Some links for you - first of all, a great idea from Madison Wisconsin, the Trek Stop (found via the always readble Bicycle Design Blog).

you can stop by anytime to put air in your tires or buy basic small items like a tube, patch kit, water bottle, energy bar, chain lube, etc, out of the vending machine.

Even better, as the pictures show, the unit being trialled has a built in workstand, opening up further opportunities for en-commute fettling.

Secondly, how about some concept bikes from the Wired gadget blog?

I wouldn’t be queueing up to ride the square wheeled bike, although it seems that

…it would actually be ridable — on a highway that is surfaced with a series of inverted catenaries.

However, if that Pilen concept ever comes to market, I may well pick one up.

Lastly, and also on the theme of design (and from the Bicycle Design blog) here’s an interesting piece on design written by the designer of the Strida folding bike.