Bike sales up 50% in UK

Bicycle sales are up 50% in the UK due to the recession, according to bicycle retailer Halfords. Over the same period, car purchases are down 30%, as people choose to bike to work instead of driving. The UK government provides a Bike to Work benefit scheme, which offers a tax reduction of up to 45% on a new bicycle. This increase in cycling reverses years of decline; between 1980 and 2007 bicycle trips have gone down 18%, compared with car trips which increased 78%.