Archive for Bicycle Safety

Seriously, don’t be a two-wheeled Jerry Browning jerk, and your Morning Links

March 13, 2014 / / 5 comments

It’s bad enough when drivers pass far to close.

It’s another thing entirely when the danger comes from being buzzed by other bike riders who really should know better. Especially when there’s no damn reason for it.

In the first case captured in the above video, a rider blew by with no warning whatsoever, apparently  because he couldn’t be bothered to squeeze his brakes long enough to announce his presence and make a safe pass. Had I moved more than a few inches off my line — which would have happened as soon as I thought it was safe to pass the rider ahead — we would have collided.

And probably ended up beneath the cars to our left.

The second rider evidently felt the need to risk my safety by remaining firmly inside the frequently ignored solid yellow no-passing line, brushing by as close as humanly possible without making actual physical contact.

If I had even turned my head to look behind me, she would have hit me. She must have recognized my obvious skill and was confident in my ability to hold my line.

Right.

So let’s get this straight.

What passes in the peloton doesn’t play on the street. Or the bike path, for that matter, which tends to be over populated with the least skilled riders and pedestrians,.

If you’re going pass another human being — on a bike or otherwise — give them at least an arms-length passing distance, if not the full three feet you’d expect from a motorist.

If for any reason you can’t give sufficient passing distance or if there’s any danger of conflict, call if out before you pass. A simple “On your left” can avoid most problems, and is often, though not always, greeted with a thank you and a move to the right.

Which is exactly what I would have done if the woman on the bike path had just announced her damn presence.

And if the guy on the street had yelled it out before blowing by, at least I would have known not to move left, which I was about to do.

While I’m no fan of bike bells, even that helps by offering a friendly announcement that you’re there, if not where you’re going.

And lets everyone know an angel just got it’s wings.

Always pass on the left whenever possible, and never undercut a rider by passing in the door zone he or she is carefully avoiding. If a car door happens to swing open, it could knock you into them, and you could both end up under passing traffic.

Or better yet, just treat other riders the same way you want drivers to treat you. And simply don’t pass until it’s safe to do so.

Better to lose a few seconds off your Strava time than spend a few hours in the ER.

Or force someone else to.

Update: In the comments below, Chuck questioned whether the first rider was really as close as he seemed, noting he passed the rider in front of me at over an arms length.

While he goes by far too fast in the video to tell just how close he is, this still should give a better idea. Clearly, not as close as the near-shoulder brushing rider on the bike path, but still too close for safety, let alone comfort.

Especially at that speed.

Way too close for comfort.

Way too close for comfort.

………

Nice.

Some walking — or in this case, rolling — human scum used sleeping homeless people as props for BMX stunts in Downtown’s Skid Row.

I don’t care how much of a self-absorbed jackass you may be, show some respect for other human beings. Especially those less fortunate than you.

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Abbott Kinney gets a pair of surprise bike corrals; LADOT Bike Blog offers full details on the design and construction, while Streetsblog says the city is taking applications for more. I expect rioting from parking-challenged Venice motorists over the loss of two spaces.

Even so, Flying Pigeon suffers from infrastructure envy.

Meanwhile, the needlessly embattled MyFigueroa project is gaining key support from neighborhood councils, and is due back before the city council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee any day. Hopefully, we’ll get some advance notice of the hearing so supporters can actually show up.

At least one candidate for Glendale city council supports bicycling.

Bike Long Beach invites you to join them for a low-speed Sunday morning bike ride to remember city leader and bike advocate Mark Bixby, killed in a plane crash three years ago Sunday. A more permanent memorial to Bixby is the city he helped transform, where a downtown cycle track has boosted bicycling 33% while reducing bike-involved collisions 80%.

Outgoing County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky looks at Metro’s Bicycle Roundtable; has it really been four years since so many cyclists showed up for the first one?

If you need inspiration, you’ll find it here, as the Orange County Register talks to a recumbent-riding Wounded Warrior who’s not letting cancer kick her ass. Thanks to the Register for sharing this one.

