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Following yesterday's story about the Hyperglide v Powerglide patent infringement case in Germany - won by Shimano - SRAM has issued a press statement from America saying the ruling applies only to Germany, and that the company will be appealing the decision and that Shimano "has not been consistent in what they say to patent authorities around the world."

Hyperglide has bested Powerglide. The case was decided in Shimano's favour last week at a district court in Munich. SRAM can no longer market its Powerglide II brand cassettes (sold under the 5.0 and 7.0 trademarks) in Germany, even if SRAM exercises its right to appeal the decision because Shimano intends to secure a deposit to enforce its patent rights.

On June 13th, Bank One Corporation, America's sixth largest bank, donated 208 bike racks to the City of Chicago. In 2000, the Bank of Scotland paid for hundreds of fancy mileposts on the UK's National Cycle Network. What more could be done to lever further pro-bike cash out of banks, and other corporations?

And it's interactive at clifbar.com, with consumers voting for who they think is the best grafter on the US Postal Service team at this year's Tour de France. Last year the 'Beyond the Podium Award' went to Roberto Heras. It's a neat move by Clif Bar, guaranteeing odd snippets of coverage for a relatively modest outlay compared to the big bucks spent by PowerBar, the official Le Tour energy bar.

The event takes place in Bike Week each year and usually gets a brief mention in the mainstream press. This year, however, it's not just about 'aren't-bikes-great?', members of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group are encouraging everyone to reduce their weight, and their cancer risk, through cycling.