Carlton Reid has been a journalist for various British cycling publications (print and online) for 20 years now. Some of you are familiar with his Quick Release blog, and he’s a good friend to the Crooked Cog team.
Carlton posted some commentary on how many news stories about the increase in bicycle commuting lead off with the economic factor that motivates the new converts — driving is simply becoming unaffordable, so people ride their bikes to save money.
Carlton wants to emphasize the idea that bikes are fun.
With the zeal common among converts, they recount how they may have started cycling because of the spiralling price of fuel but they have discovered how much faster cycling is in towns and how much weight they’ve lost and – the knock-out punch – how much fun it is.
Driving to work may be dry, convenient, cocooned and with music on tap, but is it ever described as fun?
He wants to come up with a single word that conveys the notion that cycling is superior to motorized transportation. Go read his post and join the conversation there.