tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post9020695872191320196..comments2023-10-31T08:49:14.757+00:00Comments on Cambridge Cyclist: Cycling Advertising - What is it selling us?Cab Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-11732510336028209142013-07-18T11:37:17.360+01:002013-07-18T11:37:17.360+01:00Brilliant comment. Thanks!
I agree - we're no...Brilliant comment. Thanks!<br /><br />I agree - we're not seeing much marketing of cycling as just something folk can do to get around. Which is a crying shame as I think many commuters soon become enthusiasts, and its commuting traffic that most needs addressing.<br /><br />I quite like my road bike for some commuting. I use it a lot at this time of year when the roads are dry, but my standard commuting ride is a chunky hybrid. I think I passed you on the road on Tuesday morning - I was on the road bike then.<br /><br />And I agree with you re. Curtis. Doesn't even talk a very good game on real cycling. Cab Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-31171791894925566632013-07-17T11:50:18.992+01:002013-07-17T11:50:18.992+01:00There's one more thing that bothers me about t...There's one more thing that bothers me about that. Women are being marketed a utility bike, men are being marketed a bike for leisure. It even mentions sportives, weekend rides and racing.<br /><br />Although I do both, I feel passionately about cycling as a mode of transport, not as a weekend toy. While getting fit is important, it doesn’t also reduce air pollution, congestion, deaths and make our cities more pleasant and easier to move around. To do that we have to replace motor transport journeys with cycle ones. We need cycling to be how people get to work, to the shops, to school.<br /><br />This was one of the many things that bothered me about Councillor Curtis as Cycling Champion. I could be wrong, since he so rarely mentioned cycling at all, but I got the impression he was a leisure cyclist. He seemed to have no understanding of how cycling is different at 8.45 am on a weekday in heavy traffic, rather than on open country roads on a sunny weekend. This is coming up again with him talking about ‘tourist trails’ as if this helps the transport problems we have in Cambridge.<br /><br />Anyway, there certainly are people who move from cycling as leisure to cycling for transport, but I think that failing to market cycling as transport is not just bad for everyone, it’s a missed opportunity. What about marketing a bike with the slogan ‘beat the traffic’ or ‘Do your exercise before you get to work’?<br /><br />Road bikes are often not ideal for use in cities. The lower position is less good for looking around and over your shoulder, the higher speeds are not always appropriate, and clipless pedals are an absolute pain if you’re stopping every 100 metres for traffic lights. Where is the push for the men’s utility bike?<br /><br />However Boardman do both men and women’s bikes in MTB, road and hybrid versions, and he got there first. Actually my road bike is a Boardman fi. Wish it hadn't only come in pink, though.Hesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01786445447447946710noreply@blogger.com