Tag Archive for Matt Ruscigno

Morning Links: New plant-based cookbook by LA nutritionist and bicyclist, scary NY vigilantes, and bike riders behaving badly

Anyone looking to improve their diet — or performance on their bike — could do a lot worse than the new plant-based sports nutrition book co-written by Los Angeles nutritionist and enduro-cyclist Matt Ruscigno.

Longtime BikinginLA readers will know Ruscigno as founder of LA’s legendary Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer hillclimb competition.

Correction: I originally identified this as a cookbook; thanks to Matt Ruscigno for setting me straight

………

A frightening assault in New York was compounded by an apparently uncaring cop.

A small, older woman on a bikeshare bike was physically detained, despite her repeated screams for help, by two large men in a massive black SUV who claimed she had somehow scratched it.

And the New York traffic officer who finally arrived was apparently fine with the vigilante detention. Even though the men could have been charged with kidnapping and assault.

And probably should have been.

………

In what’s becoming an annual event, yet another mountain biker has jumped over the Tour de France peloton.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes goes on… and on…and on…

A Seattle bicyclist posted a photo of the mark left on his thigh left by the driver who deliberately ran him off the road.

https://twitter.com/sejdevries/status/1151299527111917568

A road-raging British driver has been convicted assault by dangerous driving after getting out of his car to threaten a bicyclist, which was followed by a brake check, followed by slamming into the victim, breaking his pelvis, all despite the bike rider’s repeated attempts to get away.

Sometimes, though, it’s the people on bikes behaving badly.

Illinois police are looking for the adult male bike rider who stopped kids on a bike path, dropped his pants, and offered them money to change his diaper. Twice.

A bike-riding man stole a New Jersey boy’s unattended backpack while the kid was fishing a short distance away.

Former New York Rangers hockey player Sean Avery is continuing his one-man defense of the city’s bike lanes, posting obscenity-laced videos on Instagram that deservedly, but rudely, call out the delivery people who block them; he’s currently facing charges for smashing his scooter into a driver’s car.

A bike-raging Montreal rider is expected to face charges for smashing the windows of a bus with his bike lock because the driver was following his bicycle too closely.

Police in Halifax, Nova Scotia, are looking for a pair of men who yelled at a woman and slapped her in the face after catching up to her car at a stop sign, shortly after she had passed their bikes. Something tells me there’s more to this story. But still, just…don’t.

………

Local

Streetsblog looks at the new traffic diverters on Rosewood Ave that allow bike riders and pedestrians to cross La Brea Ave, while forcing drivers on Rosewood to turn right.

Officials responsible for revitalizing the upper part of the Los Angeles River went fishing for feedback on a proposal to connect the Verdugo Mountains and San Rafael Hills in Glendale in some vague, undefined way that could possibly involve a bike path or some other type of trail. Or not.

Google Maps will soon be able to show you, not only where bikeshare docks are located, but how many bikes are there, in 24 cities around the world — including Los Angeles.

UCLA parking meister Donald Shoup talks micromobility and e-scooter parking.

Mavic, the French bike component and equipment maker, is now owned by a Beverly Hills private equity firm.

Santa Monica has clipped Bird’s wings, cutting the number of scooters they’re allowed to deploy on the streets by a third in response to continued complaints and data anomalies.

One of the counter protesters at the recent small demonstration demanding the removal of the Broadway road diet in Long Beach was the CEO of the company hired to manage the city’s bikeshare program, who carried a sign saying road diets save lives — even though his car’s mirror was knocked off by a passing driver while parked on the street.

 

State

The OC Register profiles Tustin’s Geoff Frost, a butterfly gardener, pine cone jewelry designer, didgeridoo craftsman, and now, beekeeper. And when he’s not doing all that, he sidelines as the manager of the Path Bike Shop.

Santa Barbara police released photos of an alleged hit-and-run driver who injured a bike rider last month.

A Frazier Park woman suffered major injuries in a crash police are investigating as a hit-and-run, after she somehow came off her bike and crashed into a railing or the pavement.

