Hi, I’m Richard and I ride a bicycle in Dublin, Ireland as my main form of transport.
I commute to work by bike almost every day – and all year round in all weathers – and also use my bikes to meet friends or go shopping.
Cycling as a sport doesn’t really interest me. I’m an advocate of people cycling as a means of transport – to get from A to B. I’m not interested in going for a ride just for the sake of it, or to see how fast I can go, or to get fit. When I get on my bike, I’m going somewhere, and the point is to get to my destination simply and safely.
As a transportation cyclist you’ll see me:
- Wearing normal clothes – I’m dressing for the destination and not the journey
- Cycling more slowly – I don’t want to arrive at my destination in a sweaty heap
- Transporting cargo – because when I go to work or go shopping then I normally will need to be able to carry stuff
- Cycling an electric bike – my e-bike opens up the opportunity to take longer and more hilly journeys
- Demanding safe segregated cycling infrastructure – because cycling should be accessible to people of all ages and abilities
I have two Dutch bikes – one electric and one not. The reason I love Dutch bikes so much is that they are:
- High quality and durable
- Include things such as lights, racks and mudguards that other bikes omit
- Have an upright sitting position that makes them comfortable to ride
They are not the fastest bikes on the road, but they enable me to get where I’m going easily and simply, and without being drenched in sweat!
Why the name Big Ride?
Some people might be wondering about the name of the site – Big Ride. I suppose it has a bit of a double meaning, particularly here in Ireland.
The term big ride, or more specifically the phase like “Ya big ride” or “He’s/She’s a big ride” are compliments in Irish slang to indicate that someone is sexually attractive – or more specifically a speculation that they would be good in bed.
And in a more literal sense big ride also refers to the fact that I am a big person who happens to ride a bicycle.
There’s also lots of other very innocent uses of the term big ride out there. For instance it’s often used to name or describe a cycling event for lots of people… “Come and join our big ride through the park on Saturday”.
Of course, I don’t mind that the term has a bit of a double meaning here in Ireland. When I settled on the name, I wanted it to be playful. I’m not for a minute suggesting that most people consider me to be a big ride (in the Irish slang sense of the words). However there would be a sizeable number of people that do find people that cycle very attractive!