Ever wanted to bike across America or at least get out of your town for the weekend? I love biking, but dread climbing uphills, so perhaps what I would really love is getting a moped.

And for those who are rather adept with a toolbox, you can build your own for $124.99. What you get is a 50 cc engine, which is approximately 3-4 horsepower. Yes, that does sound pretty weak, but the product description claims that'll get you 25-30 mph, which is actually quite fast. If you don't believe me, see the video below.

To check out the engine kit, see here.

Unless you are willing to dedicate your life to either training or discovering undetectable performance-enhancing drugs, chances are you won't be competing for that yellow jersey. Maybe you could get a job as one of those guys who rides on the back of a motorcycle with a camera. Or you could just travel to France during the race and take in the proceedings through a haze of wine and cheese.

But there is another option. A tour operator called Ciclismo Classico will run an 8-day bicycle tour that follows the exact route of a portion of the Le Tour '09. Before you go searching the internet for any chemicals that can help you on the trip, you should know that the 8-days are designed for casual enthusiasts; the kind of people who are comfortable in the saddle of a bike, but who lack the huge legs and emaciated upper bodies of top cyclists. The average day will mean a 50-mile pedal, roughly half of what the pro riders complete. In addition to that, those on the trip will get to watch some of the actual race.

via Wandalust

If you've been to Paris any time in the last few years you've probably noticed the ubiquitous bicycle rental kiosks. Called Velibs, the concept has become so popular that the model has been replicated elsewhere. Just this past summer in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, the city outfitted the downtown area with a variety of stands.

With such a large user base and number of units on the road, maintenance becomes a critical part of operations – and an important thing to look out for when picking a bicycle. Many a time have I spent twenty minutes plugging my American Express card into the kiosk, paging through the terms and conditions and picking out a unit only to jump on, get halfway down the street and realize that the bicycle doesn't shift out of first gear or that the seat slooooowly sinks when I'm riding it. Trust me: as a tall person, nothing sucks more than riding a bicycle with the seat all of the way down.

A host of things can go wrong with your Velib after you check it out, which is why I now equate them to a mixed box of chocolates. They may all look the same until you're heading into traffic and you find out that they handlebars aren't bolted into the front fork.

At this point I'm past surprised or frustrated if something is wrong with my bicycle – now it's a personal challenge to see if I can adapt to whatever is wrong with it. But for you, my advice is as such: kick the tires and test the seat before you rent a bicycle. The ten seconds you spend checking out your Velib is well worth the frustration of dealing with a broken bicycle on the road.

PopEater gave me a heads up about David Byrne of the Talking Heads designing bike racks in Manhattan in order to promote bike riding. The bike racks are finished and in place. Each reflect its location. For example, head to Wall Street and you'll find one shaped like a dollar sign. Here is a link to his Web page that shows the racks and where they are located.

The video is a clip from this past July. The rack on Wall Street is one of them shown. Plus, you'll get a feel for Byrne and the experience of bike riding in Manhattan. If you do bike ride, watch out for vehicles.

A taxi driver opened his car door without looking first which caused someone near and dear to me to fly over the door and break his collar bone.

A thrilling ride down the "Camino de la Muerte," or "Death Road," has become a popular adventure destination in Bolivia. I, personally, get nauseous just looking at the photo.

A 56-year old U.S. tourist, Kenneth Mitchell, was killed here in mountain-biking accident after tumbling from his rented bicycle and falling down a 200-foot cliff. Mitchell is the 12th cyclist to die on the road in the last decade.

The highway east from La Paz, the world's highest capital city, winds dramatically down the face of the Andes, dropping 11,800 feet in just 40 miles. According to IHT, the narrow dirt track earned its nickname for the frequency with which Bolivian buses would plunge off its 3,300-foot cliffs, killing hundreds a year until a new paved highway opened 2007.

The cause of the accident is unknown. Mitchell's bike, left behind at the cliff's edge, was in perfect working order. Strange.

I am a big ZipCar fan. I can guarantee that I would like a similar service using bicycles instead of cars, as well.

DC is launching a first extensive bike-sharing initiative in the US. Registered participants can access 120 "smart bikes" at 10 different locations in the downtown area. Retrieving the bike is easy.

