But this tradition makes no sense as I tried to point out in my post. Do regular church going catholics who get a sense of joy and community connection in church attendance give up church going for lent in order to suffer? If it makes sense for a car dependent who enjoys sitting in traffic and spewing pollution to give up his or her lifestyle for lent, wouldn't it make just as much sense for a simple liver to enter the car culture for lent?
I don't think you are really understanding the tradition. The intent is not to mortify yourself or to deprive yourself of pleasure just for the sake of suffering. The purpose is to help you draw closer to God and to live the Christian life in a more focused and intentional manner than one does normally.
Limiting one's driving and cycling more might for some people be a good discipline because getting more exercise and taking better care of the body God gave you is a way to honor Him. For those who are already car-free or car-light, perhaps (depending on the individual) foregoing pleasure rides (as opposed to necessary errands) might be part of the discipline along with using the time for (say) extra Scripture study, or some sort of community service--bicycle related, if you like, like working in your local co-op.