Man riding bicycle killed on the 710 Freeway in East Los Angeles early Monday morning

August 11, 2026 / / No comments

Once again, someone riding a bicycle has been killed on a Southern California highway.

And once again, we have almost no information to go on. But after waiting all day Monday for more information, we’ll have to go with what we’ve got.

According to The Eastsider and My News LA, a man was killed when he was struck by a driver on the 710 Freeway in East Los Angeles.

Yes, on a busy freeway where bicycles aren’t allowed under any circumstances.

The victim was riding his bike on the southbound Long Beach Freeway, otherwise known as the 710, just north of Floral Drive, when he was run down around 3:20 am.

He died at the scene. Which is not surprising, assuming he was struck at highway speeds.

The driver remained at the scene.

Unfortunately, that’s all we know right now. There’s no word on the identity of the victim, or why he was riding on the freeway. However, in virtually every other case where someone was killed while riding a bicycle on a freeway in the middle of the night, the victim turned out to be homeless.

Which should not lessen the tragedy in any way.

This is at lest the 38th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the 13th we know about in Los Angeles County.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Road rage trifecta — French driver goes bowling for bicyclists, Apple Valley man weaponizes his car, and WeHo bus driver hits rider and runs over bicycle

August 10, 2026 / / No comments

Once again, a driver has used his car as a weapon to deliberately run down a group of bike riders.

The road rage attack began when the 73-year old Italian man passed a group of bicyclists, between the towns of Lanzo Torinese and Coassolo, while angrily honking his horn; when one of the riders gestured in response, he put his car in reverse and plowed into the group, throwing one rider nearly 100 feet.

Then when one of the other riders raced after him to capture his license plate, he spun around and sped into them again, striking another rider before slamming into a several riders who had stopped to help their fallen comrade.

According to Wanted In Milan,

Four cyclists were injured, two of them seriously. Two were airlifted to Turin’s CTO hospital, while the other two were taken to San Giovanni Bosco hospital. One victim, aged 60, suffered a fractured femur, a compound fracture to the left leg, and facial and chest trauma. A second, aged 68, sustained serious injuries to his shoulder and pelvis. Neither is believed to be in life-threatening condition.

The man was placed under house arrest after turning himself in, while he faces an investigation for multiple counts of assault and attempted manslaughter.

………

Meanwhile, an Apple Valley man was arrested for the same weaponization of his car against someone on a bicycle.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested 58-year old Apple Valley resident Michael Garbush on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after he was accused of intentionally crashing his car into the victim following a verbal dispute Wednesday evening.

Garbush was arrested after leaving the scene, while the victim was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

At last report, Garbush was being held in lieu of $40,000 bail, and was scheduled to appear in court this past Friday.

………

And yet another driver stands accused of weaponizing his vehicle to attack someone on a bicycle.

Last week, we mentioned that a bus driver had struck a bicyclist in a West Hollywood bike lane. Now WeHo Times is reporting that the driver, 39-year old Edward Mosby, has been arrested and charged assault with a deadly weapon, with great bodily injury.

According to the paper,

Cyclist Ruben Rubalcava told the WeHo Times that the incident followed a road-rage confrontation with Mosby, who was driving a Cityline shuttle. Rubalcava said he confronted Mosby after the shuttle allegedly came too close to him while he was riding his bicycle on Santa Monica Boulevard. “I told him he needed to be three feet away from me and it enraged him,” he said.

According to Rubalcava, the confrontation escalated when Mosby allegedly began yelling and cursing at him before striking him with the shuttle.

“He ran over my bike in a fit of rage,” Rubalcava said. “First he hit me from behind and I was knocked off the bike. Then he ran over the bicycle. It was two hits.”

Although despite the charge, Rubalcava didn’t suffer any serious injuries, and declined medical treatment. Mosby was being held on $30,000 bail.

All of these stories serve as reminder that every driver is in possession of a multi-ton locked and loaded weapon, and all it takes is a momentary flash of anger to use it that way.

………

Good point.

A letter writer in the Los Angeles Times complains about the framing of a recent story about triathlete Marc Papas attempting to ride every street in Los Angeles.

According to Los Angeles resident Misch Takemoto,

Kudos to Marc Papas for his project and promoting biking! And shame on the Los Angeles Times for the headline and framing of, ”Is Los Angeles the world’s best biking city?” and “L.A. is actually bikeable” (“Is Los Angeles the world’s best biking city? He’s biked 5,840-plus miles in one year to find out,” Aug. 4).

