Here's one election cycle that Andrew Yang is winning.
The outsider presidential candidate, and sole remaining New Yorker seeking the Democratic nomination, found the fastest way to get to an NPR interview over the weekend was on his bike.
Yang loaded up his trusty Schwinn (with a child seat still attached), snapped on a smart looking gray helmet, and rode to Baodega restaurant in the Flatiron District to speak with NPR's Noel King for Morning Edition's "Off Script" series.
Before he delved into how it feels to break barriers in politics ("I do remember what it was like growing up in this country where I'd just be so pumped to see an Asian of any kind on the TV") and his appeal to undecided voters ("I'm already peeling off disaffected Trump voters, independents, libertarians, some conservatives"), Yang told a producer it's faster to get around the city with a bicycle.
Cycling lovers and Yang Gang enthusiasts heaped praise on our future savior-in-chief on Twitter and Reddit, where the image was shared to the site's bike commuting subgroup.
"It would be awesome to have a POTUS who values cycling," tweeted Nathan Corliss.
Twitter user Ida Solberg added, "Thats just adorable with the kid seat and all."
It is unclear where Yang went next after the NPR interview, or if he even biked the rest of the day. But he made at least one trip on two wheels, a rarety among presidential candidates. In fact, only Yang's rival Gen X mallrat (and former Texas Rep.) Beto O'Rourke has done more for the cause of presidential cycling. In February, O'Rourke glided away from reporters with his single-speed Surly at a Moms Demand Action event in El Paso, temporarily breaking the Internet. O'Rourke has also pursued policies to add bike lanes and reduce parking while he was a councilman in El Paso and participated in a bike town hall last summer during his unsuccessful Texas Senate campaign against Ted Cruz.
But with Beto free falling in the polls, Yang has an opportunity to claim the cycling vote in the coming months. Yang has professed his love for cycling and dropping his son off at school, but his website is devoid of any biking-specific policies (he did have a campaign event at a Detroit bike factory once, but only to talk about automobile industry automation). The infrastructure page on his campaign website has only a fleeting mention of public transportation. The word "pedestrians" does not appear at all.
So much for Yang riding away with the livable streets vote!
Asked for comment, Yang's campaign spokeswoman Hilary Kinney said, "Andrew often bikes to NYC interviews, events, and the campaign's Manhattan headquarters. He enjoys taking his youngest son to school on the back of his bike, especially since his oldest son (age 7) has outgrown the child bike seat. Andrew and his wife Evelyn also enjoy biking together as a family. Andrew would definitely recommend that other candidates consider biking more, but only if they wear a helmet."
The last comment is a clear ding on O'Rourke, who doesn't wear one.
She also sent over a Yang video about growing up in suburban New York as a cyclist.
