Originally Posted by
BarracksSi
"Ragtag renegade clothes" and shiny spandex are not worn by grownups.
Where do you get this idea?
Many of the cycling zealots we see getting airtime look like they've got bats in the belfry, too. Certainly not "normal", certainly not just another person who happens to ride a lot.
Yes, but the people I know who ride to work aren't zealots, any of us, and we're all happy to talk to other people about just being "someone who rides to work." Which is what we all are.
Bracketing the article with little jabs at anybody who doesn't dress like the little boy in the photo is patronizing. It's the first and last word. This is not accidental; it's a conscious editorial decision.
How much does it matter? I dunno--not enough to get me upset, but certainly enough to point and say "What a patronizing article."
It also occurs to me that the recommended clothing is only good for about six weeks out of the year in New York City. So it's not as though anybody at the Times fashion desk cares much about really commuting by bike.