Riverside’s long-debated Brockton Ave road diet and bike lanes finally gets a final approval.

Five-foot wide bike lanes are coming to Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas, while green bike lanes are coming to a deadly intersection in Goleta.

More evidence that Caltrans is hopelessly locked in the auto-centric past as they propose widening Highway 1 to six lanes in Pacifica to possibly save 5 minutes drive time 20 years from now. But at least they did include bike-friendly 10-foot wide shoulders in the plan.

Does San Francisco’s MTA spend more on Post Its than bike projects?

More on the unanimous committee approval of AB 1532, which would suspend licenses and create minimum sentences for any hit-and-run.

Two Utah bike commuters were killed by a driver who apparently didn’t see them. No one will ever be safe on our roads until that’s an admission of guilt instead of a Get Out of Jail Free card.

An off-duty Chicago cop who drove away after hitting a cyclist gets one whole year probation and 30 days community service.

New York firefighters will ride 18-days from Ground Zero to the Navy Seal Museum in Florida, towing an I-beam from the World Trade Center.

Very cool bike murals from Buenos Aires. I wonder if I could fit an entire wall in my carry on? Then again, I have not idea how I’d get to Argentina to begin with.

An Ontario Canada triathlete gets $75,000 restitution for taking a beating from a road raging driver, yet, as usual, no jail time for his attacker.

Lots of people swear at cyclists, but this guy may have been going for the record as a road raging Brit driver is caught on video swearing at a cyclist 25 times in just 35 seconds.

Finally, stealing a bike is nothing unusual. Stealing a penny-farthing for a drunken Christmas Day ride home, on the other hand, is.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Cam Video, Morning Links, Roadway Courtesy / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning links: More ghost bikes needed, watch out for drowsy drivers and a call for historical women on bikes

March 9, 2014 / / One comment

This was not a good weekend for SoCal cyclists, with four riders losing their lives in three separate collisions.

If you don’t want the details — and trust me, I understand if you don’t — stop reading at the end of this post. The only thing you’ll miss from over the weekend is the weekly listing of events, which you can find on the Events page above.

……….

On a related note, the unusually and unacceptably high rate of bicycling fatalities in Los Angeles County this year has depleted the stock of bikes available for ghost bikes.

If, like me, you support the ghost bike movement to remember fallen cyclists, and unlike me, you have an unneeded bike that can be turned into a moving memorial and a warning for all to ride and drive safely, email Danny Gamboa at danny@zkofilms.com to arrange a donation.

And if you question just how moving a two-wheeled memorial can be, you’ll find the answer here.

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The first workday after clocks are turned forward or back reportedly show a big jump in traffic collisions, as sleepy drivers struggle to adjust their internal clocks to the new reality.

So take fair warning, and ride extra defensively today.

It couldn’t hurt, right?

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A good friend of mine will be leading a Women’s History Ride on Saturday, March 22nd starting at the Angeles-Rosedale Cemetery, start time TBD.

There’s no shortage of notable LA women on bikes in the modern era, or during the first bike boom of the early last century. However, she’s having trouble finding information on women’s cycling from the ‘50s through the ‘90s; she notes even the 1932 LA Olympics didn’t have a single woman cyclist.

If you have any knowledge of female riders from the last half of the last century, whether in the news or tales passed down through your family — or maybe even experienced first hand — leave a comment below or email the address on the About page and I’ll pass it along.

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The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy will help fund the Arroyo Seco Bike Trail in South Pasadena; thanks to Steve Messer for the heads-up..

LA bike lanes will soon be crossing the York Street bridge to connect with lanes in South Pasadena.

Glendale approves $138,000 in bicycling improvements.

A born again Wilmington rider — in the bike, not the religious sense — recalls a childhood on two wheels. And a 1900-mile Buffalo Soldier ride from 117 years ago.

