With the U.S. Capitol in the background and Pennsylvania Avenue freshly repaved, some of the country's best cyclists battled it out in yesterday's ING Direct Capital Criterium. But while the main attraction was the presence of a number of professional racers -- including Garmin-Chipotle rider Christian Vande Velde, who placed fifth in the Tour de France -- the event capped off what has been a strong year in local racing for area riders and teams.......

"No" bikes? This could only have written by one person. Flickr user AlbinoFlea caught this curious sign down in Gallery Place. We'll leave it to the bike riders to argue what the definition of "no" is here. EXIF.......

There was very little else for Londonist to be concerned with when the threat of a Tube strike became a very unpleasant reality. The inconvenience was extreme: there aren't many alternatives to the Tube in London despite the best efforts of the Londonist team to get everyone from A to B. Brighter news came in the form of the first ever female Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as the position is more commonly known, and......

Steve Eldridge over at the Examiner notes that fewer Washingtonians are driving themselves solo to work than they were three years ago. According to the unfortunately titled “Preliminary Draft Commuter Connections State of the Commute Survey 2007 Survey Technical Report,” the number of those in the region driving by themselves to job locations outside the home was 71 percent, compared with 74.1 percent in the 2004 survey. This survey is put together by the Metropolitan......

Banner week for SFist as the site's new editor introduced himself -- hooray for Brock! While the NY Times weighed in on SF's mayoral race, only SFist had the (insert tongue firmly into cheek) hard-hitting latest on candidate/activist Josh Wolf. Coverage of a protest vs. gentrification spawned a fantastic debate amongst SFist's readers. Finally, from the sublime to the ridiculous: video of a man that confused a Board of Supes meeting with "open mic......

If you've been waiting for an official endorsement of your plan to rollerskate to work, this is about as close as you're going to get. Today the D.C. Council unanimously endorsed legislation that designated September 18, 2007 as "D.C. Car-Free Day." The measure, which follows World Car-Free Day, currently celebrated in 1,500 cities in 40 countries, was sponsored by Councilmembers Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), and Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and council Chair Vincent Gray. Wells......

It looks like Police Chief Cathy Lanier might have to go back to the drawing board. After her new summer crime initiative enjoyed a successful rollout with a full-scale police deployment and a record number of weekend arrests two weeks back, this last weekend wasn't nearly as peaceful. According to WJLA, four seperate shootings over a two-hour period on Saturday night and Sunday morning (two dead, two injured) forced Lanier to call a meeting today......

Just a little over a month ago, DCist Jeff updated our very occasional series, What We're Missing, with a plea for the introduction of municipal bicycles available for rent all over the city, a la the same deal that Paris, France is about to get. Here's what he said: At first, we cringe at the thought of hundreds of street-clogging lost tourists and a cottage industry of bike thefts. With more examination, though, there's a......

All across the Ist-A-Verse (or at least the American parts thereof), writers and editors are in the midst of enjoying their three-day weekend. But after the week we've all had, we feel like the break is not only needed, but deserved. Just look at everything we've been doing! Gothamist headed into the Memorial Day weekend with a number of tasks accomplished. They worried about Long Islanders giving New Yorkers a bad name. They tried......

Quick, informal poll: Raise your hand if your drive, slug, or Metro to work each day. Now keep your hand raised if you hate your commute. One more -- keep your hand up if you have a bike. For all of you out their that still have your hands up (virtually, at least), why not pull that old dusty Diamondback off the back porch, give it the WD-40 treatment, and ride it to work for......

>> D.C. United host rivals New England in a game nationally televised on ESPN2. Posters and t-shirts await the first 10,000 and 3,000 entrants, respectively. Be sure to get there early for food, drink, and some party rock courtesy of Love Seed Mama Jump in Lot 8. [RFK Stadium (tickets still available), 7 p.m. kickoff; pregame festivities at 5:30 p.m.] >> Don't forget the Onion's D.C. kickoff party with Georgie James, Neil Hamburger, Aziz......

It's been awhile since the last entry in this very occassional series. We love D.C., but we know it's not perfect. Is there something you think we're missing? Let us know. Official Washington likes to think that it is bicycle-friendly. But we often hear a different story, involving dodging bricks, menacing drivers, annoying registrations, and brazen theives. For all but the most hardcore cyclists among us, the thought of negotiating D.C.'s streets on two wheels......

We got an email today from the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District announcing a little lunchtime commuter fair for tomorrow. It's a fairly benign event, but one little detail jumped out at us: Workers and visitors in downtown DC’s central business district can navigate Metro’s online trip planner, pick up bus schedules, register their bikes, get information on car sharing, and learn about MARC, VRE and commuter buses during a lunchtime commuter fair at Farragut......