A new study has identified San Jose’s most dangerous neighborhoods and intersections for car crashes.

Atlas Obscura offers an appreciation of San Francisco’s 400-foot Duboce Parkway Mural, an “ode to bicycling” painted by volunteers with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

 

National

Now you, too, can buy a numbered, limited edition version of Specialized’s new e-roadie for the low, low price of just $17,000. But at least it’s pretty, right?

Bicycling talks with YouTube’s bike pump playing musician.

People for Bikes announced the recipients of their latest round of small grants, most of which went to organizations in the South and Midwest; only one went to a group west of the Mississippi — and none in California.

A 69-year old Portland man had his $11,000 Colnago stolen in a strong-arm robbery when a pair of young men knocked him off his bike and into some bushes and made off with his bicycle; one of the alleged thieves was later caught on video riding it.

Colorado bike riders will face a 1.6-mile detour after a separated bikeway between Denver and Boulder was closed when a bridge collapsed due to the ground subsiding beneath it.

A San Antonio TX driver learns the hard way that it’s probably not the best idea to run over a bike cop’s bicycle while fleeing a simple traffic stop.

Yes, it really does happen. A Brooklyn bike rider was seriously injured when he suddenly cut across both lanes of traffic, and was hit by a driver traveling in the opposite direction in a crash caught on security cam.

Good question. Gothamist examines the psychology behind the hatred New York drivers and pedestrians have for bike riders, noting that despite the perceived danger, bike riders were involved in just 2% of pedestrian injuries and only one death in 2017, while New York drivers killed 106 people on foot.

New York’s Citi Bike bikeshare finally makes its way the Bronx, following years of criticism for catering to more upscale neighborhoods.

Bicycling injuries are up in eight of New York’s ten “safety priority” districts, sometimes by double digits.

There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole a Pennsylvania combat vet’s bicycle on his first day of work at a pizza joint; it was his only form of transportation. He turned down an offer of a car to replace it because he just doesn’t want one. Now that’s my kind of guy.

An Alabama bike co-op placed a ghost bike for a homeless man who may have been one of their customers.

An Atlanta woman and her husband have raised funds for a $5,000 reward after a hit-and-run driver ran her down from behind as they were riding their bikes in a marked bike lane, in a crash that was also caught on a security camera.

 

International

Another reminder that people in more enlightened countries can buy insurance to cover them and their bikes when they ride. Unlike the US, where you can only get collision insurance if you own a car. The main reason I’ve held onto my car this long is my reluctance to give up uninsured motorist coverage, which protects you on your bike, as well as your car.

Britain’s Countess of Wessex confessed to giving a male rider a complex about his butt, after she and another woman spent the better part of an hour staring at it on a 445-mile charity ride.

If you want to try riding your bike up the world’s steepest street, you’ll have to travel to Wales, where you’ll find a roadway offering a breathtaking 37.45% grade.

A new Aussie study confirms that active commutes like bicycling or walking can make you happier, and more productive at work.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cyclist looks at who are the winners and losers in the Tour de France so far.

It will cost you to watch the token women’s La Course by le Tour de France, which offers just a single day of circuit racing compared to three weeks for the men. But at least they offer matching prize money. Pro tip: Save your money and catch the free online streaming of next month’s Colorado Classic, which is now a top tier, four stage women’s race.

One of the champions at the recent USA Cycling Track National Championships in Carson once again was Cal Berkeley law professor Molly Van Houweling, who won the Elite Women’s Individual Pursuit.

 

Finally…

Seriously, don’t drop your bike to chase down an escaped goat. Your shredded bike tubes could come back as a fanny pack…uh, hip pack.

And the latest bike-themed music video goes a bit goth.

And strange.

Weekend Links: Free Breeze bikeshare pass, unfair bike traffic ticket, and anti-bike lane — and anti-bike — madness

As we’ve discussed before, Santa Monica’s Breeze bikeshare system officially kicks off with a grand opening ceremony this Thursday.

What we haven’t mentioned is that it’s free that day; just register online for a free one-day trial membership.