Claiming that Los Angeles is “bikeable” because a young male triathlete who is unbothered by extreme heat has the spare time and ambition to bike every street as a personal challenge is ridiculous. By the same logic, Mt. Everest is a “hikeable” hill. Yes, people do it — but it’s incredibly hard, and a lot of people die trying, so most people don’t do it.

He goes on to say that Papas’ effort is remarkable because he’s doing it despite much of the city being uncomfortable, if not hostile, to someone on a bicycle, and that Papas himself recognized the need for more bike lanes.

By framing it the way they did, the Times makes it appear that Los Angeles is just fine the way it is, when in reality, we desperately need more options for “safe, clean, affordable, non-congesting, efficient” ways to get around this city.

Which is how I should have responded to the article, but didn’t.

So kudos to Takemoto for a response that was much more on point than mine. And shame on me for missing the mark.

………

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

Boulder County Sheriff’s deputies tracked down the driver seen speeding down a Colorado bike path at up to 50 mph, posing a “significant safety risk” for anyone using the path for anything other than a traffic bypass route, and charging a 44-year-old man with reckless driving and reckless endangerment.

A 33-year old Wisconsin man was arrested for threatening to kill a neighbor’s child for riding an ebike in the street, and siccing his dog on the kid; the confrontation ended up in an armed standoff with the police when he refused to give up his weapons.

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

A 34-year old Visalia man was arrested for riding a bicycle while wearing a tactical vest, with an AR-15-style BB gun slung over his back. Until this moment, I did not know it was against the law to carry any replica gun in public, even if it only fires BBs. 

When you’re a wanted felon riding your bike carrying meth, heroin and fentanyl, seriously, don’t ride salmon.

………

Local 

Metro’s $600 payment to up to 2,000 Los Angeles households to leave a car at home for five weeks is starting to make the larger national news.

 

State

A San Francisco website says California’s ebike wars are exploding in Orange County, as ridership reaches “epidemic” levels, and the DA has had enough. Although let’s be clear, once again, the entire problem stems from the easy availability of e-motorbikes, electric dirt bikes, and ebikes that can be hacked to exceed the permitted speeds, not basic ped-assist bicycles.

San Diego is launching a public education campaign in advance of the city’s crackdown on ebikes for kids.

A man suffered life-threatening injuries when he was hit by a pickup driver while riding an ebike in Hesperia; photos from the scene showed the bike at least had pedals.

Sad news from Modesto, where an ebike rider was killed after allegedly going through a red light, and was struck by “an SUV,” which remained at the scene. Once again, however, there’s no word on whether the victim was actually on an electric bicycle, or an e-motorbike, although the police did note it had pedals, in addition to an electric motor. And once again, there’s no mention of a driver, as if the SUV somehow made the decision to stick around after the crash on its own.

Sonoma County is on the verge of building California’s first New Urbanist community, built around the idea that it should be walkable, bikeable, and affordable by design.

The UC Davis community is mourning a student who was killed while riding his bike in a bike lane last week.

 

National

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the five-year BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870), or Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th Act; the bill would provide a 10% boost for Transportation Alternatives, but would allow states to move the funds to other programs. I’d be happy if they’d just stop giving bills awkward titles just to get a good acronym out of it.

A Redditor says a rear-facing radar has given him renewed confidence, six years after recovering from a bad crash; meanwhile, some Reddit users say they’re moving away from saying “on your left.” I found I could avoid any confusion in most cases by just adding “‘Passing’ on your left,” rather than simply saying “on your left,” which can be confusing for some people.

A writer for Bike Mag lays out the five best uses of AI for bicycling, which basically boils down to, don’t.

An Oregon edition of the World Naked Bike Ride rode through the parking garage of Willamette shopping mall to protest its closure in its final days. Meanwhile, the New York Times considers the split over whether a naked bike ride should be a party or a protest. However, the first two stories show full-frontal nudity from both sexes, and are definitely NSFW.

A Colorado mountain biker’s life may have been saved by a simple shade shelter after he suffered a mechanical breakdown while riding in record heat; the shelter had been built in honor of a man who had died of heat exposure and dehydration on the same trail four years earlier. Seriously, folks, look at the damn weather report, and if it’s too hot, either ride early or late, or save it for another day. 

Tragic news from Massachusetts, where a seven-year old kid was killed when they “unintentionally” entered the roadway their bike, and was struck by a motorist. Oddly, the story makes a point of mentioning the victim was wearing a helmet, as if a magic plastic hat will somehow protect a little kid from a bigass, multi-ton motor vehicle. 

