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How can we get more people riding their bikes?

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How can we get more people riding their bikes?

Old 02-27-15, 09:30 PM
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How to get more people to ride bicycles? Simple really - make it easier to ride - don't have bicycle lanes that suddenly end, have bicycle lanes on all 4 lane 2 way and larger local roads, have bicycle parking areas at ALL stores, especially known shopping (grocery, markets, and local shops - should note here: not one store in a 3 mile radius of my home (apt) has any type of bicycle rack. Most places I shop regularly don't have anything at all to lock to (so I just lock the tires to frame)..
As far as the earlier reply about the $5000 'elite' bicyclist... I tend to agree that this can be a put off to so many 'recreational' riders - they aren't in the income bracket to spend that type of money on a bicycle (and I know many that wouldn't spend that on a car either)...
City and community design hasn't helped in the past - though some place (like where I live) are now stepping up and adding / finishing bike trails - most roads (that have been finished in the last 5 years) now have bicycle lanes, and from what I looked up for 'future projects) 90% of those also include bicycle lanes (and those that don't are in industrial areas with already over wide roads).
One other thing comes to mind - power assisted bicycles - not E-bikes - but the ones with small gas powered engines, currently are not legal on roads/bike lanes/bike trails (though some law enforcement are not enforcing this), it's a DOT thing - as they have no VIN. This law needs to be changed to allow those (and also restrict those to the same limits of E-bikes).
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Old 02-27-15, 09:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
This thread is titled "How can we get more people to riding their bike?" It appears you're one of those people in meetings who knock down all suggestions.
Without a doubt more people will ride bikes if we demand they justify their transportation choice.
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Old 02-27-15, 10:26 PM
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Originally Posted by howsteepisit
Without a doubt more people will ride bikes if we demand they justify their transportation choice.
Only if we demand that their justifications meet our criteria for legitimacy.
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Old 02-27-15, 11:29 PM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
Are we talking about getting people to bike more for recreation vs. sitting on the couch or other sports. Or are we talking about getting people to ride more for utility vs. driving?

There are many reasons to ride, and the spectrum of riders and how and where they ride is very broad. Strategies to encourage some forms of riding probably won't help with others, so start with an objective then decide on the strategy. Or start with a general goal of more people riding - any way, for any reason, and tailor a variety of strategies for appeal to the whole spectrum.
+1. Often when these topics come up there's a strong consensus of "we need everyone to start commuting on their bikes and ditch their cars" to which most folks will say "No thanks". I'd be happy if we simply had more people cycling regularly, on public roads, whilst setting fitness goals for themselves. As a society we'd be healthier, and it would mean that the driver in the car you're so worried about is a cyclist too, even if they don't commute on their bike, and is more patient! (Although I did have a car blow past me just a few inches from me, no attempt really to move over; with three bikes mounted on the rear rack including a nice looking road bike with a Dura-Ace groupset. So, you never know...)
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Old 02-28-15, 12:13 AM
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Originally Posted by CrankyOne
It's the design that has give The Netherlands the highest bicycling modal share of all developed countries and the safest bicycling environment.
Well, yes. That and the compact size of the nation.

The compact size of the nation - AND the lack of hills.

Lack of hills AND the furgal self sufficiency that is part of Dutch culture.

Frugal self sufficiency AND respect for other person's place in the world.

Respect for others AND a culture that learned to make do with shortages of just about everything in the post war years.

Shortages of things AND of destroyed infrastructure in those same post war years.

Lack of infrastructure then AND High gasoline prices now.

High Gasoline AND difficulty finding a place to park a car in city centres.

Difficult parking AND the fact that cycling is fun.

Fun AND socially acceptable.

Socially acceptable AND seen to be envoronmentally responsible.

Environmentally responsible AND so politically expedient.

Which allows good infrastructure investment.

... other than all the differences we are all exactly the same. ....

Last edited by auldgeunquers; 02-28-15 at 10:58 AM. Reason: one word short
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Old 02-28-15, 12:17 AM
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Originally Posted by rydabent
... The "cycling community" could go a long way in making cycling more welcoming if they got off their high horse. It may come as as shock, but to be a cyclist you dont have to be a fully kitted cycling snob on a $5000 bike to be a "cyclist". ...
SSHHHHHH! Don't tell the roadies. The LBSs are more profitable that way. I need LBSs for parts and service and the occasional laugh with the mechanic.
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Old 02-28-15, 12:18 AM
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... we could just take away all the gas, diesel, and electricity.
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Old 02-28-15, 12:23 AM
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One way is be willing to stop and talk to people. I ride both a recumbent bike and trike. Especially when I ride the trike, a lot of older people want me to stop and talk about the trike and where I got it. I am alway quite willing to do so.

