Happy Feet

Yep. They were what is now called a utility bike. During the depression and wars many people could not have cars so the bicycle was a primary means of daily transport. Sometimes you could only afford one bike so models like the Clubman was advertised as the "Mullet" of bicycles: Business up front, party in the back! Or commuter by day, tourer or racer on the weekend. With post war affluence people could afford both recreation and cars so the bicycle became relegated to sporting goods status.

America had a sort of similar experience. Reading about pre 1900 bicycling and particularly the League of American Wheelmen or LAW is pretty interesting. But it also has an over-archng fascination and love of car culture (partly due to large geography) that eclipsed the bicycle and everything about American social and physical structure revolves around that so creating a bicycle lifestyle is more far more daunting. It works for the athletic and adventure angle because North Americans really value their recreational activities and the counter culture angle because that market already rejects mainstream values.

Stadjer

That's a bit harsh for endangering bicycle traffic. Never knew there was a connection between this guy and the bicycle manufacterer, and after a quick search, the connection isn't that strong.

I knew that. The problem seems to me that it's difficult to advertise that kind of bike use if it has no connection with daily reality. Where cycling for transportation is the case, like in the Netherlands where I live, the ads portray a pretty realistic image of daily cycling. I guess advertisers have to connect to the reality the consumer experiences, or when that's not possible create a dream world entirely outside reality. I once saw a video from a cycling advocate who discussed a Canadian cycling campaign, which promoted cycling by pictures of models dressed elegantly for the destination on bikes, and she pointed out that these models would have committed a crime there because they weren't wearing helmets. That's more or less the same issue, you can sell a lifestyle but there has to be at least some connection to reality.

Jim from Boston

Why isn't the bike industry selling more lifestyle?

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Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Yes..."and the beat goes on"...

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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike

As well as the excess verbiage and verbal self stroking.

Not to belabor this already tedious thread, but FYA, I just came across this article in Scientific American,”How to Get More Bicyclists on the Road,”(link) presumably appealing to those (non-descript) “lifestyle cyclists."The answer is so obvious!

Jim from Boston

Since nobody has replied to this post:

Maelochs

I read the article .... thought it was silly. They mention that women are still primary child-caregivers .... good luck with a couple kids in a Burley or whatever. Small kids aren't terrible, so long as they keep their hands and feet inside. But when they need to go to different schools .. . different sports events ... and when they get older and start to weigh too much to pull up hills .... Shopping for a family of four would be pretty difficult too.

The idea that bike paths don't go to supermarkets and day cares .... yeah, but maybe someone should have told Scientific American about the science of time---as in the cities are already built, and no one is going through there knocking down buildings to build a mommy-centric bike highway system.

A lot of the cultures they mention as being bike-centric---not so much in urban areas, I'd bet. Maybe in a more rural area where shopping daily is part of life ... but anyone who is working all day probably also doesn't want to pick up ingredients for the family's evening meal on the y home ... every day.

Whatever ... I am no ballroom dancer. I don't have that experience leading women around. I have never tiered a bow tie in my life.

I will let you explain what women cyclists want.

Jim from Boston

Well, @Maelochs, I posted that article somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and I don’t want to to make this into a war between the self-identified genders. On the road I have been passed by many female cyclists. When I commute, I have posted,

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Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

... on my daily commute, it seems that female joggers outnumber males by a large margin, at least 5 to 1, if not as high as 10 to 1.

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Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

…Among the cycling commuters that I see I would say the men outnumber the women by a greater ratio, though in much fewer numbers, maybe about one cyclist for every 40-50 runners.

The activities you describe in your post I would consider “utility cycling.” Yet in the course of this thread, you have aptly written: The Scientific American article does argue for making cycling easier on female “hardcore (roadie, commuting, utilitarian) cyclists” to broaden its appeal, and likely males also would appreciate that trend.However I think in the context of these upscale-modern-yuppie, stylie-trendy “lifestyle” cyclists, women would be the primary target, especially, I think as the main social directors in any couple, or mixed gender activities, such as you have described.

BTW, as a ballroom dancer, though indeed the partners are considered leaders (men) and followers (women), one of the best tips I have heard is the man ”presents” the woman to the admiring audience. As @Machka posted just today on another thread about style:

Maelochs

Interesting---never heard it explained that way.

Happy Feet

Stadjer

That's the lifestyle part. Shop for groceries more often and eat fresh, let the kids ride their bikes to different schools and sports events themselves, ride to a sidewalk cafe and have a few pinot gris too many for driving and stay slim, get a tan and relax in the process. The end result is most likely not the issue here, that doesn't need advertisement campaigns, it only needs to be shown. It's the transition that's hard to sell.

Buildings were knocked down for the car centric way of life, lots of them. For a facilitating a bike centric lifestyle that's not even necessary, just a bit of infrastructure and a few rule changes will do.

You'd bet wrong. It's short distances that makes cities cities, cities are ideal for cycling and that lifestyle.

Deal4Fuji

A couple of online bike sites promoting the lifestyle
https://momentummag.com
https://peopleforbikes.org

Happy Feet

A good example I just saw of building infrastructure to create more of a cycling "lifestyle" is the Legacy Trail between Banff AB. and Canmore. Not only did they build a MUP, they included parking at the Canmore end and updated the Tourist center at the terminus to accommodate cyclists (racks, filter water dispenser for bottles, wifi etc... as well as adding a shuttle service to ferry bikes back and forth. It's very easy and enjoyable to use that route and lots of people do so. For some that means they can adopt a bike commuting lifestyle for at least 6 months of the year when before they would have to ride along the Trans Canada Hwy with no support services.

Here's the view along that MUP: