4 ms·

I always see "being sweaty" being mentioned here when talking about commuting via bike, why? Is it the hills? I live in a flat area and this has never been a pr

by cdirkx 6y ago

I always see "being sweaty" being mentioned here when talking about commuting via bike, why? Is it the hills? I live in a flat area and this has never been a problem for me.

em500 6y ago
The American or British mental image of a cyclist commuter[1] is very different than the Dutch or Danish one[2]. In the Netherlands cycling is just a faster and less strenuous version of walking. In America many cyclists dress like they're training for a sport event. [1] https://www.bicycling.com/rides/a20039883/9-ways-to-make-bike-commuting-easier/ https://www.bicycling.com/rides/a20039883/9-ways-to-make-bik... [2] https://www.bicycling.com/news/a23508352/netherlands-cellphone-ban-on-bikes/ https://www.bicycling.com/news/a23508352/netherlands-cellpho...
- masklinn 6y ago
  > In America many cyclists dress like they're training for a sport event. I’m sure roadies dress that way in the Netherlands. The difference is that US cyclists are mostly roadies because you need to really want to bike to do so, which in the Netherlands roadies are a minority of cyclists because it’s just the normal way to move around.
  - em500 6y ago
    Sure, for every individual American cyclist that may be sensible and rational. But I'm afraid that collectively it could trap them in a bad equilibrium, where bike-infrastructure improvement are seen by the larger public as benefits for a narrow interest group.
- analog31 6y ago
  The American climate is also different from the Dutch one. The Wisconsin city that I live in has temperatures that are both 15 F hotter and colder than typical northern European cities. And we commute roughly twice as far because our cities are more spread out. I'm fortunate that I don't sweat very much, my commute is only 4 miles each way, and I can tailor my schedule around the weather. So I start out early before the sun has cleared the trees, and ride slowly. As a result I'm not particularly sweaty when I arrive at work. Also, I have a casual-dress job with no public interaction. I live on a street that happens to be a preferred route for cyclists commuting to and from the downtown area. So I see a lot of people on bikes. Most of the commuters are in fact just wearing normal street clothes. I don't even own any cycling-specific clothing.
  - wasdfff 6y ago
    The american climate can mean dramatically different things depending on the city.
JoeAltmaier 6y ago
Riding a road bike flat out for 10-20 miles is strenuous.
michaelt 6y ago
Veteran cycle commuter here. People in online cycle commuting discussions often have... ideas about speed that don't match mine. I use "being sweaty" as shorthand for "I don't care if you claim a ??? mile commute should take 10-15 minutes, it takes me 40 minutes, and I'll thank you not to insult me by calling me inexperienced or lazy"
tgsovlerkhgsel 6y ago
I think it's mostly the hills. It's not "completely drenched in sweat so I need a shower immediately" but "going to take a second shower before going to bed for sure" even on a relatively short trip. And on anything longer (again, with hills), it's definitely a "damn, I hope I won't start smelling too bad until I get back home".

by cdirkx 6y ago

I always see "being sweaty" being mentioned here when talking about commuting via bike, why? Is it the hills? I live in a flat area and this has never been a problem for me.

em500 6y ago

The American or British mental image of a cyclist commuter[1] is very different than the Dutch or Danish one[2]. In the Netherlands cycling is just a faster and less strenuous version of walking. In America many cyclists dress like they're training for a sport event. [1] https://www.bicycling.com/rides/a20039883/9-ways-to-make-bike-commuting-easier/ https://www.bicycling.com/rides/a20039883/9-ways-to-make-bik... [2] https://www.bicycling.com/news/a23508352/netherlands-cellphone-ban-on-bikes/ https://www.bicycling.com/news/a23508352/netherlands-cellpho...

masklinn 6y ago
> In America many cyclists dress like they're training for a sport event. I’m sure roadies dress that way in the Netherlands. The difference is that US cyclists are mostly roadies because you need to really want to bike to do so, which in the Netherlands roadies are a minority of cyclists because it’s just the normal way to move around.
- em500 6y ago
  Sure, for every individual American cyclist that may be sensible and rational. But I'm afraid that collectively it could trap them in a bad equilibrium, where bike-infrastructure improvement are seen by the larger public as benefits for a narrow interest group.
analog31 6y ago
The American climate is also different from the Dutch one. The Wisconsin city that I live in has temperatures that are both 15 F hotter and colder than typical northern European cities. And we commute roughly twice as far because our cities are more spread out. I'm fortunate that I don't sweat very much, my commute is only 4 miles each way, and I can tailor my schedule around the weather. So I start out early before the sun has cleared the trees, and ride slowly. As a result I'm not particularly sweaty when I arrive at work. Also, I have a casual-dress job with no public interaction. I live on a street that happens to be a preferred route for cyclists commuting to and from the downtown area. So I see a lot of people on bikes. Most of the commuters are in fact just wearing normal street clothes. I don't even own any cycling-specific clothing.
- wasdfff 6y ago
  The american climate can mean dramatically different things depending on the city.

JoeAltmaier 6y ago

Riding a road bike flat out for 10-20 miles is strenuous.

michaelt 6y ago

Veteran cycle commuter here. People in online cycle commuting discussions often have... ideas about speed that don't match mine. I use "being sweaty" as shorthand for "I don't care if you claim a ??? mile commute should take 10-15 minutes, it takes me 40 minutes, and I'll thank you not to insult me by calling me inexperienced or lazy"

tgsovlerkhgsel 6y ago

I think it's mostly the hills. It's not "completely drenched in sweat so I need a shower immediately" but "going to take a second shower before going to bed for sure" even on a relatively short trip. And on anything longer (again, with hills), it's definitely a "damn, I hope I won't start smelling too bad until I get back home".