I'm not sure excitement over Bay State Bike Week will change my commute, but I'm contemplating taking the T in today.  Because the problem with encouraging more bicycle commuting before you've got adequate infrastructure in place for it is it may end up having the opposite of the intended effect.  Add to that that there are plenty of Massholes among the ranks of cyclists, too, and Bike Week in Boston is a recipe for anarchy.

And if the lack of infrastructure and Massholes on bikes aren't discouraging enough for armchair cycling advocates, the headwind will eventually scatter them.  Anyone who has done any amount of cycling around town will have noticed that there is always a headwind, regardless of which way you're headed, and regardless of the weather when you get off your bike.

Still, some will persevere, drawn to the silky touch of spandex on their naked flesh, the strangely erotic feel of the bicycle seat between their chafing thighs, or the look of a mean pair of wrap-around shades.  Some will relish the feeling of omnipotence when shouting down oblivious pedestrians, or the sense of superiority that comes with a peevish "On your left!" as they fly past the slowpokes. 

When people think of cycling these days, they think green.  And the idea is that people who care about the environment must care about each other, too, right?  Green is good!  The green guys are the good guys, right?  Right?  Well, I got news for ya.  A cycling city is a greener city, but cycling doesn't change human nature or the dynamics of human interaction.  It's really just another mode of transportation which even Massholes can master.

Still, I applaud the city's move toward giving them the option of taking their rage to the bike paths, where maybe that headwind will humble them a little.