Cycling in the South Bay offers a list of 10 ways to upgrade your ride. And unlike virtually every similar list I’ve ever read, this one really does make sense. All of it. For virtually every rider. So read it, already.

Not sure if this one refers to a bicycle or a motorcycle. Either way, don’t hit cars with your helmet. Just don’t.

A Bakersfield woman holds signs telling motorists to slow down after witnessing the death of an 11-year old bike rider.

A Contra Costa writer tells drivers how to make a right turn when there’s a bike around. Hint: It doesn’t involve cutting the rider off, then wondering why you got the finger.

Speaking of just don’t, a Colorado driver used coke for two days before killing a cyclist last September while on her way to court for a previous DUI arrest.

A Connecticut cop is suing the state over allegations he covered up for his drunken son in the death of a 15-year old bike rider. And blaming the victim, saying the boy appeared drunk and drifted into traffic lanes before he was killed. Schmuck.

Turns out 20 year later, a Boston writer was just two degrees of separation from the fallen rider who motivated him to always wear a helmet.

The New York Times looks at the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, a unique eight-mile bike and pedestrian trail helping to revitalize the city.

A Florida driver gets a well-deserved 13 years for the drag racing death of a cyclist. Compare that to a case closer to home, in which the driver who killed pro cyclist Jorge Alvarado while allegedly racing another car got a whopping 90 days from the San Bernardino County courts. Clearly, life is cheap in the Inland Empire — especially if you get about on two wheels.

Bike riders face a 10 times higher risk in South Carolina — and throughout the unforgiving roads of the Southern US — than in Oregon.

A BBC survey says 90% of drivers report having trouble spotting cyclists.

If you’re dealing ketamine and ecstasy, don’t sample your own products before riding your bike.

A government minister promises a cycling revolution in Northern Ireland; let’s hope it goes better than the non-cycling one in the Ukraine.

Lovely Bicycle recalls a story of the bike as an escape tool; far too many women and girls can sing a variation on the same tune. I promised myself as a young man I’d never be that guy; that’s one promise I think — and hope — I’ve kept.

Aussie riders celebrate a very colorful World Naked Bike Ride.

Finally, it turns out it’s illegal to play catch in Los Angeles. And cyclist Wes High captures an extremely close call as a driver attempt to make a left turn around a bus — without a clue what’s hidden behind it.

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A special thanks to Elizabeth Trautmann, Will Campbell, Bryan Beretta and Margaret Wehbi for your generous donations to support this site over the weekend. I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Cam Video, Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Update: Red-light running cyclist killed in Glendale collision Sunday morning

March 9, 2014 / / 16 comments

More bad news on what should have been a weekend of celebration after a last minute reprieve for the Marathon Crash Ride.

KNBC-4 is reporting that a Glendale man in his late 20s was killed after riding his bike through a red light in Glendale this morning.

According to the station, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding at the intersection of Glendale and California Avenues at 7:10 am when he allegedly rode through the light at a fast pace, and was hit by a car. He was taken to USC Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver, identified only as a woman in her 40s, remained at the scene and was not arrested.

No other details are available at this time.

As always, the question is whether there were any independent witnesses, other than the driver, who saw him run the red light. It’s too easy to blame the victim when it’s impossible for him to give his side of the story.

This is the 24rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th in Los Angeles County.

My sincere prayers and sympathy for the victim and his loved ones. 

Update: Evidently, there was another witness. According to the Glendale News Press, 

(Sgt. Tom) Lorenz said a witness at the nearby Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf saw the cyclist, headed south on Glendale Avenue, run a red light before being struck by a car headed east. “He didn’t even slow down,” he said, adding the driver of the car, a woman in her 40s, has been cleared of any fault.

Thanks to Rogelio Yanez for the link.

Update 2: the Glendale News-Press has identified the victim as 25-year old Melik Khanamiryan, presumably of Glendale. Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the link.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Two people killed while walking their bikes in Norwalk; 10th LA County bike deaths this year

March 9, 2014 / / 16 comments

It’s bad enough when one cyclist is killed.

