Michael Giberson
From David Byrne’s review in the New York Times of Jeff Mapes book, Pedaling Revolution:
[Mapes] argues that cycling promotion can raise society’s level of general fitness, since people exercise more when it seems less like exercise and more like something mostly enjoyable that also performs a function, like getting to work. “Bike and walking advocates,” he writes, “have been rebranding their cause as ‘active transportation,’ which manages to come off as nonthreatening to your average couch-bound American while carrying a nice touch of gravitas as well.”
Yes I would describe my bike commuting as “something mostly enjoyable that also performs a function.” I wouldn’t count myself as a “bike and walking advocate,” per se; I’m happy to let other people do their own things.
But I like it, and if your circumstances permit, you should discover whether you like it, too.
One good reason to be an activist is that the more people that do it, the safer the roads will be for cyclists, and the more likely appropriate options (bike lanes and trails) will be available for you yourself (due to increased demand.)