Wendy Waters – whose “All About Cities” blog I just added to my list – responds to a post I did for Planetizen on “A Billion Reasons to Take Cycling Seriously.”
She doesn’t quite agree with my contention that cycling has been turned needlessly into a ‘left-right’ issue:
I think it has more to do with where you work and the dress code there. I would argue (although have no stats to back this up) that more people who vote right-of-centre politically have jobs that require they wear formal business attire most of the time. Those who wear their left-leaning political views on their sleeves often work where the dress code is more relaxed and more compatible with cycling.
She then goes on to calculate what it would take to have proper facilities installed in an office building – showers, parking, etc. – and finds that accommodating a bike comes to the same price as parking a car.
Doubtful. (Anyway, the City has a bylaw that requires the facilities to be built into any new commercial space above a certain size.)
In fact, you don’t need to wear spandex to cycle. They certainly don’t in Europe. And the whole point of the bike-sharing systems in places like Paris is to offer an alternative for the short trip (under 30 minutes) where you needn’t break out in a sweat.
As Laura Domela illustrates in her book of Dutch cyclists, Fietsen:
do not forget the hills. try riding your bike north south in burnaby wearing a tie and in the rain and i promise you only do it once.
unless you live around limburg or nijmegen or maybe maastricht, the tallest mound you will have to climb are the bridges over the canals!
Yes, the hills. I was just about to mention that. Nothing like the hills to brake out a good sweat.
The thing about the monkey clothes (suit and tie) is that you don’t need it at home. I walk/run to and from work wearing my spandex and all but Friday is car driving day when I bring my clean clothes (socks, undies, shirt) for the following week and bring back the dirty laundry.
I’ve done this for years. I get 4 out of 5 in the clean commute department and comes 5:30 the spandex outfit is always a source of amusement to the fellow working monkeys.
“She then goes on to calculate what it would take to have proper facilities installed in an office building – showers, parking, etc. – and finds that accommodating a bike comes to the same price as parking a car.”
I’d sure like to see that statistics, since you can easily park about 20 bicycles in the space of one car stall. Maybe she wants to install a shower in every office?
My dad has been cycling to work the whole winter and works in an office. He doesn’t wear a suit for work but it’s not flip flops and banana print shirts either. It’s about a 45 minute ride with one of the biggest, steepest hills I’ve ever seen, but he’s tremendously happy and much prefers it to driving. I should mention he has an electric bike 😉 and he’s in his early 60s. I admire his dedication! He’s going to live a longer and more fulfilling life with the exercise and stress-free commute, not to mention all the money he saves!
Sorry, but some of us “break out in a sweat” even with a short ride (e.g. 15 minutes) – that’s just a difference in physiology, I suppose. Although I live only 3 miles from work, I’ve only biked a few times, as I have no place to clean up afterwards. For me, a trusty and fuel-efficient Honda Metropolitan scooter is the commuter method of choice.
Frankly, I’d rather take the bus, but the frequency and timing of service between my home and my office are not conducive to this option. And with the current state of the budget in both my City and my State, I’m doubtful that our public transit choices are going to improve anytime in the near future…
Luckily, the kind of day job I have allows me to bike. What doesn’t is this city’s crappy weather and my reluctance to be out in the cold/rainy. However, I’d be more than happy to bike during the summer months 😀
Funny, the weather here is what allows me to bike more. In Winnipeg, I could only bike 6 months of the year. In Vancouver, I can bike all year long. With the proper gear, you hardly notice the rain.