Slow bikers challenge the Spandex crowd

Wall Street Journal - Cyclists who are looking for tough workouts have plenty of company. But for other bikers, that is just not how they roll. Instead, they are meandering over to "slow-bike" clubs that are cropping up around the country. There was even a Slow Bike Race last month in Newburyport, Mass. The last one to cross the finish line won.

"Slow it down there, Scott!" a cheering squad yelled.

Leisurely cycling has long been popular in places such as Denmark. But an entire generation in the U.S. has come to see cycling as a sport or intense recreation, said Mikael Colville-Andersen, a well-known bike advocate and the chief executive officer of Copenhagenize Design Co., a Danish urban-design firm.

Colville-Andersen blogged about his thoughts five years ago, wondering why, if there were slow-food and slow-travel movements, there couldn't be one for cyclists who just want to look around and enjoy the ride. Now, his "Slow Bicycle Movement" group on Facebook has 7,300 members.