I have a confession that I’m afraid to share: I often wear cycling gear when I commute to work and I own a boring hybrid bike that won’t win any beauty contests. For those of you who just gasped, rest assured that other times you’ll usually find me riding my bike in a skirt. All the same, I’m feeling very uncool these days because I sometimes like “gear” and don’t have one of the cute bikes advertised in Momentum Magazine. Apparently, my failings are discouraging the growth of bike riding in Metro Vancouver.
A Cycle Chic movement is trying to take hold in Vancouver and I have reservations about it. In the simplest terms, Cycle Chic, founded in Copenhagen, is “the art of riding bicycles in regular, preferably fashionable, clothes… [it] aims to take back the bike culture by showing how the bicycle once again can be an integral, respectable and feasible transport form, free of sports clothes and gear, and how it can play a vital role in increasing the life quality in cities.” While I strongly support the goals of Cycle Chic, I have a problem with the movement’s shallow emphasis on fashion and style.
The only thing you need to ride a bike is access to a bike. Any bike. We should wear what we want and stop judging other people who are riding bikes. If we want more people to ride bikes in Vancouver, we need to permit individuality. Be comfortable and practical, wear gear if you want to, don a helmet if that’s your choice, ride only in underwear or put on your fanciest suit. Just be yourself on your bike and let others do the same.
Vancouver is not Copenhagen or Amsterdam. Bike riding is increasing in our city and we’re going to develop a bike culture our own way. It will recognize the uniqueness of our history, geography and climate, and it’s going to be remarkable.
I can see what you mean about the emphasis on fashion being shallow, but I think within the Cycle Chic movement here in Vancouver, at least, there’s more to it. The emphasis on cycling as normal–not a sport, but just a way to get around–is going to attract more people to ride more often. Seeing people wearing normal clothes, not fluorescent yellow spandex. makes cycling more accessible. The urban road warrior gearhead culture & the idea that cycling in the city is some kind of extreme sport doesn’t encourage people to buy a bike & start riding.
The one thing that gets me a bit about the Cycle Chic thing is the idea that cycling should be slow & relaxed all the time. I LOVE to go fast on my bike. That’s why I ride–if I wanted to go slow, I’d walk! So I get a bit sweaty, whatever.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Lisa. I like Cycle Chic’s aim to show how the bicycle can be an integral mode of transportation and agree that seeing other people cycling in everyday clothes makes riding a bike seem fun and easy. I believe, however, that the promotion of fashionista cycling can be just as alienating as spandex cycling. A few too many Vancouverites seem to be taking the Cycle Chic manifesto at face value: http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2008/04/cycle-chic-manifesto.html. It’s fine for us to look to other cities for inspiration as we seek to increase the cycling mode share in Vancouver, but I hope that we won’t impose any “right way” to ride or dress on people who are thinking about riding a bike for transportation in Metro Vancouver. No one should feel that they need to be cool to ride a bike. While some may want to aspire to being a Bicycle Babe, Cycle Chic’s ideal is also very limiting for many people who may consider riding a bike.
As for the emphasis on slow cycling, I wish Cycle Chic would recognize that Vancouver is not flat and our cycling infrastructure and streets are different from what can be found in cities like Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Tokyo. Many of us commute by bicycle to places like UBC or Burnaby where it doesn’t matter how slow you ride up the hills, you’re going to be at least a little sweaty by the time you reach your destination. I believe everyone should be able to ride a bike however they choose and wearing whatever they like, free from judgment.
Cycle Chic is urban cycling for the 99%, not the 1%. It’s odd that you find the century-old concept of “riding a bicycle in your regular clothes” to be somehow fashion oriented and think that people who dress for their destination and not their journey are related to style. Cycle Chic’s manifesto is and always has been ironic.
Vancouver isn’t Copenhagen or Amsterdam but there are dozens of cities that are light years ahead of Vancouver. Cities that are hotter, hillier, colder and that nevertheless have 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% + modal share for bicycles.
Cycle Chic may not be for you. If not, ignore it. It’s not meant for you anyway. It’s for the Rest of Us.
My gear-head techie-clothed (but no spandex, that’s HELLA pricey) boyfriend introduced me to the joys of cycling. While I constantly make fun of him for being one of those MEC bikers, he makes fun of my ‘lack of practicality,’ wearing normal clothes that don’t let you breathe.
We both agree on one thing: Wear a friggen helmut. He’s speedy, I’m slow (but will never resist the call of flying down a hill) but fashionable or not, WEAR IT— safety first! Even if you trip, slip, stumble on a rock while riding slowly, you could hit your head and any slight tap can addle your brains. Bike culture will grow when people discover that fashionable or not, it’s fun! Pick your pace and go. Also, it sometimes feels like the bike culture in Vancouver is rushed, like we’re trying to catch up to these cities—flat, hilly, hot, not. Build a community where people don’t judge you for being a noob or not, be free and judgemental-free with what you wear, and be helpful to newbies!
This will be my first fall/winter riding, and like any biker, I just want to be dry and safe.
“Be helpful to newbies” – I can’t think of better advice than yours to encourage people to ride a bike. I started riding a bike in Vancouver in 2005 thanks to a friend who helped me buy my first bike. He gave me great cycling tips and helped me become comfortable riding around Vancouver. I only started commuting by bike to work a few years ago and the push to do this was due to colleagues and friends who were already commuting on two wheels. They gave me great tips, which included: (a) take your time and give yourself permission to stop when you need to and (b) don’t feel you have to ride everyday – you will learn to love riding a bike if you start small, build your strength and slowly work your way up to commuting regularly on a bike. It’s cheesy to say this, but all of these people changed my life. I’ve since encouraged others to ride a bike and commute by bike, and I plan to continue doing this for a long time because, like you, I think that personal and helpful advice to the curious is one of the best ways to promote bicycle riding.
A friend just pointed me to the Cycle Whatever tumblr; some of you may want to submit your photos: http://cyclewhatever.tumblr.com/post/27987346580/what-is-cycle-whatever. The tumblr site links to an excellent critique of Cycle Chic by Elly Blue that is definitely worth a read: http://takingthelane.com/2012/07/24/a-critique-of-cycle-chic-tm/