East LA bike rider suffers serious injuries as driver runs away, and arraignment postponed for OC e-motorcycle mom

May 13, 2026 / / No comments

A bike rider suffered serious injuries in an East LA collision Monday night, as a driver hit multiple vehicles as well as the victim’s bike.

The driver fled the scene on foot afterwards, literally running away.

The crash occurred at 10:30 pm in the 5300 block of Whittier Blvd, near Amalia Ave.

A photo taken after the crash shows the victim’s mangled bike resting on the curb, with the seat and handlebars snapped off the frame.

There’s no description of the victim or the suspect at this time.

Unfortunately, this occurred outside the City of Los Angeles in LA County, so the city’s standing hit-and-run reward doesn’t apply.

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An Aliso Viejo mom’s arraignment was postponed until next month, as she made her first court appearance yesterday.

Tommi Jo Mejer is charged with involuntary manslaughter, with prosecutors attempting to hold her responsible for her 14-year-old son crashing his illegal e-moto into an 81-year old man in Lake Forest last month.

Vietnam vet Ed Ashman died two weeks after he was struck on April 16th.

Prosecutors allege the 51-year old mother was repeatedly warned by police that her son was riding his illegal Surron e-motorcycle in a dangerously irresponsible manner.

He was reportedly popping wheelies when he crashed into Ashman, then fled the scene afterwards.

According to ABC-7,

“We have her on body-worn camera talking about and understanding the dangers and the illegality of this particular vehicle,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a recent interview with Eyewitness News. “I’m charging the mother because she provided the motorcycle, she was aware of it, she was warned on a prior occasion that this was a dangerous vehicle that her son could not legally possess, and certainly couldn’t ride. And, irrespective of those admonitions and warnings, she continued to allow him to do so.”

Mejer faces additional felony counts of child endangerment and being an accessory after the fact, along with misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and providing false information to a peace officer, as well as an infraction for permitting an unlicensed minor to drive a motor vehicle.

She faces a maximum sentence of seven years and eight months in state prison if convicted on all counts. There’s no word on what charges her minor son may face, if any.

Mejer was released on $100,000 bond, with her arraignment rescheduled for June 30th.

A crowdfunding campaign to help pay Ashman’s medical expenses has raised over $120,000.

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Santa Monica Spoke is hosting a Handlebar Happy Hour for Bike to Work Day tomorrow.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

A longtime Glendale resident complains about bike lanes on La Crescenta Ave, hitting nearly every note in the standard roster of bike lane complaints, from the bike lanes are empty to the majority of residents oppose them. Which actually translates to some of the people he knows opposes them, unless he somehow took a poll of all the city’s residents, or at least everyone he knows.

An English city spent the equivalent of $3.65 million to rip out a bike lane they already spent the equivalent of $2.3 million to build — which means they spent nearly $6 million building and removing it, but at least traffic is “running smoothly” now. Apparently unlike whatever it was doing before all that.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

The mayor of Girona, Spain ordered the police to investigate video of a bicyclist riding down the 400-year old stairs of the Pujada de Sant Domènec, one of the most recognizable points of the Old City, complaining that some bike tourists “disdain the city’s heritage and use it to show off.” Seriously, don’t do that.

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Local 

Los Angeles Public Press profiles the candidates to replace Bob Blumenfield in LA’s 3rd Council District.

 

State

This is who we share the road with. The victim of last week’s e-moto crash in Garden Grove has been identified as a 13-year old Garden Grove boy; he was riding a non-street legal electric dirt bike when he hit the center divider at 35 mph, while wearing a regular bike helmet instead of a motorcycle helmet. Never mind that he couldn’t legally ride the bike to begin with.

Thanks to David for forwarding more news about Porsche shutting down the carmaker’s four-year old ebike division, as well as software and vehicle infotainment subsidiaries, including the company’s store in Costa Mesa’s South Coast Plaza.

Tijuana is working with US Customs and Border Protection over a proposal to build a binational bike path connecting the Mexico city with Imperial Beach.

Bad news from San Luis Obispo, where a 12-year old ebike rider was flown to a trauma center after being struck by a driver last week, and is in stable condition following several surgeries; the kid was not wearing the bike helmet required under state law. A photo shows what appears to be a crumpled ped-assist ebike in the middle of the street. Or at least it had pedals, anyway. 

Good question. A local San Francisco website examines the candidates for the city’s 2nd Supervisor District, asking them “Where should bike lanes go?”.

 

National

AARP reports that head injuries are rising among older people, corresponding with the use of shared ebikes, e-scooters and bicycles. Although they should know that correlation does not imply causation. 

Today is Bike Everywhere Day in Seattle. Or as it’s known in Los Angeles, Wednesday. 

A pair of East Idaho motorcycle clubs are giving away a trailer-full of kid’s bikes on a first come, first served basis.

Wisconsin is planning to announce a 900-mile gravel bike network next month,  taking advantage of existing farm roads and trails paved with the state’s red granite.

Bike to Work Week is taking on added meaning in West Michigan this year, as gas prices make driving more expensive, while rising gas prices have driven some drivers in New Haven, Connecticut into trading their cars for bicycles.

 

International

Police in the UK found the body of a man in a ditch, five days after the 62-year old father was reported missing; police are still looking for his missing bicycle.

A council member in Gqeberha, South Africa warned bicyclists to be vigilant and not ride alone on the beachfront, following violent attacks by thieves; however, police were unable to confirm the reports. Bonus points if you can pronounce the city’s name without looking it up, because I sure as hell couldn’t. 

Heartbreaking news from India, where a woman’s family carried her body to the police station on the back of a bicycle, her bare feet dangling from a shroud, as they allege police failed to arrest the suspect in her murder after she clashed with neighbors over a construction project; her sister-in-law was also hospitalized with serious injuries.

 

Competitive Cycling

Members of the Canadian women’s track squad are reportedly indignant over the decision not to compete in the women’s team pursuit at this fall’s Track World Championships in Shanghai, China, or qualifying for the ’28 LA Olympics, describing it as “gut wrenching and infuriating.”

Italian cyclist Giulio Ciccone took the leader’s maglia rosa in the Giro, aka pink jersey, “if only for a day or a night.”

Don’t bother booking your reservations for the women’s Tour de Romandie in Switzerland this month, after the race was cancelled due to a lack of sponsors and “event overload.” Whatever the hell that means.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you have to steal your own bike back. Mr. Loophole says bike riders should wear helmets, just like drivers do.

