As reported by top10hell.com, there are about 100,000,000 bicycles in America, for a per capita amount of 32.2%, which is actually a fairly high percentage. However, on average, "In the USA only 0.9% of all trips are made by bike," which is a rather low percentage, and basically means that in most cities and towns, bicycles really aren't used that much at all, which may explain, the rather puzzling phenomena of people that instead of riding their bicycle are actually walking their bicycle, instead.
It would be one thing, if the people, walking their bicycles, were up against a steep hill, and simply didn't have the knowhow or strength to climb such, or if the bicycle was in need of a repair that precluded the rider of such from actually riding it, but in reality, most of the people walking their bikes, seem to be doing so, out of volition, as compared to out of necessity. While there are all sorts of rules and regulations in regards to bike riding in regards to dealing with wearing a helmet, or whether or not one is permitted on a certain road, or permitted to ride on a sidewalk, and so on and so forth, it seems rather strange, that those that are walking their bikes, if they are so cognizant of the rules and regulations, have not adjusted their route to take into account, such.
Rather, it would appear that those that walk their bikes seem to be, more or less, people that aren't natural bike riders, and simply don't have the confidence to ride their bike on public roads and hence because of their fear of getting run over, have decided to dismount from their bike and to therefore walk it. To a lesser extent, some of those people, are not in good shape so that rather than exercise via bike riding, they prefer to walk, though, truth be told, it is actually easier to slowly ride a bike, then to walk with a bike.
All of the above, would signify that those that sell bikes, have perhaps an obligation to see that the bike so being sold is the right fit and function for the person so buying it, along with perhaps offering bicycle training tips for those that have purchased a bike, as it would appear that a meaningful amount of people, seem somehow to be intimidated about actually getting onto a bike and riding it, and while there are dangers involved in riding a bicycle on any road that includes motorcycles, cars, and trucks, that type of danger can often be mitigated by strategizing the best way to take a given route, rather than simply shrinking away from doing much of anything.
The whole purpose of having a bicycle is to actually ride it, and the best way to learn how to ride a bike, is to get on a bike and take it for a ride, of which the more time spent on a bike the more confident the rider will be in knowing how a bike operates and how to handle it. Those that are content to walk their bikes are the very same people that, if they had the capital to purchase a premium high-performance car, would ultimately be too afraid to actually really drive it.