When I was a kid, I once asked my dad if anyone he served with was killed in the war.
He just turned away without a word, his eyes glistening.
I never asked again.
Whatever you do today, wherever you are, take a moment to remember those who never came home.
We’ll be back tomorrow, as usual.
Photo by luxstorm from Pixabay.
Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating today!
Before we start, let me offer a special thank you to Pasadena-based bike lawyer Thomas Forsyth for renewing his sponsorship for another year.
It’s pretty remarkable that all three of this site’s primary sponsors stepped up and renewed their ads, despite the economic disaster wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
So if you get the chance, take a moment to thank those guys over there on the right. Because this site wouldn’t be possible without them.
And if you ever need a good lawyer, you know what to do.
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LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn put out the welcome mat for bicyclists on the county’s beachfront Marvin Braude bike path.
https://twitter.com/SupJaniceHahn/status/1263499830078259200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1263499830078259200&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailybreeze.com%2Fla-county-supervisor-says-beach-bike-paths-are-open-but-are-they
But the Daily Breeze says not so fast.
The paper notes that final approval has to come from the Los Angeles County of Department of Public Health, which hasn’t happened yet.
And they can’t do anything until the county’s Safer at Home order is amended.
So maybe it will be open when you ride to the beach this weekend. Or maybe not.
But considering how crowded it’s likely to be, maybe you’re better off waiting for next week, anyway.
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Add your voice to a call to keep the popular Rose Bowl Loop carfree.
Keep the Rose Bowl loop car free! Voice your support by contacting Pasadena City Council or by sending us a note of support at carfreeloop@gmail.com. Tell us why you want to keep the Rose Bowl loop car free – include name and zip code. @StreetsblogLA @bikinginla @ColoradoBlvdNet pic.twitter.com/uFOb4BDi3d
— Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition (@PasadenaCSC) May 21, 2020
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Patrick Pascal forward another view of the new 7th Street protected bike lane in Downtown Los Angeles.
Or as drivers call it, the only free parking zone in DTLA.
Photo by Patrick Pascal
Pascal also notes that there was some sort of obstruction on every block between Main and Figueroa when he rode it this week.
Which means LADOT needs to do better.
Because a protected bike lane does no damn good if we can’t ride it because it’s not protected enough.
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Today’s common theme is Slow Streets, pop-up bike lanes, and the need to provide alternatives to driving as the world reawakens from its pandemic slumber.
NACTO has released a guide to creating streets for pandemic response and recovery.
The Smithsonian considers how cities intend to use extended bike lanes and wider sidewalks to keep traffic out when lockdowns lift. Although someone should tell them that bike riders and pedestrians are traffic, too. Just not the stinky, dangerous and road clogging kind.
A physics website says Covid-19 inspired pop-up bike lanes could result in permanent changes to our cities. And need to.
The Guardian says those pop-up bike lanes and carfree streets provide much-needed relief from auto exhaust, which much be maintained when city’s reopen.
San Francisco expands its Slow Streets program, temporarily closing 13 additional corridors to allow for more social distancing outside the home for bike riders and pedestrians. The city is also installing a quick-build protected bike lane on 7th Street. Something tells me they won’t allow parking in that one, unlike a certain megalopolis to the south.
Even the conservative Washington Times asks if cities will be ready for the boom in bike use, as people go out of their way to avoid transit when they go back to work. And tosses in a rebound in micromobility, for good measure.
A London advocacy group warns cars will be coming back any day, and the city will be in real trouble if emergency bike lanes aren’t built soon.
Bikes are really booming in France, with bike use up nearly 50% as the country reopens from its coronavirus lockdown. It’s amazing just how much bike use has jumped in cities and countries around the world in the last two months. And just how little we’re doing about it here in Los Angeles.
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No bias here. A Rhode Island letter writer says resistance to aggressive, narcissistic Lycra-clad bicyclists is futile. How the hell can you look at a bike rider speeding past and determine if he or she is a narcissist? Does she think we spend the whole time admiring ourselves in the reflections on the shiny jerseys of the riders in front of us?
Santa Barbara residents are riled by a ruckus-raising, sidewalk-riding masked bike-rider with a wrench.
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Authorities identify the victim who was stabbed to death by a man on a bike on the Venice boardwalk last weekend.
CiclaValley takes a look at the new and improved Laurel Canyon Bike Lane.
This is who we share the roads with. Heartbreaking and infuriating story from San Jose, where a 26-year old man faces multiple counts of murder for the drunken crash that killed four passengers in his car, and injured another; Rabbi Kumar Khanna was subject to a murder charge after receiving a Watson warning for a previous DUI. Just one more example of officials keeping a dangerous driver on the streets until it’s too late. Thanks to Robert Leone for the heads-up.
The National Safety Council confirms what we already knew — pandemic-emptied streets are enticing drivers to floor it, resulting in greater risk and lethality on our streets.
Keep your bike locked away with your toilet paper. CBS News says we’re in a vicious cycle, as soaring bike sales result in shortages, which is causing panic buying.
Vice says the fight for greener neighborhoods is a matter of life and death, particularly in denser, less privileged areas.
ZZ Top’s bearded Billy Gibbons is one of us, a sharp dressed man in cheap sunglasses with his tush on a bike seat and legs working the pedals, enjoying a Viva Las Vegas ride with a friend.
Seattle bike brand Rad Power is introducing a new and improved version of their e-cargo bike, with a relatively affordable $1,599 price tag.
Idaho prosecutors learned the hard way that if you’re going to ticket a bike rider for violating the state’s Idaho Stop Law after she was struck by a driver, it helps to charge her under the right statute. And props to the victim for appealing a measly $90 fine.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the annual Ride of Silence was still held in some places, like this one in Abilene, Texas.
After they had to cut a little girl’s bicycle to get her foot loose, kindhearted Arkansas firefighters teamed with the local police to buy her a new one.
There’s a special place in hell for whoever rode a bikeshare bike up to a mentally disturbed New York woman, and chatted her up before viciously attacking and raping her. Seriously, there’s not a pit deep enough. Or a sentence long enough.
Spike Lee is one of us, breaking his New York self-isolation on a bicycle. And yes, I’m impressed.
If you or I plan a century ride, no one notices. When new Carolina Panther’s QB Teddy Bridgewater plans one, it makes Sports Illustrated.
New Orleans kicks off an expansion of the city’s bike lanes, with plans to stripe another 75 miles over the next two years. Which is only about 75 miles more than Los Angeles has committed to.
A short bike ride through town provides a ticket out of isolation for a Natchez, Mississippi man.
A kid in Florida was caught on camera stealing a bicycle from an 88-year old man, who used it as his only form of transportation to pick up groceries and medication. Let’s hope the little jerk’s parents see this, and give him a time out until he’s 35.
Road.cc has tips for weight weenies on how to strip a few more ounces off your bike. And insider advice you should know before buying a bike light.
Cycling Tips reviews a bike bell battle royale.
Toronto belatedly builds a bike lane barrier to prevent drivers from using it as free parking.
London bike couriers are playing a vital roll in the battle against Covid-19, rushing coronavirus samples to labs throughout the city.
A UK city councillor tells bike riders and pedestrians to be nicer to each other, already.
Bike riders in Kyrgyzstan are riding to the rescue, delivering insulin to homebound diabetics. Thanks again to Robert Leone.
The Guardian says Lance shows plenty of rage but little regret in ESPN’s eponymous new documentary, while Outside says he gets brutally honest in the film. And he still hasn’t forgiven Floyd, apparently.
VeloNews talks with past and present record holders Phil Gaimon and Keegan Swenson about how to Everest like a pro.
Speaking of which,
But can you really Everest without leaving your home?
Peloton’s new stationary bike will only cost a leg. Forget drive-ins, the future of live music is bike-in shows.