When two bike riders lose their lives in a midnight collision, without even being on their bikes at the time, I don’t even know what to say.

Except to let the facts speak for themselves.

According to the Whittier Daily News, a man and a woman were killed in a single collision in Norwalk early Saturday morning.

The paper reports they were walking their bikes across Rosecrans Avenue at Fidel Avenue at 12:02 am when they were struck by an eastbound Ford F-150 pickup truck, which then veered to the side, striking at least three parked vehicles.

No identification or other information about the victims are available at this time.

The driver, who was uninjured, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, He did not appear to be intoxicated, and was not taken into custody at the scene.

No word on whether the victims were in a crosswalk, marked or not, when they were struck. A satellite view shows a zebra crosswalk on the west side of the intersection, but none on the east.

If they were in the crosswalk, they were doing exactly what most law enforcement agencies recommend by walking in the crosswalk, rather than riding.

The question is why the driver didn’t appear to see two people walking bikes directly in front of him. And how fast he had to be going to take two lives with a single impact.

These are the 22nd and 23rd bike-related fatalities in Southern California this year, and the 9th and 10th in Los Angeles County, compared to just four this time last year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for both victims and their families.

Update: Now it makes a little more sense, while seeming even more needless and tragic. Chris K, who lives in the area, writes to say that the crosswalk seen in the satellite photo has long been a popular crossing for people in the neighborhood to the south to get to the businesses, church and school on the north side of the street. He notes that there has even been a crossing guard there in the mornings.

Unfortunately, when the street was resurfaced recently, the crosswalk was removed, and the crossing guard was shifted the equivalent of three blocks west to the traffic light at Shoemaker Ave.

Chris notes that despite the removal, people continue to cross at that intersection just as they always have, sometimes stepping out in front of oncoming traffic expecting traffic to stop as if it was a marked crosswalk.

It should be noted that under California law, there is a crosswalk at every intersection, marked or not. The only exception is if there is signage prohibiting crossing, which doesn’t seem to be the case here. 

Now two people are dead, apparently because local traffic planners ignored historic pedestrian patterns and removed a marked crosswalk, despite the need for residents to cross the street.

Two more victims to a world where motor vehicles are valued more than people. 

Update 2: Chris K adds that the florescent yellow signage pointing to the crosswalk remains in place, even though the crosswalk itself is gone, creating a confusing situation. 

Update 3: KABC-7 has identified the victims as 23-year old Giovanni Xavier Chaidez and 20 year-old Rosibel Montoya, no hometown given. According to a live report on the station Sunday night, the driver is not expected to be charged. 

Maybe someone can explain that one to me someday. Because unless the victims somehow leapt out into the roadway without warning, the driver should have been able to see them and stop in time.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Update: 70-year old Whittier bike rider succumbs to his injuries

March 7, 2014 / / 13 comments
Collision scene suggests Ornelas was riding in the street, not on sidewalk; photo by Danny Gamboa.

Collision scene suggests Ornelas was riding in the street, not on sidewalk; photo by Danny Gamboa.

More bad news.

Last night we mentioned that a 70-year old Whittier bike rider suffered severe injuries in a collision yesterday afternoon, noting that early reports said the victim’s injuries weren’t considered life-threatening.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Word came today that he died of his injuries.

According to the Whittier Daily News, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding on Lambert Road just south of in Washington Blvd around 1:30 pm when he was struck by a Toyota Ridgeline and dragged several yards.

The paper reports he was was riding to work with a co-worker when he was struck. They were riding against traffic, though it’s not clear if they were riding in the street or on the sidewalk at the time of the collision.

The driver, identified only as a man in his 60s, was leaving the Home Depot parking lot and making a right turn onto Lambert when the collision occurred. He claimed to be unaware that he had struck anyone, driving several yards before stopping when he heard a grinding noise coming from under the truck.

