From Bucharest to Brussels, and from Lisbon to Lyon, the coronavirus pandemic has triggered unprecedented investment in cycling around Europe. More than €1bn (£907m; $1.1bn) has been spent on cycling-related infrastructure and 2,300km (1,400 miles) of new bike lanes have been rolled out since the pandemic began. "Cycling has come out a big winner," says Jill Warren of the Brussels-based European Cycling Federation. "This time has shown us the potential cycling that has to change our cities and our lives." But what has all this money been spent on? And what might the long-term impacts of this investment be? This is what four major cities have been doing. Milan changes direction "We tried to build bike lanes before, but car drivers protested," says Pierfrancesco Maran, Milan's deputy mayor for Urban Planning, Green Areas and Agriculture. "Someone said to me: 'You needed coronavirus to [introduce them] here!'" This industrial hub in northern Italy was one of the first cities in Europe to invest in cycling as a way to get people moving around again. There are 35km of new cycle paths, although many of these are temporary. "Most people who are cycling used public transport before. But now they need an alternative," Mr Maran says. "Before Covid we had 1,000 cyclists [on the main shopping street], now we have 7,000." But this rise in popularity has put pressure on many bike-related businesses. Alessandro, a young apprentice at 92-year-old bike manufacturer Pepino Drali, says their business reopened in early May. "People were standing on the streets with their bikes in their hands and the line was right around the corner," he recalls. "It's been complicated to keep manufacturing our bikes; coronavirus meant we couldn't find a lot of parts anymore," he adds. Despite the boost to businesses, not everyone is happy. Many think the changes don't go far enough. "There have been a few lanes that have been built, but compared with the need and the necessity of this city and the will of people they are really a drop in the ocean," Anna Germotta, an environmental lawyer," says. She, like many others, believes this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redesign our cities so they're suitable for all cyclists. "Coronavirus is a moment in which every policy maker can change their own cities," she believes. "The failure to have the courage to change now, in a situation in which you have some time to prepare the people, could be really disastrous." In an attempt to prepare people, the regional government in this part of Italy has spent €115m to stimulate cycling. The government has pledged subsidies of up to €500 if citizens want to buy a new bike or an e-scooter in a bid to keep people off public transport and out of cars.