The Way “Bicycle Tourists” Are Perceived By The Public
Jan
Bicycle touring is an incredible outdoor adventure and almost everyone I know who has ever given it a try has come back and said it was one of the greatest experiences of their lives. But if bicycle touring is so great, why is it that so few people actually know about our “sport” and choose to participate in it?
There are a number of different reasons for this, but today I want to concentrate of just one of my theories – the way that bicycle tourists come across to the general public.
I believe that if we are ever to get more people (especially young people) involved in this “sport” we’ve got to change the way bicycle touring is perceived by the non-cycling community. In a way, I think we’ve got to make bicycle touring “cool”.
Unfortunately, “cool” isn’t exactly built in to our persona. The word “tourist” alone (as in “bicycle tourist”) is enough to turn many people off. In addition to being labeled as tourists, we’re looked down upon (or at least ignored) because we don’t win races, we don’t do tricks, magazines don’t feature us, and for the most part, the general public doesn’t know we exist.
So, when I set out to discover what the average person thinks of bicycle tourists, I invariably came back with three common stereotypes:
The Homeless Bum
By far the most popular word that came up in my research was “homeless.” The word “bum” followed closely behind.
It seems that whether you pack your belongings in a backpack or on a bicycle, people invariably view you as homeless. And when most people picture a homeless person, they think of a dirty, smelly old man who has been living under a bridge, pushing his belongings around in a shopping cart and begging for money to support his drug habit.
The word “bum” certainly doesn’t drum up the images that I first think of when I imagine the life of a “bicycle tourist” (i.e. adventure, wonder, nature, education, global citizen, etc.).
The Hippie
Another image that seems to spring to the front of many people’s minds is that of the “hippie”. This is the “all-grain granola” cyclist who rides a bike because it’s good for the earth. This person wears clothes made from hemp and feels it’s her responsibility to let the people around her know that their cars and their lifestyle (in general) is destroying the planet.
For many people, cycling is just a fun way to get about from one place to the next. The fact that it helps the environment in some small way is of little to no importance.
But some people, it seems, take this notion of “bicycling is good for the planet” a bit too far by pushing their way of life onto those around them. While these people have good intentions, their pushy ways seem to make some members of the general public view cyclists as a clan of self-righteous, long haired, green peace, save the planet, pot smoking hippies.
The Spandex Sportsmen
Finally, when I asked members of the non-cycling community to describe what a bicycle tourist looks like, they often times came back with two similar phrases:
1) Tight shorts
2) Bright colors
Cyclists, it seems, are known for wearing tight spandex shorts (which some people think are too revealing) and bright flashy colors (such as neon yellow, neon pink, neon blue… or just about anything in the neon to fluorescent range).
Maybe cyclists get this image because of the popularity of the Tour de France and other televised bike races where spandex is all but required? Or maybe the public views cyclists as bright and tight hard bodies because the only cyclists most (American) citizens see are those crazy few brave enough to wake up at 5 AM on Saturday morning and ride around in the cold with a small group of other spandex clad loonies?
Whatever the case may be, cyclists (whether they be “bicycle tourists” or not) are often times viewed as neon colored flashes of spandex and skin.
But Do Bicycle Tourists Really Fit These Stereotypes?
There’s no denying the fact that much of the general public has an image of what bicycle tourists (and bicyclists in general) look like. When I asked members of my own family, friends I had grown up with, and strangers off the street what images first came to mind when they thought of “bicycle tourists”, the fore mentioned images were brought up again and again.
But do bicycle tourists really fit these stereotypes?
In a way, many of us do. Not all of us, but many!
Take me for example. I’ve been guilty of at least two of the three mentioned stereotypes.
Here’s a picture of me on my first bicycle tour (on the far right), looking (in my mother’s opinion at least) like a homeless bum. Take note of my dirty brown butt and padded down helmet hair (not to mention that CamelBak I’m sporting):
And here’s me on my fourth long distance bicycle tour down the Mississippi River – looking at least a bit like that of our spandex sportsmen discussed above:
So, I’m guilty of it too!
But Are These Stereotypes Really That Bad?
The fact is, looking like a bum, a hippie or a neon yellow light bulb isn’t really hurting anyone.
