Bike sharing

Bike sharing is implemented more then some might think. In several major European cities there are bike-sharing projects, facilitated by the local government, such as Paris and Barcelona. For a small yearly fee and possibly a use-fee you can get bikes from almost anywhere in the city. There is also a shared bike project in Copenhagen, but this is mostly for tourist use and not available in winter.

The idea for bike-sharing came from Luud Schimmelpennink who came up with the White Bicycle Plan in the 60's in Amsterdam. Though, all bike-sharing projects in Amsterdam have failed yet to date.

Community Bike Workshops
Many large cities in Europe and the US have special Do-it-Yourself bike centers where you can come to fix your bike. These centers range from open workshops at squats to centers with professional volunteers that are open on a daily basis, often backed by a legal association, such as the Los Angeles based Bike Kitchen.

Free Bike Sharing projects
A few free bicycle sharing projects that span internationally exist in the world. One recent started project is bike-sharing.org. This website works much like CouchSurfing, where free requests can be sent and user trust is empowered by writing references for each other.