Breeze Email-ad-Final

………

Saw this post on Facebook from endurance cyclist, vegan nutritionist and organizer of Sunday’s Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer, Matt Ruscigno,

So I’m splitting lanes in heavy traffic on Melrose Blvd and I time a red light so I enter the intersection as soon as it turns green while maintaining my speed.

[police sirens]

LAPD: I’m pulling you over because you ran that red light.

Me: No I didn’t, I timed it perfectly.

LAPD: YOU RAN IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

Me: I may have rolled into the crosswalk but I had it timed. I watched. 
[takes ID, writes me a ticket]

LAPD: And you have to ride as far to the right as possible.

Me: I was passing, I’m allowed to do that.

LAPD: YOU MUST RIDE AS FAR TO THE RIGHT AS POSSIBLE.

Me: I was going around the cars in the right lane, safely.

LAPD: Don’t talk to me about safety- you shouldn’t have been doing that.

Me: Oh so I’m getting a ticket because you didn’t like I was splitting lanes and timed the light?

LAPD: I’M NOT ARGUING WITH YOU. YOU DON’T KNOW THE LAW.

Me: Actually, I do. And I was riding safely.

LAPD: You’re lucky I’m not giving you two tickets!

Me: I can pass right?

LAPD: Yes.

Me: [Ride away, splitting lanes, with a $400 ticket in my pocket]

Sad that some cops still don’t get it.

………

Today’s common theme is attacks on bike lanes and the people who ride them.

More anti-bike insanity from Coronado, as a writer says bike advocates need to learn from animal advocates. Except she thinks bicyclists a sense of entitlement rather than a legal right to the road, she doesn’t get that police don’t always get bike law right (see above), and she doesn’t have a clue how traffic safety works.

A British Columbia writer says bike lanes are a waste of money and bikes belong on the sidewalk. Oh, and bicyclists don’t pay for roads, taxes or insurance, either.

Apparently desperate for click bait, a UK paper offers one story saying cyclists are a menace and should be banned from the roads, and another saying motorists should ask for more bikes on the road instead of complaining about them. Meanwhile, a writer for Cycling Weekly deconstructs the former, calling it the most ridiculous anti-cycling column yet. Thanks to Mike Kim for the link.

The vitriol isn’t limited to road bikes, either. In a piece that reads like it belongs in The Onion, a Berkeley Ph.D. suggests we’re corrupting the youth of America through high school off-road racing, saying introducing children to mountain biking is criminal. Speaking of criminal, his hatred of mountain biking goes back to at least 1997; he was arrested in 2010, tried and convicted of assaulting a pair of riders with a hacksaw and slicing one on the chest. And his previous posts to a mountain bike forum were replaced with a Seussian Ode to a Usenet Kook (scroll to the bottom for the final entry). Thanks to Mark Ganzer and Patrick Traughber for the heads-up.

………

Local

The Amgen Tour of California will make a stop in South Pasadena on its way north.

CiclaValley discusses not riding Oat Mountain, the highest peak in the Santa Susana Mountains north of the San Fernando Valley, but his teammate Cameron Bond did.

Build traffic skills with a family friendly ride to Trader Joes followed by a picnic in Silver Lake Meadow on Sunday.

Find out where recently elected CD4 City Councilmember David Ryu stands on transportation issues when he discusses the LA Mobility Plan with LADOT GM Seleta Reynolds at the Autry Museum this Monday. Be sure to ask him why one of his first acts on the council was an attempt to exempt some streets in his district, including the long-promised 4th Street bike boulevard, from the plan.

This Thursday, Metro Chief Planning Officer Martha Welborne will discuss Metro’s regional planning vision at the the Transit Coalition Dinner Meeting, by registration only.

Santa Monica will host a free, full-day family bike festival on Sunday the 17th.

 

State

Seriously? Monterey’s annual Sea Otter classic will now offer e-bike races.

SFist says there’s a plague of bike thefts at San Francisco State University and college officials don’t seem to care.