But many people (young people especially) do care about the way you look. And as I’m discovering only now (at age 25) looks are important!
The way you look says a lot about you. People make judgments about you based off the image you put out. Looking the right way can mean the difference between landing the job, getting the girl, signing the contract, hitching the ride, being invited to dinner… and a million other important moments.
The way you look says something about you – whether you like it or not!
The Way We Are Perceived By The Public Has Got To Change
I could be wrong here, but I think the way the general public views cyclists has got to change!
As you may or may not know, my big goal here at BicycleTouringPro.com is to get more young people involved in bicycle touring. Traveling by bike has made a huge impact on my life and I think the sport could positively influence other young people as well, if only they 1) knew that bicycle touring existed and 2) weren’t instantly turned off by the sport because of the image given off by current bicycle tourists.
In a future article I plan to release my thoughts and ideas on how I would like to see bicycle tourists perceived by the general public. I will discuss in detail the way bicycle tourists could be perceived and I will detail my strategies for making these changes come to fruition. But in the meantime I’d like to hear what you have to say.
Do you agree with my findings about the perception the general public has on cyclists? And what do you think could be done to change the way bicycle tourists are perceived by the non-cycling community? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
Homepage photo by Brian Boulo. Homeless & sporty cyclist photos by DBKing. Hippie photo by David Masters.
Darren,
Thanks for the idea(s). You may be partly right,
though not entirely.
Bike touring is perceived and executed through a
set of cultural and economic sets. America has a
set that is different than less affluent and sprawled
countries/cultures, Two examples of others would
Netherlands and Quebec. Adventure Cyclist magazine
has done articles describing how popular bike commuting
is in Holland and how unaffected the Quebec(ers) are
(on their bike trail system)(few bike clothes and really
diverse demographics – including smokers).
Point of demonstration is when I resumed biking after a 30
year lay off, the most often asked question was when would
I start wearing the funny clothes and on my first supported tour
I was summarily questioned about wearing plaid flannel with
cut off sleeves as opposed to stylized Perl Izumi jerserys.
(The tour demographic was mainly professionals on racing bikes).
And now that I have a Brooks saddle I don’t wear the shorts
much and am inclined to keep away from the bike crowd and
chat up people in ordinary service jobs.
Jim
Well when it comes to India, a cycle is taken as a poor man’s bike. That’s the way it is here. Not many people, from my generation are ready to even buy a bicycle. A feeling like, bikes are for big boys and cycles are for small kids crops up in the other minds. This feeling I think, is universal. I have been laughed at when I tell my friends that I have been simply cycling around.
But this feeling makes me proud in some way. The expression which people give, when they come to know that the distance they travelled on a bike was completed with a cycle is the best.
Yahooo to bicyclists……
The top picture is an interesting coincidence, in that said “homeless bum” apparently was in my father’s squadron in the Vietnam war. :O
That said, I have to say, one will perceive bike tourists in accordance with how common bike touring is in certain parts of the country. Around here, bike tourists are quite common, and most of them have nice equipment and don’t look so much like the homeless and/or nomadic types.
Personally, I wouldn’t care what people thought as long as they don’t run me off the road, or throw things at me. 🙂
Thanks for your comments everyone.
But Wendy, this article isn’t necessarily about whether or not YOU care what you look like when touring by bike. This article is about what the general public thinks of you as you stroll through their town on your tour. I was trying to show how the way you appear to the public can either turn people on to the sport or turn them away. Does that make sense? It’s not about you, it’s about them.
And Ajay, that’s very interesting about Indians thinking that the bicycle is mainly for kids and poor people. I can certainly understand why people might think that way. I have friends in California that think this way as well, so it makes sense.
Again, thanks everyone!
