tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post7918690184422376469..comments2023-11-29T13:50:03.704+01:00Comments on Cycle ChicĀ®: The Good News and the Bad News About the Cycle Chic MovementColville-Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16749740728099129703noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-41243748334906331972012-10-18T09:34:56.044+02:002012-10-18T09:34:56.044+02:00I laugh at the guys in spandex that have to 'g...I laugh at the guys in spandex that have to 'gear up' for a 30K ride.<br />For two years I lived in Beverly MA and rode a bike to work in Gloucester MA, about 25K or 15 miles....that's about 160 miles a WEEK, not including pleasure rides, grocery shopping, going to the local movie house.... <br />I had to be at work at 7 AM, where I humped 70 pound boxes of frozen seafood being unloaded from freezer ships...we would sort them onto pallets, and they would be moved into the warehouse for distribution.<br />Do this for 10 hours a day, with a 10 minute morning and afternoon break, and a 30 minute lunch break.<br />THEN ride home and do it again for sometimes 7 days a week...if the ships are in, you work.<br /><br />Oh, and wear work jeans (or old military fatigues) and steel-toed boots due to job requirements.<br />And do this regardless of weather.<br /><br />Screw the spandex crowd.<br />I'm modding some nice wool slacks for cycling with kilt hose and a tweed jacket, and a flat cap.<br />I ENJOYED my rides to-and-from work. I would pick tiger lilies for the table. I would pick up a loaf of fresh bread for dinner, and tomorrow's lunch.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02970844222885528427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-41296985474326673762011-10-31T02:00:59.845+01:002011-10-31T02:00:59.845+01:00Mikael,
Firstly many thanks for your analysis and...Mikael,<br /><br />Firstly many thanks for your analysis and commentaries so far on the bicycle and the ideological wars that flow around it. You have put into words many of the problems I have come up against myself. I will if I may give you an account of my own experience. <br /><br />When I decided to get a new bike on the cycle to work scheme I was turned away by all my local retailers in Galway in Ireland. No one wanted to sell me a European-made steel-frame 3-speed bike. Eventually I had to go through the whole process with a shop 150miles away. The reason I was given was that steel bicycles were 'old', 'stupid', 'heavy', & 'boring'. So, many businesses turned business away in a recession!! 'Heavy'? I don't plan on carrying the thing around, it will carry me.<br /><br />In the end I got a 3-speed Gazelle. For our North American friends, I live in Galway on the west coast of Ireland where it rains and blows pretty much as hard as you're going to get it. For those who live in hotter areas of the U.S., I've lived in Barcelona as well and in the months of summer cycling is the only way to get around, in that heat the metro or train is unbearable.<br /><br />On my first outing when I got it, I cycled 10km in 40mins despite having put on a fair bit of weight and not cycling in a number of years. This is in very hilly countryside in the west of Ireland.<br /><br />Some of the looks I get are a bit confused and I've had a few people ask me where I got the 'old' bicycle! Another advantage is that even in big cities here such bicycles are rarely stolen because they're not 'cool' whatever that is. <br /><br />Keep on truckin'Tristramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12173944933261526836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-72048409997609056632011-07-20T10:56:18.681+02:002011-07-20T10:56:18.681+02:00Yeah, you're right, one needs only a bicycle t...Yeah, you're right, one needs only a bicycle to ride a bike. No other trash or gears or gadgets. Fashion ? The one you are wearing when you are not on a bike ! That's it ! I've lived in Copenhagen (Lyngby) for 4 years, in the late 70ies and early 80ies, and rode thru wind, rain, sun, and snow on a "stolen" bike given by my sweet beautiful Danish girlfriend, she simply took it from a railways station, the bike was there for months, she said: "it must have been abandoned, and it was not locked". I am almost 53 today living in a greedy city of Jakarta, polluted with cars and motorcycles and hectic traffic jam. It's been almost 6 months since I rode daily to work on my refurbished second hand bike, an hour to reach the office. People here are beginning to ride bicycles starting as a "fashion" or hype, and thus, wearing all "rich" biking clothes / gears. The "third world" attitude in this country is: riding a bike means poor, can't afford a motorcycle or car, and one have to "convince" the others and ride an expensive bike with all the expensive gears and gadgets just to prove that one is actually rich. Stupid eh ? Well, not me, who cares, I learned a lot from the Danes ! One of my ambition is to ride on bicycle