City commuters weary of stuffy journeys aboard buses and subways now have a better way to get to work, buy groceries and meet for a Saturday matinee. The bike-sharing programs that have transformed Europeans into two-wheeled travelers are now en route to the U.S.
Clear Channel Outdoor, an outdoor advertising company, will launch the country’s first bike-share service in Washington, D.C., in mid-May in partnership with the district’s Department of Transportation.
SmartBike DC will initially offer annual subscribers access to 100 bikes at 10 stations in the city’s central business district. Located at key locations in the central business district, the bicycles provide a new way of discovering and moving around the city. The bike stations are modular and the bicycles are ergonomic and light-weight in a distinct design.
Bicycles are parked at docking points which use a proprietary locking system to ensure that each bicycle is securely stored. The service is accessible via online subscription. Subscribers will receive a personalized SmartBike DC user card that provides access to any station of the program at any time. The turnkey program includes fulltime operational service. Clear Channel’s operational team manages the rotation of bicycles for each station to assure a proper ratio between available bicycles as well as drop-off locations.
Other cities, including San Francisco and Chicago, are eager to follow suit. Learn More
It was on a $6,500 carbon-fiber Model 5500 bike built by Trek that Mr. Armstrong won his first Tour de France in 1999, the first of his seven straight Tour titles. With that, Trek became the first American bike company to win the Tour and the first to build a carbon-fiber bike that won the Tour,” John Bradley, a senior editor and the cycling expert at 
“When I saw the Tour de France on TV when I was young,” laments Leipheimer, “I knew that someday I wanted to do that race. I sacrificed my life to participate. After finishing on the podium last year I want to do even better. Now I’m a victim of an illogical decision and have been excluded from the race.” “Where’s the consistency?” asked Leipheimer. “By taking action now it looks political. It looks like the ASO has a grudge against a team that can win its races. (ed. Americans being discriminated against again!) My hope is that this campaign will encourage the ASO to reconsider its decision.”
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