Archive for May 8, 2014

An open letter to CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo on improving safety and livability on North Figueroa

May 8, 2014 / / Comments Off on An open letter to CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo on improving safety and livability on North Figueroa
Courtesy of LACBC

Courtesy of LACBC

Dear Councilmember Cedillo,

Seldom does such a defining moment come so early in a council member’s time in office.

But that’s exactly what you face in deciding whether to install bike lanes on North Figueroa; a choice that will define your legacy long after you leave office.

For better. Or for worse.

And right now, things aren’t looking good for you. Or the people who live, work or travel through your district.

But let’s be honest. It’s not about bike lanes.

As you should be aware by now, North Figueroa has long been a dangerous street for bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as motorists. In fact, the street has averaged nearly one traffic fatality a year, and over 82 injuries, over a 10-year period.

It’s a roadway where dangerous design and overcapacity encourage speeding and overly aggressive driving, risking innocent lives and discouraging the non-motorized transportation that could ease traffic and benefit local businesses.

In a process that began five years ago, the street was studied and discussed in an extensive series of public meetings. And the overwhelming consensus among local residents — your constituents — was that the roadway needed to be reconfigured to calm traffic and improve safety.

Bike lanes were just a part of a larger plan that would benefit everyone by increasing pedestrian access, reducing dangerous driving and improving livability throughout the North Figueroa corridor.

Combined with the recently approved MyFigueroa project on South Figueroa, it would establish one of the city’s most complete streets from end-to-end, where average people could feel comfortable strolling casually or enjoying a leisurely bike ride to local shops and restaurants. As well as encouraging people to get out of their cars to commute to work and school, taking pressure off our city’s overcrowded and fume-choked streets.

The project was approved, funded and shovel-ready when your predecessor left office.

All you had to do was sign off on it.

Instead, you’ve engaged in a year-long campaign of obfuscation and foot-dragging, repeatedly refusing to engage with local residents questioning why you were delaying such a beneficial and desperately needed project.

221162813-Bike-Lane-Community-Meeting-5-8-14-Flyer-English-FinalAnd now you are proposing an alternative approach, a complicated series of sharrows similar to ideas that have already been considered — and rejected — before you ever took office.

Yet sharrows will do absolutely nothing to slow traffic and improve safety on and around Figueroa. They will not improve walkability or encourage shoppers to stroll the street. And they will do nothing to entice anyone but the most confident bicyclists to risk their own safety by riding directly in front of impatient drivers.

In other words, your proposal fails to address any of the concerns that prompted the city and the residents of Northeast LA to reimagine the North Figueroa corridor in the first place. It represents a failure of imagination and leadership for which you and your staff should be ashamed.

And it begs the question of why you have backed off on a proposal with such overwhelming support — including, at one time, your own.

Some say it’s due to a desire to place your own stamp on the street, rather than allow your predecessor build on his own legacy. Others have suggested that it’s political payback to an anti-bike lane opponent who helped throw the election your way.

True or not, neither reflects well on you.

The mere fact that people in your district would question your motives for such inexplicable foot-dragging speaks to the confusion and betrayal they feel.

You have a rare opportunity to demonstrate genuine vision and leadership in creating a truly Great Street that will benefit everyone who lives, works or travels anywhere on or near it. And bring greater growth and prosperity to an area that desperately needs it.

Or your can decide to keep things more or less as they are, maintaining a dangerous auto-focused street that risks the lives and safety of everyone who travels or crosses it, as well as an almost inevitable decline for what is and should be a vibrant community.

Despite extensive criticism — including mine — Curren Price, your colleague on the City Council, showed genuine leadership in forging an agreement to keep the MyFigueroa project on track.

Will you do the same, and support a more livable North Figueroa that will stand as your legacy long after you’ve left office?

Or will you stand in the face of progress — and your constituents — to maintain a future of danger and decline?

The decision is in your hands. We can only hope you make the right choice.

Sincerely,

Ted Rogers
BikinginLA.com
 

Note: There will be a community meeting tonight at Nightingale Elementary School to discuss the proposal to replace the planned road diet and bike lanes with sharrows, from 6 to 8 pm, 3311 North Figueroa. The anti-bike lane factions are expected to be out in force, so supporters are urged to attend to demonstrate the support this project has among bike riders, pedestrians and the greater community.

And if you haven’t already, sign the petition to show your support.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Still no end to Milton Olin investigation, US House committee goes after bike/ped funding

May 7, 2014 / / 4 comments

So what the hell is taking so long?

Nearly six months after cyclist and former Napster CEO Milt Olin was killed by a sheriff’s deputy while riding in a Mulholland bike lane, investigators still haven’t sent the case to the DA, claiming they’re just being thorough.

The sheriff’s department raised a lot of eyebrows by deciding to investigate their own officer in Olin’s death, rather than turn the investigation over to an independent agency such as the CHP; I’m told the CHP — which usually handles traffic fatalities in the area — was more than willing to step in but was never asked.

The endless delay just raises more questions about whether the department is leaving no stone unturned in a search for the truth, or simply trying to find a way to exonerate one of their own.

Or perhaps the department itself, since many have suggested that it’s department policy for deputies to use the patrol car’s onboard computer while driving, which would be illegal for anyone not in uniform. And dangerously distracting for anyone, regardless.

Then again, maybe they’re just hoping that once they finally release the results, no one will care anymore.

