Happy World Bicycle Day.
Photo by Necati Anil Cakirman from Pexels.
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The bike industry is starting to dip a cleated toe into the fight against racism.
A handful of smaller bike brands are opening their hearts and wallets to support racial justice.
That includes LA-based women’s apparel maker Machines for Freedom, which is matching donations up to $10,000.
Meanwhile, Trek founder John Burke pens a lengthy message that reads more like a campaign position paper.
Especially after the company’s bikes were wielded as weapons by police.
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Bike shops across the country fell victim to looting, including this shop in Miami, where thieves drove off with a literal truck full of bicycles.
Meanwhile, LA’s I. Martin lost $130,000 worth of bikes and gear, a number that could have been higher if they hadn’t sold off much of their inventory while the shop was closed due to the coronavirus; owner Martin Wolff joined with community members to fight off the looters.
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In a remarkable video, a Sacramento bicyclist barely avoids becoming collateral damage in a motor vehicle crash.
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Local
Yes, you can ride your bike on the 405 Freeway in Westwood; all it takes is a protest over George Floyd’s death taking over the highway (scroll down).
WeHo’s leaders clearly don’t get it, as councilmembers argue that Slow Streets are just an inconvenience, and the city’s sidewalks are wide enough.
Once again, a bike rider is a hero, as a woman in Santa Monica used her bicycle to defend a jewelry store from looters for two hours.
Robert Downey Jr. may be one of us, although that could be anyone riding through the ‘Bu under that mask.
The former Governator took his ebike out to examine the extensive looting damage in Santa Monica.
State
Fresno police busted an armed robber who hid out in a neighborhood after jacking a bicycle at gunpoint as the victim was riding it.
Still more sad news from Northern California, where an accused drunk driver faces charges for killing a bike rider when he crossed onto the wrong side of the road.
National
A woman with Parkinson’s vows to get back onto her bike after a solo fall sent her to the emergency room after her foot froze, preventing her from unclipping from her pedal.
A blogger says yes, race has to be part of the transportation discussion.
The Minnesota semi driver who plowed into a group of protesters on a closed freeway was released from jail, telling investigators he panicked after seeing people on the roadway and finally skidded to a stop when he saw a woman on a bike fall in from of his truck.
Tragic news from New York, where a woman jogger was critically injured when she was struck by a man on a bicycle in Central Park; a witness blamed bicyclists for running the red light, without apparently knowing if the rider in question actually did.
A Florida paper offer advice on how to stay safe if you’re just starting — or restarting — riding.
International
Evidently, you can buy a road bike complete with mudguards.
Business is booming for bike mechanics in old-rich Venezuela as people in the country adjust to life without gasoline.
Tragic news from the UK, where a pair of bicyclists were killed in a crash when they were run down by the driver of a VW Golf.
Two other British bike riders were lucky to walk away after they were run down by a hit-and-run driver.
Either bikes are booming in Britain or bike subscription services are — or both — with sales at the country’s leading firm up 440%.
A Spanish bikemaker introduces a gorgeous new ebike with a swooping frame, even if it will set you back over four grand.
NPR revisits the story of the 15-year old Indian girl who pedaled 700 miles back home with her injured father on the back of her bicycle, earning a tryout with the national cycling team in the process.
Competitive Cycling
You’ll have to wait a little longer to learn who’ll be competing in the Olympics under the USA banner, as US Cycling delays announcing the road, track and mountain bike teams for next year’s delayed games.
Cyclist examines the outsized effect Covid-19 is having on the pro peloton.
Finally…
Pop your bike wheel on a pedestal, put it in a museum and call it art. Why waste your energy riding inside when you could recharge a Tesla?
And don’t call bikes the new toilet paper unless you plan to wipe your ass with one.
Seriously.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
