In much of the world, jodi says, bikes are beasts of burden. In asia, africa and latin america, millions of bicycles transport billions of pounds of goods and materials. There's a recent study of cargo cycling in china which concluded that there are between forty to 60 million working cargo tricycles in china alone.
Jody Rosen is a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine and a bike nut who has just published a rousing (and sometimes arousing) book called “Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle.” Today, he takes us on a rollicking ride through the two-wheeled revolution, revealing the surprising ways bicycles have shaped the world in which we live.
This and That:
» Download the Next Big Idea app
» Learn more about Transportation Alternatives
» Check out the plans to build pedestrian and cycling bridges in NYC