A former Angeleno accepts an invitation for a free lecture on the subconscious mind, and finds himself walking his bike into a Harlem Scientology lecture — and biking back out after working his way through a phalanx of staffers trying to talk him out of leaving early.

The mother of a 12-year old boy shot and killed in the Bronx while he was riding his bike last month joined legislators to promote a new bill in his name that would increase penalties for killing a kid.

An 84-year old Tampa, Florida man was killed when his allegedly drifted out of a bike lane on his bicycle, and was struck by a driver. Although it’s just as likely that the driver drifted into the bike lane without realizing it and struck the victim. A lot depends on whether there were any independent witnesses, since it’s human nature for the driver to see their own actions in the best light. 

City leaders in Gulfport, Florida take a surprisingly rational approach to ebikes, deciding to wait for crash data to come in before making any rash decisions.

 

International

If you build it, they will come. Edmonton, Alberta drivers may hate the city’s new bike lanes, but ridership is expanding in tandem with the increasing bike network.

An Ottawa, Canada man with cerebral palsy was shocked when someone stole the $6,000 adaptive bicycle he’d used to get around and take part in road races for the past 30 years — and was probably more shocked when it was recovered after someone turned it in to a scrapyard. Thanks to Megan for the heads-up. 

A former pro basketball player in Girona, Spain discovers a whole new city after she retired and bought a bicycle; as a player, her contracts had forbidden her from riding a bike.

 

Competitive Cycling

Dutch cyclist Demi Vollering won the Tour de France Femmes for the second time by winning Sunday’s final stage by a comfortable one minute and 10 seconds, after the 2023 champ started day just 8 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, and 4 minutes and 29 seconds ahead of former Giro champ Elisa Longo Borghini in third.

Controversy entered the Tour when Niewiadoma-Phinney accused French champion Célia Gery of a lack of ‘fair play,’ for blocking her against the rails on the final sprint on stage 8, denying her the chance to defend the yellow jersey, which was taken by Vollering; Niewiadoma-Phinney had claimed the yellow jersey the day before with a dominating breakaway on the famed Mont Ventoux.

Five-time Tour de France champ Tadej Pogačar talks about his relationship with with four-time Vuelta a España winner Primož Roglič, before the two cross swords at this year’s Vuelta.

Someone broke into the Unibet Rose Rockets cycling team trailer in Poitiers, France, and stole the bikes they needed for a race in Spain — then they got them back because a team mechanic had thought to put an AirTag in his tool box.

At least 17 people were injured in a massive crash during a youth bike ride in Poland, with six of the victims hurt badly enough to require hospitalization, though fortunately, none of the injuries were life-threatening.

A Massachusetts cyclist was airlifted to the hospital after going over a guard rail during a race, and thrown into the woods; no word on the severity of their injuries, but they don’t use a med-assist flight for a few scrapes. Somehow, the newspaper still hid most of the story behind a paywall, even though it appears to have been based entirely on the publicly available press release we linked to.

You’re invited to take part in the eighth stage of the Chocolatería Antonella Cycling Cup this Sunday in Rosarito, Mexico, a 1.2-mile crit offering 35,000 pesos — the equivalent of $2042 US — in total prize money. Somehow, it sounds better in pesos. 

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can ride an ebike that doesn’t look like an ebike, for a mere $2,400. Or maybe you’d rather 3D print your own airless bike tires.

And you must abide by the rules to ride a real scraper bike.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: ,

Man killed riding bicycle in Azusa Thursday morning; no word on how it happened or who else was involved

August 7, 2026 / / No comments

At least this time, there’s no question whether the victim was actually on a bicycle. Whether there was a driver involved, is another matter.

According to KTLA-5, which is currently the only source reporting on the crash, the victim was hit by “a vehicle” near Baseline Road and Fenimore Ave in Azusa shortly before 5:56 am Thursday morning.

The victim, identified only as a man, was taken to a local hospital suffering from major injuries, where he died.

There’s no word at this time whether the driver stayed at the scene, or fled. Or if there even was a driver, for that matter.

There’s also no word on how the crash happened, or what kind of vehicle was involved. It could have been an aircraft, for all we know.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Azusa Police Department’s Traffic Bureau at 626/812-3200.

This is the 37th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the 12th we know about in Los Angeles County.

Those numbers could be higher or lower, depending on how many of the people killed riding ebikes were actually on electric bicycles, or were riding e-motos or electric dirt bikes, since the police and media don’t seem to know the difference.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Caltrans starts 2-year process for new bike & pedestrian plan, and Calbike argues ebikes belong but need better regulation

August 7, 2026 / / 2 comments

Caltrans has begun a two-year process to develop a new bicycle and pedestrian plan.

