Going Slow

I read a couple of articles about how these Dutch-style commuting bikes are becoming more popular in the US (along with every other kind of bike). They are the kind that let you sit upright and have baskets on the back and not a ton of gears, among other things. There were questions about how fast they were (not very), but one person said he'd rather get somewhere in 20 minutes, comfortable and not sweaty, than in 10 minutes, hunched over and sweaty.

This is so obvious but such a revelation to me- some people choose to be slower. Not because they can't ride a faster bike, or afford one, or are afraid of it getting stolen- they like riding a slow, comfortable bike.

It made me realize that, like, the people I pass on my crappy bike on the way to work aren't necessarily less fit or slower than me, they're just in less of a hurry. And it made me realize maybe I could ride my crappy bike more if I rode it slower, as I wouldn't sweat as much.

I'll try it out soon but today is hot enough that I'm sweating on a scooter so it's another day of motorized transportation for my 6 km roundtrip commute. (Don't judge me!)