack. I see these people. At first glance they look poor, like they're on the bike because they must be. There's another type out there that I think of as the Serious Commuter who have a touring bike, bright LED lights, day-glo windbreaker, panniers. They look wealthy, like they're on the bike because they want to be.
Geez, she must live in a crappy town. That's despicable behavior.
When talking about Bike Forums recommendations, context is important. Lots of people come here wanting a good bike for commuting but they have a limited budget. A used rigid mountain bike of decent quality fits the bill because they are versatile and plentiful, - at least they were. Frankly, unless a commute is particularly challenging and requires something a little more specialized, I like the advice of using whatever the person already has or finding something good but inexpensive. Ultimately they may decide that they want a different type of bike than the one they start on. Before potentially spending thousands on cycling equipment, I think it's good to have some experience to help drive the choice.
As far as backpacks go, most people in the commuting forum seem to prefer and recommend panniers though backpacks have their fans too. I've never gotten the impression that we are telling people to use backpacks. When I see somebody on bike with either a backpack or panniers I just assume they are a business commuter or a student. I don't give much thought to wealth unless the bike is clearly in a state of disrepair.
When on the bike do I dress to impress? Do I worry about what sort of impression my bike gives? Not really. It's not that I don't care, but most of all I want to enjoy my commute. I'd also prefer to spend money on nice vacations rather than the latest and greatest cycling gear so cost and function matter more than appearance.
I have two bikes that I think look pretty good and a 3rd one that was put together out of spare parts. It has a red frame, a fork that kind of matches but not really, one green wheel, and one black wheel. Guess which bike I ride the most?