Political savvy and bicycling

The political influence of San Francisco's pro-bike movement has risen steadily over the past decade to the point where the chief advocate for cyclists sits on a powerful city commission and elected officials rarely tell them no.

It's a long way from the early days, when bike enthusiasts could barely get city officials to return their calls.

This Chronicle article highlights how cyclists were able to move from an ignored fringe to a powerful lobby in the city of San Francisco in a little over a decade. It's worth reading for anybody interested in cycling advocacy in their own city.