Here’s how Calbike describes it.

The State Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (SBPP) is Caltrans’ statewide policy plan for walking and bicycling. Caltrans has started work on a new plan, with a final version expected in 2028. It sits under the larger California Transportation Plan, alongside statewide plans for rail, freight, aviation, and other parts of the transportation system. The current SBPP will update Toward an Active California, the plan Caltrans adopted in 2017, which was the first plan of its kind in California.

Caltrans says the new plan will identify the major needs, challenges, and opportunities facing people who walk and bike. It will then lay out a set of actions for the agency to carry out. It is important to note that the SBPP will not contain a statewide list of infrastructure projects. A bike lane, safer intersection, or improved highway crossing does not need to be named in the plan to move forward. Those projects are generally developed through Caltrans districts, local governments, regional agencies, funding programs, maintenance work, and other parts of the project delivery process.

Since it is a two-year process, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to participate. Just sign up at their website to receive updates.

………

Speaking of Calbike, the statewide bicycle advocacy group released a report arguing the ebikes belong on California streets, even if they are poorly understood.

The report finds that California’s three-class e-bike system is functional, though poorly understood outside of professional policy circles. The larger problem is the growing number of faster and more powerful electric devices that fall outside those classes while being sold or marketed as e-bikes. That failure of translation has consequences at every stage of the debate. A parent shopping online may see a product advertised as an e-bike without any clear indication that it falls outside of California’s legal classes. A reporter covering a collision may use “e-bike” as a catch-all term even if it is actually a much faster device. An officer at the roadside may have little more than the device’s appearance to determine what the rider is operating. By the time residents bring their concerns to a city council, several distinct types of devices and behaviors have often been collapsed into a single category. The resulting policy can end up restricting legal e-bikes instead of addressing the faster, unregulated devices that often prompt the concern.

The report goes on to argue that Senate Bill 1167 — authored by Senator Catherine Blakespear and cosponsored by CalBike, PeopleForBikes, Streets For All, and Streets Are For Everyone — would address that problem by clarifying what is and isn’t a legal ebike, and establishing a “lawful regulatory path for devices that exceed the limits of a legal ebike.”

………

A study from the UK finds that e-scooters are far more dangerous than motorcycles or bicycles, with users three-times more likely to suffer traumatic brain injuries.

Then again, they’re also significantly less likely to wear a helmet.

………

Local 

The Los Angeles Times considers the potential re-wilding of the Los Angeles River. Yes, please.

A Calabasas woman is campaigning for the state to adopt a version of Rio’s Law, which would help first responders recognize when autistic or neurodivergent people are in a vehicle during traffic stops. Or, presumably, when walking or riding a bicycle. 

WeHo Times reports a man was hospitalized after his bicycle was run over by a West Hollywood CityLine bus at Santa Monica and Fairfax, where the bike lanes found elsewhere on a boulevard don’t exist.

 

State

A Seal Beach letter writer complains about kids on ebikes harassing a coyote, which managed to escape by crossing PCH. No word on whether a roadrunner was also seen in the area, or if the coyote employed any devices from the ACME Company.

A San Clemente family found a measure of justice, when the hit-and-run driver who killed a 40-year old man riding an ebike was convicted of the crime, four years after the crash; San Clemente resident Michael Thomas Kosco will be sentenced next month.

The Bakersfield city council narrowly approved a resolution prioritizing bike lanes, narrower travel lanes and lower target speeds to improve road safety, in a city that consistently ranks as one of the nation’s most dangerous cities for bike riders and pedestrians.

Speaking of Bakersfield, the city closed a portion of the popular portion of the Kern River Parkway Trail due to aggressive dogs around the bike path; six dogs were taken into custody, but some could still be roaming the area. Although no one read the dogs their rights, so nothing they say can be used against them. 

An op-ed from the head of a Santa Barbara advocacy group argues that two people crashed into local businesses, and another person killed a pedestrian, but not one of the crashes involved an ebike, despite the panic in the city over them.

Sad news from Solano County, where someone riding a bicycle was struck and killed by a pickup driver exiting a freeway.

 

National

Colorado is relaunching the statewide ebike rebate program, with discounts of $1,000 on an ebike, and $1,300 on an e-cargo bike; that can be combined with a $225 tax credit, for a total savings of up to $1,525. That compares favorably to California’s ebike voucher discount of not a damn thing.

