Have to admit, I’ve been thinking a lot about automobiles lately. Now, before you jump on my case for desiring to burn fossil fuels, keep in mind that I’ve gone without for roughly 6 years (excluding the motorcycle that followed me home in August). I grew up in a family where internal combustion toys were part of your general recreational quiver; two, three, four wheels alike. In fact, I’m told I had a motorized tricycle before I could even walk. From what I understand, the routine went something like this: pedal to the metal ‘til I hit something. Followed by someone lifting trike and myself up, turning us around. Once back on the ground, it was again full throttle until a comparatively large object thwarted me once more. Repeat (for hours I’m sure).

Fast-forward a few years and I was riding dirt bikes with my parents (yes, Mom too) and going to drag races with my father. Only took but one run down the drag strip in my Dad’s 455 cubic inch Buick to make me appreciate the feeling of rapid acceleration. Fast-forward a few more years and I was gearing up for college in Pittsburgh. While in school, I discovered the novelty and freedom of living combustion-free. I really enjoyed being able to walk or ride everywhere I needed to go. It certainly was nice to know that I was keeping my carbon footprint pretty minimal as well.

Once you’re out the door and on your bike its never really all that bad. Today for instance, 35º and moderate rain. By the time I got to work my “waterproof, breathable” clothing wasn’t much of either. I was warm, but pretty damp. Days such as today make the option of driving sound pretty appealing.

As fall gave way to winter this year, I had already decided this would be my last winter without some sort of cage. Enter the precious Civic Hatchback named “George” that Maurice talked about in this Brain Fart. Well, George blew a head gasket. Due to my inability to pass up a good deal, and my desire for a good mechanical challenge, I decided to buy George and try my hand at installing a new head gasket. Could be foolish, might be a money-pit, but it’ll definitely be fun.

In short, I’m through denying my roots. I’m back on the internal combustion map, now with a dual sport and about ¾ of an automobile. Lots of greasy hands and bloody knuckles in my near future. Wish me luck.

Have no fear, I’ll still be pedaling plenty.

Can’t be that hard, right?

Park Tool’s headquarters are in wintry Minnesota, so — along with all the good folks at Quality Bike Parts and Island Cycle Supply and World Cycling Productions and Twin Six and Kurt Kinetic and all of their groupies — there are an astonishing number of year-around bike commuters who have no problem riding in a foot of snow and -10 degrees.

In fact, Minnesota just isn’t cold and snowy enough for some folks.

Park Tool tells us today that their design engineer , Pierre Ostor, will be racing the infamous Iditabike race in Alaska in February, and we’ll be able to track his progress through Park Tool’s website. Except, of course, on Stupor Bowl Sunday, when we’ll be busy.

Back in 2005, IMBA signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Forest Park Service. The idea was to create a climate of happy negotiation in an effort to explore the possibility of thinking about talking about maybe proposing more singletrack in National Parklands. The Service has long been prejudiced against mountain bikes, for reasons that were both good and bad. (Some backcountry travelers feel it would be nice if they were equally skeptical of, say, open-range livestock and logging operations on park lands — but that’s another story.)

Today, National Parks Traveler is reporting that IMBA is “pressuring” the Park Service to clearcut some of the red-tape in their decision-making and approval processes — implication being that cyclists want special treatment. IMBA says it is merely considering what can be done to lubricate the drivetrain of democracy.

Whatever is going on in those smokey backrooms in DC, and whatever your spin on the subject, the best thing all mountain bikers can do, of course, is to obey all the rules – conveniently and frequently preached by the good folks at IMBA.

Velib, the public bike program in Paris, is just the most fashionable superstar of its field. There are actually low- and no-cost bike sharing programs in cities all over the world — including waddayaknow Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Now some folks in Canada have put together an online “Public Bicycle Service Inventory,” a nifty tool if you intend to circle the globe on a legion of free bikes. The current inventory lists 90 cities worldwide with bike sharing programs online or in progress.

Why isn’t your city on the list?

The mountain-biker love for “Hummer” gear continues.

Endura, the British company that offers at least one jacket in the elusive but extraordinary fabric eVent (it’s said to be up to 80 percent more breathable than other micromembrane fabs like Gore-Tex, and I think it’s the bee’s knees) is now offering a baggie MTB short called the Humvee.

Here it is.

Not having test-driven a pair myself, I can’t speak to quality or comfort, but I very much LOVE the trend of putting back pockets BACK onto baggie shorts.

After all, isn’t the whole point of baggies that you don’t feel like such an overexposed, under-endowed dweeb at the bar after the ride, in your “plum smugglers”?

So how was I going to carry my wallet around in the last generation of baggies?

IMBA, the International Mountain Bicycling Association, is sponsoring the 2008 National bike summit in Washington D.C.

The party goes down the first week of March, and IMBA members and advocates can get a special discount on the conference fee, by registering at IMBA.com.

IMBA also offers some helpful hints about how to come up with the dough — without begging your spouse for a payday loan or stealing your neighbors recycling.