BikinginLA

Day 282 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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With everything that’s been going on lately, I almost forgot to remind you that the mostly annual Heart of LA CicLAvia rolls this Sunday.

Arguably the country’s largest and most popular open streets event, CicLAvia returns to the streets of DTLA, Boyle Heights and Westlake/MacArthur Park almost exactly fifteen years to the day after the original 10/10/10 event.

And yes, I still have the T-shirt, though I now keep it safely packed away for posterity.

And no, that has nothing to do with a little apparent shrinkage affecting the mid-section.

Meanwhile, LAist highlights some of the “legendary eateries” you’ll find along the way.

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Speaking of bicycling events, I received the following press release for the first-ever Resilience Ride at Lake Casitas Campground in Ojai next month.

“Ride. Recover. Thrive.” — First-Ever SoCal Resilience Ride Launches November 14–16, 2025

A new annual cycling and recovery event in partnership with The Phoenix & Trudging Buddies

Ojai, CA — This fall marks the inaugural SoCal Resilience Ride, a first-of-its-kind weekend bringing together cyclists, people in recovery, and community members for three days of connection, challenge, and healing. Held November 14–16, 2025 at Lake Casitas Campground in Ojai, the event blends purpose-driven rides, wellness activities, and recovery-centered fellowship.

The SoCal Resilience Ride is co-presented by Trudging Buddies and The Phoenix, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating recovery communities rooted in strength, service, and hope. Together, they are laying the foundation for what will become a signature annual event for Southern California’s cycling and recovery communities.

“This first year is about building something lasting. The SoCal Resilience Ride combines the healing power of community, the challenge of cycling, and the spirit of recovery into one unforgettable weekend.” — Dave O’ Brien Trudging Buddies Board Chair

What to Expect — Three Days, One Journey

• Friday, November 14 — Arrival and check-in at Lake Casitas Campground, community welcome, and dinner.

• Saturday, November 15 — The ride! Choose between 20, 38, or 88-mile routes with full on-route support. Non-cyclists can enjoy hikes, kayaking, and other outdoor activities. All meals provided.

• Sunday, November 16 — Breakfast, morning activities, and closing community circle before departure.

With bagged lunches, full SAG and mechanical support, rest stops, and community programming, the SoCal Resilience Ride ensures a safe and memorable experience for riders of all levels.

“We’re proud to partner with Trudging Buddies to bring the SoCal Resilience Ride to life. This event creates space for resilience, unity, and sustainable recovery.” — Andy Short, The Phoenix

Sponsored by Community

This first-year event is made possible through the generosity of sponsors.

• Presenting Sponsor: No Matter What Recovery

• In-Kind Sponsors: Clif Bar, Nuun Hydration, St. James Iced Tea, and VUUM

Their support helps fuel participants, power programming, and bring the vision of the SoCal Resilience Ride to life.

Registration & Deadlines

• Early-bird registration: $150 (includes meals, camping, ride support, and activities)

• Price increases to $200 on October 15 — register now to save your spot.

Register here: https://ride.trudgingbuddies.org

Call to Action

Spots are limited to 200 riders and 50 volunteers. Secure your early-bird registration before October 15 and join us for a weekend of cycling, community, and recovery.

Register today: impact.thephoenix.org/event/socal-resilience-ride/e698795
November 14–16, 2025 | Lake Casitas, Ojai, CA

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This is the cost of traffic violence.

A friend of mine was seriously injured, and her dog killed, by a hit-and-run driver in the Miracle Mile neighborhood in Los Angeles Sunday morning.

According to NBC Los Angeles,

The Los Angeles Police Department told NBC4 Investigates exclusively that the woman was taking her dog for a walk in the area of 8th Street and Cloverdale in the Miracle Mile neighborhood at around 8:30 a.m. Sunday when she – and the dog – were struck by a Toyota pickup truck.

When the truck, which may have run a stop sign, pulled over, the passenger from the car got out, but the people in the truck quickly took off from the crash site without offering to help the victim, according to the LAPD.

The story goes on to say that the driver turned herself in Sunday night. Which would have given her plenty of time to sober up if she was under the influence at the time of the crash.

Fortunately, our friend is going to recover. But her dog, who was our corgi’s best friend and the sweetest boy ever, was killed — okay, murdered — by someone who didn’t have the basic human decency to stop afterwards to see if they were okay.

And while felony hit-and-run resulting in serious injury is punishable by u to four years behind bars in this state, you can expect LA’s overburdened prosecutors to plea bargain it down to a misdemeanor, which carries a max of six months in county jail.

But since the woman turned herself in — albeit belatedly — she’ll probably walk with nothing more than probation, especially if it’s her first offense.

Meanwhile, dogs are just considered property under California law, so fleeing the scene after killing it carries a penalty of a very limp slap on the wrist.

If that.

To say I’m angry, sad and disgusted all jumbled together is the understatement of the year.

I’m also heartbroken to think our friend will come home from the hospital to an empty house, surrounded by reminders of the dog she loved.

And that none of us will ever get to see that sweet boy again.

 

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BlueSky user Glenn with 2 Ns offers great thread recounting a recent ride through the newly reopened Monrovia Canyon Park.

For some reason it’s not letting me embed the post, but you can click through for the full thread, although you may or may not need a BlueSky account.

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It used to be Amsterdam that everyone used as an example for how to transform a car-choked city to a bicycling city.

But a new study shows how Paris transformed itself over just a few short years, with bicycling traffic increasing by 240% between 2018 and 2023, while car traffic steadily declined — and one in ten trips are now made by bike in central districts.

So maybe there’s hope for Los Angeles yet, if city leaders would just get their heads out of their asses take providing alternatives to driving seriously.

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Surprising news from Iran, where a 19-year old bicycle tourist with dual French and German citizenship was unexpectedly released by government officials.

Lennart Monterlos had disappeared in June while riding across the country after Israel launched an attack against Iran.

Weeks later officials revealed he was being held on espionage charges, accused of taking pictures near a nuclear power plant.

There’s no word on what, if anything, the country may have received to secure his release.

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Thanks to Norm for forwarding a video examining bike infrastructure in Nanaimo, and how the city on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island “went Dutch.”

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Local 

Thousands of students walked, biked or skated to LA County schools yesterday to mark National Walk and Roll to School Day.

The Los Angeles Times offers advice on how to plan an extraordinary bikepacking trip to Catalina Island.

 

State

Calbike explains what all the various bikeway signs mean. Like the one that says No Motor Vehicles, which isn’t actually a Latin term for “drive here,” despite what some motorists seem to think. 

San Diego’s Pedal Pushing Bicycle Shop says they’re already struggling under the weight of Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum.

San Luis Obispo County will add crosswalks and bike lanes on a popular beach access road leading to the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.

Monterey’s Sea Otter Classic bicycle festival is going Down Under.

 

National

Bike Portland says the new mayor of Tigard, Oregon is one of us. And for real, not just photo ops. Unlike the recent mayors of a certain SoCal megalopolis I could name. 

The owner of a Tucson, Arizona bike shop says the city needs more options for bike riders than a single primary bike loop, especially after a bike rider was fatally stabbed there in a confrontation with a homeless man.

No surprise here, as emergency responders trying to reach an injured Idaho bicyclist were repeatedly delayed by inattentive drivers, who “failed to yield and were not paying attention to their surroundings.” Kind of like drivers everywhere else. 

Colorado’s “oldest and largest weekly family-friendly cruiser ride” drew a whopping 2,600 people to their rides in Longmont, Colorado this summer.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota is set to get its first bicycle boulevard.

Indiana children’s bikemaker Guardian Bikes called on the Trump administration to steeply increase tariffs on bicycles and bike frames, as well as the aluminum content of ebikes with motors greater than 250 watts, arguing that reshoring would eliminate over 200 million pounds of steel imports and 40 million pounds of aluminum imports. Even though it would probably be the death knell for the rest of the American bicycle industry (see San Diego bike shop, above).

A Pittsburgh judge ordered a local business association to post a $40,000 bond if they want to halt work on a new bike lane, as business owners once again, and predictably, try to shoot themselves in the foot by blocking bike lanes, even though they have been repeatedly shown to boost business.

New York Streetsblog says the city’s detour for construction work on the East River Greenway is simply unsafe for bicyclists.

Safety improvements are finally underway in Bethesda, Maryland, three years after US diplomat Sarah Langenkamp was killed by a driver while riding her bike, just weeks after moving back with her family to escape the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

 

International

Cycling Weekly says bike bells may be deeply uncool, but every bicyclist should have one, because you can’t rely on your free hub to tell people you’re there. Something I’d totally agree with if most bike riders didn’t already come equipped with a voice, which can do the same work more effectively, if not as charmingly.

A new British study show that e-cargo bikes really are replacing car trips for errands and short commutes, while reshaping family travel norms to ride more and drive less.

The editor of an English-language newspaper in Florence, Italy fondly remembers her first issue, when her husband loaded stacks of the paper onto his bicycle for distribution, grateful for their 20 years printing the paper, after he died from Alzheimer’s earlier this year. A reminder that bicycles so often figure prominently in many people’s best memories.

A British man bumped into legendary musician Paul Weller of The Jam in Sorrento, Italy, as the man was preparing to bike up Mt. Vesuvius to mark two years of sobriety, while comparing notes with Weller on his twenty years. Although I prefer to remember Weller’s time with The Style Council, myself. 

Apparently, bike lanes are big with Portuguese communist city council candidates. Look, I’d consider going red if that would mean more green bikeways. Or bike greenways.

 

Competitive Cycling

Former pro cyclist Lilian Calmejane accepts an invitation to visit the headquarters of French bikemaker Van Rysel, promising to make a “grovelling apology” if they convince him he’s wrong about the brand holding back rising French star Paul Seixas.

Seriously? Bike racing journalist and analyst Thijs Zonneveld says pro cycling has a Tadej Pogačar problem, arguing that he could continue his current dominance of the sport for years. Just like the sport had an Eddy Merckx problem before him, or a Jacques Anquetil or Fausto Coppi problem, right? Never mind that American guy who shall not be named. 

 

Finally…

Honey, I shrunk the Pashley. The slick and sticky science of keeping bikes upright, and helping riders slide when they don’t.

And is it just me, or are these new pickups just getting too damn big?

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.