Morning Links: LA Weekly profiles bike stars, ongoing Bray-Ali saga, and help a 15-year old girl with Ride 2 Recovery

The LA Weekly has released their 2017 People Issue, including profiles of CicLAvia chief strategist Tafari Bayne, and bike-punk band leader and lowrider bike builder Gnarly Charly.

And apparently, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend actress Rachel Bloom is a magnet for drunk bike riders.

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More in the ongoing Joe Bray-Ali story, as he vows to stay in the race despite a call from the LA Democratic Party, which was already supporting incumbent Gil Cedillo, to drop out of the race.

KCRW talks with Bray-Ali about his comments and campaign, while KPCC says the skeletons that are no longer in his closet aren’t likely to help his campaign.

And a veterans group also calls for him to step down, after an old post in which he opposes a constitution amendment to ban flag burning was taken out of context.

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Help 15-year old Michelle Morlock support injured vets and raise funds for Ride 2 Recovery with a fundraising dinner at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank on Friday. Or you can click here to donate directly to her fundraising efforts.

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The organizers of the Giro d’Italia have backed off on plans for a new descent competition that riders called life-threatening. Meanwhile, Vincenzo Nibali will be riding the Giro on a gold-inlaid bike.

A former British soccer star will lead a team of cyclists riding the routes of all three Grand Tours — the Giro, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana — one day ahead of the pros, covering over 6,500 miles in 63 days.

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Local

An editorial in the LA Times calls on city officials to fight for more access to Griffith Park and the Hollywood Sign, not less.

Fast Company says LA’s Vision Zero map shows you what streets to avoid on your bike commute.

CiclaValley recommends coming out to the BMX Bike Show and Swap Meet at the Valley Relics Museum this Sunday.

Culver City gets its first green turn lane for bicycles.

Santa Clarita sheriff’s deputies are looking for the owner of a red and white Bianchi Via Nirone. But not the one in the picture, evidently.

Long Beach will celebrate Bike Month throughout May, including a new lower fare structure for the city’s bikeshare program.

 

State

A writer for the Orange County Register says be mindful when riding on the Aliso and Wood Canyon wilderness park trails. And if you see a snake, stay away from it.

Your next ride on the Santa Ana River trail through Colton could be a little burnt.

The proposed 50-mile CV Link bike path gets a lot of love from the Palm Springs city council, except for the mayor.

A local man has started a bike drive for Conejo Valley High School students, some of whom walk over three miles to get to class.

Sad news from Fresno, where a bike rider was killed in a hit-and-run early Wednesday morning.

The carnage continues in NorCal, as a 16-year old San Lorenzo honor student was killed by a train while riding to school.

San Francisco votes to move forward with a protected bike lane on Market Street, despite concerns from the fire department that it will make it harder to respond to calls.

Cupertino is moving forward with plans to build a number of bicycle boulevards throughout the city. Unlike Los Angeles, which has apparently abandoned plans to build the network of Bicycle Friendly Streets called for in the all but forgotten bike plan.

Berkeley adopts a “visionary” $62.5 million bike plan connecting the entire city.

 

National

The Wall Street Journal says BMX bikes are getting kids back on two wheels, even if that means popping wheelies and riding on freeways.

An Anchorage AK program to get 7th grade girls bicycling suffers a serious setback when half of their bikes are stolen.

The Colorado legislature has voted to ban truck drivers from rolling coal. Which was already illegal under federal law, but it’s still a step in the right direction.

AAA will now come to your rescue if you have a problem with your bike in Wisconsin and Georgia. SoCal, not so much.

There’s a special place in hell for anyone who’d steal a bike from an 11-year old Ohio boy at knifepoint.

A Florida sheriff takes the blame for damaging three vehicles when his bike fell off his car on an Interstate highway.

 

International

Cycling Weekly asks if technology helps cycling or gets in the way of enjoyment. Yes.

A Brazilian man’s effort to set a new world record for the longest bike journey has been put on hold after his bike was stolen while he took a nap in Veracruz, Mexico; he was just 6,200 miles short of his 310,000 mile goal after being on the road for the last 18 years.

A Brit radio host says arguing against bicycling is arguing in favor of death from health problems, adding that cycling will make London a “cleaner, greener, more pleasant place.”

British multiple gold medal winning Paralympian Sarah Storey relishes her new role as a bike policy advocate because she wants her children to be able to ride safely when they grow up.

English drivers are warned that the bicyclist they pass on the road could be a cop filming them for passing too close.

A nearly 500-mile Middle East Peace Tour will take amateur riders through Jordon, Egypt, Israel and Palestine.

I want to be like him when I grow up. Eighty-five year old Kiwi cyclist Peter Grandiek is still setting records at the World Master Games.

 

Finally…

Caught on video: In case you were wondering why some drivers hate us. Now you, too, can have a heads-up display just like a jet pilot.

And no, spin class is not the same as riding outside.

Oh, hell no.

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Thanks to John P. Lynch for his generous donation to support this site

4 comments

  1. Mark says:

    Sorry to hijack this thread, but I do not know of another way to contact you.

    Do you have stats on the number of cyclists killed by drunk drivers in the U.S by year? Any data would be helpful. If not, thanks anyways.
    I can find alcohol related bicycling fatalities on the net, but its always lumped in with alcohol impaired bicyclists as well, and with no way to differentiate the two.

    I write bike safety articles on a FB group.

    Mark

  2. Melissa says:

    The bit at the end about spin class made me laugh since I just today shared a video on my club’s Facebook page promoting outdoor riding over the indoor variety. It’s intended somewhat humorously, since many of our club members do enjoy spin classes in the winter. Not sure if links work in comments here… If You’re Gonna Ride video

  3. Ralph says:

    I like it when people who are paid to enforce codes want to enforce non-existent codes. SFFD. They want more room on the roads for ever bigger trucks. Fire department vehicles have been following the old Detroit mantra of bigger for next year. Perhaps they need to rethink how they want to fight fires in the buildings. After a certain height you can’t use a ladder truck to get there.

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