Not gonna happen.

………

Once again, small minded representatives in the US House Appropriations Committee vote to gut bike and pedestrian funding. The proposed appropriations bill would turn the popular TIGER grant program into just another roads bill.

More proof, as it it’s needed, that too many of our elected leaders know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

………

Local

In advance of tonight’s community meeting to discuss bike lanes vs sharrows on dangerous North Figueroa, Richard Risemberg says your life, health and prosperity are at stake. And astutely calls sharrows the junk-food of bicycle facilities.

On the other end of Figueroa, the Times says the MyFigueroa project could result in a bikeable, walkable LA. And we shouldn’t settle for OK Streets instead of Great Streets.

Streetsblog offers five changes to improve the proposed LA mobility plan.

After wrapping what may have been its final season, the entire crew of Lifetime’s LA-based Drop Dead Diva — from grips to the stars of the series — are given new bikes.

A federal judge says you no longer have to pay a fee to bike or hike in undeveloped regions of the Cleveland, Los Padres, Angeles and San Bernardino national forests.

 

State

The Newport Beach Committee investigating restricting usage of the city’s Back Bay Drive has issued their report. I haven’t have a chance to read it yet, but you can download your own copy here.

A lightless, sidewalk-riding 73-year old Thousand Oaks cyclist is injured in a left cross collision with a 75-year old driver.

A casual cyclist embraces Bike to Work Day, as San Francisco prepares to celebrate theirs a week before we do.

The Bay Area’s Bicycle Coffee delivers fresh roasted coffee by bike; a new “chapter” plans to open in Silver Lake in three weeks.

 

National

Strava plans to sell its data to urban planners and advocacy groups; problem is, their data only shows where Strava users ride, not other types of riders.

Pharrell rides a bike in an undisclosed location. And yes, he looks sort of happy, maybe.

Boulder CO cycle track uses standard, inexpensive parking stops to form a protective barrier.

A New York lawmaker proposes increasing penalties to treat cyclists who flee the scene of a collision the same as hit-and-run motorists.

Cyclists may not have discovered DC’s new two-way cycle tracks, but drivers have. Meanwhile, a DC-area cyclist is ticketed in the hospital after she’s hit by a car when a witness claims she came out of nowhere, didn’t have lights, wasn’t in the crosswalk and was in the middle of the road. Sounds like maybe that witness was the driver who ran her down.

In a case of man bites dog, a Hattiesburg, Mississippi cyclist is the victim of a hit-and-run — and witnesses identify the suspect vehicle as a marked police car.

And these new compression shorts come complete with a fillable codpiece. Make of that what you will.

 

International

Most Toronto residents — and Canadians in general — want to require licenses for bike riders.

Former Amgen Tour of California winner Robert Gesink has surgery to correct the cardiac arrhythmia that has kept him off his bike in recent months. No word on when or if he’ll race again.

An Aussie writer says don’t feel sorry for careless cyclists, feel sorry for the poor innocent drivers who hit them — even though a study last year showed drivers were at fault in 79% of cycling collisions Down Under. Link courtesy of Opus the Poet, who’s Witch on a Bicycle blog you really should be reading if you don’t already.

 

Finally…

Following our discussion of scofflaw cyclists the other day, Priceonomics says it’s drivers’ fault that cyclists run stop signs. No, really.

And after an auto-centric writer for MotorSport magazine said the problem with cyclists is they get in your damn way and interfere with your right to zoom dangerously around winding roads, wiser heads prevailed and the story was removed from the website. But nothing ever really disappears from the Internet.

 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities, Law Enforcement, Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Review: New CamelBak Relay provides pure, great tasting water for every ride

May 7, 2014 / / Comments Off on Review: New CamelBak Relay provides pure, great tasting water for every ride
Great tasting water clear enough to read through.

Great tasting water clear enough to read through.

Let’s talk water.

Whether you ride with a water bottle or backpack-style hydration system, every bike rider needs some source of hydration for all but the shortest rides. Especially on those hot summer days just round the corner.

Let alone those hot spring days like last week.

But how much thought do you give to what goes in them?

No offense to my fellow Angelenos, but I’ve never been a fan of the water that comes out of our local taps.

Whether it’s a product of what leaves the filtration plant, or what it picks up from pipes along the way, LA water has always tasted a little off to me. And too often, there’s a noticeable chlorine smell that makes me feel like I’m drinking from the local swimming pool.

So ever since I returned to the city of my birth over a two decades ago, I’ve relied on bottled water. An average of eight gallons a week between my wife and I, at a cost of $1 to $1.50 a gallon.

The Corgi, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to care where her water comes from, as long as she doesn’t have to share it with anyone else.

And yes, we recycle the bottles, while realizing that doesn’t begin to negate the environmental impact of packing and trucking all those bottles.

We’ve tried various filtration systems over the years, but always found it more convenient and better tasting to get our water off the market shelf once again.

So when a representative for CamelBak asked me to try out an new countertop filtration pitcher, I agreed to give it a try, expecting to use it for a couple of day, write a quick review, and toss it in the closet to gather dust.

But six weeks later, we’re still using it.

The 10-cup CamelBak Relay is a simple, compact pitcher that fits easily in the refrigerator, taking up less space than a comparable water jug.

And when I say simple. I mean exactly that. Even taking time to read the instructions for a change, I had it assembled, filled and filtered in just a couple minutes.