Even Laramie, Wyoming is opening a nine-acre bike park.

Colorado’s Steamboat Bike Park may be the most accessible in the US, with 15 of its 17 downhill trails adaptive-friendly.

A Colorado father hopes that his 24-year old son’s death in a hit-and-run while bicycling last month will somehow lead to safer streets.

A Washington DC man describes what it’s like to get shot while riding his bike, and thanks all the people who came to his rescue.

A team from the University of Texas completed the world’s longest annual charity ride, covering more than 4,000 miles from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska, while raising over $368,000 for cancer research and support programs.

It took nearly four months, but police in Louisiana have finally arrested a 34-year old woman for the hit-and-run death of a 24-year old man riding a bicycle, as well as her 60-something parents, who helped coverup the crime.

 

International

Bogotá, Colombia, is making sure women aren’t left behind in South America’s “city of cycling,” where women were previously convinced bicycles were for men.

Momentum makes the case for why Quebec’s 3,300-mile La Route Verte connected bicycle network is North America’s greatest bicycling route, combining quiet rural roads, converted railway trails, protected bike paths and scenic parkways.

An 11-year old Québécois kid pretty much sums up the feelings most of us have, saying “I’d be sad if I couldn’t ride my bike.”

Vultures are circling over the famed Raleigh bike brand, which could be on its last legs as it enters insolvency proceedings — the European equivalent of bankruptcy — after Netherlands-based parent company Accell Group failed to find a buyer.

A Turkish professor argues that bicyclists need to organize into an effective organization to make their voices heard to improve safety, rather than merely dreaming of a “beautiful society with the timidity of a pigeon.”

 

Competitive Cycling

Riders in the Tour de France Femmes are pushing for more stages for their own sake, not to be more like the men.

There were no major changes in the standings after stage 6 of the Tour, as Mauritian champ Kim Le Court bounced back from a difficult time trial to win the stage.

The women will compete on the brutal Mont Ventoux for the first time on today’s stage, which promises to be the hardest day’s in the Tour’s history.

Bike Radar says riders at the women’s Tour ride basically the same bikes as the men, just specced for smaller bodies. Although a lot of the men’s peloton shops in the petite department, too.

Dozens of cyclists crashed in a massive pile-up 24 miles from the finish line in stage 4 of the Tour de Pologne, requiring a half hour stoppage to sort out the mess.

 

Finally…

It may not be the first bike, but it’s probably the oldest.

And you’d think a website devoted to highway construction would know how to spell it.

But you would be wrong.

………

So I worked up a few more T-shirt designs. And yes, these are all for sale right now; just click on the photo.

 

 

 

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin.

 

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

San Diego completes 75% of bike plan, stoned double killer appeals murder convictions, and WeHo opens ebike voucher portal

August 6, 2026 / / No comments

San Diego, you’re looking good.

In a story hidden behind their usual draconian paywall, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that a new study from San Diego State University shows the city has completed 75% of the bike infrastructure called for in the city’s 2013 bicycle master plan.

Which compares favorably to Los Angeles, which has completed somewhere south of 5% of its plan adopted a few years earlier.

In addition, just over 80% of the city’s major streets have some sort of bikeway, even if most have disconnected sections forcing riders to fight their way through traffic, and only 8% of that is protected.

According to the paper,

The report also pointed to the need for more low-stress biking options, such as designated bikeways or multi-use paths dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians — types of infrastructure where riders face less traffic stress. While 63% of the network is considered low-stress, over 30% of the network is considered high-stress, the study found.

“While a majority of the network is technically bikeable, a substantial portion consists of high stress segments that may discourage use, particularly among the ‘interested but concerned’ population,” the authors wrote.

Still, it seems like they’re doing a lot more, and a lot better, than their much larger neighbor to the north, even if the city is experiencing some bikelash right now.

Meanwhile, another report shows that despite a recent dip on eight monitored corridors, San Diego bike ridership is still up 17% since 2019.

While San Diego makes progress, today’s image offers the view from Los Angeles. 

………

Once again, most of the story is hidden behind a paywall.

But there’s enough left uncovered to know that Mandy Marie Benn, the now 46-year old woman who was (allegedly) stoned out of her mind on prescription drugs and participating in a live Facebook chat when she killed two men taking part in a 300-mile Michigan Make-A-Wish fundraising ride in 2022, is appealing the murder convictions that resulted in a minimum 70-years behind bars, alleging prosecutors failed to prove a required element of the crime.

Benn was sentenced to two consecutive 35-to-60 year terms, which would make her about 160-some years old if she served her full terms. Which somehow seems a little unlikely.

