Return of the white bikes!People have been enjoying the benefits of cycling in Amsterdam for years. It is a good city for cycling because it is flat and therefore is convenient for bikes. There are also plenty of places for bicycle parking and most streets in the city center have a bicycle path. Today some people call Amsterdam the "City of Bicycles" because of the convenience for bicycles there. In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans had an idea. They believed that it would be better for everybody if cars weren't allowed in the city center and only bicycles were. They were hopeful that this would help to save energy,reduce pollution and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in lots of neighbourhoods around Amsterdam for people to use. Anyone was allowed to take them and use them for short journeys. Wherever someone for someone else to use. The problem was that it didn't work thieves took all the bicycles within weeks!