Originally Posted by pacificaslim

Why does this always have to be a discussion between extremists? The topic is way more complicated than either you guys or the VC types want to admit.

I just want to point out, like I have before, that when making statements about "the rest of the world's" approach to cycling, and why it succeeds where America fails, you have once again totally ignored Asia.

Many European cities have high cycle usage and bike infrastructure.
Many Asian cities have high cycle usage and no bike infrastructure.

Wait? How can this be? I though bike infrastructure was necessary for people to ride bikes in large numbers?

There is one thing that Asian cities and European cities with high cycle usage have in common, but it's not bike infrastructure. It's excellent public transportation so people don't need automobiles every day of their lives and can still go all the places bikes can't possibly take them in the time they have available. I lived car free in Tokyo for many years, rode my bike almost every day like a large percentage of the country, never saw one bike lane. But what we could do was use the bike around our neighborhoods, for shopping or whatever, then park it at the subway station and go hundreds of KM away in a couple of hours.

Until America provides that, there will never be high cycle usage, because people will still need cars. And once you have a car, you'll always use it over a bike unless you have tons of time on your hands or a need for exercise or just happen to love cycling like we do.