STUFFE

WHO STOLE THE ROAD?
I hate bikes, they get right in the way, don't they?

Or maybe not...

A graphic illustration of how much road space is used by 35 people using different modes of transport.

PERIODIC F*****G TABLE
Flowing Data points out that we all secretly love the Periodic Table infographic - here's Modern Toss' take on the format, with the Periodic Table of Swearing. Surely it's obvious that the page beyond this link contains bad language?

You can buy a print of this too, although I'm not sure who would think a nicely formatted collection of swears makes a nice talking point.

EGGS, BASKETS &c
Cosmo has a good piece on why the "Lance vs Bert" take on this years' tour by US media was a stupid idea here, and more fundamentally why the focus on one rider's exploits to sell cycling to Americans is a daft idea. The killer paragraph for me;

Can you even imagine it? No more armies of dentists dragging the LBS out of the red each year with Lance-replica Trek purchases. No more Chris Carmichael promising phantom results to middle-aged racers about to train themselves out of love with the sport. No more laurel wreaths cast at the feet of DS whose prolific success in July has allowed him to brush years of downright miserable classics results under the rug.

What will the US bike industry look like post-Lance? Is the focus on one rider as figurehead a fundamentally flawed idea?

BANANAS
The first bike I can remember coveting was the Raleigh Team Banana. I didn't follow pro-cycling at the time, but knew instinctively that the black & yellow colour scheme, cutting edge 531 frame and 12 speed gearing was very cool. Re-living that youthful yearning without upsetting Mrs Monkey *or* the bank manager by adding yet another bike to the garage is easier now, thanks to Prendas, who are doing these replica Team Banana caps.