• Go to any bike station (see photo)
  
  
• Wave your SmartBike DC user card in front of the card reader
  
  
• Follow instructions on screen
  
  
• Retrieve assigned bike from rack

Bike-sharing has been popular throughout Europe, with cities like Paris, Barcelona or Stockholm using them. Will it work in car-infatuated America? That's a good question.

There are problems with the idea translating into this market. The US is a litigious society. People will sue if something happens to them. Helmets are not provided, yet they are required in many states. There are other liability issues. If they bike gets stolen, the customer pays.

I sincerely hope they can figure out how to make it work. It's a great idea.

If Desperate Housewives has taught us nothing else-- and it hasn't-- we've at least seen that there's often more to the suburbs than meets the eye. Over at one of my favorite travel sites, Vagabondish, Ben Hancock tries to explain that the suburbs don't completely suck, especially if you're willing to approach them with the right attitude.

One key to surviving, and perhaps even enjoying, the land of "big box" stores and McMansions is this: Seek out local businesses. "People like to pretend that mom-and-pop shops get squeezed out by national corporations, which is only half the story: local businesses are more often killed by public capitulation to convenience," Hancock writes. "Even in the suburbs, you shouldn't be a part of that."

Despite the fact that the suburbs often seem navigable only by car, walking and bicycle are still entirely legal, and frequently these modes of transport offer a closer, better view of the 'burbs. Worth noting: bicycles, unlike cars, receive infinity miles to the gallon.

Hancock also suggests hanging out in parks, checking out religious centers, and if nothing else, "Hey, IHOP is always open."

These tips are all great, really, but the most important thing is attitude. If you've grown up in the suburbs, like I have, or if you're just spending time there to visit friends or family, it's easy to think that there's not much to see. Take that attitude, and I guarantee your expectations will be met. But if you're open to the idea that there's usually more to the suburbs than Wal-Marts and Starbucks, you just might find something you never expected.

Like that cute housewife down the street.

If you are an outdoor aficionado, you may already be familiar with Wend. The outdoor magazine based out of Portland, Oregon fills its pages with stories from around the globe that peak the interest of not only outdoor enthusiasts, but anyone with a wanderlust. The latest issue covers a trip through Iceland, volunteering in Indonesia, trekking Afghanistan and surfing the Great Lakes; that's what I call good reading material.

Being the eco-friendly souls that they are, the Wend crew finally put the magazine online, making all of the articles accessible via your computer. You can still buy the print version, but if you are out traveling -- or just want to save on paper consumption -- the new online version is just as satisfying. And it's free.

Check out the virtual version of the latest issue here. And if you are feeling truly inspired, shoot them an email and pitch a story.

I am the first to admit that I find Europe's quaintness annoying sometimes. All the picturesque towns and medieval city centers can get old, figuratively speaking.

However, I will probably never get tired of Europe's winding roads. You'll hardly find a better place to motorcycle. If I could define the best globalization has done for me, it would have to involve a Harley Davidson on a European road in Italy somewhere, drinking French wine and eating Thai food. Shallow, but very satisfying.

I was happy to see that The Guardian has come up with a list of best motorcycling roads in Europe.

Top 10 motorcycling roads of Europe:

1. The Cat and Fiddle run - A537, Buxton-Macclesfield, England
2. The Amalfi Coast Road - Naples to Salerno, Italy
3. The Transfagarasan Highway - Sibiu to Curtea de Arges, Transylvania, Romania
4. Bergen to Geiranger, Norway
5. Trabzon to Savsat, Eastern Turkey
6. Furka Pass, between Gletsch and Andermatt, Switzerland
7. A2, the Antrim coast road, Northern Ireland
8. Bar in Montenegro to Sarajevo in Bosnia
9. Saranda to Vlora, Albania
10. Cabo de Gata to Granada, Spain

I want to go now.

Kelsey's post about traveling through Portland got me thinking of all the great stuff that comes out of this west coast city. First of all it was just rated the greenest American city, and of course it has the infamous bookstore Powell's. But even better, the city also manages to produce a lot of inspirational travelers.

One of Portland's current traveling teams is Elicia Càrdenas and Andy McKerrow who are making their way by bike through South America. Starting in Northern Patagonia in early January and working their way down to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, Elicia and Andy are taking part in another great adventure to add to the list of global cycling pursuits. Back in Portland they work for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, so you know they are pretty cycle friendly.

You can follow their trip, with lots of pictures to spice up your gray winter days, on their blog sponsored by Wend Magazine.