Commuter Corner: I'm New Here Myself

Okay, confession time: the morning before I started at the Cascade Bicycle Club I was feeling like a total and complete poser. It’s probably common to feel like an imposter starting any new job, but it was more than that. I’d ridden a bike casually for the past year, but how could I stack up to my (presumably) hardcore, all-weather, lycra-clad coworkers at the club? 

I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in, wouldn’t talk the right way, wear the right gear, have the right bike. It’s easy to like biking (after all, it’s a blast), but it felt like a whole ‘nother step taking on the moniker of “biker,” to be an everyday commuter. So I went out to REI and geared-up. I figured I could at least disguise myself as a legit rider if I bought all the superficial bells (literally) and whistles. 

That first day, I met my passionate, light-hearted and creative co-workers at Cascade, and I did indeed feel embarrassed, but for an entirely different reason. They weren’t judgmental purists, not Tour de France carbon-copies. They were unique and boundless, riding everything from Craigslist bargains to carbon fiber. 

It was a reassuring reality: the bicycling community is broader and more inclusive than just one type of rider. If lycra’s your thing, right on! Maybe you’re a weekend rider who likes to take it slow on the way to the Ballard Farmers’ Market. Maybe you’ve got a couple kids munching Cheerios in your cargo bike bucket. There is only one right way to ride a bike: safely. Beyond that, do your thing.

So to any reluctant riders out there, know this: you are good. You are welcome. Come ride with us.