Innovation filter works as you fill and as you pour, in real time.

Innovation filter cleans the water twice, as you fill and as you pour, in real time.

The company claims it filters 10 times faster than any competing product. But in my experience, the Relay filters and pours in real time, with virtually no delay at first, and none at all after the filter breaks in. And it filters the water twice, as you pour fresh water in and again as you pour it out.

More important, though, is the taste.

I’m happy to report it’s good.

Okay, great.

There’s none of the charcoal smell or taste I’ve found with other filters, and no hint of cloudiness or other unpleasant odors. In fact, the company claims independent tests showed it removed 97% of chlorine taste and odor. So all you get is crisp, clear water that compares favorably with the water found on the grocery shelves.

If I was to rank it — and why not, since this is my review — I’d put it just below Arrowhead Spring water and a step above Sparkletts, at a fraction of the cost. And way beyond the generic jugs on the supermarket shelf.

It also pours easily, allowing me to fill even narrow containers with ease. And since it filters in real time, I can fill the container, then pour it directly into the coffee maker or ice tray for better tasting coffee and ice.

It’s also BPA-free and dishwasher safe, and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Bottom line, we’ve gone from buying eight gallons of water a week to just one, at most. And then only to rotate the stock of water we keep on hand in case of earthquake or zombie apocalypse.

Which means, at an average bottled water cost of $10 a week, the Relay paid off its $36.99 retail cost in about four weeks, tax included.

Better yet, the filter lasts for four months; new filters cost just $28.50 for a three-pack — a full year supply — or $12 for a single filter, and can be found at Amazon.com, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and CamelBak.com.

That’s just $65.49 for a full year of clean, great tasting water, compared to the $500 or so we would otherwise pay. And until I wrote that last sentence, I never realized what a waste of money that was.

I’m sold.

 

Category: Product Reviews / Tags: , ,

Insurance Companies Are Not Your Friend

May 7, 2014 / / 5 comments

 

Jim Pocrass, Pocrass & De Los Reyes LLP

Jim Pocrass, Pocrass & De Los Reyes LLP

Bikes Have Rights™
By James L. Pocrass, Esq.
Pocrass & De Los Reyes LLP 
 

Behind the warm and fuzzy jingles, the precocious animal mascots, and the deep-voiced spokespersons, insurance companies are faceless, heartless corporations whose one purpose is to increase premiums and to decrease payouts in order to make the biggest profits possible.

Simply put, THAT is why you need your own lawyer if you have a bike accident.

If insurance companies were “fair,” I’d be out of a job. I am pretty confident that unemployment due to insurance companies deciding to do the “right thing” is not something I have to worry about in my lifetime.

The reality is, after you have had a bike accident and the friendly insurance adjuster calls you, his (or her), goal is to come up with a reason not to pay you. If he can’t outright deny you compensation for your damages, he wants to diminish your case so the company has to pay you as little as possible.

Rest assured, everything you say to that nice insurance adjustor can and will be used against you in a court of law. That is why I – and every other personal injury lawyer – will tell you to refuse to speak to an insurance adjuster or insurance representative. Give the adjustor your lawyer’s name and phone number and hang up.

If you cooperate with the insurance adjuster and you are offered a settlement, it is likely that you are getting 10 cents on the dollar of the value of your case. I was once told by an adjuster that he received a bonus if he could settle a case within 48-hours.

Let me tell you about a case I handled. A client who had a Los Angeles bike accident injured his shoulder. He talked with the kindly insurance adjuster who sympathized and sent him to a doctor (an insurance company sending you to a doctor is a rare occurrence).

SURPRISE! The doctor recommended by the insurance company said my client’s shoulder was fine. The company offered my client $5,000 to settle his case.

My client’s shoulder really hurt. He finally engaged a lawyer (me), and I sent him to a doctor. The doctor I sent him to diagnosed a torn rotator cuff. He underwent surgery. We settled the case for $150,000.

Never forget that insurance companies have more knowledge than you do. They also employ an army of lawyers. They can throw more resources at your case than you even know exist. They have all the power, all the money, and the wherewithal to fight you when you are fighting alone.

You need an experienced personal injury lawyer to level the playing field. I have written here before about how to choose a lawyer, but it bears repeating to say you should look at how or where you got the referral, the lawyer’s experience in your type of case, and the results the lawyer has achieved.

Now go increase your uninsured motorist insurance to the maximum the insurance company will permit, and the next time you see an insurance company commercial, remember, they are not your friend.

*California Vehicle Code 21200: A person riding a bicycle or operating a pedicab upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle. . .

For more than 25 years, Jim Pocrass has represented people who were seriously injured, or families who lost a loved one in a wrongful death, due to the carelessness or negligence of another. Jim is repeatedly named to Best Lawyers of America and to Southern California Super Lawyers for the outstanding results he consistently achieves for his clients. Having represented hundreds of cyclists during his career, and Jim’s own interest in cycling, have resulted in him becoming a bicycle advocate. He is a board member of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. For a free, no-obligation consultation, contact Jim Pocrass at 310.550.9050 or at info@pocrass.com.

*Sponsored post

 

Category: Bikes & the Law, Bikes Have Rights, Guest Columns / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Pro cycling tours kickoff, the Bieb take a pedacab and six-year old cyclists come to blows

May 6, 2014 / / One comment

Lots of pro cycling news today.

