Thanks to the new registration policy, the word “bike” has acquired an unexpectedly negative charge. What was once associated with the first stab at independence – “Take off my training wheels, please, Mom” – has been reassociated with, as one UATrav.com commenter put it, “bureaucratic boredness” or the “Big-Brotheresque.”

And bureaucrats, in defense of the policy, have equated bikes with obstacles to the walk across campus, tree assassins and eyesores.

But what are bikes, really? Pieces of nostalgia? Evidence of athleticism? The epitome of fossil-fuel independence? 

How about … gas-guzzling, silence-shattering, revenue-raising hogs?

This week, the prodigal son of the two-wheeled family returns to a feast of the fatted calf – er, pig – while its better-behaved brother is tagged and counted.

But, really, it’s just smart to celebrate motorcycles: They hardly squander the family fortune. Bikes, Blues & BBQ generates anywhere from $35 million to $50 million for the Fayetteville economy.

That’s why we’ve devoted this entire issue to it. We hope you find it as provocative as you’ve found our bicycle policy coverage – “Bicycle permits to be mandatory, but free” continues to be the most popular story on UATrav.com, and Sam Letchworth’s column, “I want to ride my bike, I want to ride it where I like” follows closely in third.

So, yeah, as this issue implies, we’re happy to throw our arms out to Hondas and Harleys and Suzukis. We just don’t want to forget Cannondales, Cinellis and Schwinns.

Ride on,

Tina Korbe

Editor