On mirrors and mirages in the current boom of the bicycle

Abstract

The article makes a review of different strategies of promotion of the bicycle. Its purpose is to frame the debate between the options of segregation of the cycling infrastructure and the integration of the bike on the motorized traffic. The text analyzes the profile of the people who use the bike in those countries that often serve as a mirror of the policies cyclists, that is to say, that are considered references of success to follow, and it contrasts with the profile of users that exists in Latin American cities. This massive presence of bikes that have some cities and metropolitan areas can be an illusion of sustainable mobility, as in the best-known examples is still a dominant use of the automobile. That paradox serves as a warning sign about the risk of not contextualize the role of the bike within the sustainable mobility policies.