scozim 

My job has me driving to the Seattle area a couple of times a week. Maybe it's the nature of the economy over the past few years but I have been seeing a significant increase in the number of cars carrying bikes this summer vs. prior years. Not only modern bikes but also C&V ones - saw a beautiful blue, steel Gios yesterday with a modern drivetrain, and a couple of Cannondales last week. Just wondering if everyone else is seeing this as well. It seems like cycling itself is making a little comeback. Heck, even on the backroads around here I'm seeing a lot more new riders every week (and the college doesn't start back up again for a month). I'll remain positive that cycling is on the upswing

RubberLegs

More and more bike paths and lanes HELP! More businesses accommodating them as well.

nikku 

Yeah definitely an uptick in the number of people cycling, not just for fitness or fun, but for practical transportation as well. Even here where it's hotter 'n hell.

thinktubes 

In Chicago, (and elsewhere I'm sure) the hipsters are turning to C&V road bikes and Touring bikes. Not a bad thing.

Price of gas may be playing a part in the increase in the number of bikes. It's been around $4.30 in Chicago all year.

Zinger

After an 11 year hiatus from riding I'm seeing more than twice as many bikes out there on the local mup it seems. Almost all are newer and I get a lot of compliments on my plain Jane Trek that she never got when newer. I don't see too many old bikes on my rides in my part of the country any more.

Italuminium

Nope, but they're endemic here the bad news is that motor scooters have been on the rise for the past few years which is incredibly bad for the air quality and traffic safety. On the other hand, many of the hipsters have skipped the fixie phase and ride with vintage roadies converted to flat bars (really narrow ones).

scozim 

What I've found also interesting is of the cars I see on the freeway a good 80% have more than one bike on the rack or in the truck bed. Overall I like the trend.

Drillium Dude 

Well, I saw this during my visit:



I took this pic while waiting for the Fremont Bridge to re-open after being raised for a few sailboats; I was number 2,083 for the day - and that was a weekday, too. Check out the number for the year!

DD

ThermionicScott 

I'm seeing a lot more people riding bikes in Cedar Rapids. Granted, it is the season, but there are more out there than in previous years. I think it's some combination of cycling becoming more popular (even if just as a party/social activity) and the city actually putting some cycling infrastructure in place. Hopefully the trend continues and people don't just become bored/scared of it again.

scozim 

You're right on infrastructure especially in the metro areas. Although, I was even impressed with the sheer number of bikes I saw in London and just on the city streets. While sitting for a couple of hours in a parking lot at a park on Mercer Island, WA yesterday it was a steady flow of riders coming into the lot and leaving and also riders going to and from Seattle. Riders probably came by every 15 seconds or so.

I have heard Performance advertising more on national sports talk stations as well as local stations in Seattle and maybe that helps.

Now if I could just get my kids interested in cycling.

KonAaron Snake 

More and more every year...although I've noticed a definite trend away from c and V and towards bikesdirect and other stuff like it. The market seems sort of fractured - you see a lot of over built "utility bikes", a lot of fixed/single speed (mostly newer mid-low end) and you see a lot of roadie CF stuff (usually entry level), but you don't see many intelligent all arounder's in the sports tourer mold.

seedsbelize 

This isn't surprising, really. Even I have yet to build an intelligent all-arounder; instead I use one of the three partials. Practically every cyclist I personally know in the US doesn't even consider such a bike. They have their road bike and their mountain bike. Period.

ThermionicScott 

You can build all sorts of sentences with this fragment.

CenturionIM

yeah there are. It's just that I cannot stand the constant fleet of fixies; they offend my senses. NBD.

brons2

I see a lot more young hipster riders around here who've converted old 80s bikes into fixies or single speeds. I am glad to see the trend to some degree, but their riding skills are almost universally horrible. I try to avoid them getting on my back wheel, and if I'm coming up on a stop sign I let them know in no uncertain terms that I am STOPPING.

I am more afraid when I am in my car, because they are so unpredictable when they make a complete mockery of traffic laws. I just try to drive more conservatively and keep my eyes peeled at all times.

Velognome 

My office overlooks the route to the train station. There is a marked increase in bicycle commuter traffic over last few years.

miamijim

Its simply following the up trend in the economy. A better economy means more people have discretionary funds for hobbies like cycling.

Italuminium

That's because you buy all the beautiful fendered racers in Philly, Aaron

Italuminium

What up trend in the economy? Getting into bikes is one of the ways to enjoy getting into a conspicuous consumption flame war (with all the bling and the smugness) without needing too much credit, except for the piece of plastic you're overusing too much anyway... And since nobody is getting any credit since 2008, yeah, bikes are up

KonAaron Snake 

I might have missed a few.

mapleleafs-13 

In Toronto I'm seeing a lot more cars with bikes on the back and a lot of cars floating around with bike racks. I noticed that I was selling way more parts from my website than the previous years, so this could mean people are trying to fix their bikes up more or more people are just trying to get their rides working.

peter_d

Yeah, in the village I live in there's one other adult besides me riding a bike so a definite upturn . Seriously, in Winnipeg which is the nearest City, there's a tremendous increase in the number of cyclists.

Bianchigirll 

I saw two bikes today, well I saw more than two, but these two were in the back of a pickup driving into a scrap metal place!!! One looked like it needed to be there but the other was late '60 early '70 Sears 3 spd. You know the black one with the white and red graphics. If I hadn't been in the big rig I might have stopped and offered to buy it. $20 likely would have been more than the scrap value.

eschlwc

on the seattle craigslist front, i'm seeing a lot less mid-level c&v bikes for sale under $200 this summer. there have been very few that have interested me. those that i inquired about have either been swept up quickly or the owner was difficult to contact. past summers 'seem' to be better from this buying perspective, which may be a sign more folks are cycling on these same bikes i purchase.

there are lots and lots of bikes for sale though. lots and lots of crap and overpriced stuff.

vancouver and lower bc craigslist seems like a much better buyer's market for these mid-level c&v bikes at this price level.

Gravity Aided

I see scores of bikes a day, it seems, especially people commuting to work. And the traffic keeps up all day on the street leading to the bike trail from all the big office buildings. I see a lot of C&V, including a couple I restored, as well as a few recumbents. Of course, I'm out driving all day. Most of what I see are 80's 10,12, and 15 speed commuters, still with drop bars. Doesn't mean you can't still pick one up for less than a burger meal at Sonic now and again. I'm seeing some BD, Performance, and REI bikes as well, more than in past. But I don't see the hipster single speed much at all. I am seeing a lot of old rigid mountain bikes, as well as a few Wally World mountain bikes and "Panama Jack" Beach Cruisers, all being ridden as commuters