Commuters Go Head to Head in Battle of the Bikes – Cycling commuters naturally fall into bike ‘tribes’. But in a door-to-desk race, who takes the gong?
Commuters Go Head to Head in Battle of the Bikes
I’m beginning to love The Guardian’s bike related blog posts. Only yesterday they got me musing over the rights and wrongs of cycling drunk, and they’ve also explored work-appropriate bike clothing. It’s just nice to see bike articles that aren’t all about the Tour de France or the latest developments in lycra, but rather issues that the rest of us cyclists have to face daily. Their latest contribution to the debate is an exploration of riding styles for commuting – do fixed gear riders really get to work faster than mountain bikers or those of us on granny bikes? Read on for a (pseudo) scientific experiment…
OK, so Matt Sparkes’ experiment of which ‘bike tribe’ is fastest is hardly the stuff of scientific break throughs – after all, setting up a race between one rider on a racer, one on a fixed gear bike, one on a mountain bike, and one on a ‘granny bike dawdler’ is, as he himself admits, “as scientific as a climate change sceptic”, but it does raise an interesting debate.
Glance around during rush hour and you’ll spot all manner of bike riders: dawdlers in suits and dresses, racers in revealing Lycra and simplicity-craving single speeders. These are just some of the cycling “tribes” that can be identified by simple clues such as their choice of bike, wardrobe and riding style. Just like Galápagos finches, they have evolved to fill different niches based on their needs. How far is the commute, what needs to be carried and are there showers at work? And of course, fashion plays a large part, too.
Unlike natural selection, though, we have a choice over which species to become. But have I made the best choice, or are my wheels just stuck in a rut? I decided to find out by mocking up an average commute and holding a “tribal commuter race”, to see who could get from door to desk quickest.
The contestants: road-bike racer; fixed-gear rider, mountain biker, hybrid commuter and granny-bike dawdler.
As soon as they set off it was clear who was going to arrive first. Fixed-gear rider sprinted away at the head of a fast pack, with road-bike racer in close and streamlined pursuit. Not far behind was hybrid commuter – slowed slightly by his panniers and upright seating position, but keen to compete.
Separated by a widening gap was mountain biker, whose bouncy suspension and wide, knobbly tires were a significant disadvantage. Granny-bike dawdler, equipped with baguette-carrying wicker basket, brought up the rear – but didn’t seem to mind one bit.
The slower tribes made up some time when road-bike racer’s skinny, slick tyres succumbed to some gravel in a shortcut through a park. Palms bloodied and confidence shaken, he failed to recover his initial advantage. Fixed-gear rider seized this opportunity to extend the lead, hopping red lights as he went.
A few miles later and everyone crossed the finish line in varying states of disarray. Fixed-gear rider was first, but sweaty enough to star in a Lynx commercial; hybrid commuter next and only slightly less moist. Last place on the podium went to road-bike racer, who was in need of a shower and a trip to the office first aid box before starting his working day.
Just a handful of minutes behind came mountain biker, who may have won had the course involved any sudden descents through woodland, but on the day arrived late and panting. Mere moments later came a grinning granny-bike dawdler, pulling up at the finish line slowly, but as fresh as a daisy.
Click here to read the entire article.
(Source: TreeHugger, Guardian, UK; Image Courtesy: Guardian – Cyclists wearing different outfits in London Photograph: Graham Turner/ Antonio Olmos/Guardian/ Observer)
