If we are talking about speed then whatever....
In terms of sophistication however, riders in northern US cities and their suburbs are very sophisticated compared to their southern counterparts. The same holds true for motorists who generally know how to interact with cyclists. I'm talking about NYC, Boston, Philly and DC as compared to southern cities like Charlotte and Atlanta. Raleigh NC might be an exception.
Moving to the south was an eye opener. Riders here in the south generally lack an ability to interact with motorists other than staying out of motorist's way as much as possible. They will continue to use bike lanes that are dangerous, don't know the meaning of "Take the lane" and are afraid to ride on anything but back roads and country lanes at off peak hours. Northern cyclists and motorists seem much more used to interacting with each other on busier roads.
Originally Posted by
Machka
One bit of advice I might offer some cyclists is this: do different rides in your local area.
I have read, in the past, of cyclists who ride the same route over and over and over ... every evening, every weekend, basically the same route.
This is standard behavior in and around Atlanta. It's either the LBS Saturday ride or a group of guys get some jerseys printed up, ride the same Saturday morning loop week after week and call it a club. Any suggestion of anything other than a ride with two sprints and one KOM is a non-starter. Variety means riding their loop in the opposite direction. They wonder why people show up for a few weeks and then don't come back.