"The street is not too narrow, your imagination is too narrow".

We have opinions on this, a short thread. https://cyclingindustry.news/highway-engineer-on-bike-lanes-the-street-is-not-too-narrow-your-imagination-is/ @marksuttonbike #transportNOTsport #chickensandeggs

"The street is not too narrow, your imagination is too narrow" - as it applies to infrastructure.

If your city is lacking in safe places to ride you will not attract casual/upright/utilitarian cycling, full stop.

"The street is not too narrow, your imagination is too narrow" - as it applies to bicycle manufacturers.

Bike shops receive ZERO from bicycle brands in the fight for safer streets. Nothing. No marketing. No budgets. No leadership.

"The street is not too narrow, your imagination is too narrow" - as it applies the "interested but concerned" cyclist.

Expecting average people to toss themselves into the meat grinder that is our current road system because of some notion of responsibility is ridiculous.

"The street is not too narrow, your imagination is too narrow" - as it applies to local bike shops.

We opened over 11 years ago as a transport-focused bike shop and had immediate success. Things were good. Why? Our city was promoting cycling and building cycletracks. 1/

There was momentum. It was exciting. We created a community around us too, hosting casual events for many years. But then people stopped coming on the rides. People stopped buying our city bike offerings. The city stopped building cycletracks. Momentum stopped. 2/

If we did not pivot away from our focus on full featured city bikes we would have gone bankrupt - almost did. We pivoted towards the enthusiast market and all their techno-whizz-bang gear and guess what, we're still here. 3/

At the same time all this was happening vendors here in Canada cut back or killed off many of the city bikes and brands we had offered for years - no product to sell. None of our vendors we have now offer an IGH/rack/fenders/lights/upright city bike anymore. 4/

"The street is not too narrow, your imagination is too narrow".

Laying any of the current woes at the feet of local bikes shops in any way makes us livid. All of us can do better, sure, so can everyone and every business. Why offer a product that clients aren't asking for? 5/

The only way utility cycling will become a viable category in bike shops is if there is more safe places to ride those bikes. Cities need to build more bike lanes. Provinces need to encourage cycling. Nations need to prioritize safe cycling investments. 6/ @Canada_Bikes #EndRant