While the news that Mayor Bloomberg's plan for NYC congestion pricing was defeated is something of a low point for urban cyclists, that coming out of Washington, D.C., is much more encouraging. Next month D.C. will become the first U.S. city to launch a public bike sharing venture like the wildly popular Vélib (short for “vélo liberté”) program in Paris. One hundred and twenty bicycles will be available at 10 central locations for an annual membership cost of $40.

If you've tinkered with bikes in the last decade or so, chances are that sheldonbrown.com has proven incredibly useful to you—it's practically the Bible of bicycle mechanics, repair, maintenance and appreciation on the Web. I was saddened to read today that its keeper and one of the online cycling world's most charismatic presences passed away on Sunday of a heart attack.

For a video lap around Laguna Seca, scroll to the bottom of the page (and turn up your volume).