And you’ve only got a few more hours to vote for America’s only remaining Tour de France winner for the Greatest of All Time in Nevada sports.
Round of 32 NSN Bracket Challenge matchup: No. 1 Greg LeMond vs. No. 8 Kirk Snyder
LeMond is a three-time Tour de France champion; Snyder was the star of Nevada's first Sweet 16 team. Full bios here: https://t.co/Q5qrrocRb7
— Chris Murray (@ByChrisMurray) May 21, 2020
I mean, seriously, how many TdF’s did this Snyder guy ever win?
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
A powerful piece from Curbed’s Alissa Walker says the coronavirus isn’t fuel for urbanist fantasies.
Instead, the virus is revealing the inequities that have long existed in our cities. And which need to be addressed if we’re going to make any real progress.
Even before the staggering impact of the novel coronavirus had been fully revealed, the people who write and think about cities were busy writing prescriptions for their recovery. But instead of bearing witness to mass death as a moment of reflection, many urbanists are using the coronavirus as an opportunity to accelerate their pre-pandemic agendas—agendas which ignore the issues that made COVID-19 more catastrophic than it should have been.
This was first obvious by early April, as cities including Los Angeles, Detroit, St. Louis, and Chicago began to report that black and Latino residents were dying at a higher rate than the rest of the population. Latinos, in particular, were at greater risk because they are more likely to work at essential jobs. Living situations—including overcrowding in small apartments due to high rents—were also pinpointed as a reason the virus was ravaging certain communities.
It’s not an easy read.
Especially if you insist on holding on to your own biases. And yes, we all have them.
But it’s important one, if we’re going to build the kind of cities we say we want.
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YouTube stars Kristin and Marcus Johns are both out of the hospital, a week after they were apparently the victims in last week’s allegedly intentional hit-and-run while riding their bikes in Toluca Lake.
Police chased the suspect, but lost his car somewhere near Universal Studios.
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Yet more proof you can carry anything on a bike.
Loving the version of LA where goods can be delivered cleanly and safely on cargo bikes in protected bike lanes. Photo via friends inside 100 S Main St. pic.twitter.com/tNJeB8Uwmz
— Carter Rubin (@CarterRubin) May 20, 2020
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When is a bike lane not a bike lane?
When it’s blocked.
As in this view of the Venice Blvd protected bike lanes in Mar Vista.
Thanks to Ted Faber for the photo.
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Evidently, kids love gravel biking almost as much as their parents do.
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Metro finally dumps its balky app, replacing it with the popular multi-city Transit app, which includes integrated transportation options like bikeshare, dockless e-scooters and ride-hail services.
An LA Times columnist straps on her face mask and bikes to Venice Beach, questioning why people breaking the rules by tanning on the beach aren’t getting tickets; apparently, talk radio station KFI doesn’t like what she had to say — or the Times, for that matter. Fortunately, she didn’t try riding on the bike path, or she could have been the one getting ticketed. Although that doesn’t seem to be enforced, either.
A columnist for the Pasadena Star-News complains about over-engineering on the newly reopened and carfree Rose Bowl Loop.
Santa Monica plans to tear down an old church across from Santa Monica College to build low-income housing, with over twice as many bike parking spaces as car parking slots.
Long Beach approves an “open streets initiative,” allowing streets, sidewalks and parking lots to be repurposed for outdoor activities, including dining.
A Redondo Beach motorcycle rider tries out a beach cruiser-style ebike, and finds his commute to Santa Monica takes twice as long, but is much more peaceful.
Deadly car crashes have spiked in California during the coronavirus lockdown, as relatively empty streets entice too many drivers to put their foot down.
San Diego celebrates Bike Month by unveiling a new Better by Bike campaign. Can’t argue with that one.
A Bay Area street has been closed to car traffic, becoming home to daily cello concerts.
Davis police were able to quickly identify and arrest a thief who broke the window of a bike shop and made off with $1,600 bike. Note to CBS Sacramento — $1,600 is hardly “pricey” anymore. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.
Police in San Rafael busted two bike thieves using bait bikes. Something that the LAPD has still never tried, over fears of entrapment claims.
A travel website says you’ve got to add Tahoe’s West Shore Bike Cruise to your bike bucket list.
Inside Edition discovers the current Covid bike shortage, while CBS News picks up on the coronavirus bike boom, while noting that 50% of current riders plan to keep riding when the pandemic ends. Which will hopefully be much closer to sooner than later.
A writer for Grist takes a contrary position, questioning whether Covid-19 will halt the progress towards a carfree future.
Ebikes are the perfect antidote for coronavirus anxiety, according to a writer for a Santa Fe NM paper.
Even though Colorado’s annual Iron Horse Classic scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled, local residents worry mountain bikers will show up and try to do the ride anyway.
A Dallas woman is looking for the Good Samaritan who stayed with her and comforted her after she was hit by a driver, just days after she started riding a bike again.
Ben Stiller recounts how his late father Jerry ran through the streets of New York to chase down the kid who stole Ben’s bike when he was a child — then came back empty handed, saying the kid who stole it needed the bike more than he did.
Slow Streets slowly make their way to Atlanta.
Florida police busted a bike thief who made off with a bike that a woman had ridden across the US; they also recovered the bike — or what’s left of it, anyway.
Six ways to make city streets safer for pedestrians. And everyone else.
FloBikes tells you how to replace an inner tube. But you already know that, right?
Toronto bike advocates are calling for a two-wheeled post-pandemic future.
Britain’s bike industry is joining together to promote a new PR campaign, telling the public that Bike is Best. Which is true, even if it feels a little grammatically challenged.
British thieves are taking advantage of the bike boom, too, with bike thefts up nearly 50%.
The UK’s Alzheimer’s society says a bike ride or brisk walk three times a week can help stave off dementia in people over 60. So what are you waiting for, already?
An Irish paper says children are the future, so get them on bicycles.
French bike parts maker Mavic may be circling the drain, but a pair of unnamed former pro cyclists may be preparing to ride to the rescue.
A Manila op-ed says a connected bike lane network is just what the Philippine city needs. It’s just what Los Angeles needs, too. But Manila might actually get it.
Makes sense. Bicycling’s Selene Yeager says Everesting is having a moment right now because, as George Mallory famously said, it’s there. And nothing else is right now.
Road Bike Action remembers the late, great Amgen Tour of California, which was cancelled due to financial problems just in time to avoid being cancelled by Covid-19.
Word has it Lance doesn’t like the way he’s portrayed in the upcoming ESPN documentary about him. Which raises the burning question, who cares?
Rouleur examines the worst bike kit of the modern era.
And the road worlds could be coming back to the US.
Axel Merckx plans to bring Road World Championships back to North America
Portland, Oregon, a possible US candidate for UCI Road Worlds in 2025 or 2026https://t.co/MpHOGovZ0w pic.twitter.com/gQGpLbC5Sm— Cyclingnews (@Cyclingnewsfeed) May 21, 2020
You, too, can be the proud owner of a 1959 Schwinn cruiser bike for the low price of just $800. Bold move, declaring this is Bike Month when there’s only ten days left.
And no, bikes aren’t the new toilet paper.
They’re much harder to use, and nearly impossible to flush.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
You’re on your own for tonight’s annual Ride of Silence, which can be done solo or virtually.
Or maybe just join me tonight in remembering all those who have lost their lives needlessly.
Photo by Matt Tinoco.
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Seriously?
A Los Angeles bicyclist defends the actions of the bike riders on Sunday’s mass ride through San Diego, which resulted in a literal fist fight with an angry driver.
As in,
“When you have that many riders, it’s going to be unruly. I wouldn’t say rowdy,” said Vasquez.
Never mind that unruly ride violated every semblance of California’s Covid-19 lockdown rules.
Which currently prohibits groups of more than ten. Let alone the few hundred bike riders it drew from all over the state.
