Just a quick reminder before we start.
Chances are, if you rode your bike to work today, it’s going to be dark before you head back home. So make sure your lights are fully charged or have fresh batteries before you ride tonight.
And even if you never ride after dark, throw a set of inexpensive lights in your seat bag in case you get delayed by a flat or mechanical problem.
I’ve learned the hard way that unexpected things can happen to keep you out later than you planned. And it can be scary as hell trying to make it back home without lights surrounded by angry and aggressive drivers.
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As CiclaValley reminds us, the Army Corps of Engineers is holding a meeting tonight to discuss the most recent closure of the LA River bike path, after apparently concluding that people in LA don’t ride bikes after Labor Day.
We need to let them know just how wrong that is.
The LA River trail is a vital link, not just for recreational riders, but for countless people riding to work and school. And closing a large section down for six months when the city is trying to encourage bike commuting makes no more sense than shutting down a major roadway.
The meeting starts at 6:30 this evening, ending at 8:30 pm, at the Friendship Auditorium, 3201 Riverside Drive.
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Jeffrey Fylling forwards a series of road safety PSAs put together as part of a student competition sponsored by Australia’s Amy Gillett Foundation, named for a track cyclist killed in a collision while training in Germany eleven years ago.
I might question the last one, but there’s some damn good work here. Especially for students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_R097vjg7Y&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5cO7lULGLk&feature=youtu.be
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A former World Gravel Race champ and world traveler says let’s keep the golf out of cycling.
There have always been unwritten rules in regards to what to wear, how the colour of your bar tape has to match your seat and about what bike you ride. But at the end of the day, it really didn’t matter how much your bike was worth because the enjoyment of the sport, the company of your friends and the accomplishment through your legs overruled any blatant materialism.
But it seems, there is a new trend creeping in.
The capitalism-induced search for a new status symbol has changed the reason why people ride bikes. Cycling has become pretty, elitist, materialistic with a seemingly insurmountable wall to be climbed to be accepted into a group. Until then, you will be shamelessly ignored as a hubbard or fred.
That scares me.
It’s a great piece. So take a few minutes to read the whole thing.
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Don’t forget to Bike the Vote when you cast your ballot tomorrow.
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Local
The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay takes a look at Gran Fondos, including Phil Gaimon’s Malibu Gran Cookie Dough yesterday, saying they’re as fun or as challenging as you want, and a great way for pro cyclists to connect with their fans. Although he was disappointed pro cycling’s retiring Cookie Monster only ate five cookies along the way.
Richard Risemberg talks multi-modal commuting.
Bike SGV is partnering with the Eastside Bike Club for a pet-friendly — or Pet-acular, as they call it — ride in conjunction with the SoCalCross cyclocross race at Legg Lake on the 19th.
State
An Oxnard man suffered non-life threatening injuries when he was shot while riding his bike early Saturday.
San Francisco installs speed humps in Golden Gate park where a woman was killed by a speeding hit-and-run driver while riding her bike earlier this year. Once again, too little too late. But maybe it will help prevent the next one.
Oakland’s mayor and California’s Lt. Governor get on their bikes to promote a local measure to fix the roads, upgrade public facilities and build affordable housing.
National
Your next tire may never go flat. And throw away your air pump while you’re at it.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer urges you to bike the vote by riding to cast your ballot.
That didn’t take long. Seattle drivers are parking in a new bike lane before it’s even opened.
A New York man was badly injured in a collision with a hit-and-run bicyclist while he was crossing the street.
The Washington Post says Lance Armstrong is using his new podcast to turn his image around. He could start by working to improve safety on our streets where his voice could really make a difference.
New Orleans becomes the latest city to adopt a bikeshare system.
International
Experts argue that self-driving cars may eliminate the need for bicycling infrastructure, but cyclists and pedestrians may take advantage of all those poor cars once they learn the cars have to stop for them.
Bike Radar asks if you’re better off standing on your pedals or sitting when you ride up a hill. And concludes the answer is yes.
HuffPo writes in praise of the upright bike.
A British Columbia driver somehow slammed into a group of six cyclists, killing one and critically injuring another.
A Canadian writer explains why he rides a bicycle, which he calls mankind’s most civilized invention.
The Isle of Wright votes to lower speed limits to 20 mph in built-up areas in an effort to save lives.
It’s quicker to ride a bike than to drive on some sections of a London highway near Heathrow. Maybe they should allow bikes on the freeway so people could choose the more efficient option.
A Brit website looks at why getting more bicyclists on the road means fewer fatalities.
A British man admits to being a hypocrite by running red lights on his bicycle because he doesn’t want to wait, but rolling his eyes when he sees someone else do it while he’s driving.
Prague holds its annual Penny Farthing race.
An Indian couple discovers romance on wheels by riding together.
Finally…
If you’re going to ride behind a reporter doing a live broadcast, make sure you wheel is firmly attached. Irish police lock up a pair of bike chasing terrorist terriers.
And the next time someone says bike riders need to pay their fair share, give ‘em a nickel.
