Santiago's transportation system may be crippled after weeks of rioting, but Chileans have found a new way to move forward and are instead jumping on their bikes. Estimates suggest that the number of cyclists on Santiago's streets doubled immediately in the wake of protests in the Chilean capital.

Unrest erupted on October 18 over a metro fare hike and quickly spiraled into mass protests, arson and looting. Black-hooded protesters lit fires at several metro stations, threw debris onto the tracks and blockaded entrances. This caused the city's bus system to overflow, which was doubly hampered when protesters threw rocks in the streets.

Bikes now outnumber cars at many intersections during rush hour, and some complain that bike lanes are overflowing. Bike shop owners say that bike sales have increased by nearly 50 percent.