And never mind that they couldn’t do a better job of spreading the disease if they tried.
If only one of the riders had a symptom-free case of coronavirus without knowing it, they could have shared it with dozens of others on the ride, who would then take it home to their family and friends.
Not to mention putting innocent bystanders at risk along every inch of the ride route.
Irresponsible doesn’t begin to cover it.
According to the LA bicyclist — who I won’t name, even though the story does — the mass ride was sponsored by a group called Keep it Rolling.
Maybe they’ll think before they roll out again.
So maybe they next time we read or hear about them, it will be because they got it right.
Not for crap like this.
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No surprise here.
The new protected bike lanes on 7th Street in DTLA have turned into one more example of free curbside parking for any drivers willing to squeeze through the bollards.
Just like what happened after every other protected bike lane in Downtown Los Angeles was opened.
Which makes you wonder why LADOT apparently hasn’t learned anything from the experience.
https://twitter.com/CCBOYCE/status/1262899902545362944
Thanks to Melanie Freeland for the heads-up.
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Pasadena police are warning about an increase in bike thefts, with advice on how to prevent it.
Cont (2of2)
Consider making your bike unique so it is harder for thieves to sell
Consider using a U-lock and replacing quick-release seats and wheel skewers for ones that require keys
Balconies and parking garages are not secure unless your bicycle is locked and secure
— Pasadena Police (@PasadenaPD) May 19, 2020
All good advice.
Although I’d add that bikes aren’t safe on balconies even if they’re secured, unless it’s too high to climb up. And it probably isn’t.
Your garage isn’t much better, unless it’s securely locked at all hours.
Also, take lots of pictures of your bike — including your bike’s serial number, which is the easiest way to make sure you always have it with you.
And register your bike for free with Bike Index right now while you’re thinking about it. Before anything happens to it.
Thanks to Tim Rutt for the link.
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Who was that masked man?
If you’ve spotted a 7-foot tall man riding a bike through Los Angeles lately with only his eyes visible, it may have been the Lakers’ JaVale McGee.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CATgc6CHwYI/?utm_source=ig_embed
Although maybe someone should teach him how to fix a flat.
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Here’s your chance to sort-of ride with the world’s best — and only — all type 1 diabetic cycling team.
But only if you’re diabetic, too.
Do you dream of racing with the world’s top cyclists? We’re looking for young, active, elite cyclists with diabetes to take part in our 2020 virtual Talent ID Camp. For more info go to our website click the “Join” tab, follow the Talent ID link and fill out the application form. pic.twitter.com/iEWDmqZh3a
— Team Novo Nordisk (@teamnovonordisk) May 19, 2020
Speaking of which, CNN says the team has turned type 1 diabetes into its greatest strength.
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If you live or work in my neighborhood, the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council is having a virtual meeting this evening.
If you have the patience to wait until they finally get around to general comments, ask for some Slow Streets in Hollywood.
NEIGHBOR Zoom WEDS. 6pm! RunyonCyn changes, crime, party noise, etc. Give ur comments! @LAPDHollywood + @LAFDwest + prosecutor ETHAN Weaver attend! Mtg of Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council. @davideryu @laurafriedman43 @CityAttorneyLA @bikinginla @BeverlyPress @lapd2014 pic.twitter.com/UsqLGu4Z5O
— M YARBER (@6Chair) May 19, 2020
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An Omaha woman was knocked off her bike by rock-throwing teenagers, just days after resuming riding for the first time since she was eight years old. Jerks.
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Westside Councilmember Mike Bonin talks LA’s Slow Streets program on KPCC’s Take Two.
CD15 Councilmember Joe Buscaino gets it. He’s calling for allowing Los Angeles businesses to expand out into sidewalks, streets and parking lots for dining al fresco and other outdoor activities. Seriously, anything that gets Angelenos to re-envision our streets is a good thing.
You should be able to find plenty of bike parking in South Pasadena now, after the city worked with Active SGV to install 200 new lime green bike racks, including covered bike corrals.
Just weeks after buying Uber’s Jump Bikes, Lime is pulling the company’s ebikes and scooters off the not-so-mean streets of Santa Monica.
Long Beach is planning to turn currently under-used streets into outdoor dining, too.
San Francisco’s Sierra Club says we should try making Slow Streets permanent.
Sacramento is finding space on the roads for Slow Streets, too.
A bike-riding Davis columnist tells drivers to use their damn turn signals, already.
Curbed calls Slow Streets the path to a better city.
Yahoo lays out your fashion choices for every type of ride this year. Or you could just wear whatever the hell you want.
Gear Patrol says you’re wearing your bike helmet wrong, especially if it’s on backwards.
Portland business owners get it, where 60 businesses say they support a proposed protected bike lane in front of their shop.
Colorado teens are trying to defend a DIY bike park after the city moves to remove it.
If anyone wants to know what to get me for my birthday, bikemaker Detroit Bikes is remaking the 1965 edition of the iconic Schwinn Collegiate model, which will be available at Walmart for just under a grand. Or just get me a corgi.
A new public health study shows collisions involving bike riders dropped 13% in Philadelphia after the city’s bikeshare opened, despite the increase in ridership and no new infrastructure, giving more proof to the safety in numbers theory. And more people bike commute in cities with bikeshare, too.
Good news: New Jersey is allowing bike shops to reopen. Bad news: They’re reopening car dealers, too.
A Savanah, Georgia paper says the heir to the roadside Stuckey’s chain is one of us, too.
Treehugger says ebikes are eating the market, as Rad Power Bikes sees an almost 300% increase in sales during the coronavirus shutdown.
Strava defends their decision to start charging for leaderboard access and break thousands of third-party apps, saying the company isn’t profitable. And needs to start raising revenues now.
Peru is now a bicycling paradise, courtesy of the Covid-19 lockdown. Meanwhile, Americas Quarterly asks if the pandemic could mark the beginning of a biking revolution in Latin America.
Canadian Cycling Magazine takes a look at Supremely overpriced designer bicycles.
Analog bikes are booming, too. A UK bike shop has seen a nearly 700% jump in sales of bike over the equivalent of $600 compared to last year.
Eight ways to avoid the crowds on your next bike ride through London.
German bike shops are busier than ever.
Tel Aviv is taking a step beyond Slow Streets, converting eleven streets in the city center into pedestrian zones.
Bikes are booming in Uganda, too, where driving is prohibited under the country’s coronavirus lockdown.
Nothing like adding a slightly illegal 5,000 watt, 49 mph ebike conversion kit from a Hong Kong company to your existing bicycle.
Chris Froome is threatening to jump ship midseason, leaving Ineos for a rival team after being overshadowed in recent years by fellow Tour de France winners Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal. Although it’s hard to call it midseason if there haven’t been any races.
Running a few days behind, as usual, Bicycling catches up with pro mountain biker Keegan Swenson’s new Everesting record, as he tops Phil Gaimon’s new world record by 12 minutes, just four days after Gaimon set it.
Seriously, who’s shocked that Lance started doping long before he turned pro? Better question: Who still cares?
Yes, Peloton, it is possible to be too white. If you’re going to use pool noodles to protest cars coming too close, maybe try keeping away from them, too.
And not bad for my first self-applied Covid haircut, if I say so myself.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
WTF.
A large group of San Diego bicyclists appeared to ignore any hint of physical distancing on a Sunday group ride.
Without a single face mask in sight.
Let alone anything remotely resembling common sense in the middle of a pandemic.
San Diego’s ABC10 reports that, despite reports the group was well behaved earlier on their ride, their behavior had deteriorated by the time they got to San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood.
Paen told 10News that the riders in PB were unruly and rowdy. “[They were] flipping their fingers at cars [and] spitting at people,” he told 10News and added, “They were just whizzing by stop signs and past pedestrians and cars. It just seemed like they had immunity to anything on the road that was against them.”
