Total Read Time: 2.5 Minutes

I’ve really had the itch to go bike riding lately, the only problem is I don’t have one right now! What started the itch was all the great articles about bike sharing programs, transit systems, folding bikes, and other alternative designs I’ve come across.  It seems like biking as a mode of transportation is really starting to catch on….. again!

We all know how great bikes are for your health and of course, they are totally ecofriendly. Now lucky Bostonians will soon have the option to make the switch from cars to bikes. The city has announced plans to implement a brand new bike sharing program which will be the largest in America when completed.

Riders can pick up bikes at one of the 290 stations with a swipe of a credit card, ride it wherever they need to go, and dock it at the station closest to their destination.

Consider all of the benefits such as less congestion on the road, reduced dependence on gas, and keeping us healthy. Plus you don’t have to worry about having to leave your car somewhere in order to have a drink or two. Just bike to your favorite bar and ride, walk or hitch a ride back home! Coincidentally, you can still get pulled over for riding a bike drunk so be careful.

Another ingenious idea is a combination of a bike sharing program and public transit system.  Designer Chiyu Chen has developed a transit system that encourages the use of sustainable transportation by crediting people for renting and riding bicycles. His Hybrid2 system consists of a fleet of rent-able bicycles that are capable of generating and storing kinetic energy, which is then used to power the city’s hybrid electric buses. Simply rent a bike, your pedal power charges it up with kinetic energy and once returned to a kiosk, the station feeds energy into the city’s smart grid. You then receive a credit towards your next bus pass!  How cool is that?

There’s a reason you don’t see too many people carrying around folding bikes; many have small wheels that make for an uncomfortable ride or are too clunky when folded up. But then there’s the Contortionist, a sleek folding bike that uses full-size wheels. Designed by Dominic Hargreaves, a student at the Royal College of Art in London, the bike contains pivots in its frame that let it roll up to fit within the width of its wheels!

Another folding bike of sorts is the Bergmönch, a bike that can be folded up and worn as a backpack! Perfect for camping and hiking, the backpack converts into a bike capable of conquering roads and rough trails alike.  Not only is the bike light enough to carry on your back, it also features a storage compartment capable of carrying up to 12 liters of supplies.

One of my favorite’s is the Madsen Bucket bicycles, which are designed to transport groceries, laundry, surfboards or kids. You name it, you can haul it! “After hauling six neighbor kids around in a wheel barrow bucket bolted to the front of our first prototype, we started to realize what a bicycle can really do,” say the folks behind the development of the bike. Their end product is stylish and functional, perfect for green minded parents on the go!

-Danielle-

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