duckbill

The West coast has been warm and dryer then normal especially California. Seattle and Vancouver BC have had a warm winter, the Crocus and Daffodils are already in bloom. This as well as the frigid weather in the east is because of a change in the jet stream caused by a high pressure area that has stalled off the west coast. The Pacific Ocean is up in temperature and could be causing these changes across North America.
The extreme weather patterns we are experiencing could be the new norm.

tandempower

Could it be that some young people moved temporarily to that area to experience what was broadly reported as an exceptional trend in bicycling? If so, many might decide to move on but continue cycling wherever they go; that is unless rising bike prices deter them, which may also be a factor for many people in choosing whether to invest in cycling or not.

Phlorida

The National Bicycle Dealers Association statistics indicate that the market peaked in 2005 at $6.1b and has never hit that level again. I have a boat and can tell you that the marine industry is in the toilet. A local municipality is questioning continuing to operate a public gold course because that industry is in a decline. I realize that these are random anecdotes but it sure seems to indicate that people just aren't going outside like they used to.

Dave Cutter

In a word: yes.

Bicycle imports and sales have been dropping. Bicycling as a popular sport has lost favor with the general public since that [uncool] "L" guy admitted to Opry that he doped. The BMX parks are near void of [cool] kids on bicycles. If it wasn't for the former [uncool] President G.W. Bush pushing mountain biking as a healthful family sport.... things would be even worse. At least the mountain cycling sports are holding their own.

Cycling has indeed "gone back" to a normal state of popularity. As in all sports.... there are ebbs and flows of popularity influenced by sports stars, celebrities, and technology. Boxing, baseball, and bicycle racing will certainly regain and/or even exceed any popularity experienced by their sport ever before. The only question is... when will cycling be [once again] in a golden age of popularity. No one knows.

I-Like-To-Bike

In a word: No. Though I suppose "some young people" would be technically correct if two people did it.

Invest in cycling? Who dat, other than those (probably losing their investment money) in the sales, distribution repair or manufacture of bicycles and components?

Helmet sales might be an investment possibility pending future legislative action based on media driven hysteria.

fietsbob

Met a Cycletouring Vancouverite Canadien, headed down the coast , already, In February..

tandempower

Since about the time of the superbowl commercial with Bob Dylan asking, "what's more American than America," there's been an anti-progressivism due to a feeling of castration anxiety regarding automotivism. Bike commuting was growing in leaps and bounds and people noticed and started feeling like automotivism was in some way threatened by it. Since then I've seen political backlashing against urban planning reforms and nationalist-ego attacks on bike commuting as something 'communist' or 'chinese.' Automotivists are so desperate to choke out any alternative to buying, maintaining, fueling, and insuring a personal motor-vehicle, that they are willing to play the 'unAmerican' card against bike commuting. Pathetic, no?

How could we know?

I'm not talking about that kind of investing. I'm talking about investing personal time, effort, and money in a lifestyle choice.

I've also noticed some media focus on cycling as an unsafe activity to be feared. Would it be too much conspiracy theory to assume there are simply opponents of bike commuting who are using money and influence to characterize it negatively in the media? By the same token, there was probably a lot of money behind the promotion of cycling and bike commuting a few years ago when its popularity was growing. Sad, sheeple.

bicyclelove

studded tires solve this issue. You won't be in any more danger of crashing than you are on clear roads.

matt tennessen

Chicago is starting to get some of those protected style bike lanes. I'm on the fence with it. While I wholeheartedly support bicycle safety and infrastructure, I worry that superior but more expensive routes like this encourage people to only bike under these circumstances. And due to cost, those routes aren't as plentiful and thus, less useful. Less useful routes mean you aren't biking for transportation as often. Chicago has included them downtown though which I think pairs nicely with the bikeshare (Divvy). My routes are definitely in heavier traffic and I think that most are perfectly safe but the average new or occasional rider is likely intimidated.

cale

My impression was that urban riding was on the rise. My "town" has bike loan kiosks scattered around the city to facilitate the use of bikes. I understand that similar programs exist in many cities. The car culture is deeply ingrained in the national psyche but I firmly believe that bike culture is also strong. Most of my parent friends have taught their children to ride which will help keep a tradition of recreational cycling alive.

A number of hobbies and lifestyle activities have seemingly appeared less popular. The sales of DSLRs is down too. Attendance at National College Football games were at a 14 year low last year.

It is possible that we are experiencing a fundamental move away from the consumption levels of the pre 2008 credit based growth period. The national mood is pretty somber as income growth remains low and people put off discretionary spending. (Bikes are a bit like health club memberships, when it is time to tighten your belt... They're one of the first things to go.)

B. Carfree

You are likely correct. It was a fun decade of growth and youthful optimism even if it is turning the other way.

However, I'm not sure fad is the right word, since even our darkest times have many more bikes than what inspires visions of cycling Nirvana back east. I prefer to see it more as the ebb and flow of enthusiasm, always too low to satisfy me yet always better than most places.

Interestingly, I'm not seeing the same deep drops in California, where I spend quite a bit of time. CA was a bit slower to come out of the dark ages of the '90s, but seems to be building a steady momentum. Things are going so well there that some crack-pot politician is trying to dim people's enthusiasm by attempting to push through a mandatory helmet and reflective clothing law. You know you're winning when they start fighting dirty.

PaulH

I went to University of Washington for four years. Unless the number of parking spaces has radically increased in the last thirty years, or public transportation (particularly east-west) has gotten a lot better, I can't imagine that it would be practical to get around the city without a bike.

