Ethnicity and cycling
04-19-09, 08:10 PM
#51
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From the north side of Sydney, Australia - I commute about 10km to work and ride on weekends and have to say that cyclists more or less represent the cultural mix around my region, with only a slight under representation of Asians. This might be because, on the north side, the area with the largest number of Asians is in an area about 15 kms out and because of the hills in Sydney, a 15km commute on anything but a good road bike would be a struggle for leisure riders. Might be different in other areas like the inner west, about 5-10kms from town where the cultural mix is more varied. I do also see groups of Asians and mixed groups bunch riding on the weekend, which is cool. (I am of Asian descent if you haven't already guessed).
04-20-09, 07:06 AM
#53
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Everytime I ride my bike, either to work or just leisure, or whenever I am outside, I observe how many other cyclists there are like me. While noticing them, I've noticed something else, based on race and ethnicity. For some unknown reason, most cyclists I see (at least in Toronto where I live) are white. If I see a person of asian or african descent cycling, for some reason it is a rare occurence while I see people who are white on their bikes all the time. Do you notice this as well in your area? And what do you think is the reason for mostly white people riding bikes? It is something that kind of confuses me.
SO perhaps that is your situation also - a high "white count."
However, about 2 to 3 mornings of every 5 on may way to work there is one youngish Black gentlemen heading the other way on a road bike; the only non-white person I have ever seen on a bike. I wave, he waves, but he IS on a road bike. If he was riding a mountain bike, or 'bent or anything other than a road bike in the proper attire I would just snub my nose at him and his "freddy" wave and continue on.
Ugh! The very fact that one of those...Freds dare raise a hand to wave at ME gives me shudders and makes me want to shower. Those people should have their own schools and be required to sit in the BACK of the bus!
04-20-09, 07:11 AM
#54
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Well, here in Nova Scotia (eastern Canada) there are quite a few more white Canadians (not just frost bitten ones) than any other race or ethinicity. Thinking back to many of the rides I've been on, the most prodminant is the white (maybe Caucasian?) male. Then the white female. Very few African Canadians or Blacks, Asians, or any other differant form/shape/colour of the human being.
SO perhaps that is your situation also - a high "white count."
However, about 2 to 3 mornings of every 5 on may way to work there is one youngish Black gentlemen heading the other way on a road bike; the only non-white person I have ever seen on a bike. I wave, he waves, but he IS on a road bike. If he was riding a mountain bike, or 'bent or anything other than a road bike in the proper attire I would just snub my nose at him and his "freddy" wave and continue on.
Ugh! The very fact that one of those...Freds dare raise a hand to wave at ME gives me shudders and makes me want to shower. Those people should have their own schools and be required to sit in the BACK of the bus!
SO perhaps that is your situation also - a high "white count."
However, about 2 to 3 mornings of every 5 on may way to work there is one youngish Black gentlemen heading the other way on a road bike; the only non-white person I have ever seen on a bike. I wave, he waves, but he IS on a road bike. If he was riding a mountain bike, or 'bent or anything other than a road bike in the proper attire I would just snub my nose at him and his "freddy" wave and continue on.
Ugh! The very fact that one of those...Freds dare raise a hand to wave at ME gives me shudders and makes me want to shower. Those people should have their own schools and be required to sit in the BACK of the bus!
OH! There's an Asian guy at work, not sure if he is Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc but he also rides a bike. It's a road bike, but he SEEMS kinda Fredish, so I've been keeping my distance until I'm sure.
04-20-09, 08:18 AM
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Digger, you are too much!
Most cyclists we see around here are Freds/Wilmas?? We have various skintones. You mostly see the roadies on the freeway here so they can ride fast with no stops. It's legal here because there are wide shoulders on the freeways.
Some of the hispanic riders here seem very tiny (maybe Guatamalan) compared to their bikes. They might not know that bikes come in various sizes because Walmart or Kmart doesn't really offer size choice.
A lot of riders here also balance their plastic shopping bags off of their handlebars. It looks difficult to ride that way to me. Seems like baskets would work better.
