Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
If you are not making an inference then I suggest you completely re-write your o.p. to make that clear. I speak, read and write American English with some fluency, and I came away from the o.p. with a very strong feeling that you were making value judgements of American cycling practices. I do not think I am the only one.
I’m not so sure if he was making any kind of value judgment. I think because we live in North America we also have biases that we bring to our interpretation. I read that he expected to see such things as panniers, cycling-specific clothing, etc., but did not, and perhaps a bit surprised by it. That’s all.
Anyway, I re-read the OP and still didn’t sense the judgment you perceived.