Bike Shares Around the Republic, Part I

Barcelona's bicing

We did a tour for a wonderfully attentive and sharp group of visitors from Washington, D.C. earlier this week.  From the Summit Foundation's Sustainable Cities program they were researching and experiencing, well, sustainable cities.  Bike share systems of course play a role and got us thinking, what is it, in the simplest explanation, that makes bike share such A Good Thing.

Copenhagen's City Bike

Boiled down to one easy phrase, it redemocratises the bicycle.  It brings the bicycle back to the city's residents.  It boldly reintroduces the bicycle as urban transport. This is one of the key points in Mikael's keynote, "Four Goals for Promoting Urban Cycling," and features in much of our work at Copenhagenize.

Velib in Paris

Business men and women, Chic'sters, hipsters, going about their daily business with a little two-wheeled help.  No wonder we like it so much.

dublinbikes

Moving people and furniture.  One Montreal Bixi at a time.

Bicing

After twelve days holiday in Barcelona, I miss the city something rotten.

Gracia, Barcelona

Things I've seen outside my window in the flat I'm staying in the neighbourhood of Gracia in Barcelona.

Barcelona Pairs

There were no bicycles in Barcelona a mere four years ago. You could wander around the city from dawn to dusk and count the bicycles on one hand. Now look at the city. Citizen Cyclists abound. The beautiful people of this beautiful city have reembraced a beautiful 125 year old invention. They ride in style, with grace and they are exceptional at riding together.

A bicycle made for two, indeed.

Double Up in Barcelona

What a brilliant shot from Barcelona from our friend Claudio. It made me think about the different ways you can double on a bike. They're particularly creative in the Catalonian capital:

Barcelona Cycle Chic Part Two

A quiet mobile bicycle moment in Barcelona.

Three layers of cyclists.

Hipster Extreme and a businessmen, both enjoying the ease of use of the bicycle in Barcelona.


Checking casually for traffic on the left and enjoying the fine art of conversation on bicyles, on the left.


Here's the bicycle I borrowed to ride around Barcelona on the first day I was, there, before travelling to Lleida for a bicycle conference. Perfect for drive-thru banking. I borrowed it from the chap on the right. Koos, a Dutch guy who owns the Biketech bike shop in Gracia. Wonderful guy, cool shop.


Here's a couple of guys heading in different directions and a couple, with a bicycle close at hand, having lunch on a bench.

Barcelona Cycle Chictastique

Barcelona. Oh, goodness me, Barcelona.

I'm still not quite sure what hit me. I'm still reeling, dizzily, after my extended visit to the city. A certain Icelandic volcano extended my stay in the Catalan capital, for which I am grateful. Not a bad place to be stuck in a four star hotel. I finally returned home late last night, six days late, after a stop in Prague to speak at the National Cycle Conference about Cycle Chic and marketing bicycle culture.

But Barcelona. What has happened to this city with regards to the bicycle returning - stylishly and effortlessly - to the urban landscape is extraordinary. Ten years ago there were none. Five years ago there were some. Now the bicycle is everywhere, not least thanks to the implementation of the city's Bicing bike share system.


But while you see Barcelonans of all ages on Bicing bikes at all hours, the city is completely saturated by private bicycles. I fear I must revise the Cycle Chic Top 5 Cycle Cities list and cast Barcelona headlong into the mid-table.

Bicycles abound in the city. In the narrow neighbourhood streets, along the busy throughfares, outside cafés and shops, soaking up sun on balconies.

Being stuck in a such a bicycle capital certainly meant that I missed Copenhagen so much less. Many more photos to come. You have to see this cycling city.