Also work for hiker biker trails. Here in Lincoln we are still expanding our trail system. As of now we have 131 miles of hard surface trails. A large percentage of people do NOT want to ride on streets, and especially hiways. With more trails, more people will be willing to bike.
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Old 02-28-15, 07:01 AM
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IMO, if cycling rules and laws were a routine part of driver's ed, driver licensing, refresher courses, along with continues public awareness programs, cycling would not be viewed so much as a fringe activity as it is today, more people would consider it, and drivers would better know how to share the road with cyclists. Take a fraction of the money spent on hard cycling infrastructure and spend it on education and awareness programs, and you'd have a much bigger positive impact. And in the long run, there'd be much more support and money for infrastructure projects.
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Old 02-28-15, 09:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Looigi
IMO, if cycling rules and laws were a routine part of driver's ed, driver licensing, refresher courses, along with continues public awareness programs, cycling would not be viewed so much as a fringe activity as it is today, more people would consider it, and drivers would better know how to share the road with cyclists. Take a fraction of the money spent on hard cycling infrastructure and spend it on education and awareness programs, and you'd have a much bigger positive impact. And in the long run, there'd be much more support and money for infrastructure projects.
If driver training was taught as a regular course at public school, with prerequisites in lower grades such as learning to cycle, learning to cycle in traffic, and something along the lines of the history and ethics of road use... and in-depth driving laws... we might have vastly greater awareness of cyclists as legitimate road users.
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Old 02-28-15, 09:05 AM
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Around here, cycling IS taught. Your learners permit test includes lots of information about cyclists. The "book" you're supposed to read includes information about cyclists. Including the reality that they have a right to the road and must be given plenty of room. The problem is, when there are few cyclists in an area (and the fact that you only have to ever take the test one time in your life. Then just pay a fee and renew it every few years), much of that information is forgotten anyway.
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Old 02-28-15, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by TroN0074
......... I would like to see more people riding their bikes,
How to do that?
Vague poorly defined goals can never be met.

Just like at work: You need to have a vision, and clearly defined goals that over a predefined schedule get you from point A to point B... and so on. Currently... you seem to only have an idea. Ether that idea can not be expanded into a vision (that happens) or your internalized vision is too idealized to conform to a plan.

Originally Posted by auldgeunquers
... we could just take away all the gas, diesel, and electricity.
That [auldgeunquers post above] is a great example of an idealized idea. It just assumes a bee-like, hive-type society of humans that can be easily controlled. This can possibly be achieved.... at least briefly. But the human carnage created by such regimes in the past has been enormous.

Last edited by Dave Cutter; 02-28-15 at 09:23 AM.
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Old 02-28-15, 09:55 AM
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Even if we get this people to use their bikes once a week I think just that along would be a great succes. That is why I keep thinking that doing it more like a soccial activity would be easy route. After few rides people will get confident and they would ride more.
So yeah having everybody commuting to work, running errans, and taking part in races would be nice but that is a long term goal.

The city and states would invest the money in fixing road, building bicycle infrastructure if they see the people riding
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Old 02-28-15, 09:59 AM
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Here's the thing, people want to lose weight. Gyms are popular at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, most folks don't sustain anything and haven't figured out that it takes nutrition AND exercise, but that aside.

Pushing bicycling for fitness, and for it's benefits in losing weight and getting healthy; might actually be effective. I'm telling you guys; no matter how much you "want" it, those who aren't already commuting by bicycle, for the most part, won't. You can ask them to all you want, it won't happen. That's an unrealistic and unachievable goal. But if you want more bikes on the road; LOTS of people get into the sport because they want to get healthier. If more folks knew the benefits cycling has, and how much more fun it is than sweating at a gym; they might do it! (And THEN they might start commuting, etc.)
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Old 02-28-15, 10:21 AM
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Originally Posted by RomansFiveEight
Around here, cycling IS taught. Your learners permit test includes lots of information about cyclists. The "book" you're supposed to read includes information about cyclists. Including the reality that they have a right to the road and must be given plenty of room. The problem is, when there are few cyclists in an area (and the fact that you only have to ever take the test one time in your life. Then just pay a fee and renew it every few years), much of that information is forgotten anyway.
Cycling is taught? Or is it just a few questions on the driving test. I wonder how well cycling is covered in local drivers ed classes. And is 40 or so hours enough time to absorb what drivers should know... or is it just enough time to skim over enough stuff to grant a license... so the new driver can develop scads of bad habits from watching others?
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Old 02-28-15, 10:25 AM
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The same methods and arguments about increasing bike use have been going on since the 1970's. My opinion is that most of the general population just doesn't care. Their actions indicate there is no generalized interest in getting on bicycles. Ultimately, in my opinion, the only things that really increase bicycling will be those that out and out either prohibit driving or make it prohibitively expensive. There is no social will to do that in the US, so things will continue status quo for a long time. Long term issues such as climate change may drive some shift, but i see little to indicate the population is willing to make marginal changes to mitigate that, most seem to want the politicos to come up with a magic bullet to fix things with no personal change needed.
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Old 02-28-15, 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by RomansFiveEight
Here's the thing, people want to lose weight. Gyms are popular at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, most folks don't sustain anything and haven't figured out that it takes nutrition AND exercise, but that aside.

