There are road bikes and mountain bikes, and bikes for kids. Now bicycle manufacturers are catering to a burgeoning new market: bikes for commuters.
According to today’s Wall Street Journal, nearly every major bicycle manufacturer has rolled out a new or revised commuter model for 2007.
They may look like 1940s Schwinns, but materials like alumnium and carbon make the frames lighter, while technological advances mean better brakes, shock-absorbing seats, smoother shifters and even electric power. The models usually come with practical accessories, like racks for carrying briefcases, fenders for splash protection on wet roads, lights that turn on automatically at disk and big chain guards to keep legs and clothing away from chain grease.
Europeans, the Journal notes, have been riding commuter bikes for decades. In Holland, it’s a lifestyle: There are twice as many bikes as cars, and nearly as many bicycles as people. The U.S. bicycle industry is pitching commuter biking as an antidote to high gas prices and obesity. For lazy bikers (or those who perspire too much), there’s always the option of the electric bike, which can range in price from around $1,500 to $2,000.
New York City is planning to add 200 miles of new on-street bicycle lanes over the next three years. A new Florida law requires motorists to maintain a three-foot distance when passing bikers. Arizona, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Utah and Wisconsin have similar legislation.
Sales of commuter bikes have increased 15 percent over the past two years, according to the WSJ. However, commuters are still a niche market. Fewer than one half of one percent of Americans commute to work on bicycles. The number of commuters could double and not make a dent in traffic congestion.
There is no silver bullet to gridlock. There is only a multitude of solutions, each of which address a sliver of the problem. If we pursue enough of them, we can make a difference. It’s time for legislators to begin thinking how to make Virginia more bicycle friendly.
(Photo credit: The Electra Amsterdam Classic, posted on BikePortland.org.)