What does this person want?

It's time to demystify this market segment. Every market segment has particularities that are worth your while to learn about and respond to. For most of those segments we don’t assume that we have to belong to the segment to understand it, but for some reason people seem to think that if they don’t bike, there is no way they could possibly comprehend the priorities and interests of those who do. However, like so much else in life, it is learnable...

Admittedly, "cyclists" is a broad segment, encompassing multiple sub-segments.  You've got your shoestring, your economy, your comfort, and your high end. The trick is realizing that the improvements that might be enacted for one end of the segment also benefit the others.  And, furthermore, that the presence of the downscale components of the segment contributes in a significant way to the creation of the cycling culture that will ultimately most effectively attract the high end folks.

Going back to the segment as a whole... in general what they are looking for is a welcoming and safe cycling environment, local insights, and food – lots of food.  These are people who have been exercising – they will eat a surprising amount of beer and ice cream.  Ice cream three times a day is not out of the question! And even if it's only a cone each time, that eventually adds up.

It’s all about consistency of economic support – not every rider is wealthy  – but even the economy rider will be investing significantly in the local economy.  As Path Less Pedaled points out, a driver going 250 miles takes a part of one day to do so and might buy gas and might purchase a drink or snack along the way.  Journey over.  Mostly they are on the bypass and they do indeed pass you by.  (Unless you're the destination!) . A cyclist covering the same ground (250 miles) may not pay a lot for any one item, but they will have multiple overnights and meals, possibly maintenance and repair expenses, and the leisure time to shop and visit.  And as mentioned, they are all surprisingly hungry. And even the guy that travels on a shoestring is still part of creating that cycling-friendly ambience and culture that attracts the comfort and high end cyclists with their spendthrift ways.  Until a community and region have conquered the basics of bicycle-friendliness, they can’t even think about peeling off or focusing on just the upper crust. That simply can't happen until the basics are in place.  Ultimately, this is reminiscent of how road paving was originally put in (in the early 1900s) for cyclists. It's a forgotten piece of history. And the real lesson is that improvements may have been made for bikes, but the benefits were broadly shared. Bike infrastructure is human-scaled and good for everyone.

So let's get more specific. What are cyclists writ large looking for? As stated Safety, Security, Fun, and Beauty. We'll pull apart each of those in more detail, but how is this different from what a non-cyclist would think of? In a word, the response is more attuned to the design, layout and condition of the road network (non-cyclists are free to ignore these if they choose). They are very sensitive to changes in elevation and the safety/pleasantness of a route. MapMyRide and other similar apps give you detailed info on the elevation change of the route by default. It's much harder to tease that out of vehicular navigation apps because it doesn't matter that much. Cyclists are very focused on what to do with their bike when they get to any destination -- because they have to be. Unlike drivers who can expect to find one of the typically 7 or so parking spaces per car in a city at their destination (unless it's 2 days before Xmas). And finally cyclists more readily code switch from rider to walker. It's easy to think of one's self as a pedestrian immediately upon dismounting the bike, a transition drivers don't seem to make smoothly upon emerging from their steel cocoons. As a result cyclists also really appreciate good pedestrian infrastructure and functionality.

But let's go back to those criteria and look at them in more detail: Safety, Security, Fun, and Beauty.

What does Safety refer to? Doesn't everyone want safety? Well, yes, and the thing is that it's not at all clear to people riding bikes that other people want them to be safe. There are the immediate challenges, like vehicle buzzing them or just ignoring their existence, but it's also evident in the lack of crash test dummies geared to bikes. How to achieve the safety they seek? You don't have to reinvent the wheel. There are many resources out there and what is sought is really common sense: a welcoming transportation environment with space on the road for bikes, addiitonal off-road facilities, and attention paid to shoulders (i.e. not having them strewn with debris). Further to all that would be a culture of mutual and reciprocal respect between cyclists and drivers.

For insights into how to do that, refer to the ever evolving PA state law, specifically Title 75, Chapter 35 Special Vehicles and Pedestrians, originally adopted in 1976 and continuing to be perfected to this day (more on that elsewhere). The National Complete Streets Coalition, formalized as an organization under the auspices of the National Main Street Center in 2003, codifies the strategies and promotes the fulsome benefits of designing streets to work for all users. The Vision Zero program, launched more recently to address the scourge of bike and pedestrian deaths, especially in cities. PennDOT Connects introduced in 2017 by Secretary Richards brings a more comprehensive view of roadway design than just vehicular throughput, providing a framework for multi-municipal cooperation, large scale vision, and multi-discipinary angles. PennDOT's LTAP (Local Technical Assitance Program) includes some trainings on Traffic Calming and ADA Compliance. The state created the Pedestrian and Pedalcycle Advisory Committee a few years ago in part to reflect the multifarious vision of PennDOT Connects also in the realm of state government. And the League of American Bicyclists provides guidelines for bike-friendliness and keeps tabs on legislative progress around the country toward full recognition of cyclists rights to the road.

The other categories aren't anywhere near as involved, but they also may be inscrutable to the uninitiated. Even if the roads are welcoming and fellow travelers paragons of respect, there remains the question of what to do with this object when you arrive at your destination. Depending on your location in the market segment spectrum, your ride might be anywhere from a junker to worth more than a small car. But in either case, you really want it to still be there when you emerge. To that end, we could do an entire program on bike parking, in fact the League does offer seminars on the subject. The basics are that there are two kinds of storage, short term and long term, and in either case, and no matter the value or the frame style, you are looking for these basic criteria: location, support, security, and accommodation. Bike parking should be nearer to the destination than the car parking. It should be pretty much everywhere. The parking that is provided ought to support the frame in two locations to prevent rack wrecks. The frame should be secure against the depredations of the common bicycle thief. And it should function well for multiple frame types and lock styles, permitting secure placement of the ride, without damage to its parts, obstructing the movement of others in the vicinity, or exposing the lock or the bike to common forms of destruction. These racks are quite popular. With architects. They are fairly lousy for the people actually trying to use them. And the holy grail of bike racks? Covered bike parking!

