Buying a new bicycle may not seem like it requires quite the same deliberation that comes with purchasing a new car, however as any expert will tell you, not all bikes are created equal. Making a few basic decisions ahead of time such as what you'll primarily be needing the bike for and some of the features you'll require will help you narrow down your choices and keep you from spending a ton of money for features you really don't need or even know how to use. For example, you probably won't need to spend the money on a racing bike if you'll be using yours to commute to and from work most of the time.

Watch the video to learn more of the questions you should be asking yourself before purchasing a new bike. Happy riding!

» Video Jug

Yes, driving a car is convenient: Gas prices have gone down and you get where you want to go much more quickly. However if you calculate your carbon footprint for driving a vehicle (which you can do using the TerraPass calculator after the jump), you'll probably realize that this convenience is costing the earth - dearly. It makes sense after all: millions of cars on the road equals big impact on the environment.

You can reduce the amount of fuel emissions you generate this year by choosing to walk when and where you can. Going out for a quick carton of milk? Put on your coat and head to the nearest convenience store. Or add walking to your commute. If you're stuck at a desk every day and find yourself lamenting the lack of time you have to enjoy the outdoors, especially during warmer months, stick your work shoes in a bag, throw on a pair of running shoes and hightail it to the office in the morning. You'll not only be doing the eco-friendly thing, you'll get some fresh air and breeze past everyone stuck in rush-hour traffic.

If walking is absolutely not an option in these cases, consider taking public transportation or carpooling when running errands or going about your day.

» TerraPass

If the cost of gas has inspired you to start using your bike for your weekly grocery shopping trips or daily commute then this insulated bike cooler will serve you well. Obviously during warm months, it's difficult to keep meat and dairy cool on your way home from the supermarket or to keep your lunch from spoiling on th way to work under the hot sun. The cooler solves issues like these by making sure your food stays cold while allowing you to remain eco-friendly.

Bonus tip: try to find a previously-owned cooler like the creator of this project did. You'll not only save some money, but also prevent something else from going to a landfill.

Intro: Cooler Bike Cooler
An insulated bike cooler makes an excellent addition to a shopping or commuting bike. Or, I suppose, a drinkin' & partyin' bike.

Step 1: Prepare.
First you're going to need a bike, and a cooler. I found mine at the police auction for $2, and it's a great shape for this project. See what you have lying around or can find at garage sales.

To do this the way I did, you'll also need the following:

- one bike
- one cooler. I think this is what I used: http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/ecommerce/product.jhtml?prodId=HpdProd200006&catId=HpdCat190071
- one steel right-angle bracket
- an electric drill and various bits
- something to attach the cooler onto the frame: I used the kind of brass bracket that slide bolts (for doors) slide into: see http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=73299-1277-SP1271for example. You could also use the kind of copper bracket they use to hold copper pipes against the wall.
- various bolts, screws, and bits of chain
- you might find it useful to have zip ties to temporarily hold the cooler in place while you try it out.

Follow the jump to finish building this innovative bike accessory!

» Instructables

Britain is launching an ambitious program in hopes of inspiring commuters to choose bicycles over cars as their main means of transportation. The £100 million program will be dispersed among several "bicycle towns," with the majority being allocated to Bristol, deemed Britain's first official "cycling city."

Bristol, a city with over 400,000 residents in southwest England, is already hard at work deciding how to use the funds. Among their planned initiatives:

- Cycle "hubs" that allow riders to lock their bikes under cover, repair a tire puncture and even take a shower before heading into work.

- A bike-hire program similar to what one might see in Paris, where people can pay a £10 fee for a smartcard that will allow them to unlock bikes from stands at designated locations, travel where they need to go, then return the bike to another stand. The first half-hour would be at no charge, with an estimated £1 charge per hour after.

- Paths limited strictly to bicycles could soon link the suburbs to the city center and the number of school children receiving cycle training will jump from 1,100 to 2,000.

- Residents will be given the opportunity to haul their old, rusty, unused bikes out of permanent storage and donate them to the city. A team of mechanics will fix up the old bikes, which will then be given to those who can't afford to buy one.

- Dangerous road junctions that pose a threat to cyclists will be reconstructed to force drivers to slow down. Boxes will also be painted on the road at traffic lights to safely allow cyclists to maneuver through long lines of vehicles to the front where they are easily visible to drivers.

Bristol will receive £11.4 million from the program, but plans to spend £23 million over the next three years in hopes of doubling the amount of cycling activity in the city. In total, Britain's Department for Transport will allocate £47 million to various towns for similar cycling initiatives and each grant will be matched locally.

Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary,said: “A quarter of journeys made every day by car are less than two miles. Cycling could bring real health benefits to millions of adults and children as well as helping them save money and beat congestion.”

Not only does Ruth make a valid point about the health and financial benefits of cycling (especially with the cost of gas steadily going up), but it's also pretty darn good news from an environmental perspective as well. By removing possible obstacles (both literally and figuratively) from the paths of potential cyclists, the incentive to hop on two wheels is much greater. Now other countries need to sit up, pay attention and follow Britain's example!

» Times Online

As fuel prices rise and people look for ways to cut costs by using alternative transportation, make sure you aren't the victim of someone with kleptomaniac tendencies and keep your bike safe. With gas at over $4 per gallon, it may just be a little too tempting for someone with sticky fingers also looking to save some money. Watch the instructions below for ideas of how to protect your bike using the most effective tools and methods available.

» VideoJug

Listen up New York commuters: if you're usual mode of transportation is walking, cycling or dancing your way to work or play, Mayor Michael Bloomberg may have just made your day. Or rather three Saturdays this August when some of New York's streets will be eerily quiet, devoid of honking and other sounds typical of a car-filled, heavy-traffic area. Bloomberg has announced Summer Streets, an initiative taking place over the course of three Saturdays in August when a route running nearly seven miles from the Brooklyn Bridge, north to Park Avenue and the Upper East Side will be desginated as car-free.

Bloomberg and Janette Sadik-Khan, the city's transportation commissioner, hope alternative transportation such as walking and biking will be explored, and that the planned fitness, dance and yoga classes taking place on car-free roads will be taken advantage of to promote healthy lifestyle choices.

“It’s a new way to use a street, using it more as a park than as a thoroughfare,” said Paul Steely White, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group promoting walking, bicycling and mass transit that worked with the city to develop the car-free zone.

“Everyone around the world knows about Park Avenue as one of New York City’s most storied thoroughfares, and to turn that over to pedestrians and cyclists, even though it’s just for three consecutive Saturdays, I think that sends a very powerful message that the tide is turning so that bicyclists and pedestrians are on at least an equal footing with drivers.”

Bloomberg's announcement was naturally met with mixed reactions, the negative ones coming from business owners along the route who were unhappy about the possible interruption of deliveries and customers, both of whom typically show up via car. Bloomberg was quick to point out the smoking ban was also something business owners claimed would cause them to lose money, but ended up being successful. Meanwhile Sadik-Khan said plans were already in the works to handle the issue of access for residents, deliveries to businesses, as well as for emergency vehicles. Bloomberg is waiting to see the outcome of the experiment, but indicated if successful, it could be a possibility for the future.

“If it works, we’ll certainly consider doing it again,” Mr. Bloomberg said, at a news conference in the East Village on Lafayette Street, which will be included in the route. “If not, we won’t. But we have never been afraid to try new ideas, especially the ones that have the potential to improve the quality of life.”

New York is a city notorious for setting trends; maybe this is one green idea that will catch on and have other cities playing copycat!

» The New York Times