For the first time in 65 years, Italians bought more bicycles than cars in 2011, evidently reacting to the economic problems in their country and sharply inflated gasoline prices, which have become higher than in many other parts of Europe. A total of 1,750,000 bikes were reportedly sold in Italy last year, marginally more than the 1,748,000 motor vehicles bought by Italian consumers. While car purchases have declined to the levels of the 1970s, more and more Italians have been resorting to bicycles as a more cost-efficient and often faster means of transportation – not necessarily as a sport.

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