Never mind that members of the group apparently got into a fight with a woman who had gotten out of her car to chastise them, as shown in the video above.
“[A cyclist] starts to kick on her and picks on her and it just becomes this mob mentality of bikers on this one woman who was going to yell at this [cyclist] for basically running a red light,” he said and added, “There was literally no one wearing masks or any type of gloves [and they were] all within close proximity of each other.”
According to the station, San Diego police responded to the fight, but neither side wanted to press charges.
Obviously, there’s more than one side to the story. And there’s no discounting the obvious windshield bias in the witness report.
But the optics of holding this type of ride, at a time when even small groups are prohibited — let alone hundreds of unmasked, scofflaw bike riders — is pretty devastating.
Let alone the sheer stupidity of risking the spread of an often symptomless, potentially deadly disease to their family and loved ones.
Not to mention total strangers who have the misfortune of just being nearby.
We need to do better.
All of us.
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Once again, auto-centrism rears its ugly head in LA’s Westchester/Playa neighborhood, as a motion at tonight’s neighborhood council meeting opposes taking even an inch of space for Slow Streets.
Because cars.
https://twitter.com/streetsforall/status/1262544428213743622
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Outside updated their record of every bicyclist killed on American roads in 2020, which is now up to 165 names.
Southern California is responsible for 20 of those so far.
Thanks to Melissa Wenzel for the heads-up.
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GCN demonstrates how to make your own high-level camera mount out of whatever wood you happen to have lying around.
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A North Dakota woman was busted for intentionally running down a man on a bike as he tried to ride away after arguing with her.
A British bus driver vows to never ride a bicycle again after he was intentionally knocked off his bike by a couple of women after warning them he was passing; he suffered a fractured pelvis and spine, a dislocated shoulder and ruptured kidneys. And they just walked away.
See above. No, seriously.
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Molly Shannon is one of us. And evidently, so is her daughter, as they shared a bike ride in Santa Monica.
They weren’t the only bike-riding Santa Monica celebs, though as Joe Jonas took a spin through the city, while leaving pregnant wife Sophie Turner at home.
Calbike is pushing a bill to encourage developers to provide secure bike parking in housing developments. But Megan Lynch reminds us that bike parking needs to accommodate handicapped riders, as well.
Two sections of one San Francisco roadway show how good it can be when making space for people, and how bad it is when left to motor vehicles.
Bike Snob’s Eben Weiss tells drivers that going the usual 5 mph over the speed limit is contributing to America’s addiction to speeding, while putting lives at risk. SoCal drivers would have to slow down from the usual 10 to 15 mph over the limit to just get down to that.
So much for those free Strava accounts. If you want access to Strava’s leaderboard, get ready to start paying. And stop using the 44,000 third-party apps they just broke.
Apparently, bicycles really are the new toilet paper. The New York Times says bike shop shelves are empty, too, with lower-end bicycles selling out and not enough new bikes in the supply chain.
Trek says there’s never been a better time to #GoByBike.
Outside offers five things they learned from this year’s bicycle tests, like gravel bikes are the new roadies, good roadies cost six grand — or more — and the recent boom in bike built specifically for women is over. And a few lessons from their favorite mountain bikes, too.
Virtually empty, casino-lined Las Vegas Blvd may now be the world’s most expensive bikeway. Or at least flashiest.
Houston residents discuss using their bikes as a form of transportation. Radical concept, I know.
A Maine bike advocate ponders what the streets of the future will look like, as Covid-19 gives us a rare opportunity to reimagine the space devoted to motor vehicles.
The New York Times considers how to have a safe bike ride with the kids, whether on Slow Streets or the usual fast ones.
New Yorkers J.Lo and A.Rod went for a Monday bike ride. Although judging from what little you can see, her bike doesn’t look like one.
Unbelievable. A 77-year old Maryland man was killed when he was right hooked by his neighbor turning into a driveway. So naturally, police blamed the victim.
One Atlanta teen is in custody, and another is wanted, after allegedly shooting a 58-year old woman in a dispute over a stolen bike.
A Georgia couple faces charges for killing a bike rider while conspiring to deal meth. Although just what slinging meth had to do with the fatal crash isn’t clear.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is one of us, too.
Road.cc offers their own take on the best new hybrid bikes.
Your new e-foldie could cost less than a grand, and come with seating for two.
No bias here. A Toronto columnist sees a not-so-secret anti-car agenda in the movement to provide street space for people during the coronavirus crisis. Because clearly, you can’t make room for anyone else on the streets without making some drivers feel threatened.
No bias here, either, as an official with London’s taxi drivers association calls the push for bike lanes a class war (scroll down). Because only elite, educated white “eco-caramel coconut latte” swilling males actually ride bicycles, evidently.
The Department of DIY struck in the UK over the weekend, as climate change advocates Extinction Rebellion painted their own fuchsia-colored pop-up bike lanes throughout the country.
A British driver could find out the hard way if you go to holy hell for dooring a Catholic bishop.
A 15-year old Indian girl rode nearly 750 miles to bring her injured father home on the back of her bicycle.
Once again, a bike rider is a hero, as a Singapore cyclist rescued a toddler who rode his kick scooter onto a busy street.
A new report says a proposal to allow New Zealanders to ride their bikes on sidewalks, with a nine-mile an hour speed limit, could result in savings of $24 million a year — but cost $14 million in pedestrian injuries, as well as one additional death, each year.
The global bike boom has hit Down Under, where bikes have become a key social distancing tool. Sort of like everywhere else.
Aussie bike advocates say the new temporary bike paths being built in Sydney should be made permanent. Again, like everywhere else.
No surprise here. Australian researchers conclude that harsh penalties for violating the mandatory helmet law in New South Wales are extremely excessive, and arbitrarily enforced.
A writer for Medium talks with freshly bearded, former world Eversting record holder Phil Gaimon about life during lockdown.
Apparently, following influencers to win a quarantine Peloton is a thing now. If you’re going to ride a hot high-end mountain bike at 4:14 am, put a damn light on it — and don’t pedal past a cop who used to manage a bike shop.
And who needs an agility course when you’ve got a bike corral?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpbEZ2Tyg_c
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
About damn time.
Los Angeles finally got around to implementing Slow Streets this weekend to allow residents to get outside while maintaining social distancing.
Only two months after the coronavirus lockdown began in mid-March. And long after other cities in the US and around the world demonstrated it could be done safely, to the benefit of local residents.
But naturally, LA has to do it the hard way.
Instead of just installing them on appropriate streets throughout the city — or even following the already-approved network of Bicycle Friendly Streets in the city’s mobility plan — someone has to apply for them.
Correction, some sort of group or organization has to apply, not an individual.
And only one application will be accepted per neighborhood council district.
Apply for your slow street here Los Angeles!
1 – Only one application per NC
2 – Max 25 intersections (if more are chosen, DOT will help you pare down)
3 – You need volunteers to help monitor
4 – Paste google map link (if applicable) into the addl infohttps://t.co/lAoSlNP5BK— Streets For All (@streetsforall) May 15, 2020
So, maybe you’ll get one somewhere near you. But probably not.
Never mind that the city has already threatened to shut down any Slow Street that turns out to be too popular.
Slow streets are up and running in Sawtelle! Thanks to @streetsforall @WestLASawtelle @MikeBoninLA @MayorOfLA for helping to make this happen. #OpenStreets @lacbc pic.twitter.com/O7bYfJDudP
— Bike West LA (@BikeWestLA) May 15, 2020
Meanwhile, Sacramento is following LA’s lead — and bad timing — by asking residents to nominate streets for their Slow Streets program. Thanks to Martin Rose for the link.
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Evidently, LADOT can move fast when they put their minds to it, after all.