According to a quote I found in a Missouri newspaper: “It would take an individual with superhuman energy and drive to try to ride a bicycle across the country.” https://is.gd/hs7T
Is that what “normal” people really think?
well i fit 2 of the catergories described,homeless and hippie,although i am a true hippie, HAPPY,INTELIGENT PRESON PERSUING INFINITE ENLIGHTMENT, I am not homeless,although i have been.i live on the east coast of florida and have been accused many times of being homeless,I then explain that i dont think a “homeless bum” would be travelling around on a 1500 dollar rig,folks look at me in a different light once i explain the cost of my rig and that i truly enjoy bicycle touring,its just a matter of edcuating the public as to what bicycle touring is about.most folks still think i am crazy, yes i answer BUT I AM HARMLESS and enjoying MY life
I found a good little bit of information on Ken Kifer’s website. In his brief article on “The Cyclist Lifestyle” he says the following…
“There are important characteristics that cyclists (bike people, if you prefer) most always share: a love of adventure, a strong whiff of self-sufficiency (self-reliance), a strong desire for good healthy exercise, a love of Nature and the outdoors, and tendencies to 1) waste less, 2) pay less attention to money, 3) not worry about impressing others, and 4) seek the humble pleasures of life.”
https://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/lifestyle/index.htm
Do you think this is true? I think it’s close, but I believe that by defining what “the cyclist lifestyle” is, it may exclude some. I just don’t think it’s very inviting to people who may not consider themselves to be all those things.
What do you think?
Hello again Darren:
You are doing a LOT of good work for all bikers, not just bicycle tourists!
I agree with you that it would be a boon if we were perceived in a more favorable light.
The fact that my bicycle when outfitted with Ortlieb Panniers, Trailer and all the gear I carry that required $700 wheels to carry the load is worth more than the average car!
The disdain we get from most drivers would only increase if they only knew how much we were able to spend on such items.
One thing I must mention relating to bike Trailers is that when I have my Trailer behind me, I feel much safer and have noticed that I am given a MUCH wider berth and am not pressured nearly as much (if at all) by impatient drivers. The only thing I can attribute this to is the fact that the Trailer with the flag, yellow dry bag makes an intimidating enough picture as to make the motorist deduct that if they were to strike such a ‘load’ that there would be certain damage to their car.
Getting back to the issue of improving our image:
I don’t know what the answer is but it may be a self-fulfilling prophecy if gas prices go back up and the economy continues to go south. At some point in the process, we will be looked upon as Pioneers in this movement when all along we were only trying to do what makes us happy.
Maybe then we will be able to move about the world with safety, impunity and happiness.
Keep up the good work Darren
Kindest Regards from Tom
Around my area, most people don’t even know that cyclists could go touring. The common mind-set is that bicycles are for kids/drunks who lost their licenses/the homeless/the poor, etc.
I was asked one day how far I had ridden to get to the shop (4 miles) and they just couldn’t believe it? “Four miles! Wow.” When you tell them that you just rode 50 or 76 miles, they are in disbelief. “Nobody can do that.”
And then when you stop in a store to buy something and pay with a check, they are surprised that you have a driver’s license! When they notice your American Express card next to your driver’s license, they are thoroughly confused. See, if you’re riding a bike, you gotta be poor, or a drunk who lost their license, etc.
So, riding long distances every day, touring, isn’t even within their range of concepts/possibilities. These people will require a lot of educating.
Sorry Darren, didn’t mean to digress! 🙂
It’s just that one can only do so much to change a person’s opinion about any given class of people, I am all for looking as well dressed as possible, so I go shopping for bike-friendly, lightweight athletic clothing at discount stores on clearance, because I know the nicer a person dresses, the better they are treated, overall.
Also, as you know, the mentality of people in general (namely the US, as an example) is dictated by mass media. Maybe if one gets some celebrities to go on a bike tour and make it into a mini series, (like what Brit actors Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman did, they circled the globe on motorbikes in one series called Long Way Round, and rode from England to South Africa in another called Long Way Down, and the latest is By Any Means, where Charlie Boorman tours the world by any means of transportation he can find)
There’s a lot of people touring and blogging, and one fellow did a nice video series of his bike travels to South America. Needs more media coverage.
Darren,
Interesting thing…as Americans we suffer in silence due to extreme apathy! We “do our own thing” and don’t really care about others, or their perception of us.
As a result, the “attention getters” are the ones that “stand out”, usually for some negative reason (e.g. – clothing (or lack thereof!), riding attitude, not obeying laws and rules, etc. .
