BikeRide

Do you live in a bicycle friendly city?  Virgin Vacations has published a list of the their 11 most bicycle friendly cities in the world. Their list was largely based on the criteria and list of Bicycle Friendly Communities from the league of American Bicyclists.  Here are Virgin Vacations top 11 cities:

1. Amsterdam, Netherlands
2. Portland, Oregon, USA
3. Copenhagen, Denmark
4. Boulder, Colorado, USA
5. Davis, California, USA
6. Sandnes, Norway
7. Trondheim, Norway
8. San Francisco, California, USA
9. Berlin, Germany
10. Barcelona, Spain
11. Basel, Switzerland

The number seven city on the list Trondheim, Norway has a “bicycle lift” that helps  cyclists up a hill.

I wouldn’t mind having one of these on some of my rides!

Seattle’s Bike Works, a non profit bike shop and classroom that teaches kids how to work on bikes had about a dozen bicycles stolen from the shop over the holidays.

Jake Beattie, the program’s executive director, said the theft’s were disheartening for all of the volunteers.

“There’s a lot of hours and love that have gone into making these bikes ready to go back into the community and now we have to start all over again,” he said.

Starting over won’t be easy for the nonprofit organization. They rely on donated bikes and money to run the programs, including one where kids work for dozens of hours building bicycles, which they can then take home.

I was just thinking the other day that people who steal bicycles are one of the lowest form of life, and this story just makes that point for me.