Min, you seem to taking this all rather personally, which is unfortunate. Whatever you do to make sure you ride a bike is up to you. And as I've said before, everyone on a bike is a hero whatever their routine/arrangements.
However, my concern in these deates is not those who already cycle despite the conditions and barriers, it's those who don't. These are the people we need to convince if we want mass cycling. Now, of course, there are a whole host of reasons why folk don't cycle, but this particular thread is about the perceived need for showering and the availability thereof being a barrier to cycling.
My point, and the fact of the matter, is that in established cycling cultures, where large numbers of people make relatively short journeys (under 5 miles) for work and leisure (that's travelling to leisure pursuits, not the cycling itself) then showering is a non-issue. They cycle slowly, with as much exertion as a brisk walk, and they dress for their destination. Sure, they'll have waterproofs and such, but only in the same way that a pedestrian would.
The Mikael Colville-Anderson blog I linked to explains it well (And I hadn't actually read it before; I googled it as a result of this thread.):
"If we look at this from an 'overcomplication of a simple thing' point-of-view, this Bicycle Commuting angle is hardly cycling simplified. It is primarily advocated by 'avid cyclists' who happily commute long distances to get to work. Which is great for them. Unfortunately, it sends signals to the population at large that Bicycle Commuting is a hard slog, a work-out, a sacrifice - however rewarding. It paints a picture of long commutes, even though 50% of Americans, for example, live within 8 km of their workplace.
I often look at urban cycling as a product and then look at how we're selling it, comparing it to most other marketing. Bicycle Commuting isn't really effective as mainstream marketing. It's sub-cultural. It involves a massive financial investment. Just look at this "Guide to Cycling in Winter" from the Toronto Star. It's so very silly, but I'm sure that it gives the sporting goods industry a hard on.
Then there's the focus on having showers at work. Something that people in established bicycle cultures find to be rather odd. Not having showers at work - I know many people here in Copenhagen who ride long distances and who have showers and changing rooms at work - but it really is a tiny minority.
The primary advocates of Bicycle Commuting like gear and showers at work. They like the hard-core aspect of cycling. The sportif aspect. They're 'cyclists' and that's great."
Of course, I care an awful lot about people that cycle at the moment of all shapes/sizes/types whether it's utility cycling, commuting, racing, leisure etc., it's my livelihood after all, and I do my very best day-to-day to make sure their wheels keep turning. But the real prize for Edinburgh as a city is mass cycling and that's what drives my thinking in these debates.
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