As the world holds it's breath, teetering precariously on the cusp of the Super Bowl (well, at least in America), the wheels of the -ists keep on turning. Austinist was in a musical frame of mind as they listened to the new Shins album, updated the SXSW band listings and got called "punk rock" for their efforts by MTV. And an ice storm swept through the area. Bostonist said goodbye to John Kerry's plans......

As 2006 ends and 2007 begins, the -ists look back not at the past week, but at the past year. So here it is, your Best of 2006 Spectacular. And from all of us at the -ists, happy New Year! Austinist was all about controversy as new construction to increase urban density ran rampant in 2006, as did threats to the city's image from gigantic corporations looking to set up shop in town, leading......

Afternoon, D.C. Hope you're enjoying your Tuesday, and that your holiday shopping is getting done. Ours sure isn't. Here's some news for you all to get you out the office door. >> We know some people who won't have any problems affording all the items on their Christmas lists this year. The D.C. Council just voted this afternoon to give themselves a raise, making themselves the highest-paid officials in the area. The Post gives us......

As fall settles in and another calendar page gets turned, thoughts turn from bbq's and vacations to holidays and the realization that '06 is coming to an end. With all that going on, with change in the air, we wonder what is it that made that makes the -ists ponder? Phillyist is concerned that the war on Trans fats could affect it's beloved cheese steak sandwiches, something for which we should all be concerned. They......

We had mentioned Borf's "video communique release and street party" a couple of times before, and even though it's been a few days, we thought we'd share DCist's experience at the event. After waiting for about an hour at 11th and O NW on Saturday night, it seemed like the 100 people in attendance (plus a fair number of police officers) had been punk'd. However, there eventually was a brief video about depression, gentrification, and......

Ever had your bicycle stolen? Want to know what comes of it? One District resident did. Yesterday the City Paper reported on the efforts of Chevy Chase resident Evan McAnney, who was looking for ways to end a streak of thefts that had denied him of five bicycles in three years. His plan was to install a small radio transmitter into a bicycle, leave it unattended, and allow police to track it when it was......

We've always been big fans of cycling. Spare the somewhat aggressive drivers, pothole-ridden city streets and rock throwing kids we occasionally have to navigate, the District remains a cycle-friendly city. Though many commuters don't often jump on their bikes to get to and from work, tomorrow should be the one day to do so -- it's Bike to Work Day. Sponsored locally by the Washington Area Bicycle Association, the event caps off National Bike Month,......

Though they left us with a good deal of thunder and lightning, the storms that hit our area yesterday cut a deadly path through other parts of the country, particularly Tennessee. We're not in the clear yet, though -- there is a wind advisory for the District and surrounding areas in effect until 1 p.m. today. D.C. Smoking Ban Really Goes Into Effect Today: Ahhhh, government efficiency. There has been some confusion to date......

First, bricks being tossed at bikes, now pellet guns being fired at school buses. What's around the corner for pedestrians? As reported by NBC 4, police said the shooting incident happened this morning right before 9 a.m. at First Street and Florida Avenue in Northwest. No injuries were reported for the four kids on board, who ranged in age from 6 to 9 years, though bus driver Richard Smith was noted as saying that the......

A faithful reader tipped us off to a Craigslist posting that may be somewhat disturbing for those of us that ride our bikes around town. Titled "Bicyclists: Have you ever been struck by a hurled object while riding?," it reads: I have been. My leg is broken right now as a result of being struck by a brick that was hurled at me from the balcony of an apartment building on 11th Street. The cops......

Anyone who bikes around the District learns to appreciate the ups and downs of cycling-related infrastructure and vehicular temperment in going from home to work to play and back. There are the potholed city streets that threaten the hardiest of tires, bikes lanes that arbitrarily appear and disappear (and the drivers that assume they can use them for their double-parking purposes), the possibility of being doored by an unwitting commuter emerging from their car, and......

Cyclists rejoice, for commuting to work on two wheels may soon be worth more than pounds shed. Legislation currently being considered by Congress, aptly titled the "Bicycle Commuter Act," would offer those who commute to work by bike a monthly cash reimbursement of $100 and a nice tax break for those who employ them. The League of American Bicylists reports that the measure might pass within the next few months. So why should this matter......

Bike messengers in Farragut Square have been a topic of discussion on DCWatch's discussion newsletter themail. The exchange began when a subscriber wrote in the Aug. 11 edition that he had watched three undercover DC police arrest a group of young men with bikes in Farragut Square, a known hangout for the messengers: They handcuffed two of the young men and took them away. I realized this was happening because one of the policemen stood......