The bike or the bicycle is the single most popular means of transport with almost 1.5 billion bikes in use all over the world. As well as being a means of transport, bikes are also used for pleasure, as toys for children and as fitness equipment.
When bikes were first used for transport they brought about immense changes in the way people lived. They helped reduce the congestion of cities enabling people to commute for longer distances without the hassle of traffic jams. Also, people began to travel for fun since bicycles were faster and less tiring than walking.
Even today, there are many cities around the world that encourage their citizens to use a bicycle to commute because they are eco-friendly. They don’t use fuels and therefore don’t release ozone depleting gases – bikes have a smaller carbon footprint than any other means of transportation. In Europe, cities like Barcelona and Paris have introduced a novel system whereby people can hire a bike at a station, use it and then return it to the same or another station for a small fee.
In the 1800s, the bike was a symbol of the feminist movement. Bikes became safer to ride as newer designs evolved and, since they were also becoming cheaper, women began riding them. This also contributed to a change in the way women dressed with a less restrictive dress style evolving.
Several large scale car and airplane manufacturers started by manufacturing bikes. Morris, Skoda, the Wright Brothers and many other manufacturers started their business in this way. These days, almost 60 per cent of bikes are made in China due to its low labour costs. In most countries, bikes have to follow rules and regulations much like cars while they are being driven on the road. Bikes must have functional lights on the front and the back, reflector mirrors are legally required, and a bell or a horn is compulsory in most countries. Exercise bikes and foldable bikes are also available. Most of these have digital timers as well as heart rate monitors that help you monitor your exercise.
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