Looking good, 7th Street pic.twitter.com/2B7Y8BHXqr
— The Place Space (@ThePlaceSpace) May 17, 2020
Patrick Pascal says this is what it looked like just two days earlier.
7th Street bike protected bike lane; photo by Patrick Pascal.
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Westwood homeowners and the Westwood Neighborhood council are up to their old tricks, incorrectly claiming that every organization in the Westwood area opposes bike lanes on Westwood Blvd in Westwood Village.
And drastically exaggerate both what is planned, and the effect it would have.
Which is a polite way of not calling them liars.
Westwood bike lane haters gonna keep hatin' – who knew adding bike lanes on Westwood Blvd would involve "removal of 3 travel lanes" and "increase GHG emissions"? (it of course won't) https://t.co/xNTwz6lEXq
— StreetsblogLA (@StreetsblogLA) May 14, 2020
Except the North Westwood Neighborhood Council, which represents the area north of Wilshire Blvd, where the proposed bike lanes would be located, are actually in favor of it.
https://twitter.com/graysonapeters/status/1261016593347211264
But that first link implies, this is nothing new.
The area’s wealthy homeowners have claimed ownership of the Village for decades, going so far as to have dancing — yes, dancing — banned.
Maybe they staged the Footloose remake in the wrong town.
It’s this kind of ham-fisted misrepresentation of the area that caused the NWNC to break off from the Westwood NC a few years ago, and finally give Westwood Village its own representation.
Before the homeowners succeed in completely killing it.
Because they will, if they have their way.
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No, seriously.
If they’re stupid enough to do the crime, they’re probably stupid enough to get caught.
Richard Rosenthal forwards news of a group of four Long Beach teens who mugged a man riding his bike on the San Gabriel River Trail, stealing his phone and wallet after hitting and kicking him, then tossed his bike onto the rocks along the river.
And posted a video online boasting about the crime.
Long Beach police think there were other people who witnessed the crime, or knew about the video, and kept silent.
Anyone with information is urged to call LBPD Robbery Detective Fermin Gonzalez at 562/570-7068.
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Some things are just too cute not to include here.
CiclaValley Jr. may be aging out of her WeeHoo, but not the fun! Kids + bikes = Perfect Combinationhttps://t.co/krNB8LrVO0@bikinginla @awalkerinLA pic.twitter.com/GNuOEHmVCT
— Zachary Rynew (@Ciclavalley) May 14, 2020
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Here’s a suggestion for the next time you want to hit a little gravel.
The #RidgeRoute is one of the most beautiful and historic loops around Los Angeles. It's also fun to ride too.@bikinginla @gravelstokehttps://t.co/e9R9pnfFVB
— Gravel Bike California (@GravelBikeCal) May 14, 2020
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Evidently, Mr. Las Vegas is one of us, too.
It's @WayneNewtonMrLV biking along the Strip, courtesy of @johnnykats. This made me smile so big. pic.twitter.com/ASqf7nZImx
— Teller (@MrTeller) May 17, 2020
Thanks to Tim Rutt for the heads-up.
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Police are looking for a murder suspect who fled the scene on a bicycle, after stabbing a man to death on LA’s Venice boardwalk.
Police in Seattle are looking for a bike-riding thief wanted for a string of armed robberies. Odd that no one tries to steal his bike when he leaves it unlocked like that when he goes in to rob a store.
British police are looking for a pair of bicyclists who collided with a six-year old scooter-riding boy, leaving him with a broken leg.
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Even though collisions are down 38% in Los Angeles since the Covid-19 lockdown began, traffic fatalities are up 15% — with pedestrian deaths jumping 33% — thanks to speeding drivers.
Los Angeles came as close as it probably ever will to being a traffic-free city on the last Monday in March.
KPCC and LAist producer Leo Duran tries to uncover why no bicycles are allowed on the beach bike path in LA County, and doesn’t get anywhere. But he does have the good taste to quote yours truly.
Santa Monica is extending the city’s shared mobility pilot program for another year.
Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago is one of us, spending his lockdown time with his kids and girlfriend when he’s not riding his bike through the streets of Los Angeles. Maybe he’ll run into Tobey Maguire riding his bike while he’s out there.
Seal Beach is planning to reopen a section of the San Gabriel River Bike Trail through the Orange County city in the coming days, though the exact timing isn’t clear.
Encinitas considers lowering speed limits on the coast highway to improve safety for bike riders, while trying to accommodate all kinds of bicyclists.
Sad news, as longtime Riverside civic advocate and volunteer high school mountain bike coach Bob Stockton was killed when he was struck by a van driver while jogging last week. Thanks to David Huntsman for the heads-up.
An Isla Vista bike rider was seriously injured when he allegedly rode out of a driveway in front of an oncoming car.
Lompoc wants your input on the city’s proposed Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan.
Bad news from Bakersfield, where a bike rider suffered major injuries when he or she was run down by the driver of a gardening truck, who fled the scene.
The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is looking for volunteers to help distribute seedlings throughout the area. Thanks to Robert Leone for the tip.
Berkeley is going beyond Slow Streets by closing major streets entirely to provide physically distant restaurant seating.
As LA’s Slow Streets gets off to a slow start, San Francisco is preparing to expand its program to 13 new corridors.
Phillip Young forwards news of the most dangerous cities in the US for bike riders. For once, we can be glad Los Angeles didn’t make the list; San Bernardino, not so much.
The Atlantic warns about the dangers of a backlash against walkable, bikeable cities in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
NPR catches up to the coronavirus bike boom, noting bike sales are up 50% over last year; Canada is running out of bicycles, too.
A new study shows that bike commuting really does increase after bikeshare rolls into town.
The Bike League wants your help to design and build a better bike lane barrier.
Bicycling rates the ten best women’s mountain bikes.
Portland cops bust a homeless camp bike chop shop, recovering at least 15 hot bikes, including a Cannondale worth four grand as well as various bike parts and power tools.
Still no trace of the Colorado woman who reportedly disappeared on a Mother’s Day bike ride; her family is offering a $200,000 reward for her return, with no questions asked. Police say they haven’t ruled out foul play.
Well if that’s all it takes. A pair of Texas priests rode through the Rio Grande Valley to pray for rain — and the next day it poured. Then again, I used to have a gift for bringing rain when I rode, too, despite praying it would hold off until I got home.
No bias here. A New York TV station questions whether all those new temporary bike lanes are really needed, because bikeshare use is down during the coronavirus pandemic. Never mind that many people are far more comfortable riding their own bikes, rather than a shared bike, right now.
No surprise here, as New York’s popular Five Boro Bike Tour was cancelled for this year, just three days before it was scheduled to be run.
The Cherokee Nation has cancelled the annual Remember the Removal Bike Ride tracing the route of the infamous Trail of Tears through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma; the nine young riders chosen for this year’s tour will have a chance to ride next year, instead.
A group of Savannah, Georgia bike riders are creating their own self-guided tour of the city’s historic neighborhoods, writing their guide in sidewalk chalk.
The Guardian’s Peter Walker says ebikes could be the answer to our post-lockdown commuter problems, while the Christian Science Monitor says the world’s two-wheeled future is so bright it has to wear…well, you get it.
T3 argues that you can get a really good road bike for less than the equivalent of $1,200.
Bike Radar offers a guide to developing an effective cadence.
Does it really count as the World Naked Bike Ride if you’re just riding naked on your indoor trainer?
A Vancouver Island man was lucky to get his bike back after it was recovered in a police raid, three years after he reported it stolen. Which is exactly why you need to register your bike now, and report it to the police if it ever gets stolen.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is one of us, taking to his bike with an apparent tennis racket slung across his back.
It ain’t necessarily so. A London legend tells of a woods haunted by the ghost of a boy murdered by an axeman while walking or riding his bicycle in the early 1700s. Problem is, that’s about a hundred years before the first forerunner of the bicycle was invented.
