I'm lucky to live right on the "bike path" in my town. Lots of shops, restaurants, beaches and parks within a short ride. I ride my bike every other day for exercise, but I can also use it to go to the post office, small shopping trips and even to the beach side bars. I sometimes ride my bike to "work" when meeting clients within a few miles of home. Lucky for me, I live within walking distance of many of the places I frequent. On longer trips for work or shopping, I have to stay clean and dry, so drive my Prius, which gets good gas mileage.

Sadly I live in Britain, where cycling is mainly seen as a sport. Which therefore, involves large numbers of people in large recreational vehicles, with huge bike racks adding windage, traveling long distances to take part their cult, thereby adding massively to the carbon output.

My daughter and family moved to the Netherlands about a year ago. She takes the Kinderen (children) to school on a bike. Now the oldest has learned to ride his own bike, but they still ride with him, it is not a straight path and there is some traffic. He's just five. The baby at 2.5 years old has a Push bike, it is a bike with no pedals to teach her how to balance. It is the first bike before they move up to the big kid bike. They don't need a car, they have bikes, buses, trains, and walking. Pedestrians and bikes have priority, and for your health never walk in a bike path.