Propaganda

"When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race."
--H.G. Wells

100 reasons to ride yer bike!

1. you can tan both arms at the same time
2. don't have to invest in expensive health club membership
3. bikes get 892 mpg
4. there are 28 miles of bike trails in the city of Seattle
5. 25% of the U.S. population bicycles
6. new bicycle commuters can expect to lose 13 pounds their first year of bicycle commuting
7. motor vehicle emissions cause more than half of the northwest's air pollution
8. annual tax-free increase in disposable income worth several thousand dollars
9. property values go up when car traffic goes down
10. no parking fees
11. sexy legs
12. a billion-plus people in Asia and Europe can't be wrong
13. shop by bike
14. helps burn off the beer and sweet potato fries on the way home from the bar
15. trimming one vehicle from your household saves you $340/month
16. be like Pee Wee Herman. Or Greg LeMond. Your choice.
17. fresh air
18. fun bike bells/horns
19. easier to stop & smell the roses
20. no one will slap a "I drive a big car because I am a big jerk" sticker on your ride
21. no expensive mechanic bills
22. air conditioning is free
23. spandex is sexy
24. riding in the rain is tuff
25. nobody has yet started a war to defend our vital carbohydrate imports
26. get awe and respect from car driving co-workers
27. road grime acts as effective sun screen
28. no stopping for gas
29. get rock hard buns of steel
30. blow through traffic
31. dates on bicycles
32. bike bag is not just a fashion accessory
33. all the cool kids are doing it
34. your commute can be the best part of your day
35. you won't catch the cold of that person on the bus
36. bicycling is the most efficient form of transportation ever invented
37. bicycling helps reduce road congestion
38. a four mile trip by bicycle keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe
39. exercise is good for your sex life
40. 20 million Americans already use bikes for transport
41. bicycling burns 870 calories an hour
42. bicycling improves your reflexes
43. catch bugs in your teeth
44. feel freedom like a kid again
45. tan lines on your hands from biking gloves
46. larger legs, larger lungs
47. biking is sexy
48. 40% percent of all trips in U.S. are within two miles of home
49. it's much faster than running from the cops
50. helmet hair
51. chain grease on your ankle
52. fight terror- ride a bike!
53. bicycle picnics
54. show off your sexy ass
55. feel the wind in your hair
56. burn carbohydrates, not hydrocarbons
57. no need for the Atkins diet
58. you can talk to people on the sidewalk
59. it is a stress relieving way to end the day
60. it's a great way to show off your tattoos
61. paving was invented for bicycles, not cars
62. 1/3 of the typical American house is dedicated to the car-imagine
getting 1/3 of the value of your house back! (or 1/3 more space for free)
63. trips under 3 miles in the city is faster than EVERY other possible method of transport: car, bus, walking.
64. global warming sucks
65. it's FUN!
66. the first paved street in Seattle was Interlaken Place, then, as now, a bike trail!
67. it's impossible to get motion sick on a bike
68. you are aware of the areas you are passing through on a bicycle
69. you don't have to ride around the block to find parking!
70. meet and become friends with the person riding next to you
71. on an annual basis bicycling costs 1% as much as much as driving
72. bikes are quiet
73. the bicycle is the last machine developed where *anyone* can understand how it works
74. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
75. estimated number of Seattle-area participants in 1995's Bike to Work Day: 3,000+
76. number of times cyclists put their bikes on Metro buses every year: 500,000+
77. number of times cyclists forgot to take their bicycles off the bus every year: 653
78. number of free Seattle bike route maps requested in past two years: 50,000+
79. average number of cyclists in Seattle's central business district between 6:30 am and 9:00 am: 1,700
80. a 100-foot right of way (12 lanes) is required in order to serve 40,000 automobiles per hour; an 8-foot right of way (1 lane) is required to serve 40,000 bicycles per hour
81. 13 bicycles can be parked in one car parking space
82. a bike rack costs $50 per bike; a single auto parking-lot space costs $2,200 to construct; one parking garage space costs $12,500 to construct
83. 43¢ per mile: the amount it cost to operate the average auto in 1990
84. a car consumes 8000 calories of petroleum energy to go 6 miles; a bicyclist, 210 calories
85. 95% of the energy goes towards moving the CAR -- not the cargo/passenger; about 80% of the energy goes towards moving the cargo/passenger on the bike
86. pound for pound biking uses less energy per mile than any animal or machine; the second most efficient, the salmon, uses twice as much
87. per mile, bicycling is safer than driving
88. number of racks for bicycle parking in Seattle: 1,900
89. calories burned by a 130-pound cyclist pedaling 14 miles in an hour: 402
90. calories burned by a 180-pound cyclist pedaling 14 miles in an hour: 540
91. driving time from U District to Pike Place Market during rush hour: 35 minutes; cycling time, moderate pace: 30 minutes.
92. time to park & lock car in downtown Seattle: 5 - 25 minutes.
93. time to park & lock bike: 1 minute
94. cost to purchase and install one bike parking rack: $150
95. number of miles cycled yearly by average bike commuter: 1,992
96. percentage of downtown Seattle bike commuters who are female: 25
97. The drive-thru window never felt so personal.
98. Liquid refills at gas stations are much more tasty.
99. There's no better way to express your affection for your date than by intertwining handlebars at full speed.
100. Walking suddenly seems like mowing the lawn with a pair of scissors.
101. “The use of bicycles is an indication of cultural progress.” -Bohemia magazine, 1990.

**thanks much to John Mauro, Jeff Albertson, Greg Valazza, David Hiller, Amy Redmond, Eric Gibson, Joel Franklin, Lisa Quinn, Tom Bertulis, Mark Canizaro, Julie Quastler, Maximilian Schlosshauer, Kari Mosden, PSRC, Carfree Seattle, City of Seattle, Cascade Bike Club, and AAA.