A writer in London explains how she overcame her fear and started riding her bike.
Sad news from the UK, as Phil May, lead singer for the British ’60s R&B/psychedelic rock band Pretty Things, died following surgery for a broken hip suffered when he fell off his bike.
Up to five million Brits are expected to bike to work following the coronavirus crisis, a significant chunk of the country’s 32 million residents.
Chef Gordon Ramsey continues to demonstrate how to win friends and influence people, telling his Welsh neighbors not to get their knickers in a twist as he settles for riding indoors this time, after flaunting his lockdown-breaking bike rides the last few weeks.
Chris Boardman says the UK has a chance to change the country’s transportation forever.
Red Bull recommends nine French climbs that will chew you up and spit you out, while giving you a sense of accomplishment — if you actually make the summit.
A woman from the UK says she learned to live in the moment while riding along the Rhine and Danube rivers to Istanbul, “turning the pedals and waiting for the world to unfold.”
Sad news from India, where an American expat working in Hyderabad, India was killed in a mountain biking fall.
A migrant worker in India stole a bicycle to make the 150-mile journey home. But he left a very nice note saying he had to take it to get back to his special needs son.
An Afghan man is riding his bike door-to-door through Nangarhar province to spread awareness of Covid-19.
We take a lot of things for granted in this country — like an ambulance will be there when we need it. Residents of a remote Ugandan village were excited to receive a modified bicycle ambulance to transport expectant mothers and sick patients to medical care when an ambulance isn’t available.
South African bicyclists are urged to wear masks when they ride. Los Angeles bike riders are required to wear masks under the latest rules, while riders in LA County are only required to wear masks when others are around.
A reporter is riding his bike across Japan to see firsthand the effects of Covid-19 in the island nation.
That didn’t take long. Just four days after LA’s Phil Gaimon shattered the world record for Everesting, US cross-country mountain bike champion Keegan Swenson shaved 12 minutes off Gaimon’s record.
On the other hand, Everesting on a fixie, not so much.
Seriously, don’t use WD40 to lube your chain. If your city won’t paint bike lanes, just do it yourself. Your next bike lock could double as a light — or part of your frame.
And your new cargo bike is waiting. If you can outbid Zach.
No one dare outbid me!!! @bikinginlahttps://t.co/M9BaQcKQtv pic.twitter.com/tvfTQycsWW
— Zachary Rynew (@Ciclavalley) May 16, 2020
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
Note: No Morning Links today, following an extended internet outage last night.
As usual, we’ll be back next week to catch up on anything we missed.
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Once again, a SoCal bike rider has lost his life, despite the lighter traffic caused by the coronavirus crisis.
But sadly, light traffic does nothing to stop an intoxicated driver.
According to multiple sources, the victim was riding on west on Paradise Valley Road west of Munda Road in San Diego’s Alta Vista neighborhood, when he was rear-ended by an alleged drunk driver shortly before 9:15 Wednesday night.
The victim, identified only as a 52-year old man, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Twenty-eight-year old driver James L. Bumpus was arrested at the scene on suspicion of felony DUI.
There’s no word on whether the victim had lights to reflectors on his bike, or if there was anything other than Bumpus’ alleged drunken state that would have kept him from avoiding the victim’s bike.
A street view shows a four lane boulevard with no shoulder, where drivers could easily exceed the 40 mph speed limit.
This is at least the 20th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in San Diego County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
Finally.
Los Angeles County has given a long-overdue blessing to the concept of Slow Streets.
And LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has suggested the city may give them a try.
According to a story from Time Out,
On Wednesday, the county announced that as part of an update to its “safer at home” order, it would allow cities to close off streets to car traffic and temporarily turn them into pedestrian-only areas.
“Local public entities may, if they want to, temporarily close certain streets or areas to automobile traffic and this would allow for increased space for persons to engage in recreational activity that’s permitted by the health officer orders,” said Department of Public Health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer in her daily briefing.
Slow Streets, a term that was virtually unheard of before the concept spread rapidly across a world afflicted by Covid-19 and the resulting lockdowns, are fully or partially closed to motor vehicles to allow people to get outside for a little fresh air and exercise, while providing enough space to allow for social distancing.
Without having to worry about getting run down by a speeding, distracted driver. Or having to leave their own neighborhood.
But as usual, LA appears to be wrapping the concept in needless red tape.
Instead of simply choosing several streets to close down across the city, as countless other cities have done, Los Angeles will make residents apply if they want one near them.
https://twitter.com/laura_nelson/status/1260735078168064000
Which may or may not be approved, depending on whatever criteria will be used to vet the request.
Most likely, though, it will depend on whether the local councilmember wants them, in a city where they are virtual kings and queens in their own districts, with the power to bless or kill any street proposal.
So we may be able to get out for a little air soon. But I wouldn’t hold your breath just yet.
As usual, though, this comes because bike and pedestrian advocates fought for it.
I’m blown away… @streetsforall started working on slow streets for LA 8 weeks ago. About 4 weeks ago we assembled an awesome coalition and sent an open letter to the city. About 3 weeks ago we started getting some press. About 2 weeks ago this almost happened. And now it’s here! https://t.co/ow5Ei87nsK
— Michael Schneider (@schneider) May 14, 2020
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You’re now going to have to wear a face mask anytime you go outside in the City of Angels.
Although whether that would apply if you’re riding your bike, and not around other people, remains to be explained.
But just like deciding to ride without a helmet, you can expect to be harassed and publicly shamed by self-appointed safety vigilantes if you’re not wearing one.
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YouTube stars and influencers Marcus and Kristin Johns were both injured by a hit-and-run driver, who they say swerved directly at them in an intentional attempt to run them down as they were riding their bikes.
The driver was apparently fleeing from police following a burglary.
Neither one suffered major injuries, though they were both hospitalized. Unfortunately, however, they don’t give any date or location for the crash.
But it could explain why this story about Monday’s Toluca hit-and-run has unexpectedly blown up, with over 10,000 page views in the last two days.
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ESPN has released the trailer for their upcoming documentary about Lance Armstrong, titled simply Lance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUsakV8RzZo
Which reminds me of this old classic.
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A pair of “respected” retired woman are suspected of sabotaging a British bike trail by building traps using rocks and branches to stop unsuspecting bike riders.
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Streetsblog’s Joe Linton says there are new bike lanes on two sections of York Blvd in NELA, with a two-block gap on a narrow section in between.
Streetsblog looks at the opening of the Rose Bowl loop to people, not cars. Meanwhile, a Pasadena writer suggests repurposing Old Town’s Colorado Blvd for outdoor dining.
Watchmen actress Malin Akerman celebrated her birthday with an unmasked ride with friends and family through the streets of Venice.
Final Destination star Ali Larter is one of us, riding through Pacific Palisades with her five-year old daughter.
Shia LaBeouf is one of us, too, riding with his with wife in Pasadena, with the family dog in tow.
San Diego is trying to pump new life into May’s moribund Bike Month by encouraging people to try bike commuting. There may never be a better time to give it a shot, with motor vehicle use at a historic low.
He gets it. Writing for a Yucaipa paper, a veteran bike cop says the far to the right law is widely misunderstood, and you’re not expected to be a gutter bunny. Although he may not have used that exact term. But still.
An allegedly intoxicated Fresno teenager hit the trifecta, crashing into a parked car, a bike rider and an apartment complex while fleeing from police; no word on the rider’s condition.
Vallejo’s annual tongue-in-cheek Obtanium Cup bike festival has been cancelled.
Time to start hoarding bicycles. The Guardian says bike usage is soaring across the US, while Bike says we’re running out of bikes, and it’s not just due to the coronavirus.
Lifehacker offers tips on learning to ride a bicycle, even if you’re an adult. Although once you actually get on a bike, you won’t feel like one.