And why ride a bike when you can play it?

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Driver asleep at the wheel in mass bike crash, criticizing criticism of criticizing reporters, and quitting bicycling because of bike rage

May 12, 2026 / / No comments

I guess that makes it okay then.

The Florida Highway Patrol says the pickup driver who plowed into a group ride in Deland was “asleep or fatigued,” at the time of the crash, which left three of the victims in the hospital awaiting surgery for potentially “life-changing” injuries.

After all, what possible option could someone have when they’re too tired to operate their vehicle safely?

It’s not like they could, you know, just not drive or something.

And if plowing through eight people on bicycles like they were bowling pins is the cost of people carrying out their God-given right to drive no matter what condition they’re in, we just have to accept that.

Right?

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He gets it.

A Pacific Beach resident offers an “unsolicited response” to a recent piece in one of San Diego’s least bike-friendly publications criticizing the criticism of journalists for their reporting on bicycle crashes, and saying bike riders should just “try safety first.”

In it, Paul C. LeBlanc argues that her central premise is off the mark.

The author contends that, rather than “lecturing reporters on how to do our jobs,” attention should be directed toward instructing cyclists to safeguard their own lives. That framing invites a more fundamental question: are journalists not themselves subject to critique? Thoughtful scrutiny of language and framing is not an affront to journalism; it is one of its necessary companions. Reporting, particularly on matters of public safety, carries an obligation to be precise, neutral, and grounded in evidence. To question how incidents are described is not to lecture, but to engage.

This discussion is not about absolving cyclists of responsibility. Cyclists, like motorists, are bound by traffic laws. Rather, it concerns the implications of language that may assign fault before facts are established. Words matter. They shape perception, and perception often precedes understanding. Precision, therefore, is not a luxury in reporting; it is its discipline.

LeBlanc goes on to make the argument that roadway design can have a significant influence on collisions, bike and otherwise. And that “sensible policy addresses conditions, not merely conduct.”

It’s worth reading the whole thing.

Because he makes a very good case that how articles about bicycling are framed makes a big difference.

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Seriously?

A columnist for The Times of London says it’s not getting older that’s put him off bicycling, it’s the risk of unpleasant interactions with other bike riders.

Being 61 rather than 31 was the least of my reasons for quitting. The main factor was other cyclists. They made me feel unsafe and ashamed. I loathe their aggression and their entitlement. Many cyclists now behave as monstrously as the worst road-rage motorists, as if the rules don’t apply to them and the whole road (plus the pavement) should give them priority. Now I prefer a combination of train, bus and my own two feet. Once a bicycle evangelical, I’m now an apostate, like those people who were fans of Wham! or the Human League, but only their early stuff, before they got popular…

The anger and arrogance is extraordinary. Cyclists used to be mild-mannered hippies. Now they’re often foaming-at-the-mouth bullies, not caring who or what is in their path. Or they’re sneaky GoPro provocateurs, looking to film reactions incited by their own crazy manoeuvres. Then there are the Just Stop Oil zealots, bursting with self-righteous fury, deliberately holding up traffic by sticking to the middle of the road.

Because people never get into disputes with other people on buses or when walking or anything.

I’ve had my life threatened when bicycling, walking, riding a bus and writing this blog. But oddly, never by someone else on a bicycle.

In fact, I’ve had far more pleasant interactions with other bicyclists and pedestrians than otherwise. That even goes for drivers, too.

It’s just that we’re hardwired to remember the unpleasant interactions, which get replayed over and over in our minds, while the friendly ones slip into the mists of time.

So if he doesn’t want to ride a bicycle anymore, that’s his choice. But don’t paint all of us with the same dirty brush.

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Streets For All is urging you to contact your legislators to oppose a bill that could outlaw a number of currently legal ebikes.

Sacramento is moving fast on e-bikes, and one bill could do serious damage.

AB 1557, currently advancing through the Assembly, would outlaw thousands of e-bikes that meet legal standards across the country — including cargo bikes and shared mobility services (like Baywheels and Lime) that San Franciscans (and Angelenos) depend on every day.

This legislation isn’t a solution to a real problem. A report from December 2025, required by a bill we supported, found that the vast majority of e-bike injuries and fatalities are caused by illegal high-powered e-motos, not legal e-bikes. The evidence points clearly to one fix: crack down on illegal devices and invest in protected infrastructure.

But AB 1557 does the opposite. It punishes legal riders, burdens the e-bike industry, and does nothing to address the actual danger on our streets.

Eight e-bike bills are moving through the legislature right now. Some are smart, but AB 1557 is not — and it needs to be stopped.

Streets For All is fighting back. Take 60 seconds to use our tool and contact your legislator today.

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Calbike is hosting a webinar on May 27th to discuss their 2030 strategic plan.

Hello friend –  I invite you to join me, CalBike Executive Director Kendra Ramsey, and members of the Board of Directors for A Future Full of Bicycles: CalBike’s Strategic Plan for 2030, a coalition webinar at noon on May 27 about the work ahead. Register now.

We will dive into CalBike’s 2030 Strategic Plan is a roadmap for the next chapter of bicycle advocacy in California: safer streets, stronger local movements, long-term funding, and a broader coalition for change. Leadership will share where CalBike is headed, what we believe this moment requires, and how our coalition can move together toward a California where bicycling is safe, joyful, and possible for everyone.

Together, we will take a look at our main priorities through 2030:

– Priority 1: Create a built environment where biking and walking are safe and accessible choices in all communities
– Priority 2. Secure long-term active transportation funding to support the mode shift required to meet California’s climate goals
– Priority 3. Strengthen the power of the active transportation movement in California
– Priority 4. Elect bike champions to public office and work in partnership with them to create a policy landscape that prioritizes bicycling
– Priority 5. Strengthen CalBike

As we often say, the most important word in our name is “Coalition” that means you, friend. So please, bring your questions about what we can do together to create a future full of bicycles.

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OB Cycler offers a visual reminder that it’s not always the person on the bike who’s at fault when a pedestrian gets hit.

Bluesky post

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

It’s happened again. A road-raging driver drove up on a Lewiston, Maine sidewalk to intentionally ram a man riding a bicycle following an altercation; fortunately, the victim was not seriously injured.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

It’s happened again, again. A mob of teen “ebike” riders violently attacked a Huntington Beach man riding an e-scooter on a date night with his wife, apparently because he asked them to slow down, or maybe just because he tried to navigate through a few hundred teens hanging out on the beach and boardwalk. Although judging by the photos, those ebikes look more like illegal e-motos and dirt bikes; hopefully, they can find the attackers, who should be held accountable legally and civilly.

