Newspaperguy

Church culture has changed quite a bit over the last few decades. I remember the days when everyone dressed up quite a bit for church with suits for men and dresses for women. You'll still find that in a few churches, but the dress code is a lot more relaxed now. Lycra cycle clothing might be out of place, but wind pants and a T-shirt would be quite acceptable.

Geonz

https://www.living-room.org/slackers.htm "cycling for slackers"

I ride to church; we had a priest visiting from Guatemala who was moved by the whole notion that somebody would forego using a car, and he blessed my bike :-)

nashcommguy

When I bike to church I wear what's appropriate for the weather. God's in charge there. IMHO(accent on the humble part...we ARE talking about going to church) showing up in 'full kit' spandex, etc. IS inappropriate, but wearing rain/cold weather gear and/or padded lycra/short combo is perfectly ok. My wife and I attend a small country church about 6 (rolling hills)miles from our house and bike, frequently. We get teased, good-naturedly, but there's a respect in the teasing. A couple gave us some of those lime-green hi-vis t-shirts to wear. It's a Baptist church and although the perception would be they're very conservative, they've come to accept us and love us as if we were family. We're different in alot of ways, but we come together to worship and praise and that's the only thing God's worried about. So, I'd encourage you to bike to church and attend mass in whatever is appropriate for the weather and put the savings in the collection plate as God asks for 1 in ten and returns it a hundredfold.

BTW, 5 miles isn't that far and just take it easy up the big hills. Take a small terrycloth towell w/you and you'll be fine. Just get there 10-15 mins early to allow some 'cool down' time.

Artkansas 

I consider all of Earth to be God's temple. So I never ride outside of Church.

RCordone

Wife and I are reformed Jews so everyone thinks we are weird anyway. We ride to temple (4 miles)when the weather is agreeable and frequently ride our tandem. We dress LL Bean casual as do some others at our temple, No one has ever said anything, but then again they all know we are an easy touch for their committees and projects.

jefferee

During ice-free months, my wife and I do 10 km (6 miles) to church, in and out of a couple of small ravines. For her, it's the big ride of the week; for me, it's recovery-ride pace.

Generally we leave the house later than we should and go hard to have time to change when we get there.

Elkhound

Isn't riding a bicycle on the Sabbath considered "work"?

wahoonc

The local (I assume reformed?) synagogue nearest me, some of them drive, but at one time most of the members lived within walking distance. I would consider cycling less "work" than walking...but times change

Aaron

mike

2500 parishoners at each mass?! Holy smokes, those are rock-concer proportions! Are your choir boys the Who with Roger Daultry and Pete Townsend or something?

I would like to be on your church’s prayer tree. That is a lot of prayer power!

axelwik

I don't drive to church, nor do I walk, or ride my bicycle, or skateboard, roller-blade - nope none of those. In fact I don't go to church at all - problem solved.

vja4Him

I stopped driving my van several months ago, and it's a good thing I did!! The motor mounts were broken, and the CV joints were shot. The van is fixed now, but still need to get new tail light covers. I had to reinstate my insurance, or else DMV would suspend my registration .... What a hassle!! Even if you don't drive, you still must have insurance.

Since I've been riding my bike again for transportation, I've been learning how to get around and take care of business, shopping, errands .... I usually ride the bus and take my bike with me. I have a serious problem with my feet and cannot walk very far or stand for long.

I ride the bus to church, but take my bike with me, because the bus stop is too far on Sunday. I've been riding my bike all around town, and this morning rode to downtown in only 17 minutes. I don't have to worry about how I dress when I go to church. Our church is very relaxed .... Some people dress up, many do not.

God is not concerned with our dress. He wants our heart ....

-- vja4Him
+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Bob Nichols

I ride my bike to church when possible. In the summer I wear shorts and a tee shirt. I change into long pants and a different shirt at church. When I was a kid everyone wore a suit and tie, but things have changed. I hardly every wear a coat and tie anymore. I sing in the choir and with the choir robe on I don't guess you would have to wear anything and nobody would know the difference.

