Welcome to Week Two of the 6th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!
Thanks to John C for his generous donation to help keep SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy coming to your favorite screen every morning!
If you haven’t already, take a few minutes right now to join him in supporting this site!
Seriously, don’t make me beg.
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The LACBC will host their free virtual holiday party and potluck this Thursday.
You can register for the event and purchase raffle tickets here.
Meanwhile, Streets for All will host a virtual happy hour this Wednesday to chat with Hayes Davenport, host of the LA Podcast and an advisor to new LA Councilmember Nithya Raman.
He also has the perfect old Hollywood name right out of Central Casting.
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No surprise here, as Streetsblog announces distracted driving has skyrocketed during the pandemic.
Something anyone who’s spent much time riding or walking the streets can attest to.
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Culver City 311 announces that police have apparently re-arrested the bike thief who killed a 73-year old man while trying to wrestle his bicycle from his grasp; the victim died when he fell and hit his head hit the pavement.
Let’s hope his killer faces the murder charge he so richly deserves.
Suspect in custody for the murder of an eledelry gentleman on Beethoven about a month ago. He stole the man’s bike and pushed him over causing him to sustain a head injury and die. Excellent job LAPD! https://t.co/kPYYyZyqeh
— CulverCity311 (@Culvercity311) December 4, 2020
Thanks to Ted Faber for the heads-up.
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The Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council is looking for a few good men or women; we need to get more bike and pedestrian advocates on the council so we can finally see some positive changes around here.
Hollywood Hills West Candidate Registration https://t.co/6hfVdcOVmq via @Nextdoor
— Hollywood Hills West (@HLWD_HILLS_WEST) December 4, 2020
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In a special shoutout to former pro Phil Gaimon, here’s the LA Times’ tips for making the best holiday cookies.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A Montana man pled guilty to booby trapping a popular forrest trail with a nail-spiked board hidden under debris to discourage mountain bikers from using the trail; instead it seriously injured a father walking with his kids.
An Aussie man admits outside court that his idiotic stunt of pushing a shopping cart into a pack of bicyclists riding at speed after a 12-hour bender could have gotten someone killed.
Gee, ya think?
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Local
Angelenos are once again being told to stay home to avoid spreading the coronavirus; the order specifically prohibits travel by “foot, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, car or public transit,” though there are countless exceptions, and debate over whether they really mean it.
State
Bad news from the Central Coast, where a bike rider was killed in a collision with a driver on the 101 Freeway in Arroyo Grande. Naturally, initial reports blamed the victim.
San Luis Obispo’s new active transportation plan commits to completing 100% of the city’s 52 highest priority bike and pedestrian projects within the next ten years — even though 93.5% of the projects are still outstanding. As Los Angeles bike riders can attest, though, a promise like that is only as good as the city’s willingness to live up to it.
More bad news from Tracy, where a 73-year old man was killed in a collision while riding his bike; police immediately blamed the victim for wearing dark clothes and riding without lights after dark, as well as not using a crosswalk to cross the roadway — even though bicyclists aren’t required or even expected to.
Still more bad news, this time from Lake County, where another 73-year old man was killed by a hit-and-run driver as he was riding his bike; the CHP caught the driver several hours later after she abandoned her car at a nearby hotel.
National
Gear Junkie looks at the best fat bikes for the coming year.
America’s last remaining Tour de France winner is back in the bike business with a new line of ebikes.
Police in Lincoln NE busted three men, including a 16-year old boy, accused of getting out of their car to mug a 69-year old bike rider and steal his belongings.
Wisconsin’s only Black-owned book store is currently doing business on the back of a big blue tricycle. As usual, read it on Yahoo if Bicycling’s site blocks you out.
Sad news from Philadelphia, where a local community is mourning the death of a long-time neighborhood bike cop from Covid-19.
Life is cheap in Louisiana, where a man got two years home detention for fleeing the scene after slamming his SUV into two kids sharing a bike; fortunately, both recovered after suffering serious injuries.
Florida has completed a study for a bike trail along the state’s coast highway south of Jacksonville where retired ABC News correspondent Tim O’Brien was killed while riding his bike, but it hasn’t been funded.
International
Road.cc offers a holiday gift guide for awkward cycling fans, most of which is surprisingly affordable.
Cycling News turns the tables on yesterday’s men’s gift guide for bicyclists with a guide for bike-riding women. Because evidently, men don’t use bike tires or CO2 inflators.
An Ontario, Canada woman reached out to other female mountain bike riders three years ago to form a new group; she now has a network of over 100 active riders.
A Toronto letter writer complains that the city spend $240,000 to build, then remove, a protected bike lane, and concludes that building bike lanes that will be used just “four or five months out of the year” is insanity. Who knew Canadians are that afraid of a little cold weather?
Over 300 Montreal residents complained about bike paths and pedestrian streets that popped up in the city during the pandemic. Which means the other roughly 4,220,700 people in the metro area didn’t.
A British writer takes a 1,307-mile bikepacking trip across the entire length of the UK. Which may be the only place Brits can go once Brexit kicks in at the end of the year.
A Hungarian man is all smiles after riding over 8,000 miles from Hungary to India, despite four weeks in a Pakistani jail when he tried to cross the border.
Competitive Cycling
Mountain bike downhill legend Rachel Atherton welcomes the pandemic bike boom, saying everyone has finally discovered what she already knew about bikes.
Eleven of the biggest names in women’s cycling are calling it a career, including American Katie Hall.
Cycling scion Axel Merckx, who ought to know, warns today’s top young cyclists not to burn out too early.
Finally…
Don’t ride your ebike like a motorcycle. Who needs the power company when you’ve got a bicycle?
And introducing a thousand dollar full carbon balance bike for the weight weenie toddler in your life.
No, seriously.
Photo from Specialized’s website.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
Regarding the spot on the neighborhood counsel. If you want change you have to be active. It is all well and good to write letters and show up at some meetings to express your opinion. But to push harder for change you need to become part of the system. Check with your local jurisdictions for places on these types of things. BPAC, city and county. They need you and are usually crying for people to fill the spots. The time commitment is not a lot but you need to be part of the group to effect change. Plus you learn a lot about how your city, town, county works.