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Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton reports that Los Angeles has resumed street repaving, rather than just “large asphalt repair,” but apparently nothing large enough to trigger the requirements of Measure HLA, leaving “Angelenos on track for failing bumpy unsafe roads for years ahead.”

This is where your bike or other stuff ends up if you leave it on an LA Metro bus or train.

 

State

A correction to yesterday’s story, as Amazon voluntarily removes “hooligan” ebikes from their website in California, banning anything in the state that travel faster than 28 mph, rather that 40 mph as we said yesterday.

When a bobcat is catnapping on a California bike park, you might want to find another place to ride. Just saying.

A 12-year old San Diego boy remains in a medically induced coma, more than a week after he was struck by a driver while riding an ebike, and his helmet came off when he struck the car’s windshield.

Le Mesa moves forward with a ban on ebike use for kids 11 and under.

A Palm Springs active transportation subcommittee considers a number of bicycle and pedestrian issues, from downtown wayfinding to a proposed bidirectional bike lane.

A Santa Barbara writer says a Vespa and an out-of-class ebike pose the same risks, but only one requires a license and registration. Except the real difference is that one is street legal, and the other isn’t.

Sad news from Woodside, where a 75-year old man died ten days after he was struck by a driver while riding a bicycle.

 

National

Momentum reminds CNN that there are other ways to commute besides driving, as gas prices continue to rise due to Trump’s little “excursion” in Iran.

The rich get richer. My Platinum level bike-friendly Colorado hometown continues to make improvements for bicycles, on streets I used to ride and streets that didn’t exist when I was a kid. I was also today years old when I learned there’s something called a “Michigan turn.”

A writer for Cycling West recalls bike touring through Yellowstone last September.

Sad news from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where a local website writes in remembrance of a kindhearted local bike advocate who refurbished and gave away hundreds, or possibly thousands, of bicycles; ironically, he had stopped by the website’s offices last week to remind them of Bike Month events, including next week’s Ride of Silence.

Baltimore will build 17 miles of new bike lanes over the next three years, which will put the city over the 300 mile mark. Although it doesn’t say whether those are centerline miles or lane miles, which would count each side of the road separately, resulting in half the amount of actual roadway.

 

International

Cycling News examines how seriously professional bike racing is taking sustainability. But you’ll have to be a member if you want to know the answer, because apparently it’s a secret. 

A German website explains what’s true or false about seven “bicycling myths.” Surprisingly, none of the myths turn out to be true. 

Collisions involving bicyclists and e-scooter users set a record high in Prague, Czech Republic last year, as the city failed to invest in bike infrastructure.

 

Competitive Cycling

Tejay Van Garderen says fellow former American pro cyclist Taylor Phinney can win gold in the ’28 Los Angeles Olympics at what will then be the ripe old age of 37, because Phinney “doesn’t do anything if he’s not ready to give it 100%.”

Canada pulls the plug on its women’s team pursuit squad due to a a lack of funding and fears they won’t be competitive in time for the ’28 Olympics, although the men’s squad will go on.

 

Finally…

That feeling when a favorite actor stars in a competitive bicycling psychological thriller in his “slutty little bike shorts.” Bike polo has gone international.

And that feeling when a collision leaves your motorcycle dangling from a traffic light.

I know it has nothing to do with bicycles.

But still.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Man riding bicycle killed in Santa Ana collision Sunday afternoon; cops blame victim for not riding in nonexistent crosswalk

May 11, 2026 / / One comment

You’ve got to be kidding.

Someone was killed riding a bicycle in Santa Ana early Sunday afternoon. And the local cops were quick to show they don’t seem to understand bike law.

According to multiple reports, the victim was struck by a driver traveling south on Fairview Street while crossing Fairview at 12th Street around 12:09 pm Sunday.

The victim, identified only as an adult male, died at the scene.

The driver remained following the crash, and did not appear to be under the influence.

However, for some reason, the press release issued by the Santa Ana Police Department stressed that the victim was crossing the street outside of a crosswalk. As if there was some super secret section of the law that requires, or even implies, that bicyclists are supposed to use a crosswalk.

There isn’t.

Bicycles are required to follow the same rules as motor vehicles. So until drivers are required to use the crosswalk, there can be no expectation that bike riders should, either.

And just like drivers, people on bicycles can cross or turn mid-block, or continue forward on a cross street.

However, unlike motor vehicles, bike riders are allowed to use a crosswalk, which is considered an extension of the sidewalk. Someone riding legally on a sidewalk can continued forward in the crosswalk, regardless of whether they are traveling with or against traffic.

It’s also worth noting that there is no crosswalk on Fairview at 12th, which would make using one rather difficult.

So whether or not the victim was in a crosswalk is totally irrelevant. Maybe someone could pass that on to the Santa Ana cops, who don’t seem to grasp that concept.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call Detective K. Briley of the Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit at 714/245-8215, or the Santa Ana Police Traffic Division at 714/245-8200.

This is the 30th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the third we know about in Orange County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and all his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

LA moves to ban pretext stops — again, ghost tires installed at 99 Ranch Market, and pickup a weapon of mass destruction in Florida

May 11, 2026 / / No comments

Los Angeles is banning pretext stops.

Again.

Several years after a fight with the police commission led to actions that would supposedly prevent cops from stopping drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians on some flimsy pretext to conduct what would otherwise be an illegal search, the city is doing it again.

Sort of.

The City Council voted unanimously to ask the Police Commission to pretty please take action to stop LAPD officers from doing what they already weren’t supposed to be doing.

Here’s how the Los Angeles Times put it.

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday voted in favor of new restrictions on so-called “pretextual” traffic stops, signaling a growing impatience with the Police Commission’s failure to rein in a controversial LAPD tactic that critics say enables racial discrimination.

The vote requests that the department’s all-civilian watchdog adopt new guidelines similar to San Francisco, which bars police officers from pulling people over for broken taillights and other minor equipment violations unless there is a safety threat.

It has long been a problem with bicyclists, particularly bike riders who were the wrong color or in the wrong neighborhood.

Call it biking while Black or brown.