So I’ll settle for her getting out at a tad over 112 years old even if she serves the minimum. Because that’s someone who should never see the light of day again, but you never know what the courts will do.

………

West Hollywood is accepting applications for their new ebike incentive program, offering up to 50 vouchers covering the full cost of purchase, plus maintenance.

That compares favorably with Los Angeles, which instead is considering cracking down on ebikes, seeing ebikes as a problem to be squashed, rather than an asset to encourage.

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles teenager warns about the dangers of ebikes after she was severely injured going over the handlebars “at a really high speed” last year.

Which is a pretty good indication that she was probably riding an illegal e-moto, or at least an illegally hacked ebike, rather than an electric bicycle.

Thanks to Andrew for the heads-up. 

………

Local 

WeHo will new require dockless ebike and e-scooter users to park in mandatory designated areas.

 

State

Irvine has officially been crowned as the least-stressed city in Southern California, and the 7th in the nation by WalletHub, and oddly, scored exactly the same rankings as SoCal’s fittest city and the 7th in the US, according to the American Fitness Index.

Australian bike retailer BikesOnline has opened their first physical US location in San Clemente.

A new report shows San Francisco is experiencing a higher number of severe crashes now than when the city adopted Vision Zero in 2014. Or as we say here in LA, welcome to the club.  

 

National

Triathlon site Slowtwitch discusses the most common mistakes new cyclists make. Actually, the most common mistake new cyclists make is trying to become cyclists, instead of just learning to enjoy riding a bicycle before trying to win a Grand Tour.

A pair of college students rode across the US, raising $15,000 for lone soldiers in Israel. Although maybe someone can explain what the hell a lone soldier is, and why they need our financial support.

A Cedar Rapids, Iowa nonprofit is working with the city to refurbish bicycles and distribute them to people who lack reliable transportation.

A Michigan woman is impressed by a young man she saw riding a bicycle on the gravel shoulder of the road as she drove by, assuming from his fast food uniform that he must be a dedicated worker riding to and/or from work dressed like that. If she’s that impressed, maybe she should leave her car at home and try it herself next time. 

New York’s city council is considering at least 17 bills cracking down on ebikes and e-motos, which is like comparing apples and IndyCars; meanwhile, New York Mayor Mamdani orders 42 makes of illegal ebikes to stop selling in the city.

 

International

The CBC talks with the first “excited” bicyclists and pedestrians to cross the newly opened multi-use path on the newly opened Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.

Talk about not getting it. The UK is closing a number of shared-use paths located near major roadways, because the nearby traffic makes them too heavily polluted.

Shocking, I know. But despite the 134 “cycle streets” in Brussels, Belgium, where drivers are limited to 19 mph and not allowed to overtake bicyclists, bike riders still worry about their safety because too many drivers refuse to follow the rules.

The 18-year old grandson of legendary Australian ultracyclist Bob Montgomery remembers his 82-year old grandfather and riding companion, who died suddenly just one day after completing a ride across the continent to raise funds for a Motor Neurone Disease charity.

 

Competitive Cycling

For the first time in four days, the yellow jersey remained on the same shoulders as Marlen Reusser defended her narrow 12 second lead, while Demi Vollering outsprinted Kasia Niewiadoma and Reusser to win the 5th stage of the Tour de France Femmes.

Former Swiss champ Noemi Rüegg was knocked off her bike when a race moto clipped her handlebars in the “chaos” of the Tour’s 5th stage; she got back on her bike and finished the stage, but it was unclear if she was injured.

Aussie triathlete Tilly Offord is working her way back to competing in the LA Olympics in two years, after her road to the ’24 Paris Games was derailed by a near-fatal distracted driver while on a training ride in 2022.

 

Finally…

It took a bicycling food vendor for us to discover there’s a California in Trinidad & Tobago. Your next bike could be a sit-down electric scooter with pedals.

And your next cup of Joe could help fund safer streets.

………

One last note.

I just got my first order of these T-shirts, and even I have to admit they look damn good, and even better in person. So order one, already.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin.

 

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

Pantless Kiwi car thief attacks woman, cars, teen bike club and murders dog; and LA proposes performative ebike crackdown

August 5, 2026 / / No comments

Excuse the vernacular, but what the fuck?

One woman was assaulted, three teenaged bicyclists were injured, and a dog was murdered by pantless New Zealand man “known to police for mental health illness.”

According to reports, the series of incidents began when the 49-year old man, who was not publicly identified, attacked a woman on a public street around 7 am with no warning, causing bruising to her face, head and upper body.