Pushing bicycling for fitness, and for it's benefits in losing weight and getting healthy; might actually be effective. I'm telling you guys; no matter how much you "want" it, those who aren't already commuting by bicycle, for the most part, won't. You can ask them to all you want, it won't happen. That's an unrealistic and unachievable goal. But if you want more bikes on the road; LOTS of people get into the sport because they want to get healthier. If more folks knew the benefits cycling has, and how much more fun it is than sweating at a gym; they might do it! (And THEN they might start commuting, etc.)
Here's the thing... as long as cycling is considered a sport... and bikes are considered toys, and people think you have to "dress up" to bike... cycling will never ever be considered NORMAL in the US.

Only when it is as convenient to jump on a bike, vice into a car, to run down to the corner store or go off to work... will cycling be considered a normal thing.
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Old 02-28-15, 10:28 AM
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Originally Posted by TroN0074
So yeah having everybody commuting to work, running errans, and taking part in races would be nice but that is a long term goal.
Recommend that you drop the goal for encouraging "everybody to take part in races".

Any emphasis on bicycle racing/or competitiveness aimed at non bicycling enthusiasts, and even some bicycling enthusiasts who are not of the bike club profile will only discourage many of them from considering bicycling as an everyday normal activity that does not require exceptional athletic ability, specialized bicycling equipment and clothes.
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Old 02-28-15, 11:03 AM
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
Recommend that you drop the goal for encouraging "everybody to take part in races".

Any emphasis on bicycle racing/or competitiveness aimed at non bicycling enthusiasts, and even some bicycling enthusiasts who are not of the bike club profile will only discourage many of them from considering bicycling as an everyday normal activity that does not require exceptional athletic ability, specialized bicycling equipment and clothes.
+100.

To make cycling normal, the notion of cycling as a sport has to decrease, while the notion that a bike can be used for all sorts of other tasks, has to increase.
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Old 02-28-15, 11:05 AM
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Justin Bieber on a bike?
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Old 02-28-15, 11:12 AM
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As far as "teaching" kids.

It used to be that school buses would take kids over 1 mile to school, and those living less than a mile or so from school were expected to walk to school.

So what happens? Do half the kids walk or ride their bike to school?

The parents seem to think it is their duty to pile them in the back of the car and drive them to school, perhaps in greater numbers than happened a few decades ago.

Perhaps the schools could do more to encourage those kids living up to 3 or 4 miles away (or further) to get out and ride their bikes.

Free Bike Lights?/???
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Old 02-28-15, 11:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Looigi
… if cycling rules and laws were a routine part of driver's ed, driver licensing, refresher courses, along with continues public awareness programs, cycling would not be viewed so much as a fringe activity as it is today, more people would consider it, and drivers would better know how to share the road with cyclists….
Originally Posted by RomansFiveEight
Around here, cycling IS taught. Your learners permit test includes lots of information about cyclists. The "book" you're supposed to read includes information about cyclists. Including the reality that they have a right to the road and must be given plenty of room. The problem is, when there are few cyclists in an area (and the fact that you only have to ever take the test one time in your life. Then just pay a fee and renew it every few years), much of that information is forgotten anyway.
Originally Posted by genec
Cycling is taught? Or is it just a few questions on the driving test. I wonder how well cycling is covered in local drivers ed classes. And is 40 or so hours enough time to absorb what drivers should know... or is it just enough time to skim over enough stuff to grant a license... so the new driver can develop scads of bad habits from watching others?
I would go one step further than limiting cycling lessons to classroom instructions. It should be a requirement that in order to get your driver’s licence, have a mandatory 8 hours or more of on-road cycling experience. Any potential driver who cringes on the thought would immediately know the reason why.
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Old 02-28-15, 01:08 PM
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
I would go one step further than limiting cycling lessons to classroom instructions. It should be a requirement that in order to get your driver’s licence, have a mandatory 8 hours or more of on-road cycling experience. Any potential driver who cringes on the thought would immediately know the reason why.
8 hours is probably enough to ensure that some people would NEVER RIDE ONE OF THOSE DEATH TRAPS AGAIN doncha think?
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Old 02-28-15, 01:11 PM
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Raise the driving age to 18?
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Old 02-28-15, 01:46 PM
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I wonder if there would be a way to get the idea of "everyday exercise" out to the public.

Enter a shopping mall with a stairwell and an esculator. Take the stairs.
Stairs vs Elevator... Stairs. Perhaps program the elevators to have a 4 floor minimum (without handicapped access).

I just can't stand using a home gym for more than a couple of minutes. But I'm perfectly happy to be on my bike for 1+ hours.

So much of our society is designed around having machines do all of our work. AND IT IS KILLING US.
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