Roll a stop after almost coming to a complete halt, or fail to signal a lane change, and a flashing roof rack could light up behind you. And next thing you know, you’re standing on the side of the road in handcuffs as a cop rifles through your clothes and belongings.

That’s what led the city to eliminate the bike licensing requirement all the way back in 2009, because officers would too often pull people of color over on the pretext of checking for a bike license. If they didn’t find one — which was usually the case, since most people didn’t even know they were supposed to have one — and you could be humiliated at best, arrested at worst.

It was biased policing at its most heinous, particularly in the Rampart district.

The city council cancelled the requirement as a result. But advocates found themselves before the Police Commission a few years later, fighting for a promised reduction in pretext stops by making officers justify and record the stops on their body cams.

You can tell how successful that was, since the city council had to come hat in hand to ask the commission to do for real this time.

The problem is, in a bizarre quirk of the city charter, neither the council nor mayor has direct authority over the police. The Police Commission makes the rules on an independent basis, sort of like the Federal Reserve and other federal commissions in the pre-Trump era.

So the City Council is asking them, once again, to please ban the practice once and for all.

We’ll see how well that works out.

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As long as we’re rolling video, KCBS-2 covered Saturday’s ghost tire installation at the 99 Ranch Market in Westwood.

Three people were killed inside the store when a 92-year old woman hit a bike rider while apparently turning left onto Westwood, then continued on the wrong side of the road until plowing into and through the market.

Yet amid all the other questions over how to prevent something like this from happening again, no one seems to be asking whether a 92-year old woman belonged behind the wheel in the first place.

Until we start asking ourselves the hard questions and taking the difficult steps to address them, it’s not a question of whether this will happen again.

But when. And where.

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Once again, a motor vehicle has become a weapon of mass destruction, after a truck driver plowed head-on into a Deland, Florida group ride.

The immediate aftermath of the crash was visible on a home security cam, showing the swerving pickup driver nearly collide with another vehicle moments after slamming into the riders.

Eight riders were struck, with three transported to a hospital in serious condition, while a fourth was taken with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to the West Volusia Beacon,

The cycling group was estimated at 14 riders. FHP said the bicyclists struck were a 38-year-old male from DeLand, a 37-year-old male from DeLand, a 41-year-old male from Lake Mary, a 29-year-old male from DeLand, a 42-year-old male from DeLand, a 49-year-old male from DeLand, and a 33-year-old male from DeBary. No names were provided.

No word on the condition of the other four victims, or any information about the eighth victim. One rider described getting three staples in the back of his head, as well as suffering pain and bruising in his lower back and hip.

Most of the riders were customers of a Deland bike and surf shop, while one of the most seriously injured was reported to be the store manager.

The driver of the 11-year old pickup remained at the scene, and faces a fine of $65 to $300, and a whole 3 points on his driver’s license for failing to remain in his lane.

Chances are, he’s going to be drastically uninsured for the damages and injuries he caused.

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Analysis from a law group concludes, as you’d expect, that male bicyclists are more likely to be killed than female riders in most states.

But surprisingly, that statistic is reversed in 13 states, where more victims are women than men.

According to Cycling West,

In Idaho, women were 60 percent more likely to die in cycling crashes. Montana showed a gap of about 47 percent, and Utah 18 percent. The contrast with neighboring states is striking: in Colorado and Nevada, men were 170 percent and 160 percent more likely to be killed, respectively. In smaller states, however, limited data may make firm conclusions difficult.

States with higher female fatality rates span both rural and urban areas. Only Florida and California reported more female cycling deaths than Arizona, which ranked second nationally in per-capita deaths among women. Arizona also ranked third for male cyclist fatalities.

I don’t know what you can conclude from that, except maybe more women ride in those states. Otherwise, I don’t have a clue.

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A new report from Streets For All says Los Angeles faces a dire future if we continue to underinvest in city streets, opting for smaller-scale treatments and delaying compliance with long-standing federal accessibility laws

Twitter post

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. A West Hollywood property owner suing the city over the Fountain Avenue Streetscape Project, alleging the city failed to conduct an environmental impact assessment — even though state law exempts bike lanes from CEQA review.

No bias here, either. New York’s most consistently anti-bike columnist complains that plans to redesign iconic Park Avenue are a “convoluted mess,” arguing that a proposed lane reduction would add to Midtown gridlock, and that “like most recent traffic-pattern disruptions, the Park Avenue scheme is a Trojan horse for bike lanes.”

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Um, okay. British actor Benedict Cumberbatch was accused of a road-raging meltdown when he confronted a bicyclist who had chased him for blocks, accusing him of repeatedly breaking the law on his cargo bike, with Cumberbatch arguing that the other man sas “verbally abusing” him, before calmly charming bystanders and posing for selfies. Yeah, sounds like he was really out of control, all right. 

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Local 

This is who we share the road with. The suspect who plowed through a group of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department trainees, killing one man and injuring more than two dozen people, will go to trail after backing out of a plea deal.

This is who we share the road with, part two. The LAPD is looking for the hit-and-run driver who killed a 65-year old man near Figueroa Street and 75th Street in South Los Angeles, after the Chicago Cubs fan had come to the city to see the Dodger’s-Cubs series with family members last month; as always, there’s a standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run in the city of Los Angeles.

Streetsblog examines the new three-mile continuous bike lane on Colima Road, providing what will eventually be a five-mile scenic route from the edge of Whittier to Fullerton Rd.

Santa Monica began warning drivers caught blocking bike lanes by automated cams mounted on parking enforcement vehicles on May 1st, and will begin ticketing for real in July.

 

State

Submitted without comment. Streets For All has endorsed billionaire Tom Steyer for California governor.

Amazon has finally done the right thing, sort of, by removing “ebikes” with advertised speeds over 40 mph from their website in California. Never mind that anything that can go over 28 mph is already in violation of California law, and they likely only did it to reduce their legal liability. So bikes that only violate the law by 12 mph or less, carry on. 

This is who we share the road with, part three. A 13-year old Santa Ana boy was killed in Garden Grove when the electric motorcycle he was riding hit the center divider, sending him flying; he was on the bike even though you have to be at least 16 year old and have a motorcycle license to legally ride one. But at least the police and press made clear he was on an e-motorcycle, rather than an ebike, this time.

Santa Barbara closes the final eight-mile gap connecting a network of separate bike trails to make a continuous pathway from Goleta to Santa Barbara.

