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Israel’s recent bike craze met with resistance

The growing trend of biking in Israel has also considerably increased the number of accidents with pedestrians on sidewalks.
People ride bicycles in Tel Aviv on election day March 17, 2015. Millions of Israelis turned out to vote on Tuesday in a tightly-fought election, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing an uphill battle to defeat a strong campaign by the centre-left opposition to deny him a fourth term in office. REUTERS/Stringer (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS SOCIETY) - RTR4TQ4O
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Insufferable traffic jams, growing awareness of healthy lifestyles and the new generation of chic bikes have contributed to the growing bicycle craze that has gripped Israel in the last few years. What once was a children's activity or a specialized sport now attracts a wide range of cyclists who are part of one of Israel’s biking clubs or professionals commuting to work.

In Tel Aviv, for instance, bikes are a particularly efficient means to beat the traffic and circumvent a shortage of parking. Across the country, amateur riders join groups that unite fellow bike lovers, who take part in early morning nature rides or evening city tours.

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