The ancient architectural theorist Vitruvius suggested that architecture have to excel in the areas of "firmness, commodity, and delight." The preceding two topics could be seen as meeting the need for functionality and sturdiness. For purposes of thinking about bikes, I would propose that delight be broken down into two further categories of both fun and beauty.

The fun of riding is the potential for transportation to be a positive aspect of life. Who doesn't like a ride in a convertible? But who gets to ride in a convertible, with the top down, all the time? Mostly only bikes! This is a way for a commute or the trip to school to be a positive and propelling part of the day rather than another part of the grind. But do people even know how to access this in your city/town? How would a visitor know what the best places and best routes would be? If you can point them in the right direction, they will do most of the work of entertaining themselves.

The beauty of riding lies in the scale of the vehicle and the lightness of its footprint. It is the same order of magnitude in terms of weight, length and width as the rider. It can wend through spaces a runner can. It doesn't require a reconfiguration of the public realm that's out of scale with the rider. The person off the bike, feels quite comfortable walking on the bike path in a way they don't in the middle of a parking lot or god forbid a highway. Similarly, the lack of noise generated allows the cyclist to hear the sounds of the environment, birds in the morning, crickets and peepers at night. And the convertible nature means that even when the headlight is on at night, one can tilt one's eyes skyward and see the stars in a way that most drivers cannot. Ultimately bike spaces don't subtract from the public realm, but rather augment it.

So this all sounds good, but how do you start? Even if you've familiarized yourself with all the above resources, what do you need to do to move your own community further along the continuum toward Complete Streets and becoming a bicycle mecca? Partner with any local mobility-focused non-profits or community organizations. Ask for input from the public (do a bicycle survey; we even have a template you can work off of). Map the place you are in as it is now with respect to bikes and as you would like it to be in the future. Pursue some easy wins -- if bike culture is already accessible and present in your community, brand biking in your place. If it isn't, look at your survey results and see if you can't make some quick changes to signage, local policy, and enforcement to respond to any of the major points and send a message that this is a priority. Be an ally -- listen to the cyclists in the community when they identify issues. Help them to promote safety and be a voice encouraging local officials, business owners, and institutions to recognize the benefits bikes can bring to the community. And finally educate yourself. Keep an eye on the websites, news, and social media of a few of the sites listed on our Walk the Walk -- Drive the Drive page.

Does this seem like a lot to do? It kind of is, but it's also important to remember what the goal is: a low input, sustainable economic boom that's accompanied by both local jobs and enhanced quality of life. This isn't about trading peace and quiet or a healthy environment for the hopes of some additional income; it's a win-win-win all around. Bikes are good for business. Enjoy those many opportunities to sell them food, snacks, drinks, lodging, gear... but especially ice cream and beer. Bikes can increase the capacity of existing infrastructure and forestall overcrowding or the need for expansions, even as they bring in additional revenue. (Think of the lines of cars at the National Battlefield at Gettysburg. That same site can be enjoyed by more people with less impact (other than on their waistlines and heart health) with more bikes. Bikes improve the health of the population, both physically as already alluded to, and mentally. They improve the safety of the population by encouraging better, more inclusive design standards. And they improve the environment of a location by reducing traffic, congestion, and emissions.

So get started! Assess what your community has now, keeping in mind that making your roads and community safer for everyone means the economy bike tourists will like it there and so will the high end crowd.

Check out where you stand on

• Bike organizations
• Bike parking
• Bike destination sites
• People services
• Bicycle services
• Bike destination stores
• Bike culture

Are you where you want to be? Who can you partner with to encourage and promote development in these categories?

What is bike culture really? Bike culture is only partly about cyclists. It's also about drivers, drivers who understand the rules of the road as they apply to bikes and are comfortable/familiar with how to drive safely and respectfully around them. Not with excess yielding, just the right/legally determined amount. Not assuming the cyclists can see you waving inside your mirrored glass roll-oir. Understanding that bikes may take the travel lane when needed. Appreciating hand signals but also knowing that it is not always safe to use them nor is it legally required. Recognizing that sometimes cyclists make maneuvers that are a bit puzzling and they aren't always just trolling you. There may be no other option available to them to do what they need to do. E.g. turning right not into the cross street travel lane but onto the opposite sidewalk. Exactly how would you signal for that?

Next level improvements would include physical connections between the sites, amenities, and destinations noted above. And also making connections between your community and nearby communities. Town to town travel is a thing.

Bonus points for further considering the importance of integrated transportation options. Can range be extended with public transit access? Under special circumstances, is the only option to ditch the bike for a personal motor vehicle or can you use transit or other ride share? What if someone were to visit your community entirely without a car? How would they get there? Could they operate reasonably in the community during their stay. This is also a real thing. Don't assume all visitors with bring or rent a car.

Many market segments are quite narrow slices. For now the cyclist segment is fairly broad. Address the concerns and issues of the group as a whole, the residents, the visitors, the budget-conscious, and the extravagant splurgers, and you will attract them all.

Do you have to get on a bike to do this? No. But maybe you've heard something that might convince you to give it a try, even for a little bit. It's a lot cheaper than renting a convertible...

This is the key message of a presentation developed for the 2019 Pennsylvania Downtown Center Conference in Erie, PA. The complete slideshow is available for download here: