BikinginLA

The L.A. version of the World Naked Bike Ride turned violent on Saturday when participants were attacked by the passenger of a trailing car, who shouted anti-gay slurs before getting out and punching one of the riders.

The driver then got out as well, and knocked a second rider to the ground before throwing the victim’s bike at him, in an incident that was partially captured on video.

The Eastsider LA, which initially broke the story, reports that the cyclists were not seriously injured.

The two riders who sustained injuries – one sustained a cut lip, the other suffered a bloody nose and scrapes to his face – declined emergency medical treatment, (LAPD Lt. Wes) Buhrmester said.  He provided the following description of two male suspects who were riding in a Honda:

The first suspect is described as a male, 20 years old, black hair, brown eyes, 5-8, 180 pounds, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. The second suspect is a male, late 20s, black “buzz cut” hair, dark complexion, 5-10, 200-250 pounds, wearing a blue shirt with blue jeans. If anyone has information, you can either call or e-mail me at the addresses below (confidentiality will apply, other than me referring your information to detectives), or call Rampart Detective Division at (213) 484-3450. Refer to DR No. 11-0212143. There are some leads upon which detectives are acting.

If you have any information, you can reach Lt. Burhmester, who lives in the area of the attack, at 213/484-3400, or email here.

According to the Echo Park Patch, the police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

And it’s just one more example of why L.A. needs a bicycle anti-harassment ordinance.

Thanks to Steve Herbert for the link.

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Herbert also sends word of a logical disconnect afflicting one of our local TV stations.

While watching the KTLA morning news, Lynette Romero was live with a 2 minute story about the LA City council needing to decide the issue of a Wilshire Blvd Bus Only Lane, or risk the opportunity to apply for federal funding to the tune of 23 million dollars.

At the end of the story, host Frank Buckley throws it to their traffic reporter in studio, Ginger Chan asking “What do you think, bus only lane on Wilshire Blvd.?”

Ginger Chan replies: ” I think it’s a terrible idea to be honest with you because not enough people take the buses, so just leave it alone and we’ll figure out something else.”  Then they of course open to a regional map of the freeways with nearly half the freeway routes in red.

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By now, you may have heard the tale I linked to last weekend, as an attractive Dutch cyclist is reportedly stopped by a New York Police officer and warned that her short skirt is too distracting to passing motorists.

Naturally, it caused worldwide attention and outrage, as writers compared the incident — unfavorably — to Saudi Arabia, where women are just beginning to fight for their right to drive.

Now it turns out, it may have been a hoax.

The cyclist, Jasmin Rijcken, not only runs a Dutch bicycle company, according to her LinkedIn profile, she is also a marketing consultant specializing in viral marketing.

She denies it, of course, pointing out that she posted the story on her Facebook page, rather than going to the press herself. And she never mentioned the brand of bike she represents — even though the brand has received worldwide attention as a result.

Is it a hoax? Unless the officer comes forward to confirm the incident, or she steps up to admit fabricating it, we’ll probably never know.

But I can tell you this.

As a marketer myself, if I wanted to plant a story in the hopes that it would go viral with maximum believability, I probably would have done it exactly the same way, allowing the story to spread while maintaining plausible deniability.

Thanks to Al Williams and Stanley E. Goldich for the heads-up.

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The Times issues a call for protecting cyclists in bike lanes. How to turn a vintage bike into a hanging lamp. Josef Bray-Ali explains why L.A. Streetsblog matters. Better Bike Beverly Hills explains why the Westside Cities Council of Governments should matter to cyclists. A reminder that you could win a free hoodie for donating to CicLAvia this month. Riding the L.A. River Ride with Glendale Mayor Laura Friedman; LACBC says thanks to a very long list of people and organizations that made it possible. Ride the Black Line offers a crack example of why you need to be careful out there. The South Bay Bicycle Master Plan is officially unveiled. A driver faces murder charges after left crossing a motorcycle; can anyone recall seeing a driver face similar charges for left crossing a cyclist? Hello? Anyone?

New pedals can offer relief for sore knees, as cdm Cyclist discovers. A triathlete says bike theft is rampant at UC San Diego, and no one but the victims seem to care. A San Diego man is intentionally hit by a car and robbed following a dispute on the street. An author looks at the 2009 Race Across America; the 30th RAAM edition kicks off today and Wednesday. The Redwood City cyclist who wobbled and fell shortly after being passed by a driver who witnessed the crash in her rearview mirror has died from his injuries; thanks to Richard Masoner for the news. The Sacramento Bee profiles a man who makes whacky whimsical bikes. This year’s AIDS/LifeCycle ride raises a record $13 million.

You, too, can become a bike advocate in three easy steps. Dave Moulton says the freedom to drive should not outweigh the freedom to stay alive. The Portland Oregonian looks at women riders of every kind. Lance Armstrong accuser Tyler Hamilton is banned from an Aspen restaurant after a confrontation with Lance; the feds are informed of the incident. Boulder CO opens a $3.2 million off-road bike park. Springfield cyclist says someone finally got it right in a story about a cyclist hit while riding on the sidewalk. A Texas man dies while raping a 77-year old woman after riding his bike two miles to his victims home; karma can be a well-deserved bitch sometimes. Minneapolis holds its first ciclovia. Delaware sets up bike checkpoints to educate inexperienced cyclists. Virginia Beach gives itself six years to become bike-friendly, while someone is sabotaging local cycling routes. The country’s most dangerous state for cyclists and pedestrians prepares a new road safety campaign that appears to blame cyclists.

Cambridge gets new signs allowing bikes while banning cars; can we put those at all the entrances to L.A.? If cycling is to thrive, we need to replace cities built for cars with infrastructure that will encourage people to ride bikes. Animals and unpredictable drivers can make tranquil country roads less safe than they seem. Alberto Contador threatens promises to defend his title in the Tour de France. False environmental arguments against building bike paths.

Finally, there are reasons not to trade your roadie for a trendy new fixie. On the other hand, you don’t want ride an ebike in New York, either. And Josef Bray-Ali shows the cutest possible use for a bakfiets.