It's a growing cycling fashion statement, a training tool, and an indicator of riding prowess. No, it's not the latest GPS device or power meter. It's stopping for red lights and stop signs. It's all the rage, and all the cool kids are doing it, from national championship winning bike racers to downhillers to commuters. What may have started as a countywide crackdown against red light runners is evolving into a habit that quickly differentiates between Marin locals and those passing through, the experienced and those trying to show off. The difference? The experienced, skilled crowd stops for…

The Marin cycling world is abuzz over the latest arrival on the local bike shop scene: Renovo Hardwood Bicycles. So what's all the fuss about? The wooden bikes on the roof rack atop a wood-paneled station wagon in front of the shop on Bridgeway in Sausalito provide the answer. Shop founder Ken Wheeler, along with his showroom partner, a party-colored Standard Poodle named Elwood, splits his time between Marin and his first shop in Portland, where his team of 10 build these artistically rendered creations by hand. With sloping top tubes and the same aggressive geometry you might expect on the …