Are YOU a member of The Lycra Mob?

[spindrift]

Meet the new minister for cycling, Robert Goodwill.

"As I turn left onto Millbank and the other lights change there's just a pack, a peleton of Lycra that comes whizzing past," he told the Guardian in his ministerial office, the Brompton folded away in a corner. "I can see that the basket-on-the-handlebars type cyclist is possibly as intimidated by the Lycra mob as they are by the cars and trucks.

"Therefore I want people to think cycling is for them, even if they are middle aged, or female, or overweight, or one of the other groups of people who don't really get on their bikes. That's the sort of cycling I think we're missing out on to an extent: the sort of person who thinks cycling isn't for them, when the fact is it could be for them."

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/jan/15/new-cycling-minister-robert-goodwill-everyday-cyclists

Even females!!??!

I can see what he's trying to say, but that's an odd way of phrasing it, I think. And if he genuinely thinks cyclists are as scared of riders in lycra as they are lorries I don't think he's got all his chairs in the dining room.

[Hot Flatus]

Well, empirical evidence on my commute and on audaxes suggests he's quite correct about females.

I quite like his message.

Cycling as normal, rather than specialist.

Good for him 

[marcusjb]

It is slightly clumsily phrased, but the message is good.

Cycling is normal - it should not need any weird clothing or specialist safety equipment.  It doesn't in many other parts of the world. 

It should not need £1000+ carbon bikes.

I can totally see that the image and approach of many commuting cyclists is intimidating to others. 

He's on message for my own thoughts - good on him.

[spindrift]

I haven't cycled in London for five years but most cyclists I used to see were in jeans or shorts, normal clothes.

I thought the "even women and fat people" bit was clumsy and patronising. He doesn't address why London cyclists feel safer keeping up with traffic. I'm also suspicious of just announcing new money if it doesn't get spent:

http://road.cc/content/news/108328-boris-johnson-guilty-massive-underspend-budget-cycling-london-claims-green

[Kim]

I don't think potential cyclists are intimidated by serious/fast/etc people in lycra (unless perhaps they're going on an organised ride with some), so much as intimidated by the idea that that's what you have to be in order to ride a bike.

[spindrift]

He's a complete doofus for going to a cycling fair and asking for cycle clips, that's like going to a motor show and asking for a bottle of screenwash.

[Clare]

Well, I am female, middle-aged and overweight, does this mean I should be cycling? I'd better go and get myself a bike then...

[Kim]

Well, I am female, middle-aged and overweight, does this mean I should be cycling?

Yes, but only if you don't wear lycra.

[Clare]

Well, I am female, middle-aged and overweight, does this mean I should be cycling?

Yes, but only if you don't wear lycra.

Bugger. Loks like I need another excuse to go and buy a bike 

[The French Tandem]

Yes!

We do wear lycra when riding our tandem, and we ride faster than most cyclist with "normal" cloth. So what?
I'm not especially lightweight, and I never even had the idea of intimidating anyone by my wearing lycra cloth.

[red marley]

He's on message for my own thoughts - good on him.

Yup me too (apart from his view on the amount of money required to bring about change in cycling culture).

If you have responsibility for policy and large scale implementation you have to deal with generalisations. And it is true that more men than women currently cycle; that current cyclists tend to be thinner than current non-cyclsts; that they tend to be more sporty in appearance and behaviour than people who cycle in the Netherlands and Scandinavia; that they are disproportionately white and have an average income greater than non-cyclists'. It is great that he recognises that and that the culture that goes with all of the above may be a barrier to more widespread uptake of cycling as a means of transport.

I don't feel entirely comfortable with the term 'lycra mob' given its over-use in anti-cycling rhetoric, but he does make the valid point that it does generate a form of intimidation. I would argue that it is largely cultural rather than fear of being run over by speeding cyclists as such and applies as much to high-vis and helmets as it does Lycra. But it is real and does need to be recognised in any strategy for getting more people on bikes.

