Morning Links: No bike hit-and-run on LA River path, and famed racing engineer killed riding his bike in Mojave

Just a brief follow-up to the recent story about a woman who was seriously injured in a collision with a cyclist on the LA River Bike Path in Elysian Valley.

Still no details to explain what happened. However, the LACBC’s Colin Bogart forwards word that the rider did in fact stop after the wreck and cooperated with the police in their investigation.

So this was not a case of two-wheeled hit-and-run, as had been implied in earlier reports.

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Sad news from Kern County, as longtime racing and sports car engineer Ron Mathis died Tuesday, a little over a month after he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle home from work in Mojave.

His cars won multiple victories at the Daytona 24 Hours, as well as two podium finishes at Le Mans. I’m told he also partnered on a car that won a $10 million Progressive XPrize for building a lightweight 100 mph car.

A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $14,000 to help defray his medical expenses.

Thanks to Michael Hart of Racers Who Ride for the heads-up.

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A 19-year old woman is in critical condition after her bike was rear-ended by the driver of a pickup in Torrance Wednesday night; the driver was arrested on suspicion of driving while stoned.

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Now these are some pretty good Barcelona bike stunts.

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CyclingTips offers some great photos of America’s only remaining Tour de France winner from the new book Greg LeMond: Yellow Jersey Racer.

VeloNews gives retiring cycling great Evelyn Stevens her exit interview.

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Local

Yet another closure of the LA River Bike Path, as the section between Gilroy Street and Riverside Drive will be shut down until next March.

CiclaValley asks for your vote to support Measure M to help make this a more livable city for everyone, regardless of age.

It may finally be easier to get your bike onto the Expo Line, as trains will now run every six minutes.

The candidates for Santa Monica city council talk traffic, but only two of the ten even mention bicycles, while another touches on alternative transportation.

A Long Beach councilwoman has called a special meeting for next Tuesday to discuss a planned road diet on Ocean Blvd, in the face of unexpected opposition.

Long Beach announces events and activities planned for next month’s Beach Streets ciclovía.

 

State

A San Diego bicyclist was seriously injured when he was hit by an SUV in Mission Bay Park; the rider was making a left turn when he swerved in front of the oncoming vehicle, which police say had the right-of-way.

The Bay Area Bike Share system brings greater equity to bikeshare by reducing their first year annual membership to just five dollars for low income people, while allowing them to pay in cash instead of credit cards.

 

National

Interesting idea. A new taillight raising funds on Kickstarter includes a built-in radar to announce your presence to cars with collision avoidance systems.

Chinese electronics giant LeEco is bringing what they call the world’s first super bike to the US. The 30-speed bike with built-in lighting comes complete with an Android touchscreen and fingerprint scanner; no word on US prices yet. Thanks to Adam Ginsburgh for the tip.

Now that’s something to look forward to. A 100-year old Memphis bridge spanning the Mississippi River will be converted to a bike bridge, a key link in a planned bikeway running from Memphis to New Orleans. With any luck, I’ll be the first one in line with my bike when it opens; thanks to Bob Young for the link.

New York hit-and-run drivers are getting away with murder. Meanwhile, a cyclist in the city describes what it’s like to be the victim of one.

Sometimes, doing the right thing turns out wrong; a Philadelphia bike rider was shot when he tried to stop an armed robbery; he’s expected to survive despite being shot four or five times. Meanwhile, an 18-year old bike rider was fatally gunned down following an argument, and another man was seen walking off with his bicycle afterwards.

Caught on video: A Virginia driver decides to get around traffic by using a bike path.

You still can’t wear your clown mask in public in Virginia, but at least you can ride wearing a balaclava now.

Top Miami chefs come together to hold a benefit for a cyclist who’s fighting his way back after five-month coma following a traffic collision.

 

International

So much for thinking we know why bikes stay upright.

Belize cycling champ Marlon Castillo pled guilty to a reduced charge of causing death by careless conduct in the 2011 death of fellow cyclist Ariel Rosado in a traffic collision.

As Toronto builds more and safer bike lanes, support goes up among the general public; 70% of the Toronto residents now support bike lanes, with just 22% opposed.

A driver on Prince Edward Island insists that modern bike riders ride wherever the hell they want, jumping from one side of the road to another, then onto the sidewalk and through the crosswalk against the light.

High-end Italian bike maker Pinarello could be going the Rodeo Drive route.

A road raging Brit driver ran down a bike rider, knocking him into a tree and leaving him with serious injuries after he confronted her for using a cellphone behind the wheel.

A Chinese bikeshare system introduces a lighter, flat-proof, solar GPS-enabled bike that will rent for half the price of their earlier bikes.

 

Finally…

Either there are a lot of cyclists out there, or we’re not the only ones who shave their legs. If you’re carrying a sawed-off rifle in your purse; don’t ride your bike in an illegal and unsafe manner.

And if you’re going to ride drunk, try not to fall over after nearly crashing into a state trooper’s patrol car.

 

One comment

  1. Here is an interesting video of my son riding his twenty inch around Los Angeles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-H9BW_DQPc

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