from Jakarta to Bandung (another city about 180km), and later from Jakarta to Bali. I want to thank you for a very inspiring blog min ven ! I will post it on my tweeps and FB, so others in Indonesia could follow. Keep rockin' bro !bedugulcoffeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775976231152506942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-90888318604790032002011-06-06T22:01:44.065+02:002011-06-06T22:01:44.065+02:00I have a 7 mile ride to work here in the suburbs o...I have a 7 mile ride to work here in the suburbs of Seattle, with the last two miles a significant bit of hill work. Today, as I rolled into the office in my khakis, dress shoes, and buttoned shirt, a co-worker exlaimed "Oh! You rode your bike today...and you're not even sweaty!"<br /><br />I was a little bit sweaty, but not visibly so. It was a cycle chic moment.Tynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-2679881200104786732010-05-12T10:08:33.573+02:002010-05-12T10:08:33.573+02:00i've lived the states and canada and i've ...i've lived the states and canada and i've travelled in most of the lower 48 over the past 20-odd years.<br /><br />and last year i was on a lecture tour with my Four Goals for Promoting Urban Cycling, first on the east coast and then on the west coast.Colville-Andersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16749740728099129703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-69803186635798287622010-04-07T13:37:03.231+02:002010-04-07T13:37:03.231+02:00My daily commute is about 20k and I tend to sweat ...My daily commute is about 20k and I tend to sweat like hell even in winter, so I really need to wear athletic shirts to get to work, plus pants that dont's chafe are a nice thing to have.<br /><br />I just ordered pants and a jacket that look like everyday clothes, since I am not a lycra disciple, but are actually made of sweat wicking fabric... so what's the big deal about buying stuff that looks good and doesn't leave me soaking wet after the ride?Petranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-54122638547295776972010-04-02T11:35:19.002+02:002010-04-02T11:35:19.002+02:00Where have you traveled in America? I'm really...Where have you traveled in America? I'm really curious. You say all these things that Americans are telling you are 'bollocks.' You also say that people out in 'the provinces' do not cycle as much. Most of America looks like or at least has people cycling comparable distances to your provinces, even the 'built-up' areas. Seville, Spain is not nearly as humid as most of the Southern, or even Eastern U.S.. It's not necessarily about the heat, its about the dripping sweat in one's work attire. Lastly, bicycles with step-through frames, upright seating, fenders and chain guards are still novelties in the U.S. Far more common (and cheaper!) are mountain and road bikes, which are likely to get you dirty on a commute.<br /><br />These shouldn't be excuses for not biking, but they do necessitate different accessories in different areas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-19232712058112128422010-02-22T12:24:31.099+01:002010-02-22T12:24:31.099+01:00most of our readers are women on this blog. and th...most of our readers are women on this blog. and the picture in question came out of a woman's magazine.<br /><br />so i'm not too troubled.Colville-Andersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16749740728099129703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-15846411199719069042010-02-22T10:56:04.021+01:002010-02-22T10:56:04.021+01:00more women might pay attention if you didn't u...more women might pay attention if you didn't use pictures of women in their underwear to illustrate your point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-16340915873416618062010-02-21T22:32:48.205+01:002010-02-21T22:32:48.205+01:00Cycling's Martin Luther nails his theses to th...Cycling's Martin Luther nails his theses to the church door. Good work. Nicely restrained rant!<br /><br />Jim.Jim Kennedyhttp://mananamanana.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-10103740215997743482009-12-02T18:52:26.797+01:002009-12-02T18:52:26.797+01:00I think I must be a total anomaly. I'm only in...I think I must be a total anomaly. I'm only interested in road bikes, but I don't wear lycra anything when I'm riding mine. I also use ordinary athletic shoes. My current bike came with clipless pedals, but since I was able to ride fine without them for decades, I took them off. I have a clever gadget without any moving parts and virtually zero-maintenance other than just the bearings: a pair of old Campagnolo racing pedals with toe clips. I leave the straps off. Works fine... always has, always will... and I don't need a professional cycling coach to adjust my feet in them.<br /><br />I think the whole lycra thing is just more gadget freakness people have. On the other side of that coin, the fashionable people are a bottomless mine for the marketing graduates. Both sides are, really.