As others have pointed out, it’s possible that he was looking left as he turned right, and may not have seen the bike riders coming from the other direction.

He was alert and stable when taken to the hospital; what happened afterwards that led to his death is unknown at this time.

Hopefully, the Daily News will update their story with more information.

I’m told a ghost bike will be installed at the site of the collision at 9 pm tonight.

This is the 21st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth already this year in Los Angeles County. It’s also third cyclist killed in Whittier since 2012.

Update: The Daily News confirms that the victim, identified as 70-year old Whittier resident Arturo Alfredo Ornelas, died at County USC Medical Center less than an hour after the collision.

Update 2: After examining the scene, Danny Gamboa reports Ornelas was dragged approximately 150 feet — half the length of a football field. 

Update 3: This morning I received the following comment from a witness to the collision. 

Having a first hand account as an eyewitness to this tragedy. One thing that wasn’t included is that the driver rolled the stop. Working next door, I see drivers run that stop all the time. If the driver had come to a complete stop – he would have seen the cyclist riding on the sidewalk. Some of the simple rules of looking both ways when making a turn were not followed. It is easy to blame the cyclist when it’s convenient.

Meanwhile, Danny Gamboa forwards this comment from another witness.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Arturo Ornelas and his loved ones.

Groove carved in pavement by dragging bike under truck; photo by Danny Gamboa.

Groove carved in pavement by dragging bike under truck; photo by Danny Gamboa.

Ghost bike for Arturo Alfredo Ornelas; photo by Danny Gamboa.

Ghost bike for Arturo Alfredo Ornelas; photo by Danny Gamboa.

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On another note, my deepest sympathy to the LAPD on the loss of an officer in a traffic collision today, and my prayers for him and his loved ones.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Update: Chula Vista bike rider killed by drunk driver in stolen car

March 3, 2014 / / 8 comments

A drunk driver. A stolen car. A dead cyclist.

A San Diego area bike rider has lost his life at the hands of a criminal apparently too drunk to control the car he stole.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, 29-year old Michael Reyes was traveling westbound on Chula Vista’s East J Street at Dennis Avenue around 4:15 pm Monday when he somehow crossed into oncoming traffic. He hit cyclist head-on before crossing over the sidewalk and crashing into a utility pole.

Reyes allegedly admitted to the police that he had been drinking, and that the silver Nissan Maxima  he was driving had been stolen earlier that afternoon. Inside the car, police found property that appeared to come from other car burglaries.

The 44-year old bike rider, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center where he died.

There was nothing the victim could have done to avoid the collision. He does not appear to have done anything to contribute in any way to his own death, other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time, sharing the same planet with a drunk on a crime spree.

If there is any justice, his killer won’t be back behind the wheel of any car, stolen or otherwise, for a very long time.

This is the 20th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first in San Diego County. This is also the fourth cyclist killed in Chula Vista since 2012.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.

Update: The victim has been identified as 44-year old Chula Vista resident David Voight. According to San Diego’s 10News, Voight was a regular bike commuter, and was just eight blocks from his home when he was killed. 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , ,

Update: Corona mountain biker found dead after being lost overnight

March 2, 2014 / / 30 comments

This is why you don’t ride off road in threatening weather.

Word broke last night that a bike rider was lost in the Cleveland National Forest above Corona; today rescuers found 34-year old Corona resident Andres Marin’s body North Main Divide Road in Orange County.

Weather Saturday’s severe storms played a role in his death was unclear, however, they delayed rescue attempts by 12 hours until conditions improved.

According to the Press-Enterprise, Marin had gone out for an 18-mile ride on the Skyline Trail above Corona, intending to return home Saturday afternoon — tragically, to celebrate his birthday.

Unfortunately, he failed to return.

The paper reports that his wife posted on Facebook that he called around 5:15 pm, saying he was injured and didn’t know where he was. She said his words sounded slurred and he seemed disoriented.

The Temecula Grapevine website says he was going to try to make it out of the mountains before dark. When he did not return, a search was initiated at 5:45 pm.