I stopped by the office on my way to church this morning. I wore a pair of dress pants and polo shirt with a sweat shirt over. The temperature is 44 this morning. Pulled my socks over my pant legs to keep them out of the chain.

Jude

Considering all the other differences between Orthodox and reformed Jews, I'd guess that they don't have the same ultra strict Shabbat regulations either...

Anyway, bike to church, definitely and wear whatever you like. God sure won't disapprove, and if anybody in the church is, they need their priorities straightened out in a big way.

bicyclridr4life

I have.

mike

I am a lector and ecumenical minister (give out the eucharist), so I always wear a suit and tie.

I bicycle with the suit and tie - about 10 miles round-trip. I wear gaitor leggings to keep the chaingunk off of my pants.

It probably is an interesting sight in the USA to see a fellow bicycling in a suit, but I think it is kinda cool.

urban rider

I wrote a letter to the church I visit. It is a unity church, where the dress is very relax. Something about come as you are. Anyway, I requested a bike rack. At the time gasoline was at least four dollars per gallon and many people chose not to drive to church due to the cost of driving. The next week there was a bike rack in the front of the church. There are several people who use that bike rack. I am impressed.

Elkhound

So am I, but where I go the lay ministers wear albs or cassock and surplice, so what I wear doesn't matter. (When I'm not lecting, I'm in the choir, so I wear the choir robe; hence, what I wear TO church is not seen IN church.)

TuckertonRR

who thinks you're weird? the non-jews in your town or the jews in your town that know you ride to shul?

Elkhound

Perhaps both? I know that some Reform Jews find themselves like Aesop's Bat--who was not accepted by either the birds or the beasts. The gentiles look at them askance for being Jewish--and the more 'frum' Jews look down on them for 'not being Jewish enough.'

aris

spandex is unacceptable anywhere but a race

I bike to wherever I go and in jeans and a shirt most of the time

Standalone 

One of my pastors has been really supportive in finding funding for a bike rack at our Congregational UCC church.

So far, I've only been night-riding to choir rehearsal and to Deaconate meetings, mainly because I bring my two small sons with me on Sundays. (my wife sings professionally at a church in Westchester co.) It's 7.2 miles with a major hill and one tight shoulderless stretch, and I don't quite feel comfortable taking them in the trailer.

I like the idea of bike-to-church day for Earth Day. I think I could get that happening in my congregation, too.

As a Deacon and a choir member, I wear a tie every day. Not sure what I'd do if we started riding to church. I hope to do it when the boys are older.

Elkhound

I take it your choir doesn't wear robes? (Because who cares what you're wearing under the robe.)

Tie in pocket. When you get to church, duck into the men's room and put it on.

Standalone 

Well, sometimes if we're not singing during communion, I have to serve the elements, or as with a few Sundays ago, I gave a lay sermon on Laity Sunday.

Tie in pocket makes sense. It's definitely not the clothing that is holding me back from riding there on Sundays in addition to Mon and Wed nights.

The UCC is an open minded denomination in general, and I'd be welcomed wearing pretty much whatever. But it's also a church that was founded on that site in 1639 by some early puritain settlers, so there's definitely a stuffy English sort of tradition going on. As a stuffy english teacher of Englsih descent myself... I'm more than content to sport a tie.

To me, wearing a tie and clip every day (even cufflinks some days!) is sort of my own little punk rock rebellion. I mean who DOES that?

Gotta be different....!

Elkhound

Standalone, how old are your boys? You said above that transporting them was (part of) the problem.

Standalone 

One is just turned four, the other nearly two. They do very well in our $10 thrift-shop-find instep trailer. Mty wife and I take them around on the tandem on the boardwalk bike path down the hill.

I'm just a little concerned aboiut going on shoulderless roads with them in tow.