A San Francisco teenager has dethroned reigning British National Hill Climb Championship titleholder Harry MacFarlane as King of the Hill, taking the KOM on San Francisco’s steepest climb two week’s after MacFarlane.

The executive director of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition says everyone benefits when more people ride a bike.

 

National

Guardian readers share what it’s like to live in the US without a car. Speaking strictly for myself, it’s a huge effing relief, even if it is inconvenient sometimes. 

A commenter on Pink Bike wants to know what dogs are doing on bike parks, after a pooch nearly took him out on a jump. Damn good question, actually, though it’s not clear if the dog is a stray or someone’s pet. 

A Xavier University history professor has published a new book devoted to riding through the history of Dayton, Ohio, titled Bicycling Through Dayton — Twenty-One Historical Tours.

She gets it. A New York writer says once you notice a dangerous ebike rider zooming by, you see them everywhere — but “What fades into the background are the dozens of completely unremarkable, friendly cyclists in between.” Well said. 

A New York State website recounts the journey of two friends, who biked nearly 450 miles through the Adirondacks from Montreal down to Brooklyn last September.

 

International

A 27-year old woman pled guilty to the hit-and-run death of a man riding a bicycle in London’s Hackney neighborhood, who was riding while on a hands-free call with his parents at the time of the crash; the woman, who was high on “hippy crack,” aka nitrous oxide, and doing 50 in a 20 mph zone, will be sentenced to something below the 12 years she would have faced had she gone to trial.

Road.cc offers an excerpt from British adventure cyclist and former world bicycle speed record holder Guy Martin’s new book, All The Medals Have Been Handed Out, recounting a near-death experience in Turkey’s road-tunnel system as he attempted to ride from Istanbul, Turkey to Baku, Azerbaijan.

Bicycle business groups blasted the UK government’s proposal to limit ebike motors to 500 watts and cap speeds at 15.5 mph, calling the regulations “unnecessary,” “risky,” and “the wrong approach.”

Porsche is getting out of the performance ebike business, just four years after jumping in head first.

Tour talks with a “passionate” German collector of vintage racing bikes, jerseys and memorabilia.

A Philippine study argues that the national standard of 8-foot wide bike lanes is insufficient, concluding that physically separate bikeways must be at least 8.7 feet to be safe and comfortable for bike riders, while bike lanes on roadways should be at least 8.9 feet wide. Although you may need to read Tagalog to get the most out of the report. 

China hasn’t just taken the lead in innovative electric cars; now they’re coming for established Western bike brands with bikes that “are ahead of the curve when it comes to cutting-edge tech.”

A New Zealand coroner reminds truck drivers of their obligation to check their blind spot for bike riders before making a left turn, after a 59-year old man riding a bicycle was killed in the Down Under equivalent of a right hook.

 

Competitive Cycling

Aussie cyclist Jay Vine crashed out of the second stage of the Giro d’Italia on Saturday, suffering a broken elbow and a concussion, with several riders going down when one rider lost traction on a slippery descent, and Vine crashed into a barrier with a sickening thud; Adam Yates and Derek Gee-West were also caught up in the major crash that caused the race to be briefly neutralized.

Spain’s Paula Blasi won the women’s La Vuelta Femenina on the final climb of the final stage, dropping previous leader Anna van der Breggen to finish second on the stage and take the overall GC win.

Former WorldTour pro Michael Woods embraces the “organized chaos of Spanish gravel racing.”

There’s a special place in hell for whoever decapitated a bronze statue of legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx in the Brussels, Belgium neighborhood where he grew up.

Thirty-eight-year old Italian amateur cyclist Felice Giangregorio was provisionally suspended after testing positive for for EPO for the second time, derailing his comeback after a previous four-year suspension, and casting doubt on the European gran fondo scene. But the doping era is over, right? And it’s a virtual guarantee that if European amateurs are doping, Americans are, too. 

 

Finally…

Your next ebike could have a semi-solid state battery. Presenting the most crazy-ass bike of the week not made by LEGO.

And what mother wouldn’t love to spend Mother’s Day fixing bikes with their kids?

Aside from most moms, I mean.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Arrest in knife attack on WeHo bike rider, cemeteries still fighting Forest Lawn Drive project, and maybe there’s hope for LA yet

May 8, 2026 / / No comments

Damn.

West Hollywood Sheriff’s detectives finally made an arrest in an attack on a bicyclist last August.

According to the Canyon News, a man was riding a bicycle near Westmount Drive and Rosewood Ave when someone threw a knife at him from a passing car, hitting him in the neck.

There’s no word on whether the rider was injured by the knife or how the suspect was located, nor is there any mention of possible charges.

But the suspect should be charged with attempted murder, because the knife assault could have been fatal if the attacker had better aim.

Image by Walter Bichler from Pixabay. 

………

Evidently, a group opposed to red light cameras has a lot more sway with local leaders than we do.

And oddly, they seem to be on our side.

According to the Jewish Journal, Mt. Sinai and Forest Lawn cemeteries are once again complaining about plans to improve safety on Forest Lawn Drive.

After talking with Mayor Karen Bass and CD4 Councilmember Nithya Raman, they thought the project had been put on hold, only to see it revived in response to pressure from Safer Streets LA.

Which, according to their website, exists to “Stop red light camera rip-offs,” and “Stop the plan to impose speed cameras on California.”

Nowhere on their site can I find any support for bike lanes or lane reductions on Forest Lawn. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

Yet, written in black and white on the walls of cyberspace.

Two years ago, in 2024, (Mount Sinai General Manager Randy) Schwab met with Councilmember Nithya Raman to explain the potential impact on the two cemeteries and the traffic congestion the plan could create. “At the time she promised not to do it, but then I think Safer Streets LA got in touch with her and convinced her that it should be brought back.”

So we apparently owe them our thanks for their hard work and dedication to improve safety for us all, even as they try to make the streets more dangerous.

In fact, the plan has long been in the works due to the inherent dangers of the street, as anyone who has tried to use the painted lanes could testify.

The Journal contacted Councilmember Raman’s office and received the following response: “Forest Lawn Drive provides Angelenos access to key destinations, like Griffith Park and the LA Zoo, and is used by people driving, biking and running. About half of all drivers on Forest Lawn are speeding above the 45 mph legal limit, and at those speeds, a pedestrian or bicyclist struck by a car has a 50% chance of being killed. That is not acceptable, and we have been working to change it.”

