An elegant (commute) for a more civilized age

Is it possible for something to be advocated for without becoming a political issue in the current climate? If it's not (and I'm thinking it might not be), then is it worth splitting the idea of cycling, commuting, or just bikes in general into left and right, blue state/red state?

People are funny, and probably have every reason imaginable for biking. The benefits are legion. Easier than owning a car. Faster, even, for the lucky few. Better health, more exercise, or even improved body image. IT'S FUN, way more fun than grinding your teeth stuck in traffic after a day at the office. I know people that bike just as a way to feel better about their carbon footprint in general. That last one though, sounds suspiciously close to making biking "an issue." And issues have a way of turning people off. That's an awfully fine line to walk, between advocacy and politicizing.

Bike culture is hard enough to get a novice into. When someone is cramming the idea of lessening dependence on foreign oil via riding your bike, your bike can lose even more of it's appeal sometimes. Which is really too bad, b/c more bikes would be good for just about everyone (including me and my often bad attitude).

I've heard the argument lately that bikes are a more elegant way of commuting, that if more people biked instead of drove there would be less congestion on the roads (debatable), leading to less road rage (also debatable) and a more relaxed society in general (unbelievable). All I can think about when someone brings this us is Obi-wan showing Luke his lightsaber for the first time, which for some reason makes me laugh. Now, it's amazingly easy to take that image and run with to a point where you're also seeing, say, the Bush Administration and their big-oil policy makers as Darth Vader and the Emperor, and biking advocates as lone idealists pining for a simpler time which could be brought about using their more elegant way of doing things. But the fact that it's so easy could suggest just how easy it would be for biking in general to become yet another issue that gets split up between the extremes of the two parties, something for liberals to rave breathlessly about and conservatives to get red-faced making fun of. And I don't think that's going to do anyone any good.

Does biking really need to get any more "holier than thou" at this point? Can arguing that biking is a more elegant way to commute do anything but increase the snob factor here? I sincerely doubt it. Boy I sure do complain a lot about something I claim can be fun and enjoyable. I'll try not to make a big issue out of it.

Current beer-scale: 3.6