Originally Posted by
eAspenwood
You can't ignore that our situations are very different though. Riding bikes in amsterdam is safe/easy/normal, while in the US (unless your somewhere special like portland or boulder) urban commuting requires you to be part dare-devil to put up with the terror and excitement of it all. No time to smoke a cigarrette while there's a bus, SUV mom, and an ugly intersection bearing down on me. So its quite a different experience here, and I think it comes through in our average choice of clothing and bikes. If commuting becomes more normal and safe here you will see what our average biker wears and rides change accordingly.
That all said, i do love me some amsterdam/copenhagen/stockholm. I hope we get a little closer to those biketopias.
+1
i'll continue eAspenwood's line of thinking about this, since we're both suffering the same summer in Texas. Yesterday was 102 at 6pm. I doubt the temp dropped below 90 before midnight. The humidity here in Austin was at least 70 percent and Houston is likely worse.
I'd like to wear my work clothes in, but as it is I can't even wear normal casual clothes like shorts and a cotton t-shirt. there are two reasons, and one of them is obvious -- in this heat and humidity, 20 minute sof riding and I'm soaking wet. Synthetic fabrics (or very lightweight merino wool) and lightweight clothing makes that part much better. The second reason is actually more important to my commuting -- I have to put those clothes back on at the end of my workday, and technical (or wool) fabrics dry during the day. Normal clothes don't.
I absolutely agree with the overriding sentiment, which is that bicycles are practical transportation and cycling of the commuting sort should be about practicality. To that end, and as an advocate-type, I do try not to give the impression that a bunch of stuff and money-spending is necessary just to ride one's bike to work. At the same time, I would have a few words of friendly, practical advice for anybody considering the commute from my office 6.6 miles uphill to my house in the 102 degree heat, 70% humidity at 6pm. The blue jeans are probably a bad idea...
Having said all that... I think the pics are dreamy, and we have a lot to learn from countries that have (for decades) planned their cities around human-powered transportation. I would move there in a second. Anybody have a job available in Amsterdam?