If you're wondering just what a fixed-gear bike is, why the fascination and mystique with these splendid, simple machines, here's a great interactive feature from the New York Times, a series of short videos that show fixed gear bikes in the shop, at the track and on the street.

Video Link: Fixed-Gear Fascination

The Tour de France starts on Saturday. This is cycling's most famous race, 22 days and 2,200 miles of drama, excitement and unpredictable results. That's especially the case now with last year's winner, Alberto Contador and third-place finisher, Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer both out of the competition, and Tom Boonen, who won the green jersey as top sprinter in 2007 also getting the boot.

With the exit of that high profile trio, who should we look for in 2008? The immediate favorite would seem to be Cadel Evans, who captured second last year, just 23 seconds behind Contador in the overall standing. Carlos Sastre is another contender for the top Tour title, after taking fourth in last year's Tour de France and continued strong showings in races since, including a second place finish in the Vuelta a España. Past that, there's just a handful of other contenders, so it looks like the 2008 Tour de France is as open as it has ever been.

Any thoughts you have on the Tour de France? Any predictions for a winner not on the above list? Or do you even care about the Tour de France? Comment below.

Photo: Carlos Sestre by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images