<br /><br />Bicycling should be a simple activity: for short rides, get on the bike, pedal; for longer rides, wear something comfortable that you don't mind having to wash after, and pedal.<br /><br />If you have a burning need to know that you could press every last drop out of the performance lemon if you wanted to and if you were in good enough physical shape to do so, then open your wallet and spend $10,000. With that carbon fibre bike, those high tech wheels, shoes with the stiffest soles in the history of civilization, you should easily be able to beat me by a few minutes in a long enough race. <br /><br />Really people, forget the fashions, forget the high technology, and just ride the darned bike. We will have to see years from now if the fashionable people and the high tech freaks are still riding.Pierrenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-45575294319071980082009-09-21T15:26:31.994+02:002009-09-21T15:26:31.994+02:00Mikael,
Three-quarters of what you said, ...Mikael,<br /> Three-quarters of what you said, I agree with. But think of the exceptions: in South Australia, the driest of Australia's states, the problems are distance, frequent strong winds (there is a mini-gale blowing outside as I write), fewer roads, brutal summers, an absence of numbers, too brief a tradition of cycling followed by the arrival of cars, which flattened all before them. <br /> In South Australia, houses are bungalows - low houses spread out like aircraft hangars; everything is dispersed, spread out, faraway. <br /><br /> Few see the bicycle as anything other than a poor man's exercise machine. The mandating of helmets, the use of high vis clothing on mostly fast, expensive racing bikes suggest to the public that cycling is on a par with rock-climbing, sky-diving or Olympic tobogganing: a high-risk buzz strictly for specialists.<br /> Here people use big, four-wheel drives, not to cross crocodile-teeming waters, but to drive to the gym. And afterwards the shopping mall. <br /> <br /> In and between the two cities where most Australians live, something like cycling chic and the slow bicycle movement may catch on, in pockets and enclaves free from patrolling cops, to avoid a fine for riding helmetless. <br /> Elsewhere? - Fat chance.<br /><br /> I wish Sue Abbott the best as she prepares for her trial, but I fear the worst.<br /><br /> Milo.milohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09273420441821923377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-47539059714759519822009-09-16T00:21:41.764+02:002009-09-16T00:21:41.764+02:00Re cycling in the heat:
In the dog days of summer...Re cycling in the heat:<br /><br />In the dog days of summer here in New York, when it gets into the 90's, I bike 5+ miles to work in shorts and a tank top. I keep deodorant and baby wipes in my desk drawer, and try to arrive with plenty of time to cool off, change clothes, and have a proper wipe-down. That's really all it takes. <br /><br />I only need to go the shorts and tank top route for a couple of weeks every summer, too - once it gets back down into the 80's I'm good to go.<br /><br />I also manage to be outside in summer heat in work clothes when I am walking somewhere, and that's usually no problem, much less "taboo". It's certainly hotter down on the subway platforms than it ever is on street level at commute times. <br /><br />Sure, I guess if you live in Death Valley, cycling as your main mode of transport is probably just not in the cards. But spandex and a polyester jersey are not going to change that. And in that sort of place the weather probably isn't EVER conducive to cycling, anyway. In that case, what are you doing lurking about on this blog, or any other cycling website?Sara C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06515632013123513841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-51195436799782557342009-08-31T16:59:13.100+02:002009-08-31T16:59:13.100+02:00I have two bikes my transport bike. Which is black...I have two bikes my transport bike. Which is black, mudguards, bell, a few gears, carrier, chainguard, two locks, dynamo lights and all the other things. Upright and proper.<br /> I also have a mountain bike all bent over lots of gears. Great fun.<br />I love my safety bike to cycle anywere in this very pleasent city is great. No drama just jump on the bike in what ever you are wearing and enjoy the trip. <br />PS if you are male and you wear a nice everyday suit as you cycle in to work it is just amazing how many well dressed girls take a second look .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-66205548008126850852009-07-17T23:46:30.799+02:002009-07-17T23:46:30.799+02:00Great site! Bicycle Culture 2.0 is here to stay an...Great site! Bicycle Culture 2.0 is here to stay <i>and I can't wait for the next upgrade</i>. ;-_<br /><br />I've been commuter-cycling for years in whatever clothes seem the most practical. I'm not a sport cyclist or a racer and I hate Spandex - even the thought of it. Cycling in the US is so geared to the *sport and recreation* market and most contemporary helmet designs are just ghastly - I wear old skool helmets from the Goodwill because they're *design-neutral* and match my old skool bikes.