Every day I see cylists, commuting to work and school, riding to the grocery to “pick up a few things”, for exercise and recreation, and any number of other reasons. But I never REALLY see them! They are kind of like the mail carriers!
The ones we SEE are the ones that REALLY stand out. As a result, we all are treated pretty much the same. Essentially perceived as eccentric, against the grain people that can’t afford a car!!!
Great thing about Americans though, we are survivors. The automobile has become a status symbol for us and we seem to believe we can’t live without them. Question is, how long can we live WITH them?
We are in fact a country whose existence has been largely dependent on the automobile and everything relating to the auto industry. Don’t look for it to change anytime soon, it truly is THE American way of life that symbolizes our independence and defines our style. So just enjoy the ride while you can!
Support the Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC), development of bike lanes and paths, and all things related to cycling.
Obey the traffic laws and rules when mixing it up with the crazy motorists, even if they aren’t! Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression! Ride responsibly, be courteous, and share your experience with others, especially the young people who have the power to affect change.
And here’s George Carlin talking about bicyclists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6zj5nhASk0
Again, not giving cyclists a very good image.
I decided to commute on my bike on the first day of a new job. One of the owners came up to me and said “oh, I didn’t know you had a DUI.” I explained how wrong he was. I agree with Wendy. If somebody cool on Realworld or the new 90210 enjoyed bicycle touring, I think the perception of us would change. Even better, how about bicycle touring as an X-game event.
I agree with this article. I’m a 16 year old male who is seemingly aspiring to be a neon lightbulb. I get laughed at all the time, but it dosen’t bother me. I agree that the view of cyclists is very negative, evoking laughter and hate and sometimes even violence! I also agree that this stereotyping has to stop. People seem to instantly get the image of a raving, homo-sexual, offensive, self-righteous nerd at the very sight of a bike which is taller then 2 feet and has “curly handlebars”.
Bicyclists and especially touring bicyclists could go a long way in improving the image if they spent more money. When a bicyclist uses a bathroom in a gas station or convenience store and doesn’t purchase anything it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the store owner. People know bicycles cost (sometimes) a great deal of money and then they find riders doing almost everything to not support the local economy of the areas they are passing through. (In deference to touring bike riders, mountain bikers arrive by car, often stay in hotels/motels, eat in restaurants, gas up their cars locally, and ride their bikes.) I just did a tour of a part of the California coast north of San Francisco and was treated just fine by locals. They are used to seeing bikes as this is along one of the premier bike touring routes. I also made sure when I spent some money on food or camping I did not act like the products or services should be provided for free. Not lavish in my spending but not a cheapskate either. Support the local economy with just a few dollars of spending and you will help all the rest of the riders coming after you. I really don’t think it is about spandix or not, or homeless or not. It is about people being happy to see you coming and some green goes a long way to assure that.
I’m afraid I take issue with your use of “sport” in this article.
I disagree that Cycle Touring is a sport. It is not. It has no rules and it is non-competitive, and thats the point!
It is a viable method of transport for tourists to travel hundreds or thousands of miles. It is important that people pecieve that cycle touring is competting with other methods of transport (planes, trains, cars, busses).
Cycling is a well developed “sport” (bmx, downhill mountain biking, racing etc) but as practical form of transport it is not yet taken seriously.
Robert, I get the sense that you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Jim, I don’t think spending money as we travel is the answer. I’m super frugal and I don’t want to feel obligated to pay gas station attendants every time I have to take a piss. That’s just crazy!
I do think bicycle travelers could try harder to look and act more like normal people in the areas we are visiting however, and I think that would really help.
And Pete, I understand you taking offense to my use of the word “sport”. I knew when I said it that it wasn’t the right word. That’s why I put it in quotation marks.
If bicycle touring isn’t a sport, though, what is it? It is simply a hobby? A means of travel? How do we categorize it?
I’m not sure what the answer is, but maybe if we are ever to change the perception of bicycle travelers, we’ve got to change the category that bicycle touring is currently a part of?
Well, I guess cycle-touring is a free-spirited, cheap eco-friendly and healthy way of travelling about.
“Mode of transport” or “method of travel” are better because they pitch bikes against planes, boats, cars, trains, ferrys, busses, etc.