Her office said the Forest Lawn Drive Safety & Mobility Project is intended to address these safety concerns by reducing vehicle speeds, adding physical protection for cyclists, and improving conditions for all users of the corridor. It also said the plan includes improved turns for both cemeteries and the Junior Achievement Center. A Raman spokesperson said issues raised by cemetery representatives were taken into account during the design process, and LADOT’s proposal includes expanded turn lanes.

Let that first paragraph sink in.

On a roadway commonly used by bike riders, as well as mourners on their way to visit or say farewell to loved ones, more than half of all drivers exceed the already too high 45 mph speed limit, turning the curving street in their own personal speedway.

Yet the cemeteries continue to fight changes that would benefit their own visitors, in what can only be seen as an apparent attempt to drive up business.

So, thanks Safer Streets LA.

We owe you one, apparently.

………

Let’s consider this statement from New York’s former DOT Commissioner, as Gothamist wonders whether Mayor Zohran Mamdani is the city’s first real Bike Mayor.

“I think it’s taken a long time, but I think the politics have really caught up with the people,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, the transportation commissioner under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “Not so long ago, a lot of these ideas seemed like they were crazy, and today, a mayor who rides a bike for fun and for transportation is just another part of New York.”

So there may be hope for us yet.

………

The rescheduled memorial for three people killed when an elderly driver crashed through the 99 Ranch Market on Westwood Blvd in February will be held this Saturday.

Here’s a press release from Streets Are For Everyone announcing the event. And if you haven’t signed the letter demanding a Traffic Violence State of Emergency in the City of Los Angeles, there’s still time before it’s released at the event.

THREE GHOST TIRES TO BE PLACED BY THE COMMUNITY
HONORING VICTIMS OF 99 RANCH MARKET MASS TRAFFIC FATALITY EVENT,
CALLS FOR STATE OF EMERGENCY

LOS ANGELES, CA – On Saturday, May 9th, Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE), People’s Vision Zero, family members of those lost, and community members will be holding a press conference and placing three Ghost Tires to honor the three lives lost and six people seriously injured in the mass traffic fatality event outside 99 Ranch Market on February 5th, 2026. They will also be addressing a second mass traffic fatality near Vista Del Mar on May 3rd, 2026, which killed two more people, including a one-year-old child, and left two others seriously injured. Speakers will call on the LA Mayor and City Council to declare a state of emergency due to traffic violence in Los Angeles.

Ghost tires will be decorated and placed at the site as a memorial to those killed. Victim family members and their legal representatives will address the press, followed by advocates and community leaders.

WHAT:   Ghost Tire Memorial and Press Conference honoring victims of the 99 Ranch Market mass traffic fatality and calling for emergency action on traffic violence in Los Angeles.

WHEN:   Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:20 AM

WHERE:  1360 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024

WHO:

  • Family members of those lost
  • Damian Kevitt, Founder and Executive Director of SAFE
  • Jonny Hale, People’s Vision Zero
  • Phoebe Kiekhofer, SAFE Families

………

As long as we’re doing press releases, the Orange County Transportation Authority, aka OCTA, is holding a Bike Month Ride Along next week. And yes, I could write about it instead of just reposting the press release, but I’m getting lazy and fond of sleep in my old age.

OCTA Rolls out Bike Month 2026, Ride Along May 13
Annual Bike Rally features a 4-mile ride and prize opportunities, and pledge to bike during May for a chance to win an e-bike while staying active

ORANGE – OCTA is celebrating Bike Month this May by encouraging people across Orange County to get out and ride, whether for commuting, recreation or short everyday trips. The monthlong campaign highlights the benefits of biking as a convenient, healthy and sustainable way to travel.

As part of the celebration, OCTA will host its annual Bike Rally at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13, featuring a 4-mile group ride from the Orange Metrolink Station to OCTA headquarters in Orange.

The rally serves as a signature Bike Month event, bringing riders together for a shared experience on city streets while showcasing how easy and accessible biking can be throughout the county. Participants will be entered for a chance to win an Aventon Pace 4 Step-Through e-bike, valued at $1,799, along with other prizes. Riders will also receive free Bike Month T-shirts and light snacks while supplies last.

Those who pledge to ride a bike during May will be entered for a chance to win an Aventon Soltera 2.5 e-bike, valued at $1,199, courtesy of Bike Month sponsors Aventon E-bikes and Spectrumotion.

Beyond Bike Month, OCTA continues to invest in active transportation infrastructure and programs that make it safer and more convenient for people to walk and bike throughout Orange County. Working in partnership with local cities and the county, OCTA helps fund and deliver projects such as protected bike lanes, regional trail connections and first- and last-mile improvements that link neighborhoods to transit.

These efforts are designed to reduce reliance on cars, improve air quality and support healthier, more active communities.

OCTA is also encouraging riders to make safety a priority. An e-bike safety video is available with tips for riding responsibly, and those who watch can be entered for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

Together, these efforts are designed to inspire more people to consider biking as an easy, efficient and environmentally friendly way to get around.

For more information about Bike Month and to participate in the Bike Rally, visit www.octa.net/bikemonth.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers tips to keep bike riders safe on the roadways by offering advice for…bike riders. People in the big, dangerous machines, carry on.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

A Singapore woman was criticized as “irresponsible and brainless” for riding her bike through a busy intersection with her Shiba Inu dog running behind on a leash, despite the hot pavement. I’ve never been a fan of riding with your dog on a leash, which poses too many opportunities for something to go drastically wrong, even if it is an easy way to exercise your dog. Or may over exercise it, because a dog will run itself to death to please you. 

………

Local 

Streetsblog considers how the new extension to the D Line, aka Purple Line, could change the way Angelenos get around.

 

State

A Seal Beach cop responds to a question about ebikes on the sidewalk, reminding readers that ebikes are banned from walkways under city ordinances, and that not everything called an ebike actually is one under California law. Although I’m not sure some of the state ebike requirements he mentions have actually passed the legislature yet, let alone been signed into law. 

Elementary school kids in San Francisco participated in bike buses on this week for Bike and Roll to School Week.

 

National

You know we’re making progress when they’re celebrating Bike Month and Bike to Work Day in the dusty, windswept cowtown college town of Laramie, Wyoming. I say that with all fondness, having grown up in the home of their collegiate arch rivals, about 40 miles away.

Another longtime bike shop is closing its doors, this time in St. Paul, Minnesota; Grand Performance owner and former USA Cycling National Team member Dan Casebeer has owned the shop since setting the US hour record in 1983.