Uh, what was the question?
Most cyclists we see around here are Freds/Wilmas?? We have various skintones. You mostly see the roadies on the freeway here so they can ride fast with no stops. It's legal here because there are wide shoulders on the freeways.
Some of the hispanic riders here seem very tiny (maybe Guatamalan) compared to their bikes. They might not know that bikes come in various sizes because Walmart or Kmart doesn't really offer size choice.
A lot of riders here also balance their plastic shopping bags off of their handlebars. It looks difficult to ride that way to me. Seems like baskets would work better.
Uh, what was the question?
04-20-09, 11:32 AM
#56
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In our city, the bicycle commuters THAT I SEE are mostly whites and hispanics. At one plant where I worked, I was the only white bicycle commuter, and the other bicycle commuters were Hispanic. The cool thing was that we did have a lot of bicycle commuters. That particular plant had more bicycle commuters than any other place I worked.
The Hispanic bicycle commuters that I see are practical in their dress- they ride to work casually in their street or work clothes - just coasting along on their way to work. It is a cool sight, in my opinion. For them, the bicycle is just transportation to work, not a statement. They ride whatever bike they can get - old cruisers, three-speeds from yesteryear, garage sale finds, etc. Very few, if any, of these guys wear bicycle helmets. Some smoke cigarettes while they ride to and from work.
The caucasion bicycle commuters that I observe seem to be more outfitted specifically for the ride - bicycle specific clothes, bike bags, sometimes panniers. Some might go all out in spandex. Their bike handles have lights and spedometers and other gadgets. The pedals are often clipless and the rider wears bike-specific shoes. There are a few white commuters who transport on older bikes, but they are usually still outfitted well with lights and other fineries. These riders might have older bike clothing, but you can tell it is pretty much their bicycle clothing.
So in this city, the number of hispanic bicycle commuters seems greater than the natural proportion you would expect from the demographics of the city. The other races seem to be in natural proportion to the demographics.
The Hispanic bicycle commuters that I see are practical in their dress- they ride to work casually in their street or work clothes - just coasting along on their way to work. It is a cool sight, in my opinion. For them, the bicycle is just transportation to work, not a statement. They ride whatever bike they can get - old cruisers, three-speeds from yesteryear, garage sale finds, etc. Very few, if any, of these guys wear bicycle helmets. Some smoke cigarettes while they ride to and from work.
The caucasion bicycle commuters that I observe seem to be more outfitted specifically for the ride - bicycle specific clothes, bike bags, sometimes panniers. Some might go all out in spandex. Their bike handles have lights and spedometers and other gadgets. The pedals are often clipless and the rider wears bike-specific shoes. There are a few white commuters who transport on older bikes, but they are usually still outfitted well with lights and other fineries. These riders might have older bike clothing, but you can tell it is pretty much their bicycle clothing.
So in this city, the number of hispanic bicycle commuters seems greater than the natural proportion you would expect from the demographics of the city. The other races seem to be in natural proportion to the demographics.
04-20-09, 11:43 AM
#57
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In our city, the bicycle commuters THAT I SEE are mostly whites and hispanics. At one plant where I worked, I was the only white bicycle commuter, and the other bicycle commuters were Hispanic. The cool thing was that we did have a lot of bicycle commuters. That particular plant had more bicycle commuters than any other place I worked.
The Hispanic bicycle commuters that I see are practical in their dress- they ride to work casually in their street or work clothes - just coasting along on their way to work. It is a cool sight, in my opinion. For them, the bicycle is just transportation to work, not a statement. They ride whatever bike they can get - old cruisers, three-speeds from yesteryear, garage sale finds, etc. Very few, if any, of these guys wear bicycle helmets. Some smoke cigarettes while they ride to and from work.