It should be in the same bracket as sailing, kayak touring, long distance hiking etc. I suppose it might be called “adventure travel”?
Hi, great website, thanks for putting it up.
I think there are two main problems with most people’s perception of ‘bike tourists’ (in the US anyway):
The first is that most people simply don’t care about living a healthy lifestyle so when they see people who do, whether they’re out running or biking or WALKING, they brush them off as abnormal, because we are. A quick analysis of our own families will help prove the point. How many people in your family, immediate and extended? How many people regularly do sports or in general care about their health? If your family is anything like mine and 99.9% of other American families, the only people who do sports are still in high school or, abnormal like us.
The second problem is that our culture helps keep things this way, and in fact makes it worse. Our urban planning is still car-centric, even in most big cities. If we would simply put more bike lanes in, or bike paths running where cars can’t go, we might find more people turning to bikes. We all surely have stories of motorists getting angry at us for being on the road, as if we didn’t have the right. The fact that this is very dangerous is reason enough to become a bike activist but the fact that the solution could promote our way of life is another huge benefit to advocating bike lanes everywhere. If they can do it in the narrow streets of Amsterdam or Bern, why can’t they do it in American cities and towns with four lane boulevards? Once the lanes are there, I think we’d slowly start to see more acceptance and participation.
Cheers, and thanks again
Hans
Hans, I think you are right in so many ways. In Europe bikers get so much more respect. And they do in fact manage to get the bike lanes on the narrowist of streets. If they can do it in Europe, I seriously don’t understand why they can’t do it in America and elsewhere. I assume it likely comes down to money. They probably tell themselves, “There aren’t enough bicyclists to justify the cost of putting in bike lanes.” But at the same time, there aren’t enough bikers because the people who would want to ride their bikes are saying, “It’s just too dangerous/scary to ride my bike. If there was a bike lane I would ride, but there isn’t, so I guess I’ll take the car.” It’s a cyclical problem and I’m not sure what the solution is.
Excellent article! I’m glad to have stumbled on to your web site. It’s good to have one’s thinking about our sport directed into new areas.
As an old curmudgeon of 73 I’m not as concerned with the opinion of others as I am with my opinion of myself. This has to do with motivation and psyching yourself into attempting what your body says is not a good idea.
When peak oil finally rears its ugly head for the last time and SUVs become stationary, rusting hulks, then cycle touring and bicycling in general will become completely accepted since we will all be traveling by bike, rail and barge.
I wish it were as easy as Wendy suggests – get Ewan and Charlie on bicycles and make a movie and a book, maybe ‘Long Way Bicycling Round And Down’. But bicycles will never have the same public perception motorcycles do.
Motorcyclists have long cultivated a persona of badass, anti-authoritarian, leather-clad speed freaks. Bicyclists have cultivated a persona of . . . well, they haven’t cultivated any one persona, which is the point of Darren’s article. We’re Spandex-clad outsiders, to be sure, but to fight the status quo while clinging to the edge of a two-lane road is tenuous at best.
If we could get the merest shred of respect on the road, it would be a huge accomplishment. North American cities stack the deck against cyclists, and bicycle tourists are the front line in slowly changing that. Every cyclist on the road is a tiny cog in a larger mechanism of awareness, and changing the stereotypes happens one mile at a time.
I think, Darren, the clothing you had for your 9-months in Europe were “the right look” for a bicycle tour.
I am particularly thinking about that “exit” video, you did.
I do think that is pretty much how most traveler’s dress these days: clean, casual and comfortable.
I do know many bicyclists like to be non-conformists. I know I don’t want to fit-in, if it means having no enthusiasm for life, gossiping and making unthinking nasty remarks about “different” people. I like diversity!
I also know there is a certain amount of visibility in wearing a funny hat, for example, or even brightly colored spandex.
Nevertheless, I think the “image” you project is a good one for an ambassador for bicycle touring and bicycle travel.
For me, it is adventure travel. I know, I want to look good.
I want people to feel comfortable, and speak to me.
I would not emphasize that some bicyclists have expensive bikes or gear, since that could result in reduced safety for bicyclists.
