BikinginLA

As it turned out, I missed Wednesday night’s ride and vigil calling for justice for Milt Olin when complications from my diabetes once again knocked me on my ass.

Fortunately, a lot of riders didn’t.

According to Streetsblog, roughly 75 riders made the 30 mile journey from Calabasas, where Milt Olin was run down by an admittedly distracted sheriff’s deputy last December, to the District Attorney’s office in Downtown LA to demand justice for Olin after the DA refused to file charges. That number swelled to an estimated 125 as other voices joined in.

I’ll leave reporting of the event to those who were actually there. The Los Angeles Register and the LA Daily News both offer in-depth reports on the ride and vigil, and the events leading up to it, while KABC-7 has video from the scene. And Gary Kavanagh captures the event with his usual great camera work.

Meanwhile, you can read the full three-page letter from the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition urging the DA to reconsider the decision not to file charges.

But perhaps more than anything else, this simple tweet from the Milt Olin Foundation says it best.

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Speaking of the LACBC, they have big news.

Jennifer Klausner, executive director of the LACBC, announced her resignation from the coalition, effective at the end of the year.

Over the past seven years, Jen has overseen the growth of the coalition from a single employee — herself — to 12, as well as the birth of a lucky 13 local chapters throughout the county. And helped make the LACBC Southern California’s dominant voice for cyclists; the boom in local bike-friendliness occurred, not just on her watch, but in large part thanks to her leadership.

I am heartbroken to see her go.

In the five years I’ve been involved with the coalition, Jen has always been a vital part of it, adding her warmth, insight and humor to whatever issues confronted the organization, and leading the group through all the many ups and down. Such an important part, in fact, that I can’t imagine the LACBC without her.

And yet, she leaves it positioned for even greater growth and success in the years to come.

The coalition will undoubtedly find a new Executive Director, one with the leadership skills to build it into one of the nation’s leading bicycle advocacy organizations, as it should be for a city this size, and with a ridership as vast and varied as we enjoy.

But we will never find another Jen.

You can read her full resignation letter here.

Full disclosure: I am a board member of the LACBC; however, I have been inactive for most of this year as I’ve dealt with health issues that have kept me largely incapacitated; I hope to return to my duties on the board before Jen leaves, and help with the transition to a new director.

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Caught on video: This one’s way too close for comfort, as a cyclist narrowly avoids getting sideswiped by a cattle trailer in what could be an intentional assault — note the puff of black smoke as the driver cuts the rider off, in a practice known as rolling coal.

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Bicycling shocks everyone by naming New York the nation’s Best Bike City with Chicago second; Portland is demoted to number four while my hometown clocks in at number nine.

A bigger surprise is the city found at number 28 — yes, not only did Los Angeles actually make the list, we came in just five notches below Long Beach and five above Thousand Oaks. Surprisingly, bike friendly Santa Monica didn’t make the cut.

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Phillip Young, President of the San Diego Wheelmen, sends a reminder that cyclist Juan Carlos Viñolo and his family needs our help.

Viñolo suffered a severe spinal cord injury when he was hit, along with several other riders, by a drunken wrong way driver on San Diego’s Fiesta Island. In an act of bravery, he pushed another rider aside and took the full impact of the collision himself, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.

The Juan Carlos Fund has raised over $172,000 for medical expenses and to support his family, but much more is needed. Your generosity could make all the difference.

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Lots of events and opportunities to learn how to ride, or ride better, coming up.

CICLE is offering an adult bicycling for beginners class in Eagle Rock this Sunday.

The Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition hosts a teen bike safety workshop on Saturday, the 27th.

CORBA — not the elusive albino cobra — is providing an Introduction to Mountain Biking Skills Clinic at Malibu Creek State Park this Saturday.

Marina del Rey Middle School hosts a Kids Bike Festival this Sunday.

The LACBC host their monthly Sunday Funday ride in Carson on Sunday.

Join CicLAvia for an afternoon of open houses and events exploring the newly pedestrian friendly Broadway in DTLA this Saturday, followed by a screening of Mulholland Drive at the spectacular Million Dollar Theater.

Bike riders are invited to attend a party celebrating the launch of Eddi, a new mobile marketplace app that promises to change the way we buy and sell things. The free event takes place in Pasadena this Saturday, from 7 to 10 pm.

You’re invited to celebrate the start of cyclocross season with the Pedal Cross Mulholland Gravel Grinder Ride at Pedaler’s Fork in Calabasas this Sunday.

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Local

Flying Pigeon looks at the ins-and-outs of riding bikes with kids.

Streetsblog and LA Walks want your vote to win a grant to organize a Vision Zero plan for LA.

Writing for Streetsblog, Roger Rudick says police need to innovate, not prevaricate. And stop parking in the damn bike lane, already.

Seven suspects have now been arrested in a string of assaults on Santa Clarita bike paths; two have already been sent to juvenile camps.

 

State

CABO confusingly clarifies their opposition to AB 1193, the badly needed new law approving protected bike lanes currently awaiting Governor Brown’s signature.

Fullerton finally looks at bike safety improvements following the needless death of rider Raphael Correa.

Once again, a killer driver gets off with no charges, this time for the Newport Beach death of cyclist Paul Lin.

The Orange County Register says this is the best time of the year. I couldn’t agree more; now that the tourists are gone, we can have the often overcrowded beachfront bike paths to ourselves.

San Diego plows under a rogue mountain bike park in Balboa Park.

Bike share bites the dust in La Jolla.

Tips for hassle-free riding in San Francisco.

Battle lines are drawn over proposed bike lanes in San Rafael; as usual, fears of lost parking lead the way.

 

National

VeloNews remembers a 2003 interview with fellow cyclist Robin Williams.

Colorado cyclists — and riders everywhere — are finding comfortable alternatives to spandex.

It’s all the way down in the last sentence. But the Denver Broncos will be hosting a 500-space bike valet at their games this year.

Bike friendly Colorado continues to be the thinnest state in the Union; bike unfriendly West Virginia and Mississippi, not so much. Not surprisingly, people are healthier where more walk or bike to work.

DC proposes effectively banning bikes from streets with streetcar tracks.

In a truly heartbreaking story, a cyclist is fatally stabbed by a homeless man in Florida as he neared the finish of a cross-country ride to propose to his girlfriend.

 

International

How Cuban cyclists fix their bikes when there are no parts available in the country.

London’s mayor calls for segregated cycleways through the city.

Bike riding is now the key for British employees to get ahead at work.

Giovanni Pinarello, founder of the iconic brand, died at age 92 after a good, long life.

Pro cycling’s toughest rider, the recently retired Jens Voigt, will attempt to set a new hour record later this month.

 

Finally…

Britain’s angriest driver fined £500 for swearing at a cyclist 25 times in 35 seconds. Cycling in the South Bay learns what it feels like when the bike shoe is on the other foot.

And no bikes involved, fortunately, as a driver is arrested for a Santa Ana hit-and-run — by the same cop as he was for another hit-and-run at the same intersection 19 years earlier.