The Verge says something better may emerge from the ashes of the scooter-sharing industry, which has ground to a halt over coronavirus fears.
A pair of Seattle bike cops are suing the city, alleging they were injured due to poorly maintained bicycles.
Los Angeles isn’t the only city enjoying cleaner air during the coronavirus lockdown. Denver is getting long-overdue relief from the city’s notorious brown cloud.
Evidently, that flawed study that incorrectly asserted that bike helmets reduce head injuries up to 85% will never die, rearing its head once again in an editorial from a Kansas paper. More accurate studies suggest helmets can reduce the risk of head injury 48%, and serious head injury 60%.
An Illinois letter writer complains that bike riders are discriminated against at drive-up windows. Just another example of windshield bias and the hegemony of motor vehicles.
Boston is considering four options to allow residents to get outside while maintaining social distancing, including Slow Streets and pop-up bike lanes.
New York is opening another 12 miles of Slow Streets now to allow for social distancing outside, along with another nine miles of protected bike lanes later this month.
An Alabama man was killed by his neighbor in a shooting that began with a dispute over the victim’s son, who was riding his bike down the street with a slingshot.
That’s more like it. A Florida city is building a new visitor’s center to attract people on bicycles.
The World Economic Forum suggests the Covid-19 pandemic could usher in a golden age of bicycling.
Cycling News looks at how ebikes are powering a worldwide revolution in post-lockdown transportation.
Road.cc lists their picks for the best road bikes priced from roughly $1,222 to $1,833. Which makes a lot more sense when you consider that translates to a nice, round £1,000 to £1,500 in the UK.
London’s historic Square Mile financial district will block some streets to motor vehicles as the city comes back to life, encouraging people to walk and ride bikes instead of driving.
The Standard says this is a chance for a more bike-friendly London.
A suspected British bike thief experiences instant karma, falling off the bike into a patch of nettles and breaking his ankle as he tried to make his escape.
The Sea Otter Classic is pulling the plug on the inaugural Australian edition of the annual Monterey bike fest.
Covid-19 claims another major event with the cancellation of Colorado’s iconic Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race.
If Oregon gives the okay to resume bike racing, it will be up to promoters to prove the race is safe from the coronavirus.
Cycling News looks back at the first American to ride in the Giro d’Italia, nearly 50 years before the first American team made its debut.
When protesters try to disrupt your bike shop opening, just give them a deal. Your next ebike could be a balloon that fits in a backpack. No, really.
And this is what happens when someone who’s apparently never ridden a bike tries to design facilities for them.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
He did it.
LA-based former pro cyclist Phil Gaimon set a new world record for Everesting, riding the height of Mount Everest in less than eight hours.
Riding on LA’s steep Mountaingate Drive, Gaimon climbed a total of 29,029 feet in a time of 7:52:12, shaving 33 minutes off the previous record.
It took him over 60 laps, and nearly 100 miles of riding distance to do it.
Not to mention finishing with a little vomit in his beard. Which is a detail I’m sure none of us really needed.
Gaimon explains below he he picked the road for his record setting attempt.
Meanwhile, the LA Times reveals this isn’t the first time that road has been the scene of a hillclimb. Even if you do have to go back 35 years.
Photo by Raniery Costa Pelissari from Pexels.
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CD4 Councilmember David Ryu must be feeling the heat as he runs for reelection in a tight race with challenger Nithya Raman.
Or else he’s had a sudden change of heart after four years of fighting road diets, bike lanes and any other kind of mobility improvements in the district.
We don’t have to live like this. We don’t have to choke our city with pollution. We definitely don’t all need to commute to an office each day.
I have spent years getting our City moving in a more sustainable and healthy way – it’s time to rethink how we move altogether.
— David E. Ryu (@davideryu) May 12, 2020
Personally, I’d bet on the former.
But either way, it’s good to see him finally come around.
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There’s a special place in hell for the three people who stole a custom-made adaptive bike from a 15-year old Sherman Oaks boy with Down syndrome.
The Los Angeles Police Department is hoping the public can help find a stolen tricycle that belongs to a Sherman Oaks teen with special needs https://t.co/YzZLi6HU2K
— KCAL News (@kcalnews) May 13, 2020
Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.
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Mountain biker Ben Travis takes full advantage of his one outing allowed under the UK’s coronavirus lockdown, with some pretty cool stunts on the empty streets, plazas and freight yards of his Scottish hometown.
Unless you’d rather watch Belgian mountain biker Thomas Genon prove that bikes can fly.
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Moses Sumney goes for a relaxing bike ride on his latest video.
With no hands, even.
Usher says hold my beer, not only riding through Los Feliz with no hands, while holding his not-so-little dog.
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A Reddit user posted video of a jerk in a pickup rolling coal, forcing them to ride through a thick fog of black exhaust; no word on where that happened, unfortunately. Thanks to Michael for the tip.
Or in this case, a kid, as Alabama police tracked down bike-riding boy in connection with a series of arson fires.
And a Washington man is behind bars after allegedly using a meat cleaver to rob people while riding his bike.
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You still can’t ride a bike at the beach in LA County, but as of today, you can ride your bike on a closed-to-cars Rose Bowl Loop in Pasadena; social distancing required, with masks in parking lots and high density areas, and no group rides allowed.
Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson is one of us, riding through Los Angeles with his longtime girlfriend.
For fans of The Bachelor, Peter Weber and Kelley Flanagan went for a casual tandem ride through the streets of LA. For the rest of us, carry on.
There won’t be any Bike to Work Day in San Diego this Thursday, after the San Diego Association of Governments, aka SANDAG, cancelled this year’s event due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Never mind that there are hardly any jobs left to bike to these days, anyway.
San Diego is taking advantage of the light traffic by repaving a three-mile section of North Harbor Drive leading to the airport, including new buffered bike lanes.
A San Raphael homeowner collared the thief who tried to steal a bike from his garage, chasing him down and holding him in a headlock until police arrived.
The Humboldt County Planning Commission approved a $1.5 million, Class 1 multi-use path paralleling State Route 255 through the tiny town of Manila, answering a decades-long call to improve safety for people on bicycles.
The New York Times says the coronavirus crisis presents a unique opportunity to reimagine our cities, creating more and better public spaces to weather this pandemic and provide greater opportunity for decades to come. Scroll slowly through the initial graphic for the full effect.
WaPo says the coronavirus isn’t the only crisis America faces right now, as speeding drivers have taken over the country’s empty roadways. Thanks to Misha Dworsky for the link.
Nice piece from Cycling Tips, as a father discovers that life rolls on even now, when his young daughter learns to ride a bike for the first time.
A new study shows distracted pedestrians aren’t the problem drivers think they are. But distracted drivers are.
Specialized has released a new transport ebike they promise is 40% lighter than traditional ebikes.
Lifehacker offers tips on how to tune your bike, while the Chicago Tribune recommends their favorite road tires.
A writer for Chicago Streetsblog says the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery illustrates the problem with calling for open streets, because they aren’t always safe for people of color, even without cars on them.
A Chicago woman pens an open letter to the hit-and-run scumbag driver who ran down her bike and left her sprawled in the street.
An Illinois town shelves plans to require helmets for bike riders, skateboarders and skaters, saying it’s not the right time because of the pandemic. It’s never the right time, because helmet laws have been repeatedly shown to depress bicycling rates, rather than improving safety.
A St. Paul MN writer maps the top gaps in the city’s bikeway network. You couldn’t do the same thing here in Los Angeles, because what passes for our nominal network is more gaps than bikeways.
Nice move from the maker of Minnesota’s Honeycomb cereal, which is donating 600 bicycles to tweens and teens in foster care.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for that new ebike from General Motors; the Detroit automaker pulled the plug after a trial European release last year.
A Mexican bikemaker is in hot water after attempting to skirt the country’s lockdown rules by hiding over 350 employees at its Mexico City factory.
