Bike to Work
One effect of rising gas prices is the ballooning of bicycle sales. More bicycles than cars have been sold in the United States in the last 12 months, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Commuters -- 87 million of them -- are opting for two wheels instead of four this year, said Tim Blumenthal, a director of Bikes Belong, an industry association. "Bicycle sales are near an all-time high with 19 million sold last year -- close to the 20 million sold during the oil embargo in the early 1970s," said Blumenthal. The average price of gasoline in the United States has increased nearly 50 percent in a year, according to figures published last week by the American Automobile Association.
-- Beverly Hanly for Wired Magazine