Once again, cycling fans’ attention will be divided as this weekend’s kickoff to the Amgen Tour of California goes head-to-head against the Irish start of the legendary Giro d’Italia; always disappointing that these two great tours have to run at the same time.

The inaugural Women’s Tour of Britain starts today; meanwhile, one of Canada’s biggest bike events offers equal prize money for men and women. Nice to finally see women cyclists finally get the attention and support they deserve.

And Colorado’s USA Pro Challenge announces the routes for this summer’s race, including its first-ever mountaintop finish.

………

Nice video for today’s Culver City’s Bike to School Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbzMszGbNWA&feature=youtu.be

………

Local

A writer for KCET calls for transportation equity and just growth.

Just Ride LA hosts a free Street Cycling Skills Workshop next Wednesday.

After showing off his pantsless posterior, the Bieb takes a pedacab on Venice Beach as his bodyguard is forced to run along behind.

Metro teams with CICLE and the Eastside Bike Club to host the Old Roots, New Routes ride to visit the new Rosemead Blvd cycle tracks.

Pasadena’s Colorado Blvd goes car-free for two hours on Saturday the 17th in advance of the finish of Stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California at Pasadena City Hall.

 

State

A Laguna Beach mountain bike rider is airlifted out of El Moro Canyon with a broken leg; a reminder to ride with a companion and always carry a cell phone and water when you go off road.

A minor miracle in Rancho Cordova, as a bike rider survives a collision with a train.

Freakonomics says what so many cyclists have said before — if you want to get away with killing someone, use a car.

 

National

Esquire offers advice on how men can ride to work in style. Or you could try this $730 bike commuter suit.

Bazaar captures 10 women celebrities who bike in style. And yes, they do.

Evidently America’s bike paradise still has some work to do. Is bike-friendly Portland resting on its laurels?

Connecticut passes a bill calling for a $1,000 fine for motorists who fail to operate their vehicles and cause injury or death. It may help hold dangerous drivers accountable after the fact, but will the threat of a fine really make people drive more safely?

A North Carolina bike lawyer says bicycle crashes aren’t accidents.

 

International

British Olympic and Paralympic stars call on the country to make the roads safer for cyclists.

Less than bike-friendly Madrid is about to get an e-bike share program. Electric bikes make a lot of sense for a bike share system due to users widely varied skills and fitness levels.

Buy an apartment in Melbourne, get a $1,000 bike and a place to fix it. Not that the price of the free bike hasn’t already been added in to the cost of the apartment, of course.

 

Finally…

Caught on camera — road raging Brit six-year olds come to blows after colliding on their bikes. And when you’re carrying an ounce of dope, it’s probably a good idea to listen to the cops when they tell you to stop popping wheelies.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: Petition urges tougher hit-and-run penalties; an LA cyclist says you’re not above the law, either

May 5, 2014 / / 5 comments

A new petition urges tougher penalties for hit-and-run drivers who injure or kill bicyclists, runners or pedestrians, in the wake of the gentle wrist-caress plea deal given the drunken killer of cyclist Andy Garcia.

If you’ve been coming here for awhile, you know I’ve offered my own suggestions on how to put an end to hit-and-runs once and for all.

Meanwhile, another petition calls for an end to the common practice of driving — legally — without plates, which makes it virtually impossible to identify drivers who flee after injuring or killing someone. Although some people want to remove the requirement for a front plate entirely because it reduces aerodynamics and might get dinged during a car wash.

Seriously.

But if some driver takes off after running over my ass, I want the cops to be able to read the imprint of the jerk’s license plate embedded on my butt cheeks.

One way or another, though, something has to be done now to stop dangerous drivers from running away like the cowards they are after colliding with another person or vehicle.

And force them to take responsibility for their actions.

Willingly or not.

……..

An LA bike blogger offers a word of advice to his fellow bike riders:

JUST QUIT BREAKING THE DAMN LAW, PEOPLE!

It’s a good read. And he’s got a point.

Though I might argue with the suggestion that the distain some drivers have for cyclists is justified by our own bad behavior.

But I’ve had the same experience he has of obeying the law only to watch another rider blow through the red light or stop sign I’ve stopped for. Or pausing to observe a motorist’s right-of-way only to have a cyclist swerve dangerously around me and cut the car off — then flip off the driver for the chaos he created.

And yes, it’s inevitably a he.

Granted, traffic laws were not written with cyclists in mind. And sometimes safety dictates observing the spirit, rather than the letter of the law.

But we can’t expect others on the roads to obey the laws we choose to flaunt.

There’s absolutely nothing that says traffic regulations don’t apply to you. Or me, for that matter.

And let’s not forget that if anything bad does happen, you’ll likely lose any chance of an insurance or legal settlement if it can be shown you were even partly in the wrong. Regardless of what the other party may or may not have done.

It may not be fair.

But that’s the world we live in these days.

……..

Local

Flying Pigeon shows how it’s done when they successfully bike the vote at the recent NELA Neighborhood Council elections.

Bodacious Bike Babes visited Union Station in advance of its 75th — not 25th — anniversary.

UCLA celebrates Bike Week next week.

The annual Palms Bike Rodeo takes place this Saturday.

 

State

The OC Register reports on Sunday’s Dana Point Grand Prix that left five women riders injured.

Bike riders take over San Diego’s Barrio Logan for a full day of all-ages bike racing.

