There is a tradition of newspaper vendors, milkmen and dabbawalas – so-called "livelihood cyclists" – who depend on sturdy, black locally made bikes to go about their business, but, as the UCL's Andrew Harris argues, transport policy is firmly geared towards the car.
"We make bikes to help you drive a little bit less, get to work, do errands around town, and you have to use better quality components".
Usage fees might be just a few dollars for short rides, making bikes a sensible alternative to, say, subways, which have suffered from service cutbacks and increased crowding.
GreenStart is focused on startups in the cleantech space, and so Spinlister Liquid — and its plans for making bike-sharing more accessible to all — certainly fits the bill.
When I was young my parents chose my bike, and though I spent a few months on a borrowed bike in Europe, I have very little knowledge when it comes to making bike-based purchasing decisions.
These new riders, leaders and organizations are making biking accessible and inviting to all Americans, while making the case for a safer and more equitable transportation system in communities nationwide.
Studies have shown that the surest way to make biking safer is to make it more popular — to increase visibility and awareness among motorists.
Then Schwinn decided to find a new source, and in 1987 signed a contract with China Bicycle Company to make bikes in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong.
Manufacturers in the United States have tended to make bikes that look like the two-wheeled equivalent of Hummers, with fat tires and stocky frames necessitating a hunched-over riding position that is downright unsafe for urban biking and commuting.
Taking off a month from his courier route to make bikes in 2001, White never carried another message.
