Bicycles

In the Bay Area, where transit and cycling are encouraged and on the rise, cyclists are increasingly turning towards folding bikes to enjoy unrestricted access to the two major rail systems, BART and Caltrain, due to conventional bike limitations.

Scraper bikes, tricked-out bicycles adopted from scraper cars (with wheels so big they scrape the inside of the wheel well), have become increasingly popular among carless teens in Oakland, CA.

Should a packed commuter train remove seats to make room for cyclists or charge to bring bikes on board during peak hours? The Caltrain line between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the first to accommodate cyclists, is wrestling with this issue.

This video from the Wall St. Journal Online gives a first-hand look at the current bicycle culture in Beijing, and the variety of bike types available.

If you were planning the Greenest National Political Convention Ever, what would you do about transportation? Apparently, if you're the Democratic National Committee, you don't allow for bike parking at the convention grounds.

The Wall St. Journal's David Patton tries a new hybrid-electric bicycle to see if it makes sense as a commute vehicle.

Cyclists Bill Reynolds muses on the freedom offered by the bicycle -- and the tragic tendency for cyclists to fall victim to automobiles.

In an effort to increase livability, New York City will test a 6.9 mile car-free corridor during the month of August.

Bicycle commuting is on the rise in metropolitan Phoenix, where bike shops are reporting increasing sales of commuter bikes.

City officials and local businesses in Seattle are teaming up to offer cash and prizes to residents who limit their car use this summer.

A new design for a public bike rack could help prevent crime.

Production of bicycles is more than double the production of cars worldwide -- and the gap between the two vehicles is widening. Many see this as an indicator of the global shift towards encouraging bicycle use as a viable transportation option.

A number of innovative new bicycle designs were on display at this year's International Bicycle Design Competition, including a bike that folds into its own backpack carrying case -- making it easy to take on public transit.

Based on Paris' Velib bike-share program, private sponsorship will support SmartBike in Washington, DC. For a $40 annual membership fee, SmartBike users can check out three-speed bicycles for three hours at a time.

The city of Long Beach, California, has initiated a bike sharing program for city officials. The program consists of 16 shared bikes, usable by city employees for short trips and errands around the city.

A small-scale bike-sharing program is being launched on Capitol Hill for use by employees at the House of Representatives.