There's no photo-finish in determining the largest bicycle-making nation on Earth. China wins by a huge margin with 87 million bicycles produced last year, about two-thirds of all bikes made.

That's nearly a three-fold increase in the past decade, notes the Financial Times. In fact, it's the only country among top bicycle producers to see any increase in that period, according to figures compiled by Earth Policy Institute.

The biggest fall came in the United States, where production dropped from 6 million in 1997 to 300,000 in 2007. But the good news is that a cadre of small companies with a handful of employees continue to make handcrafted bicycles in the U.S. ...   more »

It's always a good idea to support your local bike shop, but that's especially the case now.

Bicycle shops that were flying high over the summer when gasoline was $4 a gallon are now struggling as petrol prices drop and the economy heads south.

When you shop, maybe you can find a good deal at a discount store, but what will happen when you need to find someone to tune-up or repair your bicycle and all the small bike shops have closed?

I'd been thinking about the case of a New Haven bike shop owner who had to close one of his stores when I received an email from Mike, the blogger over at bicyclespokesman.com. He said he's trying to start a campaign among cyclists to support their local bicycle shops this holiday season. ...   more »