The only social stigma comes from outside your own peer-group. All of my friends ride; and anytime we meet up no matter where, everybody arrives on bikes. London's not the best place to own a car anyway, unless you're prepared to put up with constant parking tickets and £5 per day congestion charge. The reward comes every night on the way home when you ride past the solid lines of lucky car owners who all wish they'd come in by bike today.

This sounds amazing. None of my friends ride. I'm jealous.

But not everyone who doesn't understand the bike culture is shallow, something I have to remind myself. Somewhere around seven years ago I decided to try biking to the beach (in San Diego), a distance of a little over 11 miles. This was before I knew that one had to clean and oil their chains, and periodically put AIR in their tires. 11 miles seemed insurmountable at the time, but it wasn't too hard and I felt great afterwards.

I've come a long way, thanks to forums like this and lots of mistakes, and my friends and family have learned a lot from me, so there's a few people out there now who are less likely to stigmatize.

But I can't expect people to be naturally savvy with the idea of bike commuting. It seems like an extreme thing to people who have never known any other way of getting around. With a little time and a good example, though, people can come around.

My girlfriend now bikes to work (~1 mile) and is sad when she is unable to do so. I didn't pressure her for this, you can't force someone to share an interest, so I'm really happy that her interest has developed on its own. She's even said she'd be interested in a Scotland bike tour with me, I'm skeptical about this but it could happen. My long winded point is, the people who look at adults biking as weird or implying poverty can come around when they're exposed to good examples.

I'm not so sure...

Jeffrey (previously of Riverside, CA)

theres exceptions to every rule. i've found californian to be universally hated in the nw though. i've heard lots of reasons why

I think women on bikes are hot. I saw this woman the other day zipping down commerical ave. It is a long hill with plenty of tight curves and a descending hairpin at the end of the 300 foot drop--she did it like it was nothing then rode up the 300 foot climb on the other side. She would definatly give me a run for my money. I cant tell you how much I love that.

But ladies it can be hard to fight an enemy with outposts in you head. This below is so appalling. All things other things being equal, the woman on the bike is better.

Far better than these clownettes: (that's probably the only time you will see me write in the deminutive)

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/12/fa...ars.html?8hpib

exerpt since you need to do a free reg to view--
What Women Want: More Horses

In recent years there has been growth in sales of "fun" or extravagant cars among middle-aged women that are a far cry from family leviathans like the sport utility vehicle or minivan. Industry analysts report sales of luxury vehicles are up for women over 45, and dealers report that more of them are walking into showrooms with more interest in horsepower than trunk space.

"We touch on it in almost every sales meeting," said Lou Liodori, the sales manager of Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich in Greenwich, Conn., which sold Ms. Fitzpatrick and Ms. Dirienzo their cars. "We're in Greenwich, one of richest towns in the country, but we're also right off I-95. Nurses, teachers, I can't tell you how many are buying convertibles."

There is no single category of female "reward car," as some in the auto industry call such purchases. But analysts see increases in the number of middle-aged women buying all sorts of nonfamily cars.

Vehicle registration records compiled by Mark A. Pauze, a consultant at R. L. Polk, which tracks car registration figures, show that the number of women over 45 who purchased cars in the niche known as "mid-sized sporty," which includes two-door models like the Mazda RX-8 and the Chrysler Crossfire, is up 277 percent since 2000. Among women of 45 and over earning at least $100,000, smaller luxury cars like the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4 are up 93 percent since 2000, Mr. Pauze said. Full-size pickups are up 310 percent.

Suraya DaSante, a spokeswoman for DaimlerChrysler, said boomer women may be a factor in "why cars are back" in favor as S.U.V.'s stall in popularity.

The Northwest is full of early-arriving Californians who are busy hating the later-arrived Californians.

Thirty years ago when I was young and single I found that to be absolutely true. I finally bought a car. Here is what I wish I had tried. I am NOT saying it would have worked. You're on your own with this idea.

Find a conveniently-located car rental place. Rent a car now and then so they get to know you, you know them, you know how the procedure works, and you get the wheels greased, so to speak, so that you can get a rental car on short notice.

Do some calculations for your own location and circumstances. Where I live, if one could live one's daily life without a car, it would be cheaper to do so, and to rent a car every weekend, than it would be to own a car. (Assuming a new car) See if that is true for you. If it is not, then stop here.

Find the cost of a new car, divide it by 60 (months, = 5 years) and start writing a check for that amount every month into a savings account.

There is the setup. Now, when you meet someone of the opposite gender, never mention that you don't own a car. If she sees you initially on a bike, just say that it was a nice day and you rode your bike. "Never apologize, never explain." If things progress to a date, try to arrange it on a weekend. Maybe you have a tight schedule for your weeknights for the near future. If she is brazen enough to ask what kind of car you drive, you might try deflecting it, or asking her what kind of car would make her want to go out with you. In a friendly way, of course.

When you have to go out on a date, rent a car for the weekend and proceed as normal. Never mention that is is a rental. She would not think to ask, probably, unless it had an out-of-state license plate.

So far you are still "under cover." If you have another date, rent a car again. You still are ahead financially, so don't be afraid to spend the money. If you get the same kind, she might not notice. If this goes on long enough, then she will have a chance to know you, and not your automotive status. If she does notice that you have arrived in a different car, you have some options for opening up a discussion. Take your pick. You could say that you are saving a bit of extra money for a Mercedes because you admire German engineering. Tell her you want to pay cash for a new car and avoid the interest. Maybe you always have had a dream to spend a summer in London and you don't want to buy a car until you get back. Maybe your previous car died and you haven't decided what to get as a replacement and would she like to go shopping with you. Or, if you think she's a keeper, you could tell her the truth, whatever it is for you.