Singer Amy Grant is one of us once again, riding a bicycle for the first time in four years after suffering a severe traumatic brain injury when she hit a pothole while riding her bike in Nashville in 2022. And yes, she was wearing a helmet when she fell.

A Boston bike lawyer and blogger says overall, the city is getting safer for bicyclists, even if dooring remains deadly. While dooring is one of the most common types of bicycling collisions, it’s rarely deadly, amounting to roughly one to 3 percent of bicycling deaths each year. Although one is still one too many. 

A Massachusetts woman has won an international grant competition with her design to put a roof over a local bike co-op, which currently works out of two disconnected shipping containers.

Police in Bay Ridge, New York are looking for the man who pushed a 13-year old boy off his ebike, apparently for the crime of riding on the sidewalk; fortunately, the kid escaped with just minor lacerations. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with some people?

 

International

This is why people keep dying on the roadways. A British pub owner was fined the equivalent of $900 and had his liquor license suspended for a whole three months for knowingly serving a 16-year old kid five pints of a strong lager, before the kid was killed when he drove his four-wheeled farm vehicle off the road on the way home.

A father and son duo from the UK set three world records with their 400-day, 18,600-mile ride around the world — and avoided arrest in a forbidden China county when one of the cops recognized them from their social media posts, sending them on their way after posing for selfies.

They get it. The Irish Examiner says riding a bicycle is one of the best ways for men to maintain their health as they age, from “improving cardiovascular health and muscle strength to boosting testosterone and lowering stress.” Hint: It works for women, too. 

German bike magazine Tour tests out the best bikes for the equivalent of under a grand.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cyclist examines the top contenders for this year’s Giro d’Italia, which kicks off today with a 91-mile stage in Bulgaria. Yes, Bulgaria.

Cycling News does much the same, offering a team-by-team look at the Giro competitors.

Submitted without comment. Much of the planned Lotto-Intermarché risked missing the Giro, including Belgian sprinter Arnaud De Lie, after they fell ill from a cow dung infection — yes, cow dung — during the rain-soaked Famenne Ardenne Classic.

Dutch cyclist Jan-Willem van Schip says he feels unwelcome in road cycling, after he was booted from a race for the second time in eight months, and the fourth time in five years, for an unusual and, by UCI standards, illegal handlebar setup and seat position.

 

Finally…

When you get arrested for bike theft, it’s usually not the best idea to issue death threats to the arresting officers. Probably not the best idea to fire three shots at your girlfriend because her mother won’t help take an ebike out of the trunk, either.

And that feeling when you’re somehow walking while riding.

………

Thanks to someone who prefers not to be named for her very generous annual donation to help support this site, and keep our spokescorgi in kibble. Donations are always welcome and appreciated, for whatever reason might move you. 

And yes, spellcheck, “spokescorgi” is a real word that I made up. 

While we’re at it, let’s all thank Steve for making this site so much more attractive and work a lot better, especially if you’re viewing it on a phone. 

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Daily News endorses Kenneth Mejia, LAPD busts Playa road rage suspect, and sign LA traffic violence state of emergency

May 7, 2026 / / No comments

Before we get going, I had the misfortune of watching yesterday’s gubernatorial debate.

To quote Doonesbury, back when it was still funny, it had “all the subtle dynamics of a grade school recess.”

Six of the candidates kept insulting and shouting over one another, while Katie Porter asked people over and over not to interrupt her, which they continued to do.

If you listened to the only two Republicans on the dais, you’d be left with the assumption that Democrats were responsible for all the state’s problems, and if you just elect one of them, everything will be sunshine and puppies forever.

Personally, I thought former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa came off best, although with this group, that’s such a low bar he could have tripped over it walking off the stage. But his chances of winning are somewhere south of a snowball in hell. 

My main takeaway when the whole damn thing was over was wondering if it was too late to get someone else.

Which it is.

I’d give you my take on the Los Angeles mayoral debate that proceeded it, but I fell asleep shortly after it began.

But considering the bickering that it began with, that would probably have been my take, anyway.

Photo of Kenneth Mejia and his corgis from Abundant Housing LA.

………

On a related subject, the conservative Los Angeles Daily News surprisingly endorsed bicyclist and corgi dad Kenneth Mejia for re-election as City Controller.

That comes despite a $1.5 million campaign from opponent Zach Sokoloff aiming to oust him, which is funded by Sokoloff’s mother.

Yes, his mommy is paying for the whole thing.

But the Daily News evidently doesn’t want you to know about it, because even their own opinions are hidden behind the paper’s draconian paywall.

You’d think if they really wanted people to vote for Mejia, they’d want everyone to read it.

But you would be wrong.

………

Looks like they got him.

The LAPD made an arrest in the Monday morning Play del Rey hit-and-run that killed a one-year old boy and a 27-year old man on Vista del Mar, aka Deadly del Mar, as they were driving home after a night at the beach.

Twenty-seven-year old Osvaldo Sandoval died at the scene, while his 14-month old nephew Roger Sandoval died after being taken to a hospital; Osvaldo’s 15-year old sister, and Roger’s aunt, remains on life-support at UCLA Medical Center.

To make matters worse, Oscar Sandoval, the driver of the car and the father of one-year old Roger, believes the crash was an intentional act of road rage.

According to KTLA-5,

Oscar Sandoval survived the crash and said he believes it may have been intentional. Family members also told KTLA’s Rick Chambers that the driver of the white Jeep had been flashing his lights and trying to cut them off moments before the collision.

“The Jeep hit my door where my son and brother were sitting, the ones who took the strongest impact,” Oscar said in Spanish. “My son was still alive, but barely.”

Police confirmed a suspect was arrested yesterday morning, but only identified the him as a Hispanic male.

If this was an intentional act, let’s hope prosecutors charge him with two counts of felony murder.

………

If you haven’t yet, sign your name, business or organization to the open letter urging city leaders to declare a state of emergency over traffic violence, sponsored by People’s Vision Zero and Streets Are For Everyone.

Because traffic injuries and deaths continue to be out of control, over ten years after former LA Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the city’s Vision Zero plan — and more than a year after it officially failed.

If you belong to an advocacy group, get them to sign it. If you belong to a bike club, sign for the club and ask members to sign individually. If you own or work for a bike shop or in the bike industry, do the same.

Add your name.

The letter will be released soon. So do it today.

Declare a State of Emergency in LA Due to Traffic Violence

Traffic Violence in Los Angeles is OUT OF CONTROL!

