It's every cyclist's dream – no red lights, no trucks, just a clear, smooth lane to zoom down with the wind in your face. Welcome to Germany's first bicycle Autobahn. Fans hail the smooth new cycling routes as the answer to urban traffic jams and air pollution, and a way to safely get nine-to-fivers outdoors.
As a glimpse of a greener urban transport future, Germany has just opened the first 5km stretch of a bicycle highway that is set to span over 100km. It will connect 10 cities including Duisburg, Bochum and Hamm and four universities, running largely along disused railroad tracks in the crumbling Ruhr industrial region.