<br /><br />A couple of observations from my part of the US - Pacific Northwest:<br /><br />1. More people are commuting by bike in their street clothes although there's still some Spandex out there. It's more Gore-Tex over Spandex.<br />2. Single speeds and fixies are a very common site especially around campus.<br />3. Old Schwinn varsities are everywhere as are old 10 speed road bikes (my dialy ride is a beautiful old Motobecane).<br />4. Road bikes are almost essential for commutes over 4 miles, which are common in the US unless you live in SF, Seattle, or NYC.<br />5. I believe bicycling should be a choice... ideally because we enjoy the experience - I'm not into competitive cycling and I'm not into subtly pressuring other cyclists into always having to commute by bike (since my place of employment just moved to the neighboring city, I'm currently driving to work as I can drive there via the freeway in 10 mins and bike it in 55 mins... so I'm driving it for now).<br /><br />I do try to dress somewhat stylishly when I ride. It's summer so cargo shorts are pretty much de rigeur. In the winter when it's raining, I wear powder blue ski pants and a rain slicker over, but always sport a cool hat and sporty scarf.<br /><br />I prefer older bikes but wouldn't say no to a new Bianchi Pista or Raleigh One-Way (both beautifully designed, IMHO). I like to run my errands via bike. My city (Eugene) is very bike-friendly, but we still need to *Copenhagenize* things. I'm glad that daily cycling has expanded beyond the Freakz movement and the ghettoizing Critical Mass rides - cycling's for everyone and anyone - it's not just about being counter-culture... it's a great way to get around.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-48224731367352577932009-07-11T19:42:15.756+02:002009-07-11T19:42:15.756+02:00Just have a quick question for all those posting c...Just have a quick question for all those posting comments. If a company that is at the fore front of the eco movement were to make a line of footwear that was more about sustainabilty, while at the same time providing a stylish, comfortable,durable product that just so happen to have aspects that were design to ride well do you believe they would be received well?Chris Fitzpatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00049636022982119280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-39029701847727097962009-07-06T22:30:00.187+02:002009-07-06T22:30:00.187+02:00hey,
i've got a response for your post cycle ...hey,<br /><br />i've got a response for your post cycle chic! http://www.brooklynbybike.com/the-fuss-over-cycle-inspired-clothing/<br /><br />anitaanitahttp://www.brooklynbybike.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-39645168778963792602009-06-21T23:52:26.168+02:002009-06-21T23:52:26.168+02:00For the people who want a way of covering a chain ...For the people who want a way of covering a chain without spending a fortune and a headache finding and fitting a chainguard:<br /><br />http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2009/06/chain_cover_tutorial.php<br /><br />It only works with singlespeed bicycles, but it keeps the nice pants clean.Anon of Floridanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-78912051181524823832009-06-19T22:46:30.804+02:002009-06-19T22:46:30.804+02:00Biking 17 miles round trip to work on an English c...Biking 17 miles round trip to work on an English commuter bike with a helmet and $15 panniers I picked up at a swap meet. <br /><br />Don't want to get to work sweaty in your clothes? Pack some deo & wipes in your bag with a quick change of clothes (wrap skirt or top for me.) Too hilly? No worries. Just keep pedaling.<br /><br />Found the bike here in CA, USA. <br /><br />*big-ass grin*Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-70822200868441848242009-06-11T17:45:25.261+02:002009-06-11T17:45:25.261+02:00I would disagree with your mention of a push towar...I would disagree with your mention of a push toward "Bicycle Culture 2.0". It's either more like 3.0, or <em>back to 1.0</em> (I personally prefer the more forward-looking 3.0, adding a bit of stylishness to the pure practicality of the first wave). ;-)<br /><br />My "gear" is mainly a pair of pants clips that I leave on my bike (I tried getting a bike with a chainguard, sadly a rare beast around here), my courier bags (I have multiple sizes and colours to fit the occasions, and like Suede Shoe, I like those bags even when I'm off the bike, so not really bike gear, strictly speaking), and my sunglasses.