Our last President was a cycling one:

Our current President is a cycling friendly one:

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a weekend bicyclist, might consider keeping his head down and his helmet on. A backlash is brewing over his new bicycling policy.

LaHood says the government is going to give bicycling – and walking, too – the same importance as automobiles in transportation planning and the selection of projects for federal money. The former Republican congressman quietly announced the “sea change” in transportation policy last month.

“This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized,” he wrote in his government blog.

As an avid cyclist, this is the kind of news that just makes me want to start dancing (something I never do). I spend a lot of time looking at maps and figuring out routes I can go on for nice day trips with my two wheeled friend. Just last month we received word that our local bike trail has finally been granted the federal funds to complete the final section. Not only does it put some people to work finishing it, but it helps promote healthier lifestyles. Spend a day biking along the river instead of in front of the television playing Playstation. Your heart and mind will thank you for it.

And since it is that time of year that my legs start getting their workout again, it must also be time to remind my readers of awesome ideas for a weekend getaway this summer. Try an overnight biking trip. You can get some great ideas from Adventure Cycling Association and it is the best form of health care reform there is. Also with our hard economic times, it is a much cheaper alternative to so many other vacations.