Rode the Canada Line yesterday with my bike, and saw the usual people on it with me. Somehow, this variety is always there, but the populist narratives of riders’ demographics don’t come close to matching it. Odd, really.
Heading to YVR with luggage: check
Earphone dudes (heading to or from school or work): check
Recreational dude with bike: check
Dude in suit with bike: check
Interesting to see a cyclist in a suit. If your commute is short and easy then changing clothes probably doesn’t make sense, but for most people in Vancouver there’s a hill or two in the way and riding at any speed in warm summer weather is going to produce some sweat.
When I was a bike commuter I shared a bike room with a lot of guys who wore suits during the day. All of them had dedicated cycling clothes (some Lycra, some casual shorts/t-shirts). The only guy who didn’t change was an artist in my office who wore casual clothes at work and lived less than 10 minutes away.
He’s on the metro. How far is he likely to ride?