<br /><br />I do admit having a bit of difficulty with brake dust (again, non-rim brakes are difficult to find here, the exception being expensive fancy disc brakes) and grease, and not always from my own bike. The communal bike rack at my apartment building is very crowded with, uh, less fashionable and not-so-well maintained/cleaned bikes, and I sometimes can't escape without getting a bit dirty, to my dismay. And sometimes I do it to myself, such as on Montreal's "tour la nuit" last weekend, where my nice linen pants (making a statement for cycle chic!) found their way too close to my chain. :-(<br /><br />But most of my pants are dark pants anyway, and such incidents aren't nearly the norm, so this won't stop me, oh no!<br /><br />On the other hand, some, like Gary Fisher, could do much worse:<br /><br />http://velovogue.blogspot.com/2009/06/dff-celebrities-pt-2-gary-fisher-and.htmlAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17021891826074851837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-17776804632398719102009-06-11T04:47:15.139+02:002009-06-11T04:47:15.139+02:00Well I think Americans are quite different from Eu...Well I think Americans are quite different from Europeans and our cultural standards are quite different. Of course these standards need to change, but going out in weather above 70 or below 60 in work clothing is seen as taboo. As is riding a bike or walking anywhere in anything but perfect weather. Most of the time the weather is not perfect, so I think this discourages people from biking. Another huge issue is geography. Although 50% of people only live 8 miles from their workplace that doesn't mean it is an easy commute on a bike or even possible. I'm temporarily living in a suburban housing development and I cannot leave it without getting on a three lane road. Even if I were able to go on that road safely and lets just say they decided to add some bike lanes it would still be very hilly commute. Also that statistic completely ignores people who have to drop off their kids at daycare or school. Where I live was farmland only a decade ago so it cannot be argued that in the past people biked in my community. It did not exist. Older communities in my area are more bike friendly, however there still is the issue of safety. We simply don't have bike lanes and in older communities cars line the streets because of lack of planning for parking lots (another reason why people should ride bikes, but not exactly something I can fix right now) and people have died from drivers opening their doors or pulling out of the parking lot without looking for cyclist.Brookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11043525246890708047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-29297920624665246792009-06-10T00:01:15.224+02:002009-06-10T00:01:15.224+02:00YAY I adore you for this! I avoided biking for YEA...YAY I adore you for this! I avoided biking for YEARS because I wouldn't be caught dead in spandex. Of course I eventually figured out that I can ride in ruffles and skirts and cute stripey socks....<br /><br />Thank you for encouraging the CHIC!Modiste1000https://www.blogger.com/profile/12323098134065040668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-51847944642850473352009-06-09T20:53:01.798+02:002009-06-09T20:53:01.798+02:00No worries. I disagree with my friends all the tim...No worries. I disagree with my friends all the time.<br /><br />the point is that the people cycling in the hot regions of Europe are not ALL heading to the beach - even though they probably wish their were. Most are transporting themselves to work.Colville-Andersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16749740728099129703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-89057263899756174742009-06-09T19:26:32.648+02:002009-06-09T19:26:32.648+02:00I didn't say it was a hindrance to cycling, me...I didn't say it was a hindrance to cycling, merely that it might be a hindrance to wearing business attire on a bicycle during the hot weather.<br /><br />Sorry to not agree 100% with you, but keep in mind that I'm 90% there.<br /><br />Friends?Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15989502925369231042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210935752673952814.post-41646182779012388172009-06-09T18:52:01.705+02:002009-06-09T18:52:01.705+02:00Hot weather? If that was any hindrance then the ci...Hot weather? If that was any hindrance then <a href="http://www.copenhagenize.com/2009/02/bikes-and-cyclists-of-sevilla.html" rel="nofollow">the city of Seville</a> wouldn't have bothered investing in their bike share programme and building up a bike culture.<br /><br />Let alone <a href="http://www.copenhagenize.com/2008/09/copenhagenizing-here-and-there.html" rel="nofollow">the province of Cadiz, also in Spain</a>, where infrastructure is in place and being improved upon. <br /><br />Hot places in the summer. 40 degrees in the shade. Not to mention Barcelona and numerous cities in Italy.<br /><br />Weather is no hindrance.Colville-Andersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16749740728099129703noreply@blogger.com