Originally Posted by thdave
Last night, ABC Nightly News had a segment on the high cost of fuel and what folks are doing about it. The story was fine and dandy, until the last part, which has my blood boiling!
The last part of it included a cyclist or sorts. It was a joke. The guy was dressed in a polyester suit and tie, and was slowly riding a cruiser bike on a country road. The broadcaster laughed at the guy and they wrapped up their story.
How frickin' sad. Cycling is a
real alternative to driving a car and reducing fuel consumption. I saved a 100 gallons of gas last year by peddling. ABC, showing a lack of concern for the topic, instead decided create a stigma against it--the clear message was the cycling is for nerds! Slow, unathletic nerds, poly suits required!
The main problem I see here is the attitude that wearing 'normal' clothes , even among people in this forum (ok, maybe a polyester suit & tie is a bit abnormal), while cycling is a weird thing. A cruiser bike ain't necessarily a bad option, if you're only commuting 3-4 miles (say, if you live in a city). Look at the bikes the dutch ride - heavy, ********, singlespeeds, but tough as nails. 1000 percent practical. You can bet your ass no one is bothering to suit up in overengineered aerodynamic lycra to go to work. Suit & tie? Evening wear? F it - just hop & go.
I've actually started bike commuting slower and in normal clothes more often, because I realized that wearing all of my bike gear only fed people's impressions that biking is an enthusiast's activity, something you need to have special gear to do. This idea is completely ridiculous. You don't have to be excessively fit, able to ride 18 mph, and own a road bike. Almost ANYONE can ride a bike.
We need to work on changing the idea of bike commuting as something for outsiders & enthusiasts, to something practical and necessary in these days of ever-dwindling gas supplies.
Until then, I'm with the guy in the suit -- I'll be the weirdo, biking in a skirt.