Good question.
Streetsblog asks what’s going on with California’s ebike incentive programs, as few regional air quality districts have added ebikes to their clean vehicle incentive programs, and the ebike rebate program that was supposed to start this summer remains on hold.
Meanwhile, Denver’s ebike rebate program proved so popular it ran out of funds in a matter of weeks.
Clearly, the demand is there. If the state ever gets its shit together.
Photo by Alex from Pexels.
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Meanwhile, the media can’t seem to decide whether bicycles and ebikes are a reasonable substitute for driving.
A Sacramento TV station says Californians are buying ebikes to fight high gas prices, regardless of the state’s delayed rebate program.
NewsNation Now concurs, reporting that people across the US are taking to bicycles as an alternative to driving.
But the conservative Washington Examiner says hopes that high gas prices will lead to a bicycling renaissance are probably misplaced, insisting that few people can reasonably trade their cars for bikes.
And an Alabama TV station says most people can’t fight rising gas prices by riding an ebike instead of driving.
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The year’s first CicLAvia is just one month away on Western Ave in South Los Angeles, with a return of the Hollywood to West Hollywood route the following month.
Join us at CicLAvia–South LA on Sunday, July 10!! And join our email list for more details: https://t.co/y2j115TIdd We are planning *more* routes before the end of 2022:
▶️ August 21: CicLAvia–Meet the Hollywoods
▶️ October 9: CicLAvia–Heart of LA
▶️ December 4: CicLAvia–South LA pic.twitter.com/vlZ4JhmhnD— CicLAvia (@CicLAvia) June 10, 2022
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Now this is what real bike infrastructure looks like.
https://twitter.com/_dmoser/status/1534852527061180427
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Your Brompton ebike could be out to get you.
#Recall: Brompton Bicycle Foldable Electric Bicycles. The wheel can lock up leading to sudden deceleration of the bike if an object gets caught between the mudguard and front tire; crash and injury hazards to the rider. Get free repair. Full notice: https://t.co/404gkDTw2m pic.twitter.com/1e4U7zXifC
— US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) June 9, 2022
Thanks to Ted Faber for the heads-up.
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Who needs helmets when the peloton has such stylish hats?
"In 1896, Louis Lumière made the world's first video of a bicycle race.
(Lyon-Geneva, 1896)" https://t.co/Mc1Ex8JaLZ— Cool Bike Art (@CoolBikeArt1) June 9, 2022
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bike just keeps on going.
Unbelievable. A 57-year old British woman walked without a day behind bars, after a judge ruled she was unfit to stand trial for the drunken hit-and-run that left a bike-riding woman serious permanent injuries, telling police afterwards that she hates cyclists; her victim lost 90% of her vision in one eye, as well as suffering brain damage, broken bones and a nine-hour surgery to repair her shattered face.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
A 50-year old New Jersey man was sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting one 18-year old, and injuring another, firing into their parked car as he rode by on his bike.
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Local
A writer for City Watch points out why The Grove shopping center doesn’t work as a model for fixing Los Angeles, even if owner Rick Caruso becomes mayor — including the lack of bike lanes and the failure of Metro’s first mile/last mile connections.
State
The LA Times recommends seven California state parks, including a handful in Southern California that can be visited by bicycle.
The US Forest service recommends clearing thousands of trees from the pristine north side of Big Bear Lake to reduce fire damage, and replacing them with 47-miles of new ebike trails.
National
Esquire recommends their picks for the best helmets for bike commuters, while Momentum offers a guide to different types of bike locks and when to use them.
REI is getting into the e-cargo bike business, with bikes ranging from $1,500 to $1,900. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.
Portland cargo bike users will practice riding to the rescue in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster tomorrow.
Boulder, Colorado instructs bike riders how to observe the state’s new Safety Stop law, aka Stop as Yield or the Idaho Stop Law.
Colorado is replacing its Share the Road highway signs with new signs reminding drivers about the state’s three-foot passing law, requiring them to pass bike riders by a minimum of three feet.
Heartbreaking news from Chicago, where a three-year old girl riding on the back of her mother’s bike was killed when they were struck by a semi-truck driver, after they had to go around a power company truck parked in the bike lane.
International
London’s Low Traffic Neighborhoods, the equivalent of American Slow Streets, were an unqualified, if not always popular, success, increasing bike use from 31% to 171% while decreasing car traffic as much as 76% — without increasing traffic on nearby streets.
Jason Cooper, the drummer for The Cure, is one of us, taking part in a 54-mile fundraising ride for the British Heart Foundation in honor of late crew member Paul ‘Ricky’ Welton.
British bicyclists can still visit Europe, but their bikes may have to stay home, as the high-speed Eurostar train service extends a post-Brexit prohibition on non-folding bicycles; that includes the popular train service between London and Paris under the English Channel.
Over two million bike riders in the UK say they’d like to ride to work, if they had a safe place to store their bikes.
A former member of Britain’s triathlon team was killed in a collision while riding her bike in Wales; 52-year old Rebecca Comins leaves behind two children.
Competitive Cycling
Belgian pro Wout van Aert continued his domination of the Critérium du Dauphiné, winning his second stage in five days, while losing the others by mere seconds.
Former Tour de France winner Egan Bernal posted video of his first sprint since a near fatal crash five months ago, saying “Difficult does not mean impossible. It means that you are going to have to work hard.”
Cycling News remembers 1960’s Spanish great Julio Jiménez, aka the watchmaker of Ávila, after his death in a car crash at age 87.
Finally…
Your next foldie could be made from flax. That feeling when you can’t get home from an overseas stag trip without a bike.
And when an impatient driver honks at you, just park it in front of him.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
