The Missing Link

I believe a crucial step is missing from initatives attempting to get people out of their cars and onto a bicycle for use as a form of daily transportation.

That step is simply selling cycling as pure fun. When we start off making someone a recreational rider first, there is a better chance that the new rider will fall in love with cycling, just like many of us have.  I think for a lot of people, the transition from car to bike without this step is unrealistic. Even if someone starts off with the intention of riding their bike only on the weekends, they may eventually find that they have fallen in love with cycling, and now, cannot get enough of the experience. People start looking for ways to spend more time on their bike; daily errands and even commuting become not a chore, but a way to have more pedal time.  This can potentially lead recreational cyclists to the transition of using their bikes as transportation.

Generally people that use a bicycle as their daily transportation, eased themselves into it.  Rarely does a new rider go from using an automobile directly to using a bicycle as a form of transportation.  People are looking for recreation. Once they become cyclists, the use of the bike for utility and commuting is a natural progression.

I believe for cycling to really move into the mainstream, the focus needs to be on providing cyclists places in which to have quality experiences. These experiences must be made available to cyclists all year long.