I'd be surprised if everyone knows why I'm in Beijing, since I'm still pretty new on these boards. No, you're not stupid, and I'm a Canadian studying Chinese (Mandarin) at a university here while looking for work and trying to figure out what to do with my life (when I'm not riding) .

As for your co-workers' wives, it's fairly easy to understand their point of view if they're from mainland China. *Everyone* here has a bike, and people don't really view it as recreation or exercise. Not something to be enjoyed, just a tool to be used, and not even taken care of. Most people would probably jump at the opportunity to have a car if they could afford one (and more and more people can afford them). At the high end, some shops are starting to pop up selling the idea of expensive, exclusive racing bikes as a luxury item. But as a method of day-to-day transportation, the car is much more prestigious.

Now, if they're from Taiwan or Hong Kong, I'd have a harder time explaining it... Hong Kong's geography means bikes are generally impractical, so there's no particular reason there. I don't know enough about the transportation situation in Taiwan to comment on that with any certainty. Maybe they just plain don't like bikes!