I think in this case it's worth mentioning, because not everyone cycles. You'd probably value the perspective of someone who cycles versus someone who doesn't, right?
And one important aspect of being a "cyclist" is to regularly drive some distances, like > 10miles. The biggest problem with bike paths is, that they are often decided by people, who mainly drive cars and only very occasionally, without much training and experience take some short joy rides of bikes and think this qualifies them as cyclists.
You don't have to be sporty at all, but once you cycle at least once per week > 10 miles, your perception of bike paths changes quite considerably.
I think that's the difference between "identifying as a cyclist" (cycles >10 miles for enjoyment) and "cycles to work, but it's not part of their identity". It's the latter you should optimise for to efficiently make use of public roads and reduce pollution - although the former will benefit too.
The main reason bike paths in the Netherlands are so great is because they work well for untrained people, using it as a means of transport.
OK those are just semantics. I generally walk to work(it's ~4km largely through green areas so a nice walk in the morning and evening). Somehow the idea of carrying a backpack with an extra pair of clothes and having to shower at work isn't very appealing to me. Semantically I mean "cyclist" as in I'll go for a joyride in the evenings and 5-6 hours during weekends. When it's nice and dry that is, rain and water probably bugs me more than you I suspect... And a lot of people around here by the looks of it.
Finn here with a 3–7.5 km commute depending on which office I go to: hills. I was in Amsterdam last summer and rode about 60 km one day with a shitty rental bike and it was a breeze because there was only a couple of inclines that I remember. Here it's constant up and down and I would surely need to shower at work. Personally I have solved that with a pedelec, which takes the effort out of the hills.
On these kinds of discussions, claims about the need to shower at work after cycling usually come from Americans (especially in their southern regions), so it is rather surprising to hear it from a Finn. I feel like Finns pay more attention to appropriate clothing for the season and activity, so they would choose something to cycle in that is breathable and won’t leave them soaked in sweat, and they would be willing to invest in e.g. a merino-wool base layer – merino wool doesn’t stink even if one’s sweats in it.
Granted, I am chiefly getting this impression from what was sold in the sports sections of clothing shops in downtown Helsinki when I was a student there, and perhaps most of the native Finnish population finds that clothing just as unaffordable as I did as a poor foreigner.
If it's 25C out, it really doesn't matter what you wear - if you exert yourself outside, you're going to get sweaty. The American south is quite warm. Wearing wool is ridiculous.
It is not often 25C in Finland at commuting hours. And even when it is, a merino-wool microweight base layer can easily be worn up to 30C and still keep you cool and dry. That is why Smartwool etc. are so popular in the bicycle-touring world.
The problem with the American South is not just heat but humidity, but again, the challenges that they and people in similar climatic regions face are not universal.
Some people sweat a lot, and there's nothing they can do about it.
My commute has been a short bicycle ride to work for most of the previous decade, and I still sweat to the point where I feel uncomfortable if I don't shower afterwards.
There's slightly higher car and public transport use in the winter, but most people don't stop cycling.
> as a cyclist myself,
Also, people here don't identify themselves like that. Just like people don't say "I'm a driver" unless it's their job to drive a bus, taxi or truck.
I cycle to work, but it's not part of my identity.