The Guardian calls for more space on the roads for pedestrians and people on bicycles, saying we need room to move around safely, not a culture war.
Road.cc picks the year’s best touring bikes, starting at the equivalent of under $700.
York, England wants to become the UK’s first zero-emissions city center, with only bikes and electric vehicles allowed.
It takes a real pair of jerks to refuse to get out of the way of a little girl riding her bike on a British trail — then swear and kick her bike after she falls off.
Paris is installing 31 miles of bike lanes in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus on public transit. Meanwhile, a New York writer begs bike-friendly Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to come be his mayor instead of the current occupant of Gotham’s city hall. Maybe she could come take over for LA’s ostensible climate mayor, instead.
French bike part maker Mavic is struggling under France’s version of bankruptcy.
Germany sees a big jump in ebike sales after the country’s bike shops are allowed to reopen.
Voice of America reports on Rome’s efforts to build more bike lanes to steer residents away from transit during the pandemic.
Italy will pay 70% of the cost of a new bicycle or e-scooter during the coronavirus crisis, up to the equivalent of $540.
The former elections commissioner of the Philippines says it’s time to promote a cycling culture in the country to improve public health during the coronavirus crisis.
Evidently, your bike shorts are going to be trendy for awhile.
And it’s scary as hell when I agree with LA’s conservative shock jocks for the first time.
This must be what the Upside Down feels like.
You can go to the beach in #LA, but can’t #bike or park in public lots? People crossing #PCH is more dangerous. Then you can hike and not bike? Pick up only at stores? None of this makes sense. Where’s the science? We want to hear from you. #covid19 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/0VYUzbeOvr
— The John Kobylt Show (@JohnKobyltRadio) May 12, 2020
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
This is why we keep calling for closing streets to cars and opening safe Slow Streets.
And what happens when that doesn’t happen.
As Los Angeles enters its third month of the coronavirus shutdown, more people than ever are taking to the streets while leaving their cars behind.
People all across the city are walking and riding their bikes to get exercise and fresh air while maintaining social and physical distancing, often walking out into the street to avoid others on the sidewalk.
Unfortunately, though, the streets are just as dangerous as ever, as fewer cars on the road entice too many drivers to plant their right foot to the floor.
Case in point, two Toluca Lake pedestrians and a bike rider — or maybe the other way around — were injured when a speeding driver plowed into them around 8 pm yesterday, then fled the scene after stopping briefly.
An LAPD officer gave chase after spotting the driver speeding off, but lost him a short time later; police are looking for a silver Ford Fusion with Texas plates, last seen in the Universal Studios area.
Fortunately, at last report, none of the victims were seriously injured.
But it’s bad enough that Angelenos have to change our entire lives to keep ourselves and others safe from Covid-19 through social distancing.
We shouldn’t have to risk our lives just to get a little exercise and fresh air while doing it.
It’s long past time for LA’s city leaders to give us a little space to safely get outside — in every neighborhood.
Not at some vague, undisclosed time in a future that may never come, like most promises we’ve gotten in recent years.
But right now, when we need it most.
Because something like this will happen again. And we may not be so lucky next time.
Within two blocks of my house, our streets bring the community together with our nightly concerts. Nearby, people mourn the crash from the night before. You never escape the thought, What if the two converge? @StreetsblogLA @LosAngelesWalks pic.twitter.com/UbXC0H12AL
— Zachary Rynew (@Ciclavalley) May 12, 2020
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Speaking of CiclaValley’s Zachary Rynew, he’s going downhill these days. And recording it during a high speed five-mile descent on a closed Glendora Mountain Road.
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Here’s your chance to ride with South LA’s own former US crit champ Rahsaan Bahati. As long as you don’t, you know, actually want to go anywhere.
This week, Rahsaan Bahati is joining the VeloNews Group Ride on Zwift at Wednesday at 8:30am PT / 11:30am ET. If you’re on Zwift, it’s free to join and you can come chat with Bahati.https://t.co/CuFgPOJFve
— Velo (@velovelovelo__) May 11, 2020
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Sunset for All is continuing their Bikes Mean Business campaign to show Sunset Blvd businesses just what they’re missing to gain support for protected bike lanes.
And lucky for us, this week’s pick is one of LA’s rare Chicago-style pizza joints.
This Wednesday, #bikesmeanbusiness for Masa Echo Park! Join us in ordering takeout or delivery and mention @SunsetForAll in your order! pic.twitter.com/61vCtns9tH
— Sunset4All (@SunsetForAll) May 12, 2020
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Mountain bike pro Christina Chappetta offers advice on how to ride safely during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Singletrack gathers “20 world champs, skills coaches and veteran amateurs” to teach you how to corner on a mountain bike.
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LA County will reopen beaches for active uses on Wednesday, but the beachfront bike path will remain closed.
No news is good news, right?
A writer for Jalopnik discovers you can bend the chainstays on a metal frame bike. But it doesn’t necessarily do any good.
Lime’s purchase of Uber’s Jump dockless ebikes and scooters makes it the world’s largest micromobility company. But it could be short-lived, as Uber has an option to buy Lime in two years.
Someone spray painted a Portland bike path, telling users to wear a mask or stay home. But they also drew a cute little heart, so there’s that.
Authorities are looking for a 49-year old Colorado woman who never came home after going out for a bike ride.
Some Texas drivers aren’t fans of the extra bike riders out on the streets.
Bike trails could spur economic development in Southeast Michigan. And pretty much everywhere else.
There’s must be something good in the water in Massachusetts, where a kindhearted state trooper bought a new bike for a little girl after hers was stolen, complete with handlebar basket and training wheels. And a group of bighearted firefighters bought one for a five-year old girl after they had to damage her bike to free her ankle when it got stuck in the frame.
A Maryland TV station looks back at the first hour record, set in 1893. And no, it only seems like we’ve all been quarantined ever since.
The coronavirus bike boom could be saving a Florida bike shop, after the owner was forced to shut down everything but the store’s online sales.
A Florida writer asks who needs a boat to go fishing when you’ve got a bike?
Shimano wants to bring the equivalent of a check engine light to your bicycle.
Pez Cycling News offers a cyclist’s guide to surviving the Covid-19 quarantine.
Bike Radar examines the eternal question of how many calories do you burn on your bike? And concludes, it depends.
Treehugger’s Lloyd Alter says the actions cities take now will determine whether bikes or cars dominate the streets after the coronavirus crisis. At this point, it’s pretty clear which way Los Angeles is going, and why.
A Canadian man’s plan to bike across the country is back on after mounties recovered his bicycle eight months after it was stolen. Which is one more reminder to register your bike, and always report it to the police if it ever gets stolen, if you want any chance of getting it back.
Once again, a young bike rider has been impaled by his handlebars. A 17-year old British boy was lucky to survive after his brother put pressure on the wound when his leg was impaled when he fell off his BMX. It’s long past time bikemakers were forced to redesign handgrips to keep this from happening.
The Guardian asks if the coronavirus could cure Brussels, Belgium’s addiction to driving.
Melbourne, Australia is preparing to remove streetside parking spaces to make room for bike lanes, as residents chose bikes over transit during the coronavirus crisis.
Perth considers more bike lanes and wider sidewalks to reduce congestion on the city’s bike paths.
Dutch Olympic road champ Anna van der Breggen announced she’ll retire after next year.
Former pro Phil Gaimon spent yesterday attempting to set a new world record for Everesting by riding up LA’s Mountaingate Drive over 60 times, to raise funds for No Kid Hungry.
Now you, too, can own the steampunk ebike from Westworld, if you have an extra ten to thirteen grand lying around. Look like you just stepped off a turn of the century pro team.
And when you’re with a group, it’s a naked bike ride.
Alone, they usually call it indecent exposure.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
