Utility vs. Sport
Because I bike everywhere and that is odd to many people, I get a lot of odd questions.
Explaining the difference between utility cyclist and sport cyclist has gotten old. So I’ve just started playing dumb and asking them if they do this when they drive:
Just for the fun of making them explain the difference between a utility motorist and a race car driver.
I would wear a nomex suit and helmet to drive my car, but I suspect the cops would not be happy with the helmet part… I seem to recall it is not legal as it might obstruct my vision… It might be worth checking. (But I do wear spandex to bike… of course my commute is also 20 miles each way… )
In my neighborhood I’m just know as the weird guy who doesn’t drive…Folks just leave me alone and I don’t have to have this discussion 🙂
Hey thanks for hyperbolic comic –especially overdressed motorcyclist into car.
I am more a utility cyclist but I wear some cycling gear..I’m 5’1″ and petite. The last thing I want to do is wear out my business/street clothing: it’s tough to find clothing that fits me without major alterations and without paying a lot of money.
So I need my cheap lycra tights, my cycling shoes…. Frankly I can’t imagine cycling in dress shoes.
I’d love to wear normal clothes for my commute. Unfortunately, I cycle in London and around 6 miles each way. The roads are often wet and busy with traffic. My clothes can get wet from the grimy rain water. The traffic is fast and it takes skill and speed to negotiate it. Speed = perspiration. Less than you’d think, but I still prefer a change of clothes. Not least because the behind of my trousers can wear out and sweat stains can be hard to get out of shirts. I don’t need a shower, though, but do take some wipes.
I don’t want to wear all the gear, but I think London is not hospitable to the idea of riding around on a nice upright Dutch style bike in your normal clothes taking in the scenery. You’re likely get a barrage of verbal abuse from a white van driver within 30 seconds.
My ride to work is a 10+ mile ride with an almost mile-long hill climb at the end, so wearing the same clothes for my ride as for work isn’t usually an option for me. If my ride was flatter I think it would be OK, but if it’s above 65 outside I am damp when I get to work and DRENCHED when I get home (1 1/2 mile, even steeper hill on the return). My wife won’t let me near her until I shower, haha. Even in the colder months, I find it more comfortable to ride in more casual clothes that I can change out of. However, my office is poised to move further downtown in a few years. If I still work here, the ride will be cut by 3-4 miles and the Hudson River Greenway leads right to the new office doorstep, so I very well may not need to change then unless it’s sweltering out. I’m all for it.