In a nice gesture, a San Jose writer suggests naming a bike boulevard after a local priest who was killed while riding his bike.

 

National

Sadly, Silicon Valley actor and “fanatical” cyclist Chris Welch succumbs to the cancer he’d battled since 2010.

Streetsblog remembers bike-friendly former Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar.

A Las Vegas driver faces DUI charges when he hits a 12-year old bike rider before and after slamming into multiple parked cars, then fleeing the scene.

A Portland bike rider files suit against the city after she’s injured on streetcar tracks trying to avoid people standing in the bike lane.

New York cyclists celebrate the Blessing of the Bicycles; LA riders will celebrate ours next Tuesday as Good Samaritan Hospital honors Ghost Bikes LA. Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

As helmets become more common for kid’s activities, including bike riding, they still do nothing to prevent concussions. As I’ve learned the hard way.

 

International

A UK rider points out the indignities women have to put up with when she’s slapped on the ass from a passing motorcycle. Unfortunately, that’s a story I’ve heard too often from other women, as well.

Now that’s more like it. British drivers who kill while driving with a suspended license will now face 10 years in prison. Then again, I’d vote for prison time for anyone who continues to drive after their license has been revoked.

Nice promo for the inaugural Women’s Tour of Great Britain this month.

 

Finally…

Top women’s pro cyclist Evelyn Stevens is just the latest to offer a video on how to change a flat tire — after the proper nourishment, of course. And a new video shows how not to lock your bike like an idiot.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Morning Links, Roadway Courtesy / Tags: , , ,

BOLO for Mission Hills hit-and-run driver who seriously injured bike rider

May 5, 2014 / / 6 comments

This morning we linked to a brief item about a bike rider who was seriously injured in a Mission Hills hit-and-run on Sunday.

Now more details have been added to the story.

According to the Daily News, the victim, identified only as a 53-year old North Hollywood resident, was riding west on Devonshire around 9:44 am when he attempted to cross Sepulveda Blvd on the green light. A white car headed north on Sepulveda stopped briefly at the red light before accelerating and crashing into the rider directly in front of him.

The paper reports he rolled onto the hood, smashing into the windshield, before being thrown to the ground when the driver braked before fleeing the scene. He was taken to a nearby hospital with broken bones, but no life threatening injuries.

The story also notes that the victim wasn’t wearing a helmet.

Since he does not appear to have suffered a head injury, the Daily News is apparently under the impression that a bike helmet somehow would have prevented the collision or made a rider impervious to any injury, including broken bones in other parts of the body.

An alert from the LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division describes the vehicle as a white four-door Jaguar, no model given, with black rims. The driver is described as Hispanic male with dark hair, around 30–40 years old.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Valley Traffic Division Detectives at 818/644-8020; anonymous tips can be called into Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800/222-8477).

Keep your eyes open for a white Jag with front-end damage, especially if you ride in the North San Fernando Valley. Let’s help the LAPD bring this heartless SOB to justice.

Thanks to Richard Risemberg for the heads-up.

And best wishes to the victim for fast and full recovery.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities, Law Enforcement / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: A brief visit to the Santa Monica Bike Expo, and bicycling loses a good friend over the weekend

May 4, 2014 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: A brief visit to the Santa Monica Bike Expo, and bicycling loses a good friend over the weekend

SaMo Bike Expo 1For a first time event, it seemed to go pretty well.

I stopped by the Santa Monica Bike Expo on Sunday, wife and Corgi in tow, since neither seems inclined to let me out of their sight for too long for fear I’ll drop dead from my newly diagnosed disorder, and/or the multiple meds I’m on to treat it.

Not that I don’t appreciate their concern.

There was a good selection of bike shops and manufacturers represented, including Xtracycle, Tern and Linus, who had the classiest booth by far. And there was a heavy emphasis ebikes; evidently beachside biking no longer requires actually turning the pedals yourself.

While the turnout wasn’t huge, there were quite a few people strolling the booths in the pier parking lot where the Cirque de Soleil tents stood until recently. I’m told Sunday was busier than Saturday; then again, it’s hard to compete with the day-long Long Beach Bike Fest a relatively short ride to the south.

SaMo Bike Expo 2And the beachfront location seemed to work in their favor, as a number of riders stopped in as they were riding by on the bike path; one rider even purchasde new grips to cover the bare handlebars on his long-neglected cruiser.

All in all, it seemed to be a good start.

Hopefully organizers will bring the free event back again next year, and encourage greater participation from shops and groups beyond the Santa Monica borders. And maybe pick a date that doesn’t conflict with other major bike events next time.

This is something LA has needed for a very long time. Let’s hope it proves successful for everyone involved.

……..

Sad news, as the best friend bicycling ever had in the halls of Congress passed away on Saturday. Former Minnesota Representative Jim Oberstar died in his sleep at age 79, after serving 18 terms in the US House.

We owe him a round of thanks for all he did to promote bicycling and alternative transportation over the years. He will be sorely missed.

Thanks to Patrick Pascal for the heads-up.

……..

Okay, so it has nothing to do with bicycling. But this is probably the most breathtakingly beautiful video of Los Angeles you’ll see today. And make sure to click on the full-screen option for full effect.

……..

Local

A 53-year old North Hollywood bike rider is seriously injured in a Mission Hills hit-and-run on Sunday morning.

