Yeah, it happens. Five minutes alone with some baby wipes, a hair brush, powder, and lipgloss can fix everything.

If only someone had told me back in grade school...

I get complimented for riding my bicycle, as in the occasional "Hey, thanks for helping save the Earth".

Which is funny 'cause I ride my bike mostly 'cause it's fun.

I think you'll discover that a lot of people do care about how green it is to bike to work, and the first time one of your kids has to stay indoors due to a smog alert, at least you won't have to blame yourself.

Now excuse me, I'll go back to living in an abandoned rail tunnel.

Of course a lot of people do care--but do you really think telling people how green it is is the best way to get them to stop driving to work? I don't. I can't think of anybody I know who'd respond to that. As far as I can tell, people don't, for the most part, make major, sustained lifestyle changes for reasons as vague as "it's good for the environment." Selling that part of the bicycle thing isn't likely to make much impact.

Gas prices... that hits a little closer to home, but as soon as the prices go down again (assuming they do), that's the end of it.

Bicycling is fun. Everybody already knows that. But no, we can't possibly push that aspect of it. We have to feel politically superior, which translates into taking potshots.

Great angle. That'll get 'em buying Bike Fridays in droves.

The way I get people to consider commuting by bike is to tell them how much fun it is, and how much cheerier I am when I get to do it. They generally fill in the rest of the conversation with their own concerns, which are usually in this order: 1) Fitness. 2) Cost savings.

Where does "green" fall on that list? It doesn't. Nobody cares who didn't care already.

I'm all for environmental responsibility, but anyone who thinks the key to accomplishing it is to hammer on the environmental benefits of a hugely inconvenient lifestyle change doesn't, in my opinion, see human nature very clearly.

To be honest, I'd have to say the same thing... I hate the idea of "green." It's nothing more than a fad if you ask me. Our environment is going to hell, I know that, but labeling things as green is nothing more than a marketing tactic.

The only reason why I bike is because it's the next thing up from taking the damn subway, I can't afford myself a car yet and now we have gas prices on top of that.

Being environmentalist doesn't do squat... nobody cares.

I was picking up my daughter from a birthday party and the parental types were in the middle of talking about energy efficient homes in the city and the conversation swung around to cycling.

One of the dads is a commuter and the other fellow's wife said she would love to cycle to work but did not feel safe riding on the roads here, which are for the most part, pretty decent.

When i told then I lived a pretty much car free life and am teaching my daughters the same, they were quite impressed.

I think that's great. We don't have a car either, and I moved my family to a new area so I'd be by a bike path. Until the bike frame broke last week, I was towing my twins to preschool in a bike trailer and continuing on to the office on the bike. Now it'll be the subway for a while until I can figure out repairs and/or replacements.

So your solution is....?

Actually coming up with solutions that are green with the intent of being green and sellable and not just blasting green.

I'm looking forward to Toyota's FT-HS... now that's an idea.

On the other hand, I just got done a research project on the viability of attention generators into gym equipment to make a "green" gym. If 200million people biked an hour a day, in a year we'd generate close to 14.6tWh/yr. Which equates to about .006% of the energy generated by hydrocarbons in the US in one year.

Being green doesn't affect anything, it's nothing more than a hippie fad.

Sidenote: We're not saving the environment... too much infrastructure in place to just switch over. Not to mention politics and the fact that OPEC is not going to give up their profits. I'd say, enjoy global warming while you can... get a tan or something.

We're smoked.

Ah fatalism, the new chic.

Cycling is limited to how many miles you can go in a given time frame,cars go up to over 100mph bikes can maybe cruise 20-25 mph at the most on street riding,but if you want to travel 100 miles it could take you 5-6 hours(who has the time).No reason to complement bikes,too slow.

This sums it up beautifully. The simple question to ask is this: how many people have ever taken up cycle-commuting and stuck with it PURELY for environmental reasons. I don't think I've EVER heard of a single case of this happening. Sure, it's a nice side-benefit, but it's not the real reason anybody rides, and it certainly won't work when coupled with the "cycling is dangerous" paranoia that many "advocates" go on with.

I agree with what you're saying. But just so do have a case, I did take up cycle commuting for purely environmental reasons. One day I just told the wife I wouldn't drive her to the store anymore, and if she wanted to shop she would have to bike with me. Now she bikes to work too.

I have to disagree. I think our recycling programs, national forests, clean water/air acts, etc are all results of people caring about the environment. People don't care enough, but you can make a difference.

A guy walks into a bar and sits at the bar waiting for the bartender, while he waits he hears little voices:

" That is a nice shirt"
" I really like your hair"

He looks around and there is no one near him.
Shortly the bartender walks up, and he asks the bartender "what are these voices I am hearing?"
"Oh!" Replies the bartender," Those are the peanuts, they are complimentary"

That joke's definitely the best part of this discussion.

Actually isn't it the greenies that want food turned into ethanol so that poor people starve while rich people drive with diluted fuel. BTW, is that road surface smooth, guess who is paying for it, that dude in the Hummer. Biking also means you have the wealth to live near work/shopping. Do you really expect someone banished to an exurb to thank you for zoning them into a commuter hell.

No environmentalist wants ethanol - that's big agriculture and the Republican party talking, Roads were first paved for bikes - cars came along as opportunists. The guy in the Hummer is definitely not paying his way, as has been well documented over and over.

One problem for the green movement is that there's been an organized propaganda campaign to marginalize it and people are embarrassed to be considered tree huggers. Yet lots of people in this thread - including you and noteon - are doing green stuff. Why not be proud of it instead of somehow ashamed and dismissive?

How did I "zone" them? They're ripping me off making me pay for their freeways with my taxes and alveoli.

People normally compliment on items they think are new...

Bikes have been around a long time and most do not know how to date this transportation class unless it is shining and sparkling.

I get in trouble all the time with my wife. Encounter riders at trail heads or else wher, I am alway checking out the bikes, and even offer a compliment or two if conversation develops. My wife thinks I am just staring at the girls legs, and I say what girls.

My wife works in public location near our home, and receives many compliments and questions from people who have observed her riding her bike on our evening path ride. Now I get stopped on my ride and asked where she is, as she is recovering from surgery and will be unable to ride for a few more weeks. (I do not think I am noticed at all when I am with her)

People notice, they are either jealous, or embarrassed that they do not emulate our efforts, for what ever reason they be. HAVE FUN

Wow, I can't afford to live in the cities I work in and I'm ripping you off. That's simply stunning.

I've been neither ashamed nor dismissive.

I'm also not going to be proud.

If you're looking for a conformist, you're looking in the wrong place.

I was responding a bit snarkily to another poster's claim that I was somehow responsible for his or other people's "Commuter Hell". The truth is that society at large does subsidize suburbanites by providing "freeways" and other services paid for out of general tax revenues, above and beyond any gas taxes.

I got it. I KNOW some of my taxes go for building subways and maintaining bike paths, so it works both ways. I simply cannot bike to work, so thanks to all who do and pay their taxes.

Well, when you retire and/or downsize, you may find it economically preferable to get a tiny place downtown, across the street from the clinic, library and grocery store, rather than remain where you are and spend your pension on fuel.