Weekend Links: Burbank Sunday Funday ride; Spokane police bend over backward to blame bike riding victim

Somehow, I left the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Sunday Funday ride off Friday’s list of coming bike events.

If you hurry, you may still be able to make it to the North Hollywood Red Line station in time for today’s ride exploring the hidden bowls of Burbank.

………

This is why police need better training in investigating bike collisions.

Spokane police bend over backwards to blame the victim when a 15-year old bike rider was killed in an apparent crash with a speeding patrol car.

Citing physical evidence, investigators concluded that the car never actually made contact with the victim. Instead, they say he went over the handlebars while — get this — attempting a wheelie a split second before the patrol car passed inches away.

Never mind that it’s far more likely that the victim fell while trying to avoid a collision with a police car racing to respond to an emergency.

Or that he was unlikely to go over the handlebars unless he was doing a wheelie on the wrong damn wheel.

………

Local

The east part of Venice Blvd is finally getting some, but not all, of the bike lanes promised in the 2010 bike lane.

Flying Pigeon interviews participants in the LACBC’s recent Operation Firefly bike light giveaway on North Figueroa.

Ciclavalley attends the first community meeting for the March CicLAvia.

The Times offers a nice remembrance of 106-year old Long Beach bike rider Octavio Orduño, who passed away earlier this month.

 

State

A Laguna Beach resident says it’s a great place to live, as long as you don’t want to walk or ride a bike.

The long delayed bike share is officially open in San Diego.

Now that’s something worth contributing to. San Diego’s Major Taylor Cycling Club is raising funds to get a blind tandem-riding cyclist back on his bike.

San Bernardino sheriff’s deputies allegedly shocked a Victorville bike rider with a Taser at least 25 times, then hog-tied face down in the back of a patrol car before he died in the 100 degree heat.

An alleged Santa Cruz hit-and-run driver turns himself in over a month after the collision that took the life of a bike rider — but only after police had identified him as a suspect. He reportedly tried to disguise his damaged truck to avoid detection.

Five cyclists are injured, one seriously, when a Mendocino County driver plows into them from behind with no warning; a photo of the aftermath shows the bikes strewn in a ditch. The 18-year old driver was later arrested on suspicion of DUI.

 

National

Eight ways last year was the year of bike fashion.

Sound familiar? Anchorage, Alaska has installed less than 1% of the bikeways promised in their 2010 bike plan.

Evidently, life is cheap in my hometown, as a 73-year old driver gets probation for fleeing the scene after right-hooking a cyclist.

Kidical Mass gains popularity in Gotham.

 

International

It’s nice that London cyclists get to see what it’s like to drive a truck. But it would be even better for the drivers to try riding a bike surrounded by big ass trucks with impatient drivers.

A Kiwi driver may learn the hard way not to post video of his own road-raging anti-bike tirade on Facebook.

Bikes come to Japanese actions figures.

 

Finally…

A bill in the Wyoming legislature would require cyclists to wear 200 square inches of reflective hi-viz; evidently, dark colored cars are still okay, though. A Manhattan bike map plots routes by degree of stress as measured by mindreading bike helmets.

And there is nothing quite so humiliating to Chinese workers as when their boss bikes to work.

 

6 comments

  1. I read the Spokane article, and assuming the description of the physical evidence in accurate it reads like the rider saw the speeding police vehicle and slammed on the front brake to keep from going into the path of the car causing an endo. If the description of the bike is accurate the car and bike never made contact. The big question is “Was the description of the physical evidence accurate?”

  2. paul herold says:

    A cyclist was hit by a motorcycle on RockStore Sunday and suffered a broken femur. The motorcyclist came around a bend to see the cyclist, who had already washed out, sliding towards him. He laid his bike down but was unable to avoid hitting the cyclist. Reportedly, the cyclist confirmed the motor biker’s story.

    Whenever there are wind events in the canyons, rocks and debris end up on the road surface. If you haven’t just climbed the hill, taking note of obstacles, descend with care.

  3. Rick says:

    Without a subsidy it says that you can borrow the bikes an unlimited amount of time for an hour each time, assuming you find one to grab.

    That is a good development! One hour between having to visit a rack and renew, riding along the coast etc. that could really rock.

    I also note that the claim of a daily rate is either absurdly missleading, like in the past, which I doubt, or just $15.

    That is also a fantastic deal for anyone riding to a date or whatever. Other customer’s of other systems have gotten gouged for under 24 hours continuous possesion. I sure hope this is something you can from the yet developed app opt into on the 29th minute despite having some other membership as well should you not think saving ten bucks is worth rushing back versus taking all night.

    “You can also buy a monthly membership for $30, which lets you keep the same bike for up to an hour without extra charges.

    These memberships require a three-month commitment. You can also buy a one-month membership for $50, or pay $5 for 30 minutes; $7 for an hour; or $15 for a day without a membership.” http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/jan/30/first-san-diego-bike-share-stations-open-business/

  4. Rick says:

    With kids in there mid 80’s I’m not sure you have to look much further to know who has taken, in there second childhood, not yours perhaps, your front tire.

    I am curious if he had a stationary bike to pedal on, denying him even that, with of course Google willing to give him a free gigabaud dish to have street-views clearer then if actually there anywhere stream by on a organic LED big-screen or Oculus, senior model, or as it seems to say, that after his trike’s front wheel kept him too close to home for lacking a hub motor it got stolen without it seems any opportunity for those of us not in our eighties nor afraid of our parents or grandparents or whatever to intervene.

    That was not nice.

    When you are half a decade beyond, beyond that, by years, from conception, a century, risking riding away from home, during daylight nonrush hour times is one thing more then anything else.

    A chance to be bait to spare someone else more years lost. Denying him such a hero’s death did not extend his life. THe “nice” obit to me clearly says it ended it, literally. (no nod to snapchat intended)

  5. Bike Pretty says:

    Thanks for adding my post to such an excellent link round-up. I always get sucked in to reading all the articles/

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