Perception is everything!

Last Sunday was our wedding anniversary. It was also a gorgeous day, and we decided to take advantage of it by riding our bikes to brunch instead of driving. It’s only 4 ½ miles, so why not?

Bike:  Giant Transcend

Attire: Golf shorts, tank, cardigan, ballet flats

When riding to an event where you need to be somewhat dressed up, I recommend dressing in layers. I rode without my cardigan so that I would be cooler and sweat less. I went with a “messy” hair style so as not to have helmet hair in a fancy restaurant ;) This particular bike has campus pedals on it (flat on one side, SPD clips on the other) so I can ride in just about any kind of shoe I want. My flats are sparkly and nice enough to wear in the restaurant, yet functional enough to ride the bike in.

Perception is everything. As we rolled out of our neighborhood, we saw a friend walking his dog. He asked what we were doing:

                Him:       “Where are you two off to?”

                Me:        “YaYa’s for brunch.”

                Him:       “What??? Do you know how FAR that is?!?!"

                Me:        “Yes, Joe. It’s like 4 ½ miles.”

                Him:       “4 ½ MILES?!?!? That’s crazy!”

                Me:        “Yesterday I rode 46 miles UP Deer Creek!”

                Him:       “WHAT??!??! You’re crazy!”

Yeah, 4 ½ miles doesn't seem like such a big deal after that.

A couple of weeks ago, we posted a blog about how motorists treat cyclists based on how they’re dressed. And this is so true. Dressed as I was, with wicker panniers and a wooden rack on my bike, I was certainly not a ‘cyclist’ in the usual sense of the word. Cars treat you better. We were following the rules of the road (as I always do), but they gave us a much wider berth than we get when riding our road bikes decked out in a kit. Heck, even when I commute on my cyclocross bike with a messenger bag or backpack, cars aren’t as nice to me as when I’m dressed in regular clothes with baskets. I have to say, it’s almost ‘easier’ to commute this way. People don’t look at you funny when you arrive at your destination, and it’s a little safer getting there. Cars were giving us the right of way, even when it wasn’t our turn. It’s amazing what perception can do when motorists aren’t looking at you like some spandex cycle jockey getting in their way and taking up their road.

Ride on, and be safe (and dress cute – it’s ok to do, even on a bike!)