I read the post a little differently. It seems to me that the underlying issue is how you build a bike transport culture as opposed to a bike enthusiast culture. That would require cheap but sturdy standardized bikes with interchangeable parts and maybe a 3-5 speed rear derailleur. The problem is that biking in a lot of major cities is dangerous given the roads, speeds and the lack of designated bike lanes. To build a bike transport would require rebuilding the urban infrastructure to make biking safer.