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marmar

(77,084 posts) Sun Oct 27, 2013, 11:23 AM Oct 2013

In Almost Every European Country, Bikes Are Outselling New Cars

(NPR) We know that Europeans love their bicycles — think Amsterdam or Paris. Denmark even has highways specifically for cyclists.

Indeed, earlier this month, NPR's Lauren Frayer reported that Spain, which has long had a love affair with cars, is embracing the bicycle: For the first time on record, Lauren noted, bicycles outsold cars in the country.

But it's becoming a Continent-wide phenomenon. More bikes were sold in Italy than cars — for the first time since World War II.

This prompted us to look at the figures across the 27 member states of the European Union for both cars and bicycles. New-car registrations for Cyprus and Malta weren't available, so we took them out of the comparison. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/10/24/240493422/in-most-every-european-country-bikes-are-outselling-cars

7 replies

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In Almost Every European Country, Bikes Are Outselling New Cars (Original Post) marmar Oct 2013 OP

I think motorcycles and scooters are selling pretty well here. LuvNewcastle Oct 2013 #1

True, but it could work well in Manhattan, San Francisco, Boston, college towns..... marmar Oct 2013 #2

Ah, the triumph of neo-liberalism. Laelth Oct 2013 #3

thats is what I think as well Marblehead Oct 2013 #4

Oh no, their plan is to kill most of us. Those of us lucky enough to LiberalLoner Oct 2013 #6

Bicycles outsold cars in the US -- 18.7 million in 2012 FarCenter Oct 2013 #5

As an avid bicycle rider if the USA had the infrastructure like they have in Europe doc03 Oct 2013 #7

LuvNewcastle

(16,847 posts)

1. I think motorcycles and scooters are selling pretty well here.

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Sun Oct 27, 2013, 11:31 AM

Oct 2013

I doubt that bicycles will ever be more popular here than cars. It could happen in NYC, probably, but most cities and towns in the U.S. are spread out all over the place. Bikes just aren't practical for us.

marmar

(77,084 posts)

2. True, but it could work well in Manhattan, San Francisco, Boston, college towns.....

Reply to LuvNewcastle (Reply #1)

Sun Oct 27, 2013, 11:32 AM

Oct 2013

..... et all. Places that are compact enough, if they were more bike-friendly.

Laelth

(32,017 posts)

3. Ah, the triumph of neo-liberalism.

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Sun Oct 27, 2013, 11:37 AM

Oct 2013

This isn't about some "love affair" with bicycles, it's about declining standards of living. Our young people are buying bicycles because they can't afford cars. That's the end result of neo-liberalism, austerity, IMF policy, and all the rest of the insanity that the West has followed for 30+ years. While the wealthiest among us are richer than ever before, most of us are much poorer, so we buy bicycles instead of cars.

This is not a trend to be celebrated.

-Laelth