It may just be the company that I kept/keep but all of the avid cyclists that I have known use bicycles as practical transportation as a matter of course, and have for quite a long time.
Here's my Town Bike, it's been in continuous service for 41 years, performs errands quite nicely and plooters about with equal aplomb.
It does not however have the capability of hauling hay bales or covering a 1,000 miles in 24 hours. This is not a sudden insight.



"Advocating" practical cycling to substitute using a bicycle instead of a motor vehicle is preaching to the choir for cycling enthusiasts who not only have the requisite fitness, road smarts and are already commuting to work and/or shagging stuff home from the Farmer's Market for the last decades or so as a nice "rest day" from structured training as many BF posters do.

Those who take up Practical Cycling for whatever reason "cold" w/ no real miles in their legs would be well advised to check out the BF/Commuting sub-forum for practical advice on hardware/kit/tips where there is an active and useful discourse on Practical Bicycling w/o Politics or Dirigibles.

-Bandera