[aidan.f]

For cycle clips in Yorkshire he should have gone to Spa Cycles - ~Was in there and  noticed a couple of 6 speed free-wheels on the  counter "We are  the Arkwrights of the cycle shop world" was the reply to my comment that  those are hard to find nowadays

[Martin]

whilst I agree with the Minister's sentiment I think LordUpminster's comment has more relevance,

my commute is slow and on a mix of segregated cycling facilities and traffic calmed rat-runs but I'd not recommend it to a novice no Sir

[T42]

He's not going to do much good by demonizing a great whack of the cycling public.  He'll have a bloke with a red flag walking in front of us next.

[red marley]

I agree that demonising is rarely helpful, but if you want a great whack of the public to cycle, you won't do much good by getting them to wear Lycra.

[T42]

No question of getting them to wear anything: people can wear whatever they like. Just let me wear what I like.

[Martin]

who's "getting who" to wear Lycra?

I would take exception to the Minister's observations; I commute fairly near there most days and the cyclists I see are a real mix of everything; certainly lots of ordinary clothes; old bikes; BSO's kid's on't back baskets etc; were it not for the fairly high proportion of headgear that shall not be mentioned (and the sheer numbers of riders) you could turn the clock back 20 years

[marcusjb]

I agree that demonising is rarely helpful, but if you want a great whack of the public to cycle, you won't do much good by getting them to wear Lycra.

Indeed.

He is talking specifically about commuting cycling and things are so out of whack here.

Seeing people on Boris bikes in Lycra astounds me; having aggressive, hyped up men (usually) in Lycra on totally unsuitable carbon bikes passing me with millimetres to spare just makes me despair.

I know we commute longer distances than in many other major cities, but this whole concept that you need all this special stuff to ride a bike really is off putting to many.

[Peter]

I don't think he's "demonised" anyone, has he?  In fact, if we are talking about Goodwill, I don't think he's even criticised anyone.

[Euan Uzami]

Is he (and others here who agree with him) saying it's the fault of the people in lycra that people are put off ?
On the odd occasion I've cycled in London, usually from one train station to the other, I've been wearing lycra as I'm on the way to an audax.
I hadn't thought about the fact that I might be responsible for being part of a "mob" or  intimidating people into not cycling.

[marcusjb]

Is he (and others here who agree with him) saying it's the fault of the people in lycra that people are put off ?
On the odd occasion I've cycled in London, usually from one train station to the other, I've been wearing lycra as I'm on the way to an audax.
I hadn't thought about the fact that I might be responsible for being part of a "mob" or  intimidating people into not cycling.

I think you are missing the point.  This is at weekends yes?  Usually at times where not many other people are about? 

I think the chap is more likely to be referring to peak rush hours. 

You should come ride some of the main commuter routes some time.  You might get a bit of an idea about the issues he raised.

[Glover Fan]

I guess it is just unfortunate then that lycra padded shorts are so damn comfortable.

[red marley]

Is he (and others here who agree with him) saying it's the fault of the people in lycra that people are put off ?

I wouldn't characterise things as being any individual rider's "fault". But it is possible to recognise that the dominance of the culture that surrounds sporty comparatively aggressive cycling (shorthand: "lycra") is likely to be excluding and offputting  (shorthand: "intimidating") to those who do not identify with that culture.

Any policy that is intended to encourage significantly greater numbers of urban cyclists needs to recognise that those new cyclists are not likely to come from the same pool of people who are currently more likely to be lycra-clad.

[Martin]

well his policy might like to include making it safer so as to encourage those who don't need to ride at the same speed as motorised traffic (with associated clothing and machines)

[Euan Uzami]

I think you are missing the point.  This is at weekends yes?  Usually at times where not many other people are about? 

I think the chap is more likely to be referring to peak rush hours. 

You should come ride some of the main commuter routes some time.  You might get a bit of an idea about the issues he raised.

Oh right! So it's fine for me to be on the road in lycra at weekends, as long as I steer clear during rush hour!?  Sometimes I may be traveling back Monday morning - by what time must I be safely concealed within a train, lest my obvious aggression in daring to wear the most comfortable clothes for the activity causes offence, just so I know?