I disagree with your opinion on the reliability on bikes versus cars….I drove three “hand me down” cars during my high school and college years that were about 10 years old or so….none of which left me stranded. Sure, they had some repairs, but they weren’t horribly expensive. I took them through rain, hail, sleet, snow, lots of snow, and then some….Indiana weather is fun and changes fast, especially growing up near Lake Michigan.

I just think when people put on an extreme anti-car rhetoric it turns of a lot of people off and hurts the cause for encouraging more people to ride their bikes. We all come from different walks of life and that we need to consider many options for transportation.

2008 was my first year commuting, and I started in June, not due to the gas prices, but for placing my workout routine within my commute. I own three bikes now…..a road, touring, and basic mountain bike.

My commute is 7.5 miles one-way and goes on a busy 2 lane road that is very narrow. My other option was to take another narrow road that is heavy with dump truck traffic from a nearby rock quarry, which would make it 10 miles one-way. I opted to take the the road with the car traffic instead and a shorter route. The city I live in has no bike lanes in the area, but a multi-use path is coming soon to the road I currently ride on. A touring bike gives me speeds around 20-30mph to make my commute within 30 minutes.

My mountain bike is slower than molasses….but eventually I would like to turn that into my “bad weather/winter commute bike” should more bike paths become available and when I get more experience bike commuting. I work at a factory and my bike stays parked outside. Any freezing rain or snow and I better have lots of de-icer for my bike……….however, with my car, I can start it up and go with no problems in just a few minutes, regardless of the weather outside.

I have been doing a lot of reading on bike commuting and occasionally hear stories of people getting rid of their cars to save money and go “car free.” I have seen both extremes in my almost 2 years of bicycling…..the hard-core racer to the anti-car, ultra-liberal advocates. I drive a fairly new Honda Civic and I wish I could find a bike as reliable as my car, but I don’t think they make them, unless I spend thousands of dollars on a bike. We have some pretty harsh winters, with lots of snow, and of course salt. A few days ago we had a significant ice storm and I relied on my car to get me through it. I have simply reduced the amount I drive, canceled my gym membership, and turned my commute into a workout.

I spent a year living in Germany back in college and that has made an impact on how I view transportation. I support more public transportation, such as electric street trains, more sidewalks, and bike paths. Many people use the excuse that everything is closer together in Europe than in the United States, but the fact is that a large number of Americans live fairly close to work. If we allow more options, then more people will want to go out and ride, or walk. As a result, we will be a much healthier nation, with a lower obesity rate, etc…..that in turn could improve how the rest of the world views us.

Strangely enough, even in the urban environment I live in, where public transportation is pretty decent and bicycle use is a breeze (except for all these idiot motorists!), the overwhelming majority of bikes I see on the road are as you describe — “bike salmon”, folks in the dead of night with nary a light or reflector…sigh.

We DEFINITELY need a massive education campaign nationwide!

Honestly, I don’t know what we can do — motorist education is a great start, but it doesn’t seem like many municipalities are interested in spending money on that sort of thing.

Other stuff we can do, obviously, is be courteous, predictable, well-lit and follow the traffic controls that we are required to abide by, just like motor vehicles. Being a jackass and blowing through lights, riding the wrong way up streets and otherwise doing silly things isn’t doing cyclists any favors in the eyes of motorists. Also, busting out windows with U-locks, shouting and all that other aggressive stuff isn’t winning us any friends, either…playing it cool seems the best course of action, and who knows? Maybe one day we “early adopters” will be revered as real pioneers and champions of the human environment!