It is definitely more recreational in California (at least SoCal). When I first used to visit WA, I was impressed that the ferries had a "please do not walk in cleats" sign. I saw commuters on bikes in the rain. I'm not of that hardy stock but still, people do it. People use bikes for transportation here! California, for all it's lovely weather, is mostly bike illiterate. Strange.

I will say that there is still a lot to be done in WA, at least where I am. My SoCal riding was on wide streets with huge bike lanes. Here the streets/bike lanes seem much narrower and scarier. Maybe it's because this is city (old city) and I was from a sprawled out open area.

WA is cool in many ways. I just wish we could somehow meld the SoCal weather (without the extreme heat and brown) with the culture here.