{"id":31899,"date":"2025-07-29T13:31:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/31899\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T13:31:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:31:09","slug":"your-comeback-guide-to-all-the-anti-cycling-arguments-youll-hear-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/31899\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Comeback Guide to all the Anti-Cycling Arguments You\u2019ll Hear This Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019re scrolling the comments under an article about a new bike lane and there it is: \u201cNo one uses them!\u201d Or maybe you\u2019re riding peacefully down a calm urban street when a passing driver yells, \u201cGet off the road!\u201d Anti-bike arguments aren\u2019t just frustrating\u2014they\u2019re outdated, inaccurate, and often repeated without a shred of evidence.<\/p>\n

The good news? You don\u2019t have to be a policy wonk or urban planner to shut them down. From tax myths to licensing fallacies and the spandex debate, here\u2019s your ready-made rebuttal list of the most common anti-bike arguments\u2014and the facts that turn them into dust.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one uses the bike lanes!\u201d<\/p>\n

Actually, they do\u2014just efficiently.<\/p>\n

Take Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh. It sees over 400 daily trips, sometimes spiking past 3,700 in a single day. Since installation, that one lane has logged more than a million trips. You might not see it jammed with riders at rush hour like a car lane because\u2014surprise!\u2014bike lanes work. They move people quickly and cleanly. You just aren\u2019t sitting behind them idling.<\/p>\n

In Toronto, bikes actually topped the number of cars on the very central Bloor Street this summer. Yes, more bikes than cars. And, that happens quite often in other cities in Europe like Copenhagen.<\/p>\n

And in Minneapolis, ridership consistently spikes when safe infrastructure is introduced. Build it, and they do come.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBike lanes take up too much space and make streets dangerous!\u201d<\/p>\n

They actually make streets safer for everyone.<\/p>\n

Data doesn\u2019t lie. On streets with protected bike lanes, crash rates typically drop\u2014for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. When everyone knows where they belong, roads function better. Yes, drivers may need to slow down a bit. But that\u2019s not inconvenience\u2014it\u2019s safety.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re tired of passing \u201cwobbly cyclists\u201d in traffic, bike lanes are your solution. They remove confusion, create predictability, and lower tension for everyone.<\/p>\n

\"Paris<\/p>\n

Rue de Rivoli in Paris, circa 2020<\/p>\n

\u201cCyclists don\u2019t pay for roads!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ah yes, the old \u201cfreeloader\u201d fallacy<\/a>. It\u2019s time to retire it.<\/p>\n

Most local roads in North America\u2014the ones we bike on\u2014are funded through general taxes like property, income, and sales tax. These aren\u2019t user fees. That means whether you drive or not, you help pay for roads.<\/p>\n

Plus, most cyclists also drive and pay vehicle registration and gas taxes. Many cyclists are subsidizing your driving lifestyle while creating less wear-and-tear, needing less space, and reducing emissions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey should be licensed and insured like drivers!\u201d<\/p>\n

Licensing schemes for cyclists have been tried and abandoned. They\u2019re expensive, hard to enforce, and don\u2019t actually increase safety. Unlike 3,000+ lb vehicles, bikes aren\u2019t deadly weapons. That\u2019s why we regulate drivers and not tools.<\/p>\n

And for those who do ride and drive? Auto insurance often extends to bike-related incidents already. Cyclists already face ticketing and even points on their license in many jurisdictions. The system works\u2014and doesn\u2019t need a bloated new bureaucracy.<\/p>\n

\u201cCyclists never follow the rules!\u201d<\/p>\n

Do drivers?<\/p>\n

Research shows people break traffic laws across the board\u2014drivers, cyclists, even pedestrians. A 2020 Colorado study found 7\u20139% of both cyclists and drivers commit infractions. The difference? Motivation. Cyclists often roll red lights for safety\u2014to stay visible, or ahead of overtaking traffic. Drivers usually do it to save time.<\/p>\n

And the consequences? A missed signal on a bike might annoy someone. The same in an SUV could be fatal. Context\u2014and mass\u2014matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t they just ride on the sidewalk or stick to trails?\u201d<\/p>\n

Because it\u2019s not safe or legal.<\/p>\n

In most cities, biking on sidewalks is illegal in business districts. It\u2019s dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists alike. And while trails are great, they don\u2019t go everywhere. They don\u2019t connect schools, shops, or work. You wouldn\u2019t accept only being allowed to drive on highways. So why expect cyclists to stick to the riverfront?<\/p>\n

\u201cBike lanes hurt small businesses by removing parking!\u201d<\/p>\n

This one\u2019s especially persistent\u2014and wrong.<\/p>\n

Research from Toronto, New York, and Portland has shown that bike lanes often improve business. Cyclists shop more frequently than drivers, and a single car parking space can be replaced with racks for 10 bikes. More foot traffic, more local spending.<\/p>\n

And think about it: people biking can stop on a dime, park near the door, and carry groceries on panniers or cargo bikes. That\u2019s not a threat to small business\u2014it\u2019s a lifeline.<\/p>\n

\"Bicyclists<\/p>\n

Bicyclists love stopping at local businesses<\/p>\n

\u201cHelmets should be mandatory!\u201d<\/p>\n

Helmets help reduce injury, sure\u2014but mandatory helmet laws can backfire. They discourage casual riding, lower bike-share use, and are often enforced unfairly, especially in marginalized communities.<\/p>\n

If you really care about cyclist safety, the best move is advocating for protected bike lanes, not policing gear. Let\u2019s focus on preventing crashes, not just surviving them.<\/p>\n

\u201cBiking is only for rich white guys in Lycra.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not anymore\u2014and that stereotype was never totally true.<\/p>\n

From community bike co-ops like Pittsburgh\u2019s Free Ride to grassroots cycling groups in BIPOC communities across North America, biking is a tool of empowerment and mobility. It\u2019s affordable, accessible, and increasingly inclusive. The real issue isn\u2019t who\u2019s riding\u2014it\u2019s who feels safe enough to start.<\/p>\n

Building better infrastructure means more people riding\u2014not just those confident enough to mix with cars or suit up in spandex.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city is too hilly \/ cold \/ rainy \/ insert excuse here.\u201d<\/p>\n

E-bikes and modern gear have changed everything. Hills? Handled. Rain? Wear a jacket. Snow? Cities like Montreal and Minneapolis are embracing year-round biking.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to ride everywhere. But for short trips around the neighborhood? Most people can do more than they think.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t all be expected to bike.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fair. But that\u2019s not the point.<\/p>\n

Not everyone can or wants to bike. But some people can and do\u2014and they deserve a safe, efficient, affordable way to move through the city. Just like transit riders. Just like drivers. This isn\u2019t about forcing anyone out of their car. It\u2019s about freedom of choice.<\/p>\n

Want cleaner air, less traffic, more vibrant streets, and safer communities? Supporting better bike infrastructure is how we get there.<\/p>\n

Final Thought: Bikes Aren\u2019t the Problem. They\u2019re Part of the Solution.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re angry at traffic, pollution, the cost of living, parking shortages, or road safety\u2026 bicycles aren\u2019t your enemy. They\u2019re your ally. Making space for them isn\u2019t about punishment\u2014it\u2019s about progress.<\/p>\n

So next time someone launches into a tired anti-bike rant, smile. You\u2019ve got the facts, the stats, and the stories to ride circles around them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You\u2019re scrolling the comments under an article about a new bike lane and there it is: \u201cNo one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31900,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":["post-31899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31899\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}