Using trail maps and cellular towers, rescuers were able to identify his probable location as the southwest side of the Skyline Trail, according to the Riverside County Sheriffs Department. Unfortunately, that could not be confirmed, and attempts to contact Marin were unsuccessful.

Bad weather kept rescuers from accessing the trail and prevented the use of helicopters. However, by 6 am Sunday, weather conditions had improved enough to allow a search to begin.

Unfortunately, Marin’s body was found around 10 am on an Orange County Section of North Main Divide Road; no cause of death was reported pending further investigation.

According to his Facebook page, Marin died just 17 days before his 14th anniversary; he leaves behind four children.

This is the 19th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 4th in Orange County already this year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers go out to Andres Marin and all his family. 

Update: As Anthony Ryan pointed out, it is also unwise to hike or bike in the backcountry alone. A riding partner can often help you get out safely or go for help if something goes wrong.

Update 2: The Press-Enterprise has updated their story to say Marin had left at 7 am Saturday on an 88-mile ride, which his wife said he had done before, rather than the 18-miler initially reported. 

In addition, she reports authorities were initially confident Marin would survive the night, despite his thin riding clothes and lack of food. Hypothermia is the suspected cause of death, likely due to being caught in the heavy rain overnight.

Update 3: The Press-Enterprise quotes Marin’s wife, Christyna Arista, as saying she was angry about the delay in rescuers going out to look for Marin. 

According to the paper, Arista and a group of volunteers set out at 3:45 am to look for him, against the advice of sheriff’s deputies. Another volunteer found Marin’s purple-hued body, still seated on his bike leaning against a hillside, with his feet on the pedals.

Sheriff’s officials explained their decision to wait based on adverse conditions.

Sheriff’s Lt. Zach Hall said ideally, the department would have sent a helicopter to follow the approximately 53-mile route that Marin, 34, had planned to follow along Skyline Trail, Main Divide Road and Indian Truck Trail.

But the steady rain that night prevented the helicopter from flying, Hall said. Rescuers also ruled out using motorized vehicles that normally would be able to navigate the dirt road because Friday’s heavy rain left the clay soil too slick. The conditions also made hiking to wherever Marin might have been dangerous.

“We could have set up ourselves for a self-rescue. I would not have sent people up there to get hurt,” Hall said.

His wife also confirms that Marin told her he had fallen; while he was found with just minor cuts and scratches, her description that he was lost and slurring his words during the call suggests a significant head injury.

The paper reports Marin had just bought the bike he died on two weeks earlier, and there was no discussion of postponing the trip — even though an employee at a local bike shop said the route, with a 4,000 foot elevation gain, would have been unridable after Friday’s storm.

Update 4: Marin’s wife, Christyna Arista, invites everyone to view her Facebook page to keep up with the latest information. And a fund has been established to contribute to the family in their hour of need.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Update: LA rider killed in solo fall earlier this month; 5th cycling fatality in Los Angeles already this year

February 26, 2014 / / 6 comments
Ghost bike for Josh "Monster" Michael; photo from Ghost Bikes-LA.

Ghost bike for Josh “Monster” Michael; photo from Ghost Bikes-LA.

Not every fallen cyclist makes the news.

Sometimes riders lose their lives, and no one even notices aside from family and friends. And we may never know we lost a brother, a sister, a friend we never knew, and now never will.

That’s what almost happened here.

A rider died earlier this month, only a few miles from where I live, on an intersection I know well. But the only hint came in a tweet from filmmaker and photographer Danny Gamboa, who posted a photo of the newly installed ghost bike.

And that’s how I learned Josh Michael, aka Monster, had died earlier this month.

The details are still sparse. What I’ve been able to gather from Facebook is that it appears Michael was riding on the weekly Night Owls ride on Tuesday, February 11th (actually the 4th), when he somehow fell at the intersection of Sunset Blvd and Crescent Heights.

