What even is a “Portland cyclist”? It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot and it describes something that has become a major cultural stereotype. But if you look more closely, it’s easy to see that the people who ride bikes in Portland are a very diverse group. These images were all taken at the same location (N Williams at Hancock) within minutes of each other.
Just a tiny slice of the folks riding bikes on Portland streets every day!
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Here before someone else makes a comment about helmets. First. Helmets.
Try a FEND – compact and foldable.
JM really ought to do this on some rainy miserable day, to see how riders deal with the more unpleasant types of weather – do they don rainwear or not?
I’ve definitely done this on a rainy day. https://bikeportland.org/2013/09/30/portlanders-pedal-through-the-storm-94698
And to answer your question, the rate of folks with raingear on bikes in Portland is really really high!
But I can’t do this exact series because there are fewer folks coming by and I’d have to stand there for a longer time and I need to get a better waterproof system for my camera!
Ah, 2013, during the pre-ebike era! Brings back memories…
Better times IMO. We’ve been overrun with e-junk in our bike lanes.
Just an observation, no other thoughts: The only person not wearing a helmet is also wearing sandals, and is also (probably?) on the most expensive bike in this group of pictures. Also the only one riding with just fingertips on the bars
If helmet use is an indicator of the perception of cycling comfort and safety, then 96% wearing helmets is a very disappointing result.
soren maybe perfect people like yourself have never had an accident, or even a mild crash where your head contacted the ground. But many of us have, and helmets work!
How ‘many’? ‘Many’ of us have been in accidents, have ridden for decades, haven’t hit our heads, and don’t have horror stories from cyclists we know. Absolutely wear whatever you want for whatever reason, but predominate cycling helmet use originates in custom, anecdote, confirmation bias, marketing, zeitgeist uncertainty… for starters. There’s just not the data around this that say, seatbelt use has. Based on admission data from hospitals we should all be wearing helmets pretty much all of the time.
I really love these photo galleries. Something about seeing other regular people riding bikes tells my social monkey brain that riding a bike is cool and normal. I love the wide variety of bikes you see. I’ll be on the lookout for you capturing the SE rush hour (and hope I’m on my best looking bike lol)
Hey! I’m in one of the pics! Thanks Jonathan for making these posts, always fun to see the variety of people and bikes in Portland.
You should take photos like these of couples on tandem bikes coming to the next Coldplay concert here.
Very happy to see the widespread use of helmets.