Orange 20 Bikes urges you to fight to save the North Figueroa bike lanes, and questions why bike riders who have a stake in the area are considered “outside interests.” Very good question.

The LAPD’s Rampart Division celebrates Star Wars Day, aka May the 4th, with a badly Photoshopped photo of cops wielding light sabers — lifted from a 2009 Bikeside post criticizing the department for not giving a damn about cyclists in the relatively recent bad old days.

A gossip website says celebrities are avoiding rising gas prices by riding their bikes. Yeah, that’s the reason they ride, because they can’t afford to fill the tanks on their Bentleys. Then again, we can all be glad Lindsey Lohan is choosing not to get behind the wheel these days, for whatever reason.

 

State

The CHP encourages everyone to be a Roll Model — get it? — on the streets. And thankfully, directs the message to motorists as well as bicyclists for a change.

Five women’s riders were injured in a crash just 100 feet from the finish line at Sunday’s Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling; three riders were transported to a local hospital.

Santa Cruz County held an open streets event — aka ciclovia — in Capitola Sunday.

Eureka is named a bronze-level bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists.

 

National

The Centers for Disease Control calls on Americans to walk or bike instead of driving, in part due to the risk of car collisions.

Bicycling lists 50 rides of a lifetime around the world; PCH checks in at number four, while Mt. Baldy ranks 42nd.

That’s one way to stop a dangerous driver. After a Las Vegas motorist struck a 12-year old bike rider, a nearby man opens fire, claiming he shot to protect the boy and other neighborhood kids. Fortunately, no one was hit.

In 1897, one out of every five Chicago residents rode a bike. No wonder they call it the good old days.

The Washington Post conveys a bike-friendly safety message from AAA. Yet somehow overstates the number of bike riders killed each year by a factor of seven.

 

International

Injury rates are up for Montreal bike riders. So are traffic tickets. Then again, there’s no point in fixing dangerous streets when you can just tell cyclists to ride on the sidewalk.

A new video offers advice on how to be a gentleman cyclist. Evidently either women don’t ride, or they already follow the rules.

A record-setting Brit cyclist celebrates her 100th birthday; in 1938, she set out to ride every day of the year, eventually covering nearly 30,000 miles.

An Oxford, England cyclist is shocked! shocked! that the U-lock he swung at an angry driver actually hit him. Is it just me, or is the best way to ensure you don’t hit anyone is not to swing your effing lock at them in the first place?

An Aussie website says a government minister’s call to license cyclists is an “exceptionally silly idea,” noting a recent study found drivers at fault in 79% of cases.

 

Finally…

Must be one hell of an app. When a New York bike rider is arrested for — legally — filming a cop with his cell phone, the cop claims iPhones are being used as guns.

And a blogger says please stop blaming me for what other bike riders do.

Indeed.

Category: General, Morning Links /

Weekend Links: More on MyFig, Dana Point Crit Sunday, and how to change a bike tire in three minutes — in a dress

May 2, 2014 / / One comment

 

Local

Streetsblog reports on the consensus agreement for the MyFigueroa project; work may start next January and take about a year. And says there’s a rising tide for biking and walking in California.

KPPC finishes the ride with Damien Kevitt.

Santa Monica Spoke calls your attention Bike Month this month.

 

State

Dana Point hosts one of the largest single-day crits in the US this Sunday.

An OC mountain bike rider is airlifted out of a Laguna Beach trail after breaking his leg.

A San Diego writer says the recent Belgium Waffle Ride was one hell of a ride.

How to get your stolen bike back in San Francisco.

 

National

Cool looking new sensor-laden smart bike is built with safety in mind; the Kickstarter project is just $3,000 short of their $100,000 goal with four weeks to go.

Somehow, I can’t imagine the LAPD painting a bike safety message directly on their patrol cars like this one from Boise, Idaho.

A new study shows more helmet use hasn’t resulted in a decrease in injuries.

 

International

A new short video looks at bicycle culture in Cuba.

A Brit cyclist says there’s no point in obeying the rules because riding in London is always Death Race 2000. On the other hand, Olympic champ Chris Hoy is really angry at scofflaw cyclists.

Almost caught on video: A UK bike rider narrowly avoids injury when a construction crew drops a lamppost on him.

NPR looks at the risks and obstacles facing women cyclists in Afghanistan. And the drive to overcome them.

Australia’s New South Wales traffic minister says bike riders should be licensed and banned from certain roads for their own good, while a Sydney writer says not so fast.

Meanwhile, a new study shows separated bike lanes in Sydney resulted in a doubling in ridership and a reduction in overall injuries — and carry as many people on bikes as the traffic lanes next to them do in cars.

Aussie pro cyclist Travis Meyer has been released from the hospital following an April 12th training collision in Andorra that left him with a fractured skull, broken jaw, broken arm and bruised lung; surprisingly, the driver stepped-up and admitted responsibility. Thanks to Bobby Close for the heads-up.

 

Finally…

Sure, Lance and LeMond can change a tire in less than three minutes. But can they do it in a dress? A very cool new Italian bike has no spokes, hubless direct drive and folds down to the size of an umbrella. And apparently, the Queen is no fan of cyclists.

……..

Thanks to Mark Goodley for the very generous donation to help support this site.