Tragically, while he normally rode with a helmet, he’d forgotten it that night, but decided to ride anyway. And he was only planning to join the group for a few miles, just to say hi to his friends.

But something caused his bike to go down, hitting his head on the pavement. He passed away almost two weeks later on Sunday the 16th.

We’ll never know if he would have survived if he’d been wearing his helmet. But this type of solo fall is exactly what bike helmets are designed to protect against.

This is the 18th bicycling fatality this year, and the seventh in Los Angeles County. He’s also the fifth rider to die in the City of Angels already this year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Josh Michael and all of his loved ones.

Update: Now it makes a little more sense.

According to his friend Huey JD Steven, Michael was riding downhill on Crescent Heights towards Sunset with a group of riders around midnight on Tuesday, February 4th.

He was riding at speed, maybe a little faster than necessary, when he somehow missed the call for a right turn, bumped another rider and fell, landing on his head.

He was taken off life-support on Sunday the 16th.

As Steven put it, 

He went out loving what he did.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Your morning links: Neighborhood Council elections, and somewhat questionable bike editorials

February 25, 2014 / / 2 comments
Sometimes, what happens inside is as inspiring as the view outside.

Real bike power starts at the neighborhood council level. And too often, ends here.

It’s a lot easier to fight the power from the inside.

It’s become pretty clear in recent months that LA City Councilmembers are relying on local neighborhood councils for input on major proposed bike projects. Or maybe just political cover.

Either way, a successful Bike LA starts from the ground up. And that means electing more bike riders and supporters to their neighborhood councils.

And that’s where you come in.

The deadline to register as a candidate in some Eastside — and possibly other — races is today. Which means you’ve got to move fast.

Click here for election and registration dates in your area.

Thanks to Patrick Pascal for the heads-up.

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The LA Times Opinion pages continues its weeklong wrap-up of their RoadshareLA series, to lesser or greater effect.

Mostly lesser, today.

The first complains about the traffic backups caused by the recent road diet in the 2nd Street tunnel that gave us the city’s first protected bike lanes. But concludes maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

That was followed by a much more problematic piece that takes “self-righteous” cyclists to task, while complaining about the new three-foot passing law. And characterizes a road raging driver knocking down a cyclist as just a nudge. One thing for sure — bike riders usually only look self-righteous when viewed through a windshield.

Meanwhile, Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers some decidedly on-point criticisms, and asks for your thoughts.

And hey, welcome home, Joe.

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Here’s your morning linkage.

Burbank wants feedback on a proposed bike and pedestrian path; a meeting will be held tonight (Wednesday) to discuss it.

That Facebook campaign conducted by the Huntington Beach Police Department led to the arrest of a suspected bike thief. But the not the return of the bike, at least not yet.

Santa Ana talks bike safety just two days after a rider is killed there, which oddly isn’t mentioned in the story.

Streetsblog takes a look at a raft of bike and livable streets-related bills before the state legislature. But a bike tax may not be the best idea.

Santa Barbara discovers fixies, and oddly doesn’t declare them a scourge in a surprisingly even-handed report.

A San Francisco cyclist uses her stolen smartphone to track her stolen bike, and gets both back in just 45 minutes — thanks to a beat cop that took the theft seriously, which doesn’t always happen in real life.

Bicycling lists six up-and-coming women’s riders now that women are finally getting a well-deserved place on the world stage. After all, you can’t tell the players without a program.

Don’t try to buy a bike with the credit card you just found in the street.

New UK product results in near-instant protected bike lanes. And they’re recycled, too. The barriers, not the bike lanes.

A British columnist examines the irresponsibility of failing to promote and/or mandate the wearing of bike helmets, with prototypically dry humor.

Brit bike rider follows his phone directional app onto a busy, bike-banned freeway.

At least we only have to worry about drunk, distracted and/or aggressive drivers, as a Swedish cyclist is killed by wild boars.

Call Sochi the bike-borne Winter Olympics.