It’s a light news day in the bike world, so let’s get right to it this morning.
………
With a week of racing left to go, Chris Froome is tightening his grip on the Tour de France, while saying last-year’s seventh-place finisher Bauke Mollema is his chief rival.
The Guardian says the Tour must adapt to the constant growth in crowd sizes, but a Kiwi rider says fans aren’t the problem, it’s television, security, and the commercial aspects of the race.
Then again, maybe the real problem is wind and rocks.
You know it was a tough stage when half the peloton in the Tour of Poland abandons the race.
Cadel Evans says there will never be another cycling icon like Lance Armstrong. Which in some ways, we can only hope for.
………
Local
Letter writers to the LA Times say protected bike lanes are good for public health, and can be done cheaply with parking protected lanes. Although there’s always one who has to complain about scofflaw cyclists, since evidently, drivers always obey the law.
Rick Risemberg says bikeshare is off to a good start in DTLA, but should have docks at the libraries in Little Tokyo and Chinatown.
Adam Sandler is one of us, as the comedian rides through Brentwood with his family.
Long Beach may install a pair of road diets in the Belmont Shore area to make room for diagonal parking and buffered bike lanes.
State
A San Diego grand jury warns the city’s bikeshare program may fail without greater cooperation between the city and transit officials.
The small Imperial County town of Brawley votes to build a network of bike lanes. Most of the story is hidden behind a paywall, however.
The wife of a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo dean was killed when a driver drifted onto the shoulder of a highway, striking her bicycle from behind. Someone should ask the CHP how can there be any question of responsibility when the driver couldn’t even stay in the damn traffic lane?
The Santa Cruz police department launches its own free bike registration program.
Sonoma police are looking for the driver who fled the scene after running down a cyclist from behind, leaving the rider with major injuries. Or maybe not, as since they can’t find any physical evidence of a collision, even though a witness saw it from a distance. A car doesn’t have to actually hit a cyclist to cause a wreck; a close pass can be all it takes. And leaving the scene afterwards is still hit-and-run.
Sacramento discusses allowing bike riders to attend bicycle traffic schools in lieu of a fine, which is now permitted under a new state law. Similar proposals are under discussion in LA, but haven’t gotten very far yet.
National
A new study from the National Highway Safety Administration says traffic collisions cost the US $871 billion a year. Money that would be better spent fixing the roads to prevent them in the first place.
Minnesota wheel maker Hed Cycling continues to prosper two years after its founder passed away and his wife took over.
Philadelphia hopes its nine-mile open streets event will set a model for the city. Or maybe not, since CicLAvia has been doing the same thing for nearly six years. And more than just once a year.
Studies show that a bike lane over a Charleston SC bridge could revitalize a depressed neighborhood, but the local councilmember refuses to believe it.
International
Tragic news from the UK, as British Olympic gold medalist and leading bike advocate Chris Boardman’s mother was killed in a collision while bicycling in Wales.
A Scottish lawyer says cyclists could benefit by changing the law to introduce a strict liability system, in which drivers are automatically held responsible for hitting a cyclist or pedestrian.
Apparently, all it takes to shut down an international bridge between Sweden and Denmark is a handful of bicyclists. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.
Finally…
No, a helmet with a built-in cam won’t solve traffic disputes. And if you have to steal a boy’s bicycle to play Pokémon Go, you’re already a loser.
………
Thank you to John Hall for his very generous contribution to support this site, and keep SoCal’s best source for bike news coming to you every morning.
