I know you probably meant that rhetorically, but it's an interesting question. One I'd like to explore. This is what I have so far:

I think for some of us on here, it's not whether a person rides or not but it is how and why they ride: any adult (or near adult) on a bike is more or less an ambassador for cyclists everywhere. It's important because the non-cyclists vastly outnumber the cyclists. So a person on the bike is more visible and has a much higher degree of influence upon the non-cyclists (pedestrians and motorists) than say. . . cat owners.

I'm not offering an argument so much as an explanation. What do you think?