The City of Los Angeles has not been taking traffic violence and the public health crisis that is, seriously.

In 2015, the city committed to Vision Zero – its plan to end traffic violence by 2025. In 2025, traffic fatalities were reported by LAPD to be 290, 56% higher than in 2015.

For the past three years there have been more traffic fatalities than homicides.

An audit directed by the Los Angeles City Council found that Vision Zero failed – and thousands of people died – because of a lack of political will and poor coordination between city departments.

Traffic violence is the leading cause of death for children ages 4-14 in LA County.

Between 31 January and 5 February 2026, there were two mass traffic fatality events, resulting in 5 people killed and 7 others seriously injured.

The City of Los Angeles was about to return 100 million dollars in road safety funding to the State of California because it didn’t have the manpower to use the money.

What We’re Asking You to Do

Sign onto an open letter we will be releasing to the media and sending to the LA Mayor and City Council, demanding that they declare a State of Emergency due to traffic violence and treat it as the public health crisis that it is.

The full letter is on this page. Please spread this around to as many people as possible. Thank you!

Jonathan Hale — People’s Vision Zero
&
Damian Kevitt — Streets Are For Everyone

………

This puts the horrible state of LA’s roads in perspective.

Although Mr. Smith somehow seems to think it’s a “gotcha” that Streets For All is a PAC, which they’re very open about, and that progressives tend to support safer streets that serve all road users, unlike their more conservative brethren.

Shocking, I know.

Twitter post

………

Here’s a couple more posts from one of my favorite Bluesky accounts.

I confess, I never knew that Keith Haring rode a bicycle, let alone drew one. And ’60s bike advertising is just effing cool.

https://bsky.app/profile/coolbikeart1.bsky.social/post/3ml2e6oqdn22t

Bluesky post

………

Nice story from San Diego, where a team of engineering students designed a pedal extension that allows a Marine vet to ride a bicycle for the first time since 2003, when an explosion shattered his leg while he was deployed to Iraq.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. When residents of the Scottish Isle of Cumbrae complained about drivers “speeding away from the ferry terminal and ‘pelting’ around corners towards oncoming traffic,” the local cops naturally responded by admonishing bicyclists, including toddlers on balance bikes.

………

Local 

Writing for Torched, the great Alissa Walker had a different, and more positive, take from mine yesterday about Mayor Karen Bass’ Capital Infrastructure Program for the City of Los Angeles, though we’re both in agreement that it was long-overdue.

Metro will offer free rides across the their system, including buses, trains and the Metro Bike bikeshare all weekend to celebrate the three-stop extension of the D, aka Purple, Line subway. Although it still won’t go far enough for my wife to take the train to work. 

Secret Los Angeles writes that Los Angeles will shut down four miles of streets next month when CicLAvia connects Exposition Park and Leimert Park, which is hardly a secret.

The LAPD reminds drivers to share the road during Bike Safety Month. The other eleven months, it’s as you were, apparently. 

 

State

San José Spotlight gently breaks the news that construction on a local street is due to a bike lane project. And yes, I take great pride in including the diacritical in the website’s name.

Oakland skips the work requirement, and celebrates next Thursday as Bike Anywhere Day, instead of Bike to Work Day. Or as it’s known in Los Angeles these days, Thursday. 

A Marin County serial ebike thief was arrested after he was caught using a rented Amazon truck to make reverse deliveries.

The family of a UC Davis student who was killed riding a bike on campus last month are calling for protected bike lanes to be installed in his honor.

 

National

A writer for Bike Mag opens up about how bicycling saved his mental health, forcing him to slow down and breathe following his diagnosis of ACHD.

It’s now illegal to block a bike lane anywhere in Colorado. California, not so much. 

Jefferson City, Missouri, population 43,000, adopts the “Idaho Stop Laws,” allowing bike riders to treat stop signs as yields, and stoplights as stop signs.

Rock Island, Illinois is celebrating a colorful new bicycling sculpture in memory of a long-time local bicyclist, who rode a custom-built bike without a saddle, which is replicated in the sculpture. If anyone designs a sculpture in my honor after I depart this mortal coil, put a damn saddle on it.

Tennessee titanium frame maker Lynskey Performance Products, LLC, is just the latest company in the bicycle industry to go belly-up, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in hopes of reorganizing after a disastrous move to Shopify.

Massachusetts approves a new four tiered system defining bicycles and ebikes by their speed, with traditional bicycles, Class 1 and Class 2 ebikes, low-speed scooters and mobility devices in the new Class 0, up to Speed Tier 3 covering anything above 40 mph.

Bike advocates in Saratoga Springs NY are complaining that the city is ignoring its Complete Streets plan as it repaves streets, despite an ostensible commitment to improving its multimodal infrastructure. Something people in a certain Southern California megalopolis can probably relate to.

Okay, now he’s just rubbing it in. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn to take part in a bike bus to announce plans for two new bike boulevards. I’m not sure if LA Mayor Bass knows what a bike bus is, let alone has ever ridden one.

Alexandria, Virginia and the DC region will offer giveaways and prizes to encourage people to bike to work next week. Los Angeles, not so much.

Atlanta will celebrate the week-long Atlanta Cycling Festival next week, including Spoke & Word, a two-day “progressive dinner” combining bicycling and storytelling.

 

International

Momentum highlights Canada’s most bike-friendly cities, in case anyone wants to flee north of the border, where things seem a little saner these days.

Speaking of draconian paywalls, that’s the reason I don’t link to the BBC anymore.

A Deutschland magazine looks back on those heady days of National Socialism, when bike races were just another form of Nazi propaganda.

You can now bring your bicycle on China’s high-speed Beijing to Zhangjiakou train line, although it’s limited to stops between Beijing North and Chongli.

 

Competitive Cycling

Britain’s longest‑running, biggest and most prestigious single-day and somewhat cobbled road race marks its 70th Anniversary on Sunday.

Road.cc answers the question of what pro cyclists do after they retire, profiling seven former racers who now work in professions as diverse as firefighter, banker and sommelier — including America’s one-time ex-Tour de France champ-cum-CBD maven.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you’re stopped for illegally impeding traffic in a teeny, tiny little car, and people want to know how many clowns were inside. Or when you pedal across the country to spell out “kindness,” while inviting strangers to ride along.

And now you, too, can have a MagSafe dock in the shape of the world’s ugliest truck.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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