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Calendar: Long Beach Bike Fest, SaMo Bike Expo, Sunday Funday, Sweet Ride on the Beach and 10¢ Stan’s donuts

May 2, 2014 / / Comments Off on Calendar: Long Beach Bike Fest, SaMo Bike Expo, Sunday Funday, Sweet Ride on the Beach and 10¢ Stan’s donuts

Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

Downtown’s Just Ride LA bike shop hosts weekly Monday evening and Saturday morning shop rides, with no one left behind; 1626 South Hill Street.

Filmmaker and frequent contributor Danny Gamboa is curating the Bike Love Art Show at the Bell Arts Factory, 432 N Ventura Ave in Ventura. The theme of the show is Bike or the Love of the Bicycle, with the opening reception to take place during the First Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 2nd at 6 pm.

This one’s only slightly bike related, as Westwood’s Stan’s Donuts celebrates their 50th anniversary with 10 cent donuts on Saturday the 4th; a cyclist’s gotta eat, right? And of course, they do this right after I have to give up sweets for the foreseeable future. So have a couple for me.

Helen’s Cycles host a no-drop Men’s Group Ride on the first Saturday of each month; the next ride is scheduled for 7:45 am on Saturday, May 17th, at the Santa Monica location, 2501 Broadway.

The Ride 2 Recovery to benefit wounded vets returns to Southern California on Saturday, May 3rd in Thousand Oaks. The ride departs from the Lost Hills Sheriff Station, 27050 Agoura Hills Road, starting at 8 am with rides of 17, 40 and 70 miles; registration is $55, with no cost for injured vets.

Ride with the Mayor and City Council members of South El Monte on Saturday, May 3rd. Meet at City Hall, 1415 Santa Anita Ave at 9:30 am, rolling at 10.

Celebrate the free Bike Fest of Long Beach on Saturday, May 3rd from 2 pm to 11 pm, with a number of events and activities for everyone, including the Wolfpack Hustle Shorline Crit and Stylish by Bike and Vintage Bike competitions hosted by Pedal Love.

One of the highlights of the LA bike calendar used to be the annual Bike Expo at the Convention Center, which sadly died to to declining interest. Now Santa Monica is picking up the mantle with the free Santa Monica Bike Expo on Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th at the Santa Monica Pier.

Enjoy a belated Earth Day celebration when the LACBC hosts Car Free SFV Earth Day on Sunday, May 4th along the LA River Greenway in Studio City, near Valleyheart Drive and Radford Ave starting at 8:45 am.

The LACBC’s May Sunday Funday Ride is May the Forest Be With You, hosted by board member Kevin Hopps in conjunction with the Car Free SFV Earth Day celebration. The ride meets at Valleyheart Drive and Radford Ave at 9:30 am on Sunday, May 4th, departing at 10.

Join Sweet Ride USA in filming the fifth episode in their Sweet Ride series combining bikes, desserts and camaraderie with the Beach Path Public Ride. Meet at Ocean View Park in Santa Monica, 2701 Bernard Way at 10 am, returning by 4 after a ride through Venice and down to Manhattan Beach.

Inventor Eric F. has come up with what he describes as a “revolutionary bicycle safety device (US and international patent pending) that will save lives and visibly change the urban landscape.” He’s looking for volunteers to participate in a focus group at Helen’s Cycles’ Santa Monica location, 2501 Broadway, on Monday, May 5th from 7 – 8 pm.

Equestrians are fighting to have bikes banned from the Mairposa Bridge between Burbank and Griffith Park. The Burbank City Council will take up the matter on Tuesday, May 6th at pm, Burbank City Hall, 275 E. Olive.

The fully funded, approved and shovel ready bike lanes on North Figueroa are finally scheduled for a public hearing with council member Gil Cedillo, who has been dragging his feet for reasons know only to him. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 8th from 6 to 8 pm at Nightingale Middle School, 3311 North Figueroa Street.

Saturday, May 10th, marks the Grand Opening of the first protected bike lane in the San Gabriel Valley, on Rosemead Blvd between Las Tunas and Broadway in Temple City; ribbon cutting ceremony starts a 9 am, with a Community Festival from 10 am to 1 pm. CICLE, the Eastside Bike Club and Stan’s Bike Shop are leading a family-friendly community ride to visit the bike lanes and festival.

Sunday, May 11th marks the Cyclofemme LA Mother’s Day Bike Ride and Brunch, from 9 am to 1 pm at Grand Park, 200 North Grand Ave. Take a socially paced ride around Downtown LA to celebrate and honor women around the world, ending with brunch at the Angel City Brewery. Another ride takes place in Ojai, with mountain bike and road rides starting at 11 am, with an after ride festival to follow.

The San Fernando Valley Bike Club offers a twice monthly Compagni Group Ride — Italian for companion — on the second and fourth Sunday of every month; the next ride takes place on Sunday, May 11th. Click here for details and other rides; lots of other great sounding rides on the list, too.

The Amgen Tour of California runs from Sunday, May 11th to Sunday, May 18th, starting in Sacramento. Three SoCal stages are planned, Friday May 16th, Santa Clarita to Mountain High; Saturday May 16th, Santa Clarita to Pasadena, and the final stage on Sunday the 18th in Thousand Oaks. There are also two women’s races scheduled, in Sacramento on May 11th and on the 12th in Folsom. Santa Clarita plans a series of events around their two stages.

Blessing of the Bicycles 2014Bike Week 2014 is set to unfold the week of May 12th, with preview events on Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th.

