Bike commuting is way under one percent in the US. People study this sort of thing note that most people don't see bikes as practical objects - they are toys for kids or for lycra clad weekend athletes. But a few cities are changing - places like Portland, San Francisco, Minneapolis and - oddly enough - NYC.
The changes in NYC in the last few years seem dramatic to me. The amount of bike riding is tiny by European standards, but normal people are doing it and there is a sense of safety that simply wasn't there five years ago. Dave and I were talking the other day and he echoed this noting that biking in the city felt safer than in the NJ suburbs.
As it gets more popular there is a certain amount of style showing up - as noted by the NY Times. Bike chic. It has little or nothing to do with fancy bikes, which is quite refreshing.
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