The Motivation for this Website

The number of people on our planet has exceeded the planet’s resource capacity to support us in a long-term, sustainable manner - please refer to this website’s Resource Page for evidence of that statement. No conservation measures or technology efficiencies will ensure that future generations might enjoy the same degree of material comfort and convenience as people in the industrial world have today. Although we are clearly in the early stage of the decline of this industrial civilization, no one can predict the exact timeline. History suggests that it could be a slow process over centuries, or given the exponential growth of our human population, there might be significant changes over the next few decades.

This website is predicated on the assumption such a decline is inevitable and that there’s little hope for any kind of meaningful reversal of that process. We suggest, however, that individuals and communities can adapt to this decline and, in the process, potentially enjoy a lifestyle that is healthier and happier.

It’s beyond the scope of this bicycle advocacy website to address the big, truly transformative measures, like humanely achieving a global human population of 4B by the end of this century or cutting in half the resource consumption footprint of all people in the industrial countries. We also respect that many other types of lifestyle changes can be just as impactful as cycling. However, we also feel that adopting a “cycling culture” has many other implications and can be “life-changing” for individuals and communities. The main focus of this website is a style of personal transportation that's a major departure from our current car and airplane culture. We feel that bicycle infrastructure is a major component of a new transportation culture - we leave it to others to advocate for public transportation.

Here are the key points about adopting a cycling lifestyle in an era of declining resources:

On this website, “Cycling” refers to the use of traditional bicycles, eBikes, recumbent bicycles, modern trikes, tandem (for two) bicycles, and Human Powered Vehicles (HPVs) like the Elf (see below). Also, a tiny E-Car (see below - often known as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle NEV) is appropriate when cycling or public transit is not possible. Any one of these machines can be used in the “Cycling Culture”.

Utility cycling refers to cycling to your workplace, shopping, running errands, and many other transportation necessities of daily life. This is, by far, the most important way to adapt to the increasing expense of private ownership and operation of a motor vehicle. If your community has a safe infrastructure for this type of transportation, then we urge you to utilize it at every opportunity. We do NOT encourage cycling in any kind of unsafe motor vehicle environment. If your community does not have a safe infrastructure for cycling, then we urge you to become politically active in this regard.

Recreational cycling refers to daily exercise, exploring local nature sites, family outings, vacation touring, mountain biking, and bike racing. This is currently the most popular cycling activity in many US locations. Although this is how most people get started in cycling, it typically remains a small part of an individual’s mode of transportation. We suggest taking a No-Fly pledge for vacations, avoiding passive vacations like cruise ships, and instead trying a bike vacation tour in your local region or a region you can reach by train or bus that will carry your bikes (or bike rental at a destination point).

This website contends that making a commitment (where safe) to cycling is a major step towards adapting to a more resource-constrained future. And enjoying a new healthier and happier lifestyle in the process. We started this website to provide some useful information and encouragement for adopting a cycling lifestyle. Hopefully, you will find the site useful, and please email us with any comments.