Bicycles on purpose in the Netherlands. Plus, car free in San Francisco

Today, city centers in the Netherlands attract great numbers of people on bicycles. But it wasn’t always this way. In the 1960s and 1970s, cars dominated the narrow streets. “What happened in Assen and across the Netherlands was that planning on a large scale gave streets a defined purpose rather than all of them operating in a chaotic manner as through routes by car,” writes David Hembrow. “Motor vehicles were not prioritized above all other transport but careful considerations were made of where they should go and where they should not.” Check out the before and after street scenes. (A view from the cycle path)

Brief round-up of architecture for bikes, including a Danish apartment building that allows its bicycle-riding occupants to reach ground level from their front doors even when those doors are several floors off the ground. (Guardian US)

This couple got rid of a car and picked up an electric cargo bicycle. Lower transportation expenses made it easier for the pair to buy a condominium in San Francisco. Here’s a look at the bicycle that carried the load, the BionX Bullitt. (Hum of the city)

I promise: I’ll catch up on product reviews soon. In the meantime, I’ll simply say I agree with this review of the versatile Fix It Sticks T-Way Wrench. “Shipping with a 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, and 6-millimeter hex bit, along with a T25 star bit, the T-Way is almost three tools in one. After a quick trip to my closest hardware store for a 1.5, an 8, and even a 10-millimeter bit, I had just about every hex and star wrench needed for my bike, all in one tool and for less than forty bucks.” (Pictured: Using the original Fix It Sticks multi tool to refold the frame of a Dahon Bullhead.) (Art’s Cyclery Blog)