I distinctly remember a conversation with Ben about cycling and its ties to sustainability and healthy lifestyles, we were somewhat dumb-founded about how our industry was missing the boat on both fronts.
You can make loose connections to the impact that professional bike racers have to the community of cyclists, we do encourage and give the 9 to 5 'ers something to dream about when banging out 2 hours of "office frustration".
It seems to me that the cycling industry, and US "professional" teams, are missing the boat entirely. Energy dependance and healthier lifestyles are (or will be) two of the major issues in coming decades--how much does GM spend on employee health insurance per car? Last I saw it was in the range of $1800...per car.
Our obesity epidemic will present cycling a new angle in coming years. It is an angle that has less to do with winning races, and more to do with big corporate money (read: hello living wages for bike riders!) and advocacy. Cycling would be foolish to avoid these relationships, not only with healthy lifestyles but also sustainability.
Check out this article, some great facts about weight and gasoline consumption...and what got me thinking...
http://www.planetizen.com/node/21701
'til next time, Bryan.
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