Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday.
So when you turn your clock back, make sure you have working lights for your bike, front and rear.
Even if you don’t plan to ride at night, throw a pair of cheap lights in your seat bag, in case a flat or other mechanical problem keeps you out later than you planned.
It beats the hell out of trying to make it home without them.
And remember that the days clocks change are among the most dangerous days for car crashes.
So ride carefully and defensively until drivers adjust to the earlier darkness.
Meanwhile, New York is using it as an opportunity to roll out a new Vision Zero initiative.
Needless to say, Los Angeles isn’t.
………
Today’s common theme is bike helmets. Or the lack thereof.
Peter Flax explains why he hasn’t worn a bike helmet in five months, despite harassment and trolling from drivers and others, well meaning and otherwise.
An Australian safety expert says a proposal to ease the country’s law requiring bike helmets on sidewalks and offroad trails is “stupid.”
A new Canadian study shows bike helmets reduce the risk of dying in a collision with a motor vehicle by 34%. And that you’re at greater risk of dying if you’re over 35.
………
We already knew the star of Premium Rush was one of us. Now Joseph Gordon-Levitt is healing after appearing to go head over handlebars on a bikeshare bike while filming in New Orleans.
………
A road raging Portland driver cools down before things go too far — despite a punishment pass and leaping out of his truck to confront a bike rider who was forced into traffic when wet leaves blocked the bike lane.
https://twitter.com/stevenrmitch/status/1057863887809171457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1057863887809171457&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbikeportland.org%2F2018%2F11%2F01%2Froad-rage-incident-caused-by-unsafe-cycling-conditions-on-sw-terwiliger-291683
………
Local
Mark your calendar. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield is hosting an open house on November 15th to discuss a planned boulevard improvement project on Reseda Blvd. The improvements include better bike lanes and closing the gap in the bike lanes between Vanowen and Valerio Streets.
The LACBC’s annual Operation Firefly program to hand out free bike lights to riders without them will kickoff this Monday in San Pedro.
Officials from Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beach met to discuss “making beach city streets multimodal, safer, more pleasant and effective.” But they drew the line at a proposal for a Complete Streets makeover of Aviation Blvd, comparing it to the short-lived road diet on Vista del Mar. Thanks to Margaret Wehbi for the heads-up.
State
Outside lists the 50 best places to work. Unfortunately, you have to get to number 40 before finding one in the LA area; San Diego’s SportRX — who made the best glasses I’ve ever owned — checked in at 24.
National
VeloNews talks with a physician specializing in treating bicyclists about how to avoid the most common bicycling injuries. Step one, don’t fall off your bike. Step two, don’t get hit by cars.
Bicycling suggests that ebikes won’t necessarily cost you your hard-earned fitness, and aren’t really cheating.
HuffPo says Uber and Lyft are helping to cause the congestion they claim to be fixing.
The Houston Chronicle takes an in-depth look at the dangers bicyclists and pedestrians face in the notoriously auto-centric city, where everyone blames someone else for the deadly divide between drivers, bike riders and people on foot.
A Chicago design museum is kicking off an exhibit on the cultural history of bicycling in the Windy City.
A Minnesota letter writer says the “the main difference of the ‘stupid’ cyclist’ and the ‘ignorant’ driver” is that only one is traveling at killing speeds.
Louisville KY is investing $140 million for a six-mile Complete Streets makeover of an overly wide main street, including possibly converting part of the extra wide sidewalks into bike lanes.
WaPo questions whether DC’s plan to ban some right turns on red lights will really save lives.
Things aren’t so great for bike riders and pedestrians in Charleston SC, either. But authorities can’t do much to fix it because most roads are controlled by the state.
International
A writer for Quartz says one way to make urban cycling safer is fewer angry dudes. But what she really seems to be saying is that we need more women and children, not fewer men, angry or otherwise.
An eco business website asks if dockless bikeshare represents a green revolution or parasites making a profit off the public space. Unlike Uber and Lyft, taxis, private buses and limos, evidently. Not to mention billboards, and other businesses that make money using public spaces.
Like the outdoor Vision Zero ad campaign we mentioned the other day, Toronto is using items that belonged to people killed in traffic collisions to create a hard-hitting safe streets art exhibit.
London business owners are calling for a crackdown on pedicab operators, who have a reputation for riding on the sidewalk and ripping off tourists, deserved or not.
A British study shows 26% of people believe the roads are too dangerous to commute by bike. That number would probably be a lot higher here in Los Angeles.
Maybe you want to add bicycling in Montenegro to your bike bucket list.
Tel Aviv cracks down on scofflaw ebike riders.
Norway’s ambassador rides in Canberra, Australia to share his country’s bicycling culture with the less than bike friendly country.
This is who we share the roads with. Over 20% of Aussie drivers admit to directing road rage towards people on bicycles. Apparently, the other 80% just don’t admit to it.
He gets it. A Kiwi writer says if you think e-scooters are a safety menace, just wait until you hear about cars. Not to mention the people in them.
Competitive Cycling
Bicycling profiles former rising pro Adrien Costa, who’s back on a bike after leaving the pro cycling and losing a leg in a rock climbing accident.
Cycling News talks with America’s other ex-Tour de France winner and current legal dope meister as he looks for closure, and tries to move past the “disgraced cyclist” label.
Finally…
You don’t have to be a former beauty queen to benefit from bicycling. It’s true, women bicyclists deviate more than men.
And those fake painted speed bumps aren’t fooling anyone.
LA has actually successfully implimented their Vision Zero plan: Zero protection for cyclists and pedestrians.