I haven’t gotten to talk with bicycle tourists. Given the opportunity, I would want to ask about their bikes, gear, and distance per day, and find out whether they were having positive experiences. This would satisfy my curiosity, and give me something to tell other people. “Guess what I saw today…” I think most people would have this sort of reaction, if they had no prior experience with bicycle tourists.
My negative reactions about some bicyclists have to do with danger, and have nothing to do with bicycle tourists.
Bike couriers are the number one problem in the vicinity of my office; they make the roads and sidewalks dangerous.
The number two problem is bicyclists who make no sound before overtaking pedestrians; who zoom by pedestrians without keeping their hands on the brakes (and even do this while riding with no hands); who ride like bats out of hell with no lights at night; and who ride through red lights, up one-way streets, and so on. It would be difficult for bicycle tourists to overcome an image problem that I would guess is created mainly by other bicyclists.
I think in some way you are right Darren but also I have to also say that as someone who has been using a bicycle as my only form of trasport for a little over 12 months now. I have become I bit of a celebrety in my own small town ttrundling into town most days of the week usually with empty panniers and at leaast once a week with a trailer in tow. I find young children with their parents are te ones that tend to break the ice by looking quizically at me. Then I say hello with a big friendly smile. I have had many people stop and chat with me about my set up as I am about to head back out of town fully laiden. We also have somene in town who actually has a multi trailer set up. consisting of a mountail bike towing a trailer bike on a gooseneck to the seat post and on the back of that one of those trailers for young children. Now that set up really does turn head even if it is on the cycleway.
My point is it is up to us to make the bridge to the rest of the community and to dispell the bad name cyclists earned back in the 1980’s when bicycle couriers were terrorising pedestrians and motorists alike with their scant regard for anyone
I definitely agree with your observation about the way the public (in most cases, that is) reacts to people on bicycles. I’ve been treated with more courtesy (though not by some) when I wear Spandex. You’re viewed as a “serious” cyclist. I think.
Then, if I wear some non-descript clothing, that could be worn as a MTB rider, or just for casual wear, I feel more ignored and snubbed. I sometimes ride to the store for grocery items, and I won’t take the time to get all kitted-up, and wow– I’m suddenly invisible, or I’m avoided all together. It’s the ‘homeless man effect’ I call it.
I’d add too, that if you are older, and especially male(!), then people really are either unfriendly, or they snub you! It’s like they are thinking: Why isn’t he driving a car? What’s up with him? Either a crazy, a drunk who’s lost his driver’s license, or…there’s just GOT to be something wrong with this person.’ I get those looks a lot. We are such a car culture, and people without a car are looked at with suspicion. I’ve been told to leave certain stores because the manager thought I was a homeless guy. I was wanting to buy something. Spend some money. But, they wanted me out of there. Now. I’d never been treated like that before I began riding bikes in town so often. It’s very frustrating.
Then there’s the issue of bike parking. In many places (where I live), you either have to find a gas meter, or a street lamp post, or a street bench to lock your bike to while shopping, or go somewhere else. Still, just walking in to a store as a bike rider, you can get that special gaze of mistrust. You either scare them, or they despise you as some sort of looser. It’s weird.
Locally, we have a group of young riders that like to be obnoxious to drivers, and so that makes my life on a bike even more of a frustrating experience. We need to build a communication bridge between bicyclists and the rest of the community, but I’m not sure exactly what that would be. Some places in the U.S. are never going to be bike friendly, no matter what. I avoid the streets now days as much as possible. I stay on side streets, or, with my MTB, I take “alternative” routes (ally’s, city parks, sand roads, etc.).
First of all, I understand that this is a really old article, but you never know who frequents the site, or new comers like myself that just come across it and enjoy reading comments.
I don’t really belong into any of those categories.
I feel like I have changed a lot of people’s perspective on cyclists.
I’m just a nomad that happens to travel by bike. You could call me “homeless”
but I simply gave my home up to do what I love, and now the world is my home.
Although, for a few months I came back to my hometown and settled down for a bit, but I am back out on the road after battling some serious depression (which was brought upon by being stationary and made getting back on the move extremely difficult!).
You can follow me on facebook at Jake Does America.