BikinginLA

This is what happens when life interferes before a post gets finished.

It grows.

And grows.

And grows some more, as the bike news keeps coming faster than I can keep up. Until we get a massive list of links long enough to keep you entertained for the rest of the weekend.

Or at least, the part you don’t spend on your bike.

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People for Bikes releases their new report on Race, Ethnicity, Class and Protected Bike Lanes, while Fast Company makes the case for protected lanes — including boosting ridership up to 171%.

And investing in bike infrastructure is an investment in local business.

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CiclaValley offers a recap of Tuesday’s elections and what the results mean for LA bicyclists. Not that 90% of Angelenos seem to care.

If this sort of apathy continues into the June general election, any motivated group that cared enough to actually vote en masse could totally own this city.

Meanwhile, Streetsblog’s Damien Newton offers his insights, including an examination of Jose Huizar’s win in CD14, which was the city’s first race that hinged on progressive urban planning.

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One of the area’s most active and influential bike advocates, Santa Monica Spoke’s Cynthia Rose, is raising funds to attend next week’s National Bike Summit and National Forum on Women and Bicycling.

And yes, your donation is tax deductible.

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Are we tired of the debate over mandating bike helmets yet?

A Napa Valley cyclist and attorney says we should require helmets, but do more to make our streets safer.

On the other hand, the publishers of Cycle California! says a helmet law tosses out all the benefits of bicycling for the mere illusion of safety.

The Mission Bicycle Company the proposed law sends the wrong message, while placing the burden of safety on the most vulnerable social group, rather than the one most likely to cause harm.

And KCRW traffic maven Kajon Cermak asks if bike helmets discourage cycling.

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Local

The Westside Urban Forum holds their first bike-focused panel in 15 years to discus the potential for increased bicycling in West LA and Santa Monica.

Better Bike updates the latest news from the Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills, including the city’s lack of response to bike rack requests.

A South LA bike advocate hopes to open a bike co-op in Leimert Park; you can contribute to the project here.

Bike theft is up in Hermosa Beach, as Hermosa Cyclery lost as many as 20 of their rental bikes last year alone.

Plans proceed for a bridge connecting the Glendale Narrows with Griffith Park.

The LACBC and the LA River Revitalization Corp host a free ride through Cudahy Saturday morning.

In advance of Wednesday’s Zócalo/Metro panel discussion, Zócalo Public Square asks if cars are driving off into the sunset.

Long Beach will host its first ciclovía — CicLoBia? — on June 6th.

 

State

A 64-year old New York man is busted for stealing a bait bike in Palm Springs.

A 30-year old triathlete suffers a broken neck, back, leg and shoulder when she was rear-ended by a driver in Buellton; needless to say, the person surrounded by a couple tons of steel, seat belts and air bags was uninjured. Thanks to Jeffrey Fylling for the link.

Sometimes you just can’t win, as San Francisco police ticket bike riders failing to properly navigate a badly designed intersection.

Alameda will cut the ribbon on the Bay Area’s longest buffered bike lane on Saturday. Note to the Contra Costa Times: a buffered bikeway is not the same as a protected bike lane, which features some sort of physical barrier.

Mountain View’s proposed bike plan features 170 potential projects to improve safety.

 

National

Momentum Magazine remembers three early bike riding women who changed to course of history.

Bicycling looks at bikes built for heavier riders, while Men’s Journal discusses how to get the best deal on a road bike. Here’s a hint: develop a relationship with your local bike shop instead of your web browser.

Bike culture is thriving at Arizona State University.

A new biker bar opens in Austin TX; no, not that kind of biker. And Baltimore’s planned bicycle-themed café sounds a lot like our own Pedaler’s Fork.

The Washington Post accuses bike shop workers of joining a radical socialist union.

A North Carolina man plans to ride 15,000 miles alone on a tandem bike to visit 48 state capitals; his wife had dreamed of doing the trip with him before she died of breast cancer. Note to Cosmo: At last count, there were more than 48 state capitals.

Caught on video: A road raging Florida driver intentionally runs into a cyclist, then repeatedly punches and kicks him before driving away.

Speaking of Florida, a Fort Meyers paper offers up seven surprising things about bike crashes, including the fact that red light-running bike riders don’t cause most crashes, it’s drivers who fail to yield that do.

 

International

A Vancouver driving instructor decries the appearance of “hobby cyclists” as the weather warms up; transportation and recreational riders are okay, though.

Ottawa residents call for limiting the size and duration of public memorials such as ghost bikes.

A Montreal non-profit specializes in rebuilding vintage bikes.

British authorities have no idea if drivers who kill bike riders are being prosecuted fairly because they forgot to collect any data on the subject.

It takes a major jerk to steal a purse from an unconscious Brit bike rider. Or any other incapacitated victim, for that matter.

A UK researcher questions the fairness of doping cases, including why Lance received a lifetime ban from bike racing when Floyd Landis and all the others who confessed only got a six-month ban.

An Edinburgh driver avoids jail for seriously injuring a young bike rider; he was checking an address instead of watching the road.

The first African team in the Tour de France aims for a podium finish within the next five years.

Over 1,000 Aussie riders turn out in memory of a cyclist killed as a result of a dooring.

 

Finally…

Even an Aussie child can grasp the concept that cars are convenient, but dangerous; so why can’t most adults, here or there? An 18-year old Portland man busted for bike theft apparently dealt in purloined goats named Penelope, as well.

And cycling embrocation somehow becomes the hottest new winter fashion accessory.

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Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead on Sunday. I’m turning mine to 2045, when LA’s 2010 bike plan is finally scheduled be completed.

And thanks to Margaret for her generous donation to help support this site.