Originally Posted by
hhabca
So you're in the garden doing fall cleaning and realize you forgot to get the tulip bulbs to plant. So what do you do. Get in your car and drive to the store? No you're an Earth lover - - you will ride your bike. So now what, do you:
a) go into the house, change into cycling shorts, put on The Shoes, attach paniers to the bike, then hop on and go. At the store you lock up the bike, then clomp around the shop in your shoes. You've been 'told' that biking requires these accessories, and anyone looking at you funny just doesn't get 'it'. Besides, that's how you always ride. Oh hell, that all just takes too long, I'll just get in the car - it's only a 5 minute drive anyway, not worth 'suiting up' for....
b) walk over to your bike, hop on (wearing your sandles, or Crocks, or wooden shoes) and ride to the store. Lean the bike againt the wall outside the door. Buy the damn bulbs. Get on the bike and ride home.
Grant wants us to do more of 'b', and to encourage non-riders to join us in just hopping on the bike, with whatever you're wearing, and go for a ride.
People, how harmless is that?
Or, here's a real world example from 3 weekends ago...
c) I tell Mrs. Cyclaholic I'm going to the garden store and she says "while you're there can you get me a few bags of rose potting mix (15lb each) and since the store is next door why don't you also get these groceries? (hand me a list that comes up to 20lb of stuff)
I know its 15 miles r/t with several decent climbs in each direction, so once I've hitched the trailer to the bike I take 30 seconds to change into my SPD mountain shoes - the ones with recessed cleats that allow me to walk around in them all day long just like any 'normal' shoe.
On the way back home I take full advantage of being able to recruit many more leg muscles to get my 65+lb load (on a 25lb trailer) over several decent climbs. Muscles that would otherwise just be along for the ride.
....remind me again what's the downside of clipless?