Roody

High fuel prices may result in many more people cycling for transportation purposes.

This might create a larger political constituency when it comes to allocating public resources, and eventually more bike-friendly legislation. Also, if more people cycle there will be a larger market for the crap we like to buy, like bikes, trailers, blinkies, etc. Eventually a larger market might mean more products for us to select from, as well as lower prices and higher quality, in response to increased competition.

Cyclist0383

Not in America it won't.

And the post was about fuel prices dropping, not rising.

Roody

Ziemas...

Well, then the opposite of what I said is what I meant. Low fuel prices will NOT result in more people cycling......

WHAT in America won't? Please be more speciic.

freediver

Even if prices drop to less than a buck a gallon, the fact that I ride my bike, instead of driving the car everywhere, allows me to drink more, good, beer at the end of the day instead of crappy lite beer.

Main adavantage I see from the dropping gas prices means I won't need to get another job just to pay my home heating bill this winter.

I'll still be interested in seeing what happens to gas prices after November.........


Jon

Cyclist0383

For many reasons (status, sweat, distance, time, effort, age, weather, schedule, children, etc.) a large number if Americans will not take to cycling.

When fuel prices go up Americans might drive less, there might be a slight trend toward more fuel effecient cars, but statistically significant numbers of Americans are not going to give up their cars for bikes.

Americans look down on public transport, and that is inside and nice and comfortable. Why do you think they will want to hop on a bike?

Roody

I used to be one of those comfort-craving sedentary blobs. I changed. Some of them will too.

Cyclist0383

A small number maybe, but not a statistically significant number.

gwd

Hey Ziemas. I've noticed your location as Latvia. If you have the time I'd be interested in a car-free living report from Latvia. Since we're mostly from North America on this list it would broaden our horizons a bit. Road conditions. Police hassles. Availability of equipment. Weather. Dating. Employment. Public Transport. Kids. Some of those things must be different from what we experience and some just the same.

As to your discussion with Roody... statistically significant has a broad interpretation. I don't know if it makes a difference but this fall I've been traveling to another train station that I haven't visited since last year. This one is a suburban station surrounded by parking garages and bike unfriendly roads. Last year the bike racks weren't full. This year something has happened. The bike racks are overflowing and bikes are parked out on the safety railings and signposts. The number of bikes has more than doubled. That is statistically significant increase if you're just counting the number of bikers but maybe not if you're looking at bikers as a percentage of all train riders. The commuter bus I take from the station to my destination has more riders than last year too.

zoridog

I'll reserve comment until after the mid-term elections.

Cyclist0383

Car free isn't a big deal here. Many people live without a car. It's not the big issue that many in America make it out to be.

Why would the police hassle you for being carfree?

Roody

The most accurate count I have is my own. Last May and June, in 7 weeks, I counted from my window 80 cyclists. This year, in only 2 weeks in June, I counted 90. I did not see the need to run a statistical test, since the difference is obviously large and significant. (disclaimer: One street in one city, observed when gas prices were at a historical high. But still.....) I'm not sure that a European observer is in a good position to note changes in American behavior, or comment on their significance.

yuhoo

Why not?

When there was an oil embargo in the 70's, Americans junk their gas guzzlers for small cars, giving the Japanese an inroad into the American automotive market.

Then oil price dropped, and Americans once again switched back to vans, trucks and SUV's. Today, oil price are up again and Japanese again lead the technology with fuel efficient hydrid cars while both Ford and GM cry wolf with their dinasour vans, truck and SUV's again.

Foreign competiors are always watching.

Cyclist0383

I was born in America and lived there for over 25 years. I know the place quite well.

I-Like-To-Bike

I believe you know the place far better than ideologues and wishful thinking zealots from anywhere ever will.