For once, the charges — and the conviction — fit the crime.
An Oceanside woman faces up to 15 years behind bars after she was convicted of second degree murder for the drunken hit-and-run crash that took the life of a homeless man.
In an extreme case of heartlessness, she drove over a mile with the victim’s body embedded in the seat next to her. Then parked the car around the block from her house and walked home.
And did all that after her friends warned her she was too drunk to drive, but got behind the wheel anyway.
At least she’s not likely to be driving again for a very long time.
Drunk or otherwise.
………
Today’s common theme is ebikes and the rules governing them.
City Lab considers New York’s recent, and way too late, approval of ped-assist ebikes.
Popular Mechanics questions when ebikes cease to be bicycles.
And the Washington Post looks at changing ebike regulations across the US.
Meanwhile, police departments are quickly adopting ebikes as the best tool for bike cops.
………
Spoiler alert: If you haven’t watched Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix bike race, stop reading now and skip to the next section.
Still here?
World Champion Peter Sagan out sprinted Swiss rider Silvan Dillier to take the cobbled Monument after taking off on a breakaway with 33 miles to go.
But don’t take my word for it.
https://twitter.com/Paris_Roubaix/status/983003465222905856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheradavist.com%2F2018%2F04%2Fthe-last-moments-at-this-years-paris-roubaix-spoiler%2F
If that wets your appetite, SoCal Cycling has posted video of the full race broadcast. And in a piece written before the race, a Scottish website says Sagan is a throwback to an earlier era.
All was not good, however.
The race known as the Hell of the North lived up to its billing with the heartbreaking news that 23-year old Belgian rider Michael Goolaerts died of cardiac arrest in a Lille, France hospital several hours after the race.
Goolaerts heart reportedly stopped 65 miles into the race, as medical staff struggled to resuscitate him as he lay on the side of the road; it was unclear if he collapsed while riding or as the result of a crash.
His team released a statement announcing the death, and asking everyone to respect the privacy of Goolaerts’ family.
He had posted this moving photo on Instagram just two weeks ago.
Michael Goolaerts, who died today at the age of 23, posted this beautiful shot on Instagram two weeks ago. Just a kid living a dream. Life can be cruel. pic.twitter.com/4OEnfzKDZw
— Peter Flax (@Pflax1) April 8, 2018
………
Local
A new report shows what the lower LA River could look like as you ride through, once the existing gaps in the bike path are finally closed.
An Op-Ed in the LA Times says almost no one walks to or from LAX because the airport has made it virtually impossible to do. But those who do may find some hidden gems. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up.
Culver City goes to the polls Tuesday; Bike the Vote LA has your voter guide.
State
A section of the Santa Ana River Trail near Angel Stadium has finally reopened after authorities cleared out a massive homeless encampment. Although they can’t seem to find anyone willing to take the people in.
Dockless bikeshare comes to downtown San Diego.
San Francisco celebrates Walk to Work Day with a tone-deaf distracted walking tweet from the fire department.
The US Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis is now accepting nomination for this year’s class.
National
Great piece from elite cyclist Ayesha McGowan on the need to go beyond tokenism in bike marketing, and bring more diversity to the bike industry. McGowan is working to become the first African-American woman on the pro tour.
Fast Company makes the case that the Trump administration blew it by focusing on highway projects in their infrastructure plans, rather than bike and pedestrian trails that can revive rural economies.
Curbed’s Alissa Walker says you can’t be a climate mayor if you’re making room for more cars. Let’s hope LA Mayor Eric Garcetti reads that.
It only took Goodyear 120 years to get back to making bike tires.
Seattle’s new mayor puts the brakes on plans for a promised bike lane on 4th Street, delaying it until at least 2021 over fears of slowing traffic. Because everyone knows people on bikes don’t count as traffic. Right?
The Durango, Colorado newspaper calls on everyone — or mountain bikers in particular — to respect the land, and stop using closed trails and building illegal ones.
Denver’s bikeshare system is adopting a hybrid program to compete with dockless bikeshare, allowing riders to leave bikes in hundreds designated bike corrals, or leave them anywhere for a small additional fee. Something Metro may want to consider as dockless bikes expand through Los Angeles.
New York bicyclists ride to call for safer streets and remember a father killed by a drunk driver as he rode his bike.
Treehugger says you could solve the problem of New York’s salmon cyclists by getting rid of one-way streets. Or at least installing contraflow bike lanes.
This is the cost of traffic violence. The University of Georgia remembers an award-winning professor and experienced cyclist who was killed while riding her bike last week; the driver was accused of following too close and not giving a safe passing distance.
International
Road.cc explains why cycling clothes are better for long rides, and why you probably don’t need them around town.
A Costa Rican website recognizes the need to improve bike safety, but questions whether a new 9.5 mile bike lane in the capital does more harm than good.
A Canadian broadcaster has been cited by two government agencies for calling on drivers to hit “idiot” bicyclists.
A Vancouver Op-Ed says bicycling is often more convenient than driving in major cities. I’ve found that true in Los Angeles, where I could commute from Westwood to DTLA in the same time it took to drive, with far less hassle and aggravation.
Around 4,000 young Londoners took over the streets as they rode to call for an end to knife crime in the wake of several recent murders. Meanwhile, a website looks at the movement bringing young riders onto the streets of the city.
A UK bike rider kicks the car habit after 20 years, and says it feels great.
A British newspaper asks if it’s time to make bike helmets mandatory after a young helmetless rider suffers major facial injuries after going over the handlebars. While some studies have shown helmets can help prevent facial injuries, he would have had to wear it over his face to prevent most of his; a good pair of glasses probably would have done more to prevent his eye injuries.
An English town tries “cyclist speed dating” to get more people on bikes.
An Egyptian man set off on a two month, 3,000 mile ride to Russia to watch the 2018 World Cup after Egypt qualified for the first time in 28 years. And the US didn’t. I’m just saying.
Walking and bicycling could be the best solution to Nairobi’s crushing traffic.
An allegedly drunk South African driver was convicted of killing two cyclists on a group ride in a high speed crash after leaving a night club at 5 am.
No bias here. A Kiwi columnist proudly admits to road rage when it comes to people on bicycles — especially MAMILS in colorful Lycra.
An Aussie study suggests that suggests that speed limits and lane widths may be more to blame for crashes with bicyclists than bad driving. However, a Canadian study shows that nearly half of bike collisions are the result of driver error and following too closely.
A 15-year old Australian cyclist takes bike-hating drivers to task for their shocking attitudes.
Competitive Cycling
London’s Independent talks with the author of a new book about the dark side of cycling.
A pair of Kiwi cyclists rode Paris-Roubaix in honor of nearly 60 members of the New Zealand Cycling Corps buried nearby, who were killed on the Western Front in the war to that was supposed to end all wars. Except it didn’t.
Tom Boonen hints that he believes Fabian Cancellara used motor doping to beat him in the 2010 Tour of Flanders.
In an absolutely unnecessary display of stupidity on the part of race organizers, American cyclist Lawson Craddock was lucky to escape without injuries after crashing into one of several parked cars that were left on the race course on the final stage of the Tour of the Basque Country.
Milagro cómo sale el @Ride_Argyle sin que aparentemente le pase nada (el coche está bien aparcado y la curva no es peligrosa. Es un descuido) pic.twitter.com/xCGQW4jyCG
— aitortoto (@aitortoto) April 7, 2018
Finally…
Stopping dockless bikeshare vandalism 19¢ at a time. When a bike lane is just a hippie plot to make construction workers ride bicycles.
And the next time you find yourself being attacked by angry cows on a bike ride, call a plumber.
