"The bicycle will never be obsolete."

This AssociatePress article brings a positive light in the middle of all good/bad media that the 2008 Olympics and peripheral issues in China have brought to our ears & eyes. The article mentions quite the universal approach to any city, small town USA or 1.3 billion in China about cars, traffic jams, class division and the convenience of getting around in a bike (with or without cotton face mask)
The bike maker mentioned in the article has a website: 'Shanghai Forever Bicycle Company'

from their catalog, "Traditional" bike category. Qué nice!

Shanghai Forever Co., Ltd was founded in 1940, and has established a world wide reputation for producing the Forever brand traditional bicycle, children bike, and mountain bike – one of the largest and best established bicycle companies in the world.
In 1993, the company was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange( A & B shares).
In 2001, the Zhong Lu Group, a pioneering enterprise run by local people gained control of FOREVEROREVER then extended its product scope to encompass green and environmental friendly products.
Now the company manufactures and distributes healthy and environmentally sound products such as traditional bicycle, mountain bike, folding bicycle, children bike, electric bicycle and their related parts. Additional recreational products include bowling equipment, automatic Mahjong table, and plastic surface materials."

‹full› Associated Press Article here.
"Bicycles can help protect the environment. People need them for exercise," he says. "The bicycle will never be obsolete. No matter how well developed the automobile and aircraft market grows, the bicycle still has its purpose."
Wu Liqiang, manager for the host of a Shanghai TV show, agrees.
He vividly remembers his first bicycle, in the 1970s, a chic black Forever.
-
"The feeling I had riding that bicycle was amazing. It was just about as cool as driving a Porsche would be now," says Wu, now 50. "Girls were very glad to go out with me because they could sit on the back of my bicycle and enjoy the breeze and sunshine."
He owns a bright-blue VW Polo but hardly ever drives it.
"The traffic's getting worse and worse and you end up wasting hours on the road," Wu says, adding, "The bicycle is still the best vehicle for China."
He commutes to work by bicycle.


*Get your CURRENTtv on baby!