Rec Cyclist or Utility Cyclist ?
As 2007 draws to a close, I've taken a look at the cycling miles I've logged over this past year. I've logged my miles and trips by categories so I could tell what kind of cyclist I am. There are two ways to look at this.
If you take the number of miles I've ridden, it is fairly close. I've ridden about 10% more miles recreationally. This includes the 460 miles I rode on BRAG and this is about the difference between the two. Based on this analysis, you would say I'm a recreational rider like most riders in the US.
If we look at the number of trips however, it shows a different picture. I ride my bike to work instead of taking the car and it shows in this graph.
The difference is the miles per trip. Rec rides average about 40 miles per ride and commutes and errands average about 7 miles per trip.
Do Utility cyclists get more respect than Recreational riders? I find that motorists are more courteous to me when I've got the panniers on the back and I'm wearing street clothes. I guess counting miles or trips is less important than what I wear when I ride.
Labels: recreational-commuting
posted by Jett @ 9:31 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Hmm. Well, I have ridden a lot more miles on recreation rides but a larger number of utility rides. However, what you're not accounting for is that commutes are fun too! I'd say basically 100% of my rides are recreation, even if some of them have a purpose beyond just riding.
Your comment is a great lead-in for a future post I have planned.
Many of my commutes -- nearly all of them -- go well out of my way just so I can ride more, but I think there's even more to the idea of a "recreational commuter".
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