  • May 10th: Get Ready and Fix Your Bike!
  • May 11th: Bicycling is for Everyone Celebration!
  • May 12th: Kick-off Bike Week LA
  • May 13th: Blessing of the Bicycles; Ghost Bikes LA will be honored this year
  • May 14th: Guided Ride Day: Bike Lanes and More!
  • May 15th: Bike to Work Day
  • May 12th-18th: Bike Local Discounts

Metro wraps up Bike Week with the first Metro Bike Night @ Union Station from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on Friday, May 16th at — you got it — Union Station, 800 North Alameda St. in DTLA. The free event will feature special guests, live music, food trucks, outdoor booths, free bike valet, bike short films, trivia, bike portraits, fashion show and a raffle.

Pasadena starts off their own Bike Week celebration on Monday, May 12th as CICLE hosts a Taste of Pasadena Ride from 6:30 to 9:30 pm; Memorial Park Pasadena at Raymond Ave and Holly Street for a tour of local eateries. There’s a Women on Bikes Night on Wednesday, May 14th, and a Bike-In Movie Night on Friday, May 16th. And they finish Bike Week off with a mini-ciclovia from 11 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday, May 17th with Ride, Roll and Stroll, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, RSVP here. CICLE offers the full schedule of Bike Week Pasadena events here.

Santa Monica’s Helen’s Cycles host a no-drop Women’s Only Group Ride on the third Saturday of each month; the next ride is scheduled for 8 am on Saturday, May 17th, details TBD.

Mark your calendar for Glendale’s 2nd Annual Jewel City Fun & Fitness Ride on Sunday, May 18th, with rides ranging from seven to 45 miles.

KCRW’s Design & Architecture joins with the Helms Bakery complex, 8723 Washington Avenue, to host Reinventing the Wheel on Sunday, May 18th at 1 pm. The forum of the future of mobility includes space-age cars from the Petersen Automotive Museum, Linus city bikes and mobility exhibits, as well as live music, food trucks and complimentary beer; admission $15.

The California Bicycle Coalition is hosting a Bike Advocacy Day to influence elected officials in Sacramento on Wednesday, May 21 in Sacramento.

Discover LA’s world famous street art on the Northeast Los Angeles Mural Ride on Saturday, May 24th. Meet at the Heritage Gold Line Station, 3545 Pasadena Ave at 9:30 am, rolling at 10.

Walk ‘n Rollers, Bike SGV, City of El Monte Health & Wellness and Day One team up to host the free El Monte Bike Festival on Saturday, May 24th from 9 am to 1 pm at Mountain View High School, 2900 Parkway Drive. Activities include a Bike Skills Course, Bike Repair, Group Rides, and Fitness Obstacle Course.

LACBC Empowerment WorkshopsThe Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is hosting a series of workshops aimed at empowering local advocates. The next workshop, focusing on winning campaigns, is scheduled for 10 am on Saturday, May 31st at LACBC Headquarters, 634 S. Spring Street in DTLA; see poster at left for additional dates, times and topics.

The California Bicycle Coalition, aka Calbike, will host a Los Angeles Better Bikeways House Party from 6 to 9 pm on Saturday, May 31st at a secret, undisclosed location which will hopefully be revealed upon registration. Donations will be requested to support their campaign for better bikeways throughout California.

The Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, the city’s only official voice for bicyclists, meets on the first Tuesday of every even-numbered month; the next meeting takes place at 7 pm on Tuesday, June 3rd at 6501 Fountain Ave. I’ll be celebrating the Corgi’s birthday that night.

Learn the basis principles of bicycle and traffic safety with CICLE’s free Traffic Basic Safety Class on Saturday, June 7th from 11 am to 1 pm, in conjunction with the Caltech BikeLab; Caltech Y Ground Floor Meeting Room, 505 S. Wilson Ave in Pasadena.

LA’s most popular fundraising bike ride rolls on Sunday, June 22nd with the 14th edition of the LACBC’s Los Angeles River Ride. Ten rides of varying lengths, with starting points in Long Beach and Griffith Park, including two centuries, a 15-mile family ride and a free kid’s ride; discount prices available through May 27th.

Mark your calendar for the Peace Love & Family Ride for Crohn’s and Obesity in South LA on July 5th and 6th. Great cause; more details when they become available.

Bike racing returns to Downtown LA on Saturday, July 12th with Wolfpack Hustle: The Civic Center Crit; racing takes place from 1 to 8 pm on the streets surrounding LA City Hall, 200 North Spring Street.

The Honor Ride Irvine rolls at 8 am on Saturday, August 2nd, starting at A Road Bike 4U, at the corner of Main St & Red Hill Ave in Irvine.

The year’s second CicLAvia takes place on Sunday, October 5th with a new variation on the classic Heart of LA route through Downtown LA, from Echo Park to East LA.

Calbike is hosting the inaugural California by Bike Surf ’N Turf Tour. The multi-stage ride travels from Santa Barbara to San Diego, starting on Halloween and ending November 5th; registration opens May 1st.

The first winter — or late fall, anyway — CicLAvia is also the first to roll through historic South LA on Sunday, December 7th, from the cultural center of the Southside in Leimert Park to the birthplace of West Coast Jazz on Central Avenue.

Find bike racing schedules and other cycling events at SoCal Cycling.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »
Wordpress Theme by ThemeZee