We're on a road to ...

Walked along Avenida Paulista this evening, stopping by a busker who serenaded Sam, and ending up at Casa das Rosas, one of the last remaining original mansions on this street and now a venue for various events. Tonight was one in a series of talks about cycling in the city. We got talking to a young enthusiast who says the trend for two wheels is beginning to get some traction here. I asked if there was a hardcore of urban cycling fans, into fixed-gear and single-gear bikes as as been seen for some years now in London and other big cities. He said there was and noted also the Sunday morning cycle groups, who enjoy specially reserved routes linking Sao Paulo's parks. In terms of workday commuting, the enthusiasts are trying to encourage the use of secondary roads so that cyclists don't feel so threatened by traffic. My concern would be the lack of street lighting. Apparently there are also some limited trials of the kind of bike rental schemes to be found nowadays in London, Paris, Barcelona etc. It was good to see this most civilized, efficient, fun, healthy and economic form of transport becoming more popular in such a traffic-choked city. Adjusting from my two-wheeled life in London to one of taxis and tubes here has been a challenge. Next Wednesday David Byrne of Talking Heads fame will be speaking about his passion for push-bikes. It's got a long way to go but perhaps cycling in Sao Paulo is not on a road to nowhere.