Here is the problem, citizens: From the days when bikes were first built to be the "gentleman's hobbyhorse," they've gotten a bad rap as playthings of the elite and the hip and the Spandexed. The bold truth is: Bikes work. Not only do they save Portland money, they make Portland money. The cheapest and most efficient form of transportation our fair city can buy also creates hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs. A 2006 study by Alta Planning and Design found bike industries created $63 million in economic activity annually for Portland. A rough count these days turns up an astounding 157 bike businesses in Portland, including 56 dealers and repair shops, 33 artisan bike builders, 15 bike apparel manufacturers, 10 businesses that deliver food exclusively by bike, and eight bicycle cultural institutions including a film festival, magazine, publishing company, and, yes, a temple. This issue profiles a handful of those hardy Portlanders who don't just use their bike to get to work (that's 17,449 of us daily, according to the census) but those who use their bikes for work. Now get reading. Get riding. Get Portland working!