Dave Cutter

"Castration anxiety"?!?!?!? Wow.... a Freudian theory from the 1800's to explain the normal dip in a sports popularity. Please don't take any offense... but I think your reading way to much into this.

Bicycles are lot of fun... and an inexpensive way to get from here to there. They may be around forever. But the popularity will rise and fall like everything else.

I-Like-To-Bike

It appears that no conspiracy theory, or any other kind of theory is too much to assume on this list.

auldgeunquers

Of course, these things NEVER happen to cagers.

auldgeunquers

Some poor countries these days have a stronger economy than the state of Michigan. Just sayin' ...

intransit1217

fwiw, My remark was supposed to be sarcastic. Maybe I failed. In other news, I can't say I have a dog in this fight as I had a long hiatus between high school and last year. So I've been out of the ebb-and -flow loop of cycling and tend to think of it as a steady state thing.

Then again, since I've become more involved, I'm more aware of the political side of things. Which is downright scary.

SAGit

Based on my observations, I see less kids riding their bikes (going to 7-11, friends, ball practice or school). May be its deemed not safe to ride or iPhone time takes up the after school hours.

i do see more Adult bike riders than ever before.

auldgeunquers

Yes, but it's a fun phrase to have at hand for party small talk. Especially in male dominated parties. Just the word castra- ... no, I can't even type it - is enough to make some men flinch.

auldgeunquers

I think cycling is on the increase where I live. Our city of 75,000 is currently supporting 3 good LBS, plus we have 3 Big Box options for bike purchases. Plus we are a border city and so have access to the distribution networks of 2 nations - so add another good LBS and a couple more Big Boxes.

Here is Sault ON we have enjoyed the influence of a rather vocal cycling advocate for the past few years, and the people have responded well to his ideas, and the city government has responded to the public groundswell of opinion by investing in cycling infrastructure. A 23km MUP (the Hub Trail) making a circuit of the city was just completed last year, as was a change to a main thoroughfare to add bike lanes and a centre left turn lane at the expense of 2 car lanes. City council has just announced the addition of spokes to the Hub Trail to increase access and utility for commuting.

Winter cycling has a steady presence here too. There are a small number of us who I would categorize as cyclists by choice, and a pile more who are cyclists by necessity, but we are all cyclists, and the presence of bikes in the winter is not so rare as it once was.

We also have some great opportunites for recreational cyclists who are into MTBs and Fatbikes, and a small but strong roadie club.

What we lack here is any signifigant representation from either the lifestyle or the fashionable set. People admire my child carrier and trailer set up when I go to the local farmer's market or to yard sales, but there are not many similar rigs in sight. Not much of a hipster scene here either - that demographic mostly leave town to go to College or University elsewhere - and while we do get some inbound hipsters to schools here, the sum balance of hipsters is negative.

Still - I think that I will see more kid and cargo haulers out this summer (based on positive reactions to my rig) and we shall always have the car-deprived segment. Car free by choice is a very minority group here - even though the city is small enough to bike anywhere, the public transit is a PAIN - but perhaps there will be more car light people in the near future. And recreation riding here is quite strong.

Things here seem to be looking up, but the climb is slow and steady.

tandempower

I can't tell if you actually understand what I meant with the term or if you just mention Freud and the 1800s to appear knowledgable while actually ignoring what is meant by it. Cycling as a sport was never subject to any nationalist-ego defense-attacks. Only when bike-commuting started growing in popularity as an alternative to driving did a backlash occur. 'Castration anxiety' is the best way to describe this. Instead of being neutral about the possibility of automotive commuting losing numbers to car-free commuting, culture-defenders feel threatened with loss and thus invest effort in attacking and undermining progress in the alternative. They wouldn't do this if they weren't afraid that their beloved culture was under threat.

Well put. I would say the same about driving but then there's cash4clunkers and automaker subsidies for those periods when their popularity is falling.

I think you're using the words, 'conspiracy theory' and 'assume,' assumptively here.

Tony Marley

In my suburb north of Houston, it seems that there are more people riding -- young kids, families, 20-40 year olds, and old timers. Lots of vehicles with bike racks on them, too. There is a new bike event, and a new upscale bike shop. Having said all the above, we seem to have experienced a very mild winter this year.

Dave Cutter

Castration anxiety is an actual term (although not necessarily credible science) it has a meaning. If you somehow have your own definition or understanding of the term.... I have no idea what you meant by how you used this term... even after reading your explanation.

We cyclists can often seem to "just appear" in traffic. This silent swiftness is part of a bicycles beauty. But... this can tend the scare the beegeebees out of motorists. When we ride bikes... we can slow down traffic and scare motorist. The larger the numbers of cyclists on the streets the more vocal motorist become. It's pretty simple.

Dave Cutter

There is no real political side to alterative lifestyles. It is an illusion of leadership, cooperation, and unity that is called politics.

If there is a trend of environmentalism, cycling, drug use.... or anything else. Good politicians find a way to create constituency's for these groups while taking credit for whatever might be considered positive progress in the area. Giving away taxpayers money... whether it has a positive effect or not... can gainer support from alterative groups. Likewise... taxpayer funded surveys that purport success can bolster a politicians status.

Great politicians are masters of illusion as great as any magician. Don't buy into the hype. Believe none of what you hear, and question everything you read.

Hypno Toad

Crashed on ice, not paralyzed, still working, and biking through the winter .... but only with studded tires after this fall:

In MPLS, the trendy 20-something and 30-somethings are very into biking and car-free living is very popular. Our daughter finished college last May, she lives in downtown and has no interest in a car - my wife can't understand this and is always offering to buy her a car. Many of my daughter's college friends are the same, car-free, in fact one guy doesn't have a licence.