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Urban Active Travel: Portland's The Place for Bikes

Looks like Portland, Oregon doesn't want Europe to have all the fun. While cities from Seville to Paris are introducing public bike hire racks, Portland's been friendly toward two-wheelers for decades--and the it's making strides to stay that way.

The city is full of custom bike shops like Veloce Bicycles and Pereira Cycles, where you can get a hand-built ride, provided you don't mind parking yourself on a waiting list. Portland also has a number of rental outlets if you aren't ready to drop four figures on a new bike. Waterfront Bicycle Rentals can hook you up with a city cruiser for a half day for $28.

And if you're not sold on renting a ride for your whole trip, a new system a la Velib could be coming online soon. While Portlanders are still debating whether to charge a fee for the public bikes or suffer advertising, local politicos are bullish on the idea in general. If all goes smoothly, look for the program to start up with 500 bikes next year.

Related Stories:
· Cultivating a Culture of Two Wheels [NYT]
· Waterfront Bicycle Rentals [Official Site]
· Biking coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Stuart Isett for The New York Times]