Here’s a dream job for any bike advocate who doesn’t mind moving to the Bay Area. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is looking for a full-time Campaigns Director to “manage and direct the 44-year-old organization’s organizing, policy and political campaigns.” Then again, you probably can’t afford to live there, and you might have to become a Giants fan, which could be a deal breaker.

This is why people continue to die on our streets. A suspected drunk driver is arrested after a high-speed chase in Santa Rosa, despite having already lost his license after five previous DUI convictions and 12 license suspensions. Taking away the license doesn’t keep some of the most dangerous drivers off the roads; we’ve got to find another way to keep them from driving.

Despite appearances, that Redding cyclist who suffered major injuries when he was hit by an 88-year old driver wasn’t a transient; he was collecting recyclables to donate to his church. And friends say he wasn’t one to just turn in front of a car.

 

National

A new online bike marketplace promises that you won’t encourage bike theft by buying a stolen bike.

A new website maps out every one of the 373,377 traffic fatalities in the US from 2004 to 2013

Toyota is investing $1 billion in artificial intelligence in the US. Which is probably a good thing, since there seems to be so little of the real thing on our streets.

Seattle residents vote to tax themselves to build a 50-mile protected bike lane network, along with a 60-mile network of neighborhood greenways.

Disappointing, but not surprising, as popular Colorado-based pro cyclist Tom Danielson’s B sample comes back positive for an anabolic steroid.

A Wyoming cyclist won’t face charges for killing a decorated former military dog; he claimed he shot the dog with the handgun he keeps strapped to his bike after it attacked him.

Once again, a car has been used as a weapon, as a Houston man accuses another man of intentionally running him down as he rode his bike following a dispute, then jumping him and attempting to drown him.

A Cleveland cyclist was shot in the chest after being asked for a cigarette at 3 am.

A New York cyclist captures photos of law breaking drivers, while admitting that he doesn’t always follow the law himself; meanwhile, a barely recognizable Katy Perry takes a spin around the city on her Trek.

Good read from the New Yorker, which blames the seemingly never-ending conflict between bicyclists, drivers, and pedestrians on old-fashioned egocentricity.

 

International

Bloomberg looks at the next generation of bespoke bike builders.

A cyclist from Colorado has been found safe after being missing from a three day stage race across Costa Rica.

Canadian authorities are looking for a driver who drove over a cyclist’s leg, asked if he was okay, then just drove away.

A British road safety advocate calls for a left-handed equivalent to the Idaho stop law.

It’s three years in jail for the Brit mom of six who deliberately ran down an autistic bike rider following a dispute. With her kids in the car, no less.

A writer considers the lessons learned from a family bike tour in France, where he was accepted by more experienced riders with open handlebars. His term, not mine.

An Indian professor says bike riders are normalizing bicycling as a way of life, and recreational cycling in Mumbai should not be seen through the lens of class conflict.

 

Finally…

Caught on video: Nothing like reading a newspaper while driving. Nothing brings peace between cyclists and pedestrians like miso fries.

And meet the Cuban equivalent of LA’s Stupidtall bike.

 

Morning Links: Endorsing Ramsay and O’Grady in CD4; and a blind bike rider needs your help to regain his sight

Today is election day in LA, as well as several surrounding communities.

I’d planned to write about the candidates running for the seat Tom LaBonge is vacating in Monday’s post, until the untimely death of Alex Baum — and yes, even at 92, he left us far too soon — took precedence.

So let me just offer an endorsement of sorts for the two candidates I’d most like to see make it into a runoff.

But let’s be clear on one thing first. I’m basing my choice strictly on those who bothered to respond to the LACBC’s candidate survey and participate in the recent Liveable Streets candidate forum.

Simply put, if a candidate doesn’t care enough to ask for our support, he or she doesn’t deserve it.

Of the 14 candidates in the race, only six meet both criteria. And of those, I prefer Tomas O’Grady and Carolyn Ramsay, with Sheila Irani coming in a not-so-distant third.

Either of those two would make a great choice; ideally, both will survive to compete against one another for the seat in the June general election, ensuring bicyclists will have a strong voice to replace a very weak one from the district in City Hall.