The caucasion bicycle commuters that I observe seem to be more outfitted specifically for the ride - bicycle specific clothes, bike bags, sometimes panniers. Some might go all out in spandex. Their bike handles have lights and spedometers and other gadgets. The pedals are often clipless and the rider wears bike-specific shoes. There are a few white commuters who transport on older bikes, but they are usually still outfitted well with lights and other fineries. These riders might have older bike clothing, but you can tell it is pretty much their bicycle clothing.
So in this city, the number of hispanic bicycle commuters seems greater than the natural proportion you would expect from the demographics of the city. The other races seem to be in natural proportion to the demographics.
The Hispanic bicycle commuters that I see are practical in their dress- they ride to work casually in their street or work clothes - just coasting along on their way to work. It is a cool sight, in my opinion. For them, the bicycle is just transportation to work, not a statement. They ride whatever bike they can get - old cruisers, three-speeds from yesteryear, garage sale finds, etc. Very few, if any, of these guys wear bicycle helmets. Some smoke cigarettes while they ride to and from work.
The caucasion bicycle commuters that I observe seem to be more outfitted specifically for the ride - bicycle specific clothes, bike bags, sometimes panniers. Some might go all out in spandex. Their bike handles have lights and spedometers and other gadgets. The pedals are often clipless and the rider wears bike-specific shoes. There are a few white commuters who transport on older bikes, but they are usually still outfitted well with lights and other fineries. These riders might have older bike clothing, but you can tell it is pretty much their bicycle clothing.
So in this city, the number of hispanic bicycle commuters seems greater than the natural proportion you would expect from the demographics of the city. The other races seem to be in natural proportion to the demographics.
04-20-09, 12:27 PM
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Of course, the only way I know for sure is because I know these guys from work. If I saw a Hispanic on a bicycle just zooming by, I probably wouldn't know if he/she was hispanic or native or white, or Asian eastern. Hispanics have a pretty universal appearance.
I think to some degree, some Hispanic immigrants bring their bicycle culture with them too. Sometimes in California, for example, I have seen home-made welded rigs used for hauling stuff that clearly looks like designs I have seen in Mexico. It just seems for a lot of these riders that the bike is just a common sense way to get to work. Nothing more, nothing less.
It is hard to engage these guys into a long discussion about bicycle commuting like you can with a lot of the spandex commuters. For these guys, bicycles are just a way to get around. Better than walking. Cheaper than a car. They appreciate it when I give them a new saddle or peddals or something, but they aren't interested in talking about the difference between saddles or parts or whatever.
I like their attitude really. Nothing to prove. No statement to make. Bicycles are practical, so they ride them.
04-22-09, 01:47 PM
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Hispanics can be of European ancestry, See also Sephartic Jews.
Light skinned Asians might appear white to you at a distance.
Bicycles are not cheap to buy and maintain. In poorer areas there are few LBSs to do the work.
In 'minority' neighborhoods the police sometimes enforce rules more strictly so they can run warrants and such. That would discourage many from riding bicycles.
Light skinned Asians might appear white to you at a distance.
Bicycles are not cheap to buy and maintain. In poorer areas there are few LBSs to do the work.
In 'minority' neighborhoods the police sometimes enforce rules more strictly so they can run warrants and such. That would discourage many from riding bicycles.
04-22-09, 11:23 PM
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Hispanics can be of European ancestry, See also Sephartic Jews.
Light skinned Asians might appear white to you at a distance.
Bicycles are not cheap to buy and maintain. In poorer areas there are few LBSs to do the work.
In 'minority' neighborhoods the police sometimes enforce rules more strictly so they can run warrants and such. That would discourage many from riding bicycles.
Light skinned Asians might appear white to you at a distance.
Bicycles are not cheap to buy and maintain. In poorer areas there are few LBSs to do the work.
In 'minority' neighborhoods the police sometimes enforce rules more strictly so they can run warrants and such. That would discourage many from riding bicycles.
In our city, anyway, the police seem pretty pro-bicycle. I don't think they hassle minorities on bicycles.
Is that what you are saying; that police hassle minority bicyclists, so that the minorities prefer to walk (or maybe drive)?
