Morning Links: No women’s French tour this year, LACBC staffer says no on S, and Pure Cycles goes electric

Let’s start things off with a long list of links from the wonderful wacky world of bike racing.

In a big step back for women’s cycling, the week-long Route de France race will not be held after getting dropped from UCI’s WorldTour calendar.

The physician for former Tour de France champ Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky claims his laptop with all their records was conveniently stolen three years ago, preventing doping authorities from being able to examine them. And he’s conveniently too sick to appear before a Parliamentary panel looking into it.

Lawyers for Brit cyclist Jess Varnish says the country’s governing body for cycling has learned nothing from its recent controversies; she had been dismissed from the team before the Olympics, and told to go have a baby.

The new Colorado Classic pro race will come complete with a three-day Denver festival, including performances by Wilco, the New Pornographers, Death Cab for Cutie, Saint Motel and La Santa Cecilia. The next to last leg of the race will run over the 8,000-foot elevation Peak to Peak Highway, which was one of my favorite rides when I lived out that way.

VeloNews says this Saturday’s Strade Bianche should be your new favorite race.

LA’s own former pro Phil Gaimon calls it the worst retirement ever, as he sets out to capture KOMS on YouTube. And speaking of Gaimon, he’s accepting preorders for his new book, Ask A Pro.

………

Local

The LACBC’s Carol Feucht explains why everyone who rides a bike should vote no on Measure S.

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune looks forward to Sunday’s nearly 18-mile 626 Golden Streets event, calling it an argument for a carfree LA County. Meanwhile, the Pasadena Star-News explains everything you need to know to ride from South Pasadena to Azusa.

If you’d prefer something more strenuous and less paved, CiclaValley invites you to Ryan Steers’ Birthday Gravel Feast this Sunday.

West Hollywood’s WeHo Pedals bikeshare will be free for new and existing members on election day.

Santa Clarita parks commissioner and cyclist Kevin Korenthal is packing his bikes and family and moving to Texas.

Interesting piece of advice from Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson, who says while you aren’t required to have a license to ride a bike, you do have to show a cop your ID if you’re asked for it.

 

State

San Clemente will install a nearly one-mile long protected bike lane along the coast highway.

San Diego was reminded the hard way that it’s cheaper to fix infrastructure problems than pay for it later, as a man was awarded a $4.85 million for injuries he suffered when his bike hit a seven-inch sidewalk displacement caused by a tree root. But seriously, how fast did you have to be going to fly 28 feet after hitting it something like that? Let alone on a sidewalk.

The UC Santa Barbara student government is funding nearly $127,000 worth of bike racks to deal with a chronic shortage of bike parking.

A San Francisco supervisor calls for a ban on bicycle chop shops, and authorizing police to seize any bikes or parts they find in one. We could use a law like that on a statewide basis; you can see bike chop shops operating in plain view all over Southern California.

 

National

A wine website lists the five best US cities for biking and beer; San Diego and Berkeley made the list, along with my hometown.

Bike Portland recounts the city’s journey to making Vision Zero its top transportation priority.

The South Dakota State University newspaper recommends biking to class to relieve stress and improve time management. Not to mention keeping all those cars off campus.

An Iowa writer says you should add the cross-state RAGBRAI ride to your bucket list.

Chicago Streetsblog offers a four paragraph bike helmet manifesto, saying if people in your city feel the need to wear a helmet, it’s a sign the streets aren’t safe. Except bike helmets aren’t designed to protect riders from cars, they’re made to protect against relatively slow speed falls.

This is just so wrong on so many levels. A New York community board member says a protected bike lane is unnecessary, because “Once Trump removes all the illegals… there won’t be anybody to ride bike lanes.” Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

The Washington Post says cities around the country are embracing lower speed limits to save lives.

A North Carolina man has been arrested in the case of the scooter rider who harassed and assaulted two men in Key West, calling them homophobic slurs and saying “You’re in Trump country now.”

 

International

People will soon be able to walk or bike between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit on a multi-use path installed on the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

An English woman suffered a fractured cheekbone when a shoplifter fleeing store security smashed into her on his bike.

Caught on video: A Brit rider gets caught in a frightening squeeze play when a bus driver drifts into the bike lane he’s riding in.

Caught on video too: A Glasgow, Scotland bike rider apparently made a wrong turn and ended up riding in the middle of a busy freeway.

Berlin sees bicycles as the key to solving the city’s transportation problems.

Now that sounds like fun. Take a food and bike tour through northern Italy with the Border Grill’s Mary Sue Milliken and other chefs on the Emilia Romagna Chef Bike Tour this June.

Exploring Abu Dhabi by bikeshare.

China’s Ofo app-based bikeshare built a $1 billion business one 15¢ bike ride at a time. Although where to put them all seems to be a problem.

 

Finally…

When you’d rather hate on bicyclists than bother to understand what the hell you’re talking about. Finding the nation’s most bike-friendly city in the most bike-friendly country.

And like Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival, Burbank-based fixie maker Pure Cycles goes electric.

 

6 comments

  1. keith says:

    San Francisco calls for a ban on bicycle chop shops…

    Would be a good step but chopper uppers would just be more secretive about it. They’re not now because they don’t have to be, ah look another Santas workshop.

  2. Harv says:

    Seth Davidson’s advice of identification while riding a bike is valid, but falls a bit short. Yes, you can use a drivers license to identify yourself, but then you may (likely) get ‘points’ on your drivers license for the offence.
    Instead get a California ID from the DMV, it is completely legal to have both. BUT, important point; when asked by the DMV clerk if you have a California driver’s license, say NO. The reason for this is if you say YES, the clerk will then put your driver’s license number on your new ID, and the cop will put that number on the citation, and you will still get points. Just bring your
    birth certificate, passport, or military ID with you to get your new California ID, which is valid for 20 years.
    .
    On a related note; if you have been in the military, you can get the “VETERAN” indication on your driver’s license or ID. This gets you various veteran’s benefits and maybe even some sympathy from a LEO, who knows? But first, you have to go to the Veterans Administration with your DD214 to get a verification form to take to the DMV.
    .
    I have been there, done all that.
    .
    .

  3. James says:

    I’ve seen some pretty large under bridge chop shops along the Santa Ana river. I can’t say I enjoy riding past them at night when I ride home from the last train out of Union Station.

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