Meanwhile, the Times endorses Irani, while the Daily News picks O’Grady and Teddy Davis. And the LA Weekly calls the race total toss-up; with 14 candidates, the top two may only need a few thousand votes each to advance to the runoff.

As for the races in other districts, I’ve previously announced my unqualified endorsement of incumbent Jose Huizar in CD14.

For other races in LA and surrounding communities, check out the Bike the Vote LA voter guide. And the Times offers the rest of their endorsements, which for the most part don’t take bikes into account.

………

LA cyclist and nutritionist Matt Ruscigno sends word of a friend of his who is still struggling to recover, physically and financially, from a devastating 2008 bike wreck that left him blind and with no sense of taste or smell. Mike Vincent is looking for donations to help pay massive medical bills and recover his sight.

………

Local

The Times addresses the death of Alex Baum, focusing primarily on his bike advocacy, while promising a more complete obituary to come. Meanwhile, Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers a great remembrance of a great man.

Downtown building owners are offering free bike rentals to tenants.

A woman and her Schwinn were rescued from the LA River by Pasadena firefighters.

KCET looks at LA’s recent literary ride.

Traffic is only going to get worse in WeHo unless the city retools its streets for the future, including bike lanes.

CLR Effect mourns the ghost of a poorly maintained bike lane.

 

State

The California State Association of Counties endorses road diets; let’s hope our local electeds are paying attention.

That proposed bike helmet bill could put a damper on San Diego’s new bike share program.

Once again, Tour de Fat will bypass LA; the nearest stop is in San Diego. Seriously, they can have their damn football team if they’ll just give us Tour de Fat back.

A Fresno cyclist is in critical condition after being hit by a car Monday afternoon; the out-of-control driver continued on to crash into a garage.

A cyclist in San Mateo County is killed in an apparent solo crash.

A Stanford blogger relates what it’s like to be hit by a car. Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

A San Francisco bike rider suffered life threatening injuries when he was hit by a car on Monday. Sheriffs deputies performed CPR for at least eight minutes until paramedics arrived; the victim was injured when the driver reportedly blew through a red light.

 

National

One third of all Americans over the age of three rode a bicycle last year; 57% of the 103.7 million US cyclists rode for recreation.

Hawaii police arrest one of their own for the on-duty hit-and-run crash that took the life of a Michigan bicyclist.

Once again, a bike rider saves the day, as an Alaska cyclist rescues a blind dog who had been lost for two weeks on -40 degree weather; he also turned the reward over to a local animal shelter.

Now that’s more like it, as a Casper WY man gets 12 to 16 years for the DUI death of a bike rider.

A 76-year old Texas man bikes 300 miles for Planned Parenthood.

It’s not that New York safety advocates want harsher penalties for killer drivers, as the NY Times says; it’s more like they want them to be charged at all.

No apology from a New York truck driver three years after the death of a cyclist. Then again, any good lawyer would tell his client not to apologize, as it could be seen as an admission of guilt.

 

International

The BBC profiles Britain’s Beryl Burton, arguably the country’s greatest female cyclist.

Sad to see racial animosity rear its ugly head in South African cycling, although I have no idea what it was that the country’s first international pro cyclist was called.

Aussie authorities reject calls to increase penalties for dooring in the wake of a cyclist killed after he was knocked into the path of a truck, while a writer calls for giving bicyclists greater rights on some roads.

A Brisbane man is fed up with rude bike riders after one leaves him lying injured on a pathway. Seriously, there’s no more excuse for a hit-and-run cyclist than there is for a hit-and-run driver.

A Vietnamese motorbike rider is killed escorting a women’s international bike race.

 

Finally…

Ford introduces two new e-bike prototypes that do not look like anything I would want to ride. I wonder if coating your bike in reflective sign paint would meet the state requirement for reflectors in all directions?

And repeat after me: If you’re carrying two meth pipes and a stolen credit card on the $2000 bike you allegedly stole, don’t hang out in front of a cop shop.