BikinginLA

Sometimes, even bike thieves get caught on video.

The LAPD has issued a BOLO alert for a ring of bike thieves captured on security camera stealing bikes from an apartment complex at La Brea and Wilshire.

The group of two Hispanic men and a blonde woman act carefully to avoid detection, first casing the underground parking lot, then coming back with bolt cutters to cut the locks, and returning a third time to walk out with the bikes.

Anyone with information is urged to call Wilshire Area Burglary Detectives Officer Noble at 213/922-8253.

And on a related subject, the Spoke N’ Wheel Bicycle Shop in West Hills had a distinctive mountain bike stolen in a break-in this week, so be on the lookout. This one should be easy to spot. Thanks to Rex Reese for the heads-up.

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The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is looking for volunteers for September’s bike and pedestrian count.

Yes, this should be the city’s job. But since they don’t do it, the LACBC’s count is the only way we have to know whether more people are riding bikes, and where they’re riding in the City of Angels.

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Colorado native Taylor Phinney will make his second start after returning from catastrophic injuries at next week’s USA Pro Challenge; last year’s champ Teejay van Garderen will ride the Vuelta, instead. Phinney’s return to race in his home state is remarkable, given that doctors said he’d never ride again.

A new women’s world tour is taking shape, based on the current men’s tour. Hopefully, with less doping and more integrity.

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Local

City Lab’s Sarah Goodyear says the new Mobility Plan is another sign it’s not the old LA anymore, even if some don’t seem to get it.

Streetsblog gives Eric Garcetti a B- for his work on livable streets since becoming mayor, with a C+ on bicycling issues. Not sure I’d rate him that high after his disappearing act on Westwood Blvd, North Figueroa, Mt. Hollywood Drive and the Glendale-Figueroa bridge.

A writer for Bike Walk Burbank says crashes aren’t accidents, and neither is traffic enforcement.

The Argonaut talks with CicLAvia founder Aaron Paley, who says it’s not about bikes, it’s about reclaiming public space. Then again, so is the new Mobility Plan.

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition wants your help to clean up the Ballona Creek bike path on September 19th as part of the Coastal Cleanup Day.

 

State

The battle over bikeshare at San Diego’s Pacific Beach goes on.

A new Pleasanton green lane aims to improve safety along the “Valley of Death.”

The San Francisco police captain behind the hugely unpopular crackdown on law-breaking cyclists explains his evolving priorities.

 

National

A writer for HuffPo suggests 19 reasons why bicycling is the best exercise. Many of those reasons focus on bikes as transportation, rather than simply exercise. Which is the real beauty of bikes, since they can serve as transport, exercise and recreation — often all at once.

An Indian website profiles the Marine vet who is riding a handcycle across the US after losing both legs in Afghanistan.

“Magic dirt” is turning Helena MT into a destination for mountain bikers.

A man stops in Kansas as part of a nationwide bike tour after beating cancer twice.

Now this is a protected bike lane, as the state of Illinois installs a curb-protected lane in response to the death of a Chicago cyclist. That is what should happen with every bike and pedestrian death — first determine why it happened, then fix the street so it won’t happen again.

A Boston reporter writes about his alternately thrilling and perilous bike commute.

New York pedestrians and bike riders advocate for a safer route through a bike-desert in Queens. And another bike lane planned for Amsterdam Ave survives opposition for now.

A North Carolina driver had meth and heroin in his system when he went across multiple lanes of traffic to hit a cyclist head-on.

An Athens GA cyclist receives an $850,000 settlement after being hit by a man pulling out of his driveway while she was riding to work.

Louisiana has the third highest rate of bicycling fatalities, behind Florida and Delaware. The rate reflects the number of deaths per 100,000 residents.

 

International

A writer for the Guardian takes the new $15,000 Jaguar-designed Pinarello out for a spin on British roads.

Britain’s Green Party calls for adoption of a European version of the Idaho Stop Law.

A Helsinki, Finland driver is under arrest for deliberately running down and killing a bike rider, then fleeing the scene.

An Aussie cyclist appeals a $1.7 million judgment for crashing into his riding partner after he hit a wooden stake in the bike lane. Seems like whoever was responsible for maintaining the bike lane should be held at fault, instead.

 

Finally…

Denver drivers rant about “idiot drivers” in the fast lane, neglecting to consider that the speed limit is the maximum allowed, rather than mandatory. If you’re going to ride off with an $1,800 bike from a New Orleans bike shop, it’s probably best not to leave your own invalid credit card as security.

And we only have to worry about dodging LA drivers; Brit bicyclists have to avoid ramming sheep.