And yes, without pants, apparently naked from the waist down.

When a passing Good Samaritan stopped his car and ran out to help, the pantless man jumped in and sped off.

After striking a number of cars, he veered his car into a cycling club on a training ride, striking five teenage victims from behind, and injuring three, one critically. Although it’s not clear if he intentionally struck the bicyclists, or if they just happened to be in his way.

After crashing into the bike club, he approached a woman walking two dogs, grabbed one and strangled it.

He then apparently got back in the heavily damaged car, and drove to a gas station, where he crashed into one of the pumps, and tried to jack another car, but couldn’t start it because the driver had taken the key.

He was finally tased by police and arrested, and booked on 14 separate charges.

The only good news is that no one was killed, and it was not a premeditated attack.

But seriously.

What. The. Fuck.

Image by Joel Fazhari from Pixabay. 

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Los Angeles is apparently preparing to join the parade of cities cracking down on ebikes.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the motion, introduced by Heather Hutt and unindicted City Staffer B, two of the more conservative members of the city council, passed the council’s Rules Committee yesterday.

It asks LADOT to come up with ways to regulate ebikes, because the bills currently under discussion at the state level apparently aren’t good enough. Or maybe they just want to appear to be doing something about the problem before facing voters in two years.

Which would seem to give them enough time to see what the state legislature does this year, but still.

According to the Times,

The motion outlines a number of possible measures including banning the sale of e-bikes, e-motorcyles and electric mopeds that don’t meet legal standards out of the box, banning modifications that can make e-bikes faster and requiring education for riders under 18 or who don’t have a driver’s license. The motion, authored by Councilmembers Heather Hutt and John Lee, also suggested implementing rules for storage and charging to prevent battery fires.

“Banning the conversion of e-bikes to an e-moto will be an important step to preventing injuries,” Hutt’s office said in a statement. “Most importantly we need to ensure children are riding the appropriate vehicle for their age,” including kids staying off e-motos until they are 16 years old.

Although it’s not clear if they can legally go beyond state law by requiring education for riders under 18, while the other measures are already covered by state law, though perhaps not yet explicitly.

The proposal now moves on to the Public Safety Committee, then the full City Council.

Meanwhile, New York City is considering a crackdown on illegal ebikes, too, although the city council’s speaker wants the state to copy New Jersey’s fatally flawed crackdown on anything with a battery.

And Calbike offers a detailed report on why ebikes belong.

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The Los Angeles Times profiles mechanical engineer Marc Papas, who is on a mission to ride every one of the streets in Los Angeles, and is about 80% complete in his goal of covering 7,500-plus miles of public streets.

The bike rides were connecting him to his city in ways he never expected. “I’m not necessarily saying that everybody needs to go out and ride their bikes,” said Papas, though he’d certainly love it if more Angelenos did. Instead, he hopes his biking project is showing people what’s possible — in the most extreme way. Yes, you can bike in Los Angeles, as many Angelenos often do out of necessity. It’s even enjoyable. And yes, you can do it across every single mile of the city, even if the cycling infrastructure isn’t perfect yet. “I think to me, success would be if people just go out and explore their own neighborhood,” he said. He views cycling as a form of civic engagement and a way to see things otherwise invisible when speeding by in a car. For beginners, Papas recommends sticking to bike paths and joining cycling groups. More experienced riders should venture out into new areas, said Papas. “Biking is like a superpower to gain familiarity with your neighborhood, but it just needs to be unleashed.”

It’s worth taking a few minutes to read the whole thing, because maybe it will inspire you to take that turn you always ride past, and discover what’s waiting for you.

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Donate now to support Streetsblog California

Somehow I missed this earlier, but Streetsblog California is trying to raise ten grand to help close a $125,000 gap left by reduced foundation funding.

They’re among the good guys in the battle for safer streets, so help ’em out by clicking the banner above if you’ve got some extra cash stuffed in the sofa.

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No surprise here, as a new international study finds that cities that continued to bike lanes saw continued growth in bicycling even after the pandemic bike boom.

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Gravel Bike California explains randonneuring, and takes a 200 km — 124 miles — test ride.

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

A Pasadena lawyer says he just doesn’t get the federal government’s war on bicycles, with one DOT spokesperson defending his boss’ defenseless battle against bikes by saying it makes sense “despite the Left’s belief that everyone should ride a bike to their shoebox-sized apartment to eat crickets to achieve a phony climate agenda.” He says he takes offense because he loves his bike, and doesn’t eat crickets. Same here, on both counts.

