A triathlete turns down a $9,000 raffle prize in favor of a $134 steel bicycle.

“The most powerful bike in the world is not one that weighs 16 pounds, made of carbon and is ridden by professional athletes; it’s a 55 pound steel bike in the hands of a Zambian student fighting for her education.”

Russell Shorter in the New York Times about the benefits of prioritizing bicycles:

But while many Americans see their cars as an extension of their individual freedom, to some of us owning a car is a burden, and in a city a double burden. I find the recrafting of the city in order to lessen — or eliminate — the need for cars to be not just grudgingly acceptable, but, yes, an expansion of my individual freedom.

Excellent introduction to cycling in Tokyo by CNN’s Christopher Johnson:

Two wheels better than four in Tokyo | CNNGo.com.

As many of the photos illustrating the article suggest, cycling downtown on the weekends is marvelous.

If only the sento would start catering to cyclists who just need a quick shower.

Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden introduced a Senate version of Rep. Blumenauer’s Bicycle Commuter Benefits Act of 2006 last month. It proposes at $40~$100 tax-free reimbursement for employees who bicycle to work, and considering that mass transit reimbursements of $105/month and parking reimbursements of $205/month already exist, this should be a no-brainer. Forbes has an article on the effort.

Since the primary barrier to passage of the bill is apathy from the majority car drivers and legislator concern for the federal budget, why not take away the parking and car mileage tax deductions? Considering the health and environmental benefits of bicycling, the government stands to save billions of dollars by disincenting car drivers and making bicycling the biggest commute-related tax benefit of them all.

The only downside I see is increased hot water consumption from all the additional showers and laundry cycles.