Bicycle boom in Germany

4.5 million bicycles were sold in Germany in 2008, with the economic crisis giving a boost to their popularity, reports the German magazine Deutschland. Low cost, no traffic jams and a free fitness are the advantages of the green transport, writes the magazine. Germans also bought 100 000 electricity-powered bicycles, a twofold growth.

There is a total of 68 million bicycles in Germany. 80 percent of households own at least one bike.