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

Young ebike riders have caused thousands of dollars in damage to an Oklahoma City golf course, tearing up fairways and greens, as well as breaking things and vandalizing restrooms. Although something tells me those ‘ebikes’ are all e-motos and dirt bikes, maybe with a few illegally hacked formerly legal ebikes.

Organizers of a bike race on Canada’s Prince Edward Island were forced to apologize after some participants blew past fire trucks forming a barricade, and nearly collided with the annual Oyster Festival Parade.

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Local 

Metro is expanding the One Car Challenge countywide for up to 2,000 participants, so you could get paid if you agree to leave one car parked for six weeks to explore other ways of getting around. And yes, one car households are eligible this time around.

Streets For All explains why they bought full page ads in early Democratic primary states South Carolina and Nevada calling out Governor Gavin Newsom for cutting $2 billion from programs supporting public transit, affordable housing, and clean air and water in the new state budget. I understand their anger, but that’s a lot of money that could have been used right here at home.

 

State

San Diego is lowering speed limits on some streets, and could lower limits on 20% of the city’s streets by this time next year.

 

National

Cycling industry advocacy group PeopleForBikes says they’re committed to proving bikes are good for you, mentally and physically.

Bike advocates in Austin, Texas are calling on the University of Texas to reconsider banning bicycles, scooters and other micromobility devices from a large area of the central campus.

A Concord, Massachusetts newspaper digs into the numbers, and finds that crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians were evenly divided over the last seven-and-a-half years with 38 each, as the city prepares to adopt a new transportation plan.

A Boston public radio station examines what the mayor has learned about bike lanes since one of the city’s transportation planners was killed while riding her bike.

A new protected bike lane connecting New York’s Inwood neighborhood to the Hudson River requires bike riders to cross a busy highway on-ramp and carry their bikes up and down a flight of stairs to preserve 40 precious parking spaces, which the local community seems to value more than the safety of bicyclists. I think we can all look forward to bicyclists slipping down icy steps this winter, if not rain-slicked steps before then. 

A 46-year old Sanford, Florida city employee faces hit-and-run charges after right-hooking a bike rider while driving a park and recreation garbage truck — like a regular a garbage truck, but smaller — killing the victim, then just continuing on her merry way; she was taken into custody after being located by police with the help of a witness.

 

International

Cyclist looks at the year’s best titanium bikes.

A 31-year old Windsor, Ontario man is camping out for 24 hours to become the first person to bike from the Canadian side of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Windsor to Detroit, Michigan. Although it only seems right that riders should be required to explain who Gordie Howe was as kind of a toll or password before being allowed to use the crossing.

Seriously? Life is cheap in the UK, where a 35-year old van driver walked without a day behind bars for killing a 54-year man riding a bicycle, because he was really, really sorry and had no idea why he hadn’t seen the victim, who was lit up like a Christmas tree in the predawn darkness, describing the crash like he wasn’t responsible for, or even aware of, what happened.

Ireland is adopting the UK’s 21-year old National Standard for Cycle Training and its popular ‘Bikeability’ program for adults, as well as children. We could do a lot worse than offering a similar program here on a volunteer basis.

 

Competitive Cycling

The yellow jersey moved to the third rider in three days, as Swiss cyclist Marlen Reusser powered to victory in Tuesday’s stage 4 time trial at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, giving her a 14 second lead over Demi Vollering. For anyone who’s not a fan of women’s cycling, when was the last time you saw lead changes like that in the men’s Tour?

Male volunteers are undoubtedly lining up to perform bra checks at the Tour de France Femmes, after bra padding became the latest form of illegal doping by improving aerodynamics in a tuck position.

Cycling News looks at all the yellow cards, fines and other penalties issued to riders in the Femmes Tour, including penalties for illegally tossed bidens and riding on the sidewalk. Although there’s no mention of fines for illegally enhanced bust lines.

Velo looks at how Belgian pro Sandrine Tas transitioned from speed skater to WorldTour cyclist in just six months. Tas follows in the footsteps — or maybe tire tracks — pioneered by siblings Eric and Beth Heiden, who both won Olympic speed skating medals before becoming top pro cyclists back in the 80s. 

Velo also looks at the Tour’s hottest day, as 102° Fahrenheit temps wreak havoc on the peloton.

Finally…

Yes, you can legally bike in your underwear, as long as the naughty bits are covered. And who needs a war over parking spaces, when bike trails could interfere with mule deer crossings?

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

Oh, and fuck Putin.

 

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