Modern Living: Wheeling Their Way

He is plagued by thieves, insulted by motorists, nauseated by auto exhausts and bedeviled by dogs. Parking-lot attendants overcharge him, traffic cops ignore him, and children pelt him with snowballs. Undaunted, the Great American Cyclist pedals on, propelled by legs he knows are regaining their muscle, energized by a heart sure to be getting the best possible workout—and secure in the knowledge that he is not alone in his passion. Some 64 million fellow travelers are taking regularly to bikes these days, more than ever before, and more than ever convinced that two wheels are better than four.

Both national and local...