People who just don't get it.

[Sandra6]

What is so hard to understand about a person choosing to use a bicycle for transport?
Why do people struggle so much with this concept?
Do you have people like that around you, I can't be the only one attracting nay-sayers, what do you do with them?!
Yesterday I had to go to work for a meeting at 5, so I went in on my bike. First person at the door says "have you come on your bike?" Erm no, this is an elephant.
Atleast another two also commented on the fact I was on my bike. Considering I turn up every day on it I didn't think they'd be that surprised.
Even Mr6 keeps telling me it's too cold/too late/too "not what we do" for me to cycle places -and he was the one who got me on a bike in the first place!
Do you think it'll ever be seen as "normal" ?

 

[gavroche]

We live in a world of fast travel and high tech machines. It is a pre-conceived idea that people travel by car, bus , train etc...but not bicycles. They are regarded as means of low distance travelling or for leisure activities only. It is similar if you walk long distances, people don't expect it. After all , a bicycle is very low tech compared to other mechanised transportation so people's expectation and conceptualisation has changed. In the 50's and 60's , no one would have questionned your riding to work as the motor car wasn't king then.
Take no notice of what they say, just remind them that the modern man/woman still have the use of his/her legs and they are very useful for going from a to b.

 

[Hitchington]

I get that when I arrive at the office wearing my bright yellow jacket and helmet. "Did you cycle in to work?" they ask. "Wow! How could you tell?!?" I reply marvelling at their Sherlock Holmes power of deduction.

 

[SquareDaff]

Simple answer: we're becoming "americanized". I remember being over there and getting the same reaction as I do cycling to work here when I walked half a mile to the nearest restaurant. Probably a combination of too lazy or in too much of a hurry, or both!!

Personally I love my time on the bike on the mornings/evenings. It gives my some "down time" in the evening and a wake up call in the morning, I'm much fitter, lose less time to illness (or so it seems) than my colleagues and feel a lot more alert.

Will cycling ever be accepted as a normal method of transport? Not in my lifetime I'm afraid to say - although it is becoming more popular.

 

[EltonFrog]

They don't get it do they? I did a fifty miler the other week, and my neighbour saw me arrive back and said " been for a bike ride?" "aye, fifty miles" says I. "what? why?" shaking his head in disbelief.

 

[Sandra6]

Simple answer: we're becoming "americanized". I remember being over there and getting the same reaction as I do cycling to work here when I walked half a mile to the nearest restaurant. Probably a combination of too lazy or in too much of a hurry, or both!!

Personally I love my time on the bike on the mornings/evenings. It gives my some "down time" in the evening and a wake up call in the morning, I'm much fitter, lose less time to illness (or so it seems) than my colleagues and feel a lot more alert.

Will cycling ever be accepted as a normal method of transport? Not in my lifetime I'm afraid to say - although it is becoming more popular.

I've always had the strange looks for walking too. People are genuinely amazed that I've survived this long without learning to drive - especially as I have children. Apparently you can't raise a child without being able to put them in your car.

 

[SquareDaff]

I've always had the strange looks for walking too. People are genuinely amazed that I've survived this long without learning to drive - especially as I have children. Apparently you can't raise a child without being able to put them in your car.

Given the number of overweight children nowadays you'd think that they'd be encourage to learn how to get around "under their own steam" at an early age wouldn't you?

 

[PaulB]

A former colleague of mine was derided by another former colleague for running to work 'at his age!' (they were the same age to the month). Why would he want to run 'all that bloody way'? You could drive the half mile to work every day, smoke 20 fags and drive the half mile home stopping off at the pub for a pre-dinner sesh. Well one of those former colleagues is still alive (and still running) while the other one, isn't.

 

[Sara_H]

What is so hard to understand about a person choosing to use a bicycle for transport?
Why do people struggle so much with this concept?
Do you have people like that around you, I can't be the only one attracting nay-sayers, what do you do with them?!
Yesterday I had to go to work for a meeting at 5, so I went in on my bike. First person at the door says "have you come on your bike?" Erm no, this is an elephant.
Atleast another two also commented on the fact I was on my bike. Considering I turn up every day on it I didn't think they'd be that surprised.
Even Mr6 keeps telling me it's too cold/too late/too "not what we do" for me to cycle places -and he was the one who got me on a bike in the first place!
Do you think it'll ever be seen as "normal" ?

No, never!
I've had this reaction for 15 years! I get it from both sides too, because most of the cyclists I know are MAMIL's, so they are equally puzzled by a lady dressed in ordinary clothes with bags attatched to her bike! They just don't get it!

 

[Sara_H]

Simple answer: we're becoming "americanized". I remember being over there and getting the same reaction as I do cycling to work here when I walked half a mile to the nearest restaurant. Probably a combination of too lazy or in too much of a hurry, or both!!

Personally I love my time on the bike on the mornings/evenings. It gives my some "down time" in the evening and a wake up call in the morning, I'm much fitter, lose less time to illness (or so it seems) than my colleagues and feel a lot more alert.

Will cycling ever be accepted as a normal method of transport? Not in my lifetime I'm afraid to say - although it is becoming more popular.

I read an american cycling blog the other day where the writer was on about sidewalks being removed to widen the roads for cars. Whole communities are being created that can only be traversed by car.
My OH stayed in a hotel near San Diego recently that was completely cut off from the surrounding community. He could see a parade of shops from his window, but the only way to get there was a one mile car journey. Bonkers.

 

[SquareDaff]

The "ordinary clothes" person must be becoming more "normal" now as I've notcied more and more companies are producing normal clothes with cycling specific padding/reinforced sections.

 

[Mile195]

I think it's more normal now than perhaps 10 years ago. But admittedly people still gawp at me when I tell them I cycle 40 miles each day to get to and from work. It makes more sense to them though, when I tell them it's actually faster than going by public transport, and on a par with the amount of time it takes on the motorbike.

They REALLY understand when I throw in the fact that it also saves me £2500 a year by not using the tube.

 

[SquareDaff]

I read an american cycling blog the other day where the writer was on about sidewalks being removed to widen the roads for cars. Whole communities are being created that can only be traversed by car.
My OH stayed in a hotel near San Diego recently that was completely cut off from the surrounding community. He could see a parade of shops from his window, but the only way to get there was a one mile car journey. Bonkers.

Ditto for where I stayed. There was no pavement, just road, but for me it seemed idiotic to drive a car for half a mile when I could walk it in the same time.

 

[Arch]

Perhaps it depends where you live and work.

In York, lots of people cycle. Yes, we have our fair share of motons, but I don't think most people are surprised by everyday cycling. Maybe they find it harder to understand when it's raining or worse. Most of the supermarkets, for example, have copious bike racks, as does the city centre.

But then, almost everyone I know and work with, cycles anyway.

 

[PaulB]

Perhaps it depends where you live and work.

In York, lots of people cycle. Yes, we have our fair share of motons, but I don't think most people are surprised by everyday cycling. Maybe they find it harder to understand when it's raining or worse. Most of the supermarkets, for example, have copious bike racks, as does the city centre.

But then, almost everyone I know and work with, cycles anyway.

Not defending the non-cyclists or owt but York has the major advantage for someone thinking of getting into the cycling of being very flat. I think where I live, people understand that they can't cycle for any distance at all without encountering a hill and some of them are very big hills.