Jeff Mapes

This was a very well-written and well-researched book. I think Mapes did a fantastic job of covering the topic. He did alot of research and interviewed alot of people, and it's evident in the comprehensive bibliography at the end. Also, an index is a nice touch, since I expect to be referring to it in the future. I thought he did a good job of giving dissenting voices fair stage time. I learned that there are two pretty opposite camps of bicyclist advocates: vehicular cyclists (such as show more Forester) and bike boulevard advocates. I now lean a little further in the direction of the boulevard advocates, although I personally believe the two can find more common ground (both figuratively and literally). I am now opposed to suburban sprawl. The chapter that fired me up the most was the one on health and exercise. I've gotta get off my butt and back on my bike!

My only real criticism of the book is that the chapters were awfully long with very few natural breaks within the chapters. Also -- and I realize this is nitpicky -- the typesetting was sometimes annoying. Seriously, though, you shouldn't ever actually notice the typesetting.

Oh, and by the way, SLOW DOWN and respect the bikers around you!! :) show less

A good overview of the ongoing changes to American cities as more and more people switch to bicycling as a major means of commuting, running errands, and recreation. Biking meets obvious challenges in both the safety of sharing roads with high-speed automobiles with indifferent drivers and the political hostility towards bicycling and bicycle infrastructure. The book covers many of the same points as Harry Wray's Pedal Power, but I find Mapes' work a more engaging read. Mapes is preaching to show more choir when I am his reader but this book sets in good detail the detrimental effect of prioritizing the automobile in our cities and the benefits of switching to a bicycle-based culture. show less

A great overview of the history of cycling in the United States. Made me feel even better about being a cyclist, though for me it has always been about the joy of riding. Bike = peak experience. Car = stress.Overall the tone was a bit lighter than what I would prefer in nonfiction reading. It is obvious Mapes is a newspaper writer. And though Mapes does his best to remain politically neutral, it doesn't help much that some designer decided to make a big red flag more prominent than a guy on show more a bike on the cover. Bikes are a no brainer, bipartisan issue. show less

Quite interesting though I wouldn't quite recommend it as a good narrative nonfiction choice for the average person, unless they have an interest in cycling. The author's a journalist and the details about how different countries and states handle cyclists and how they make decisions about roads are fascinating. A Portland book group could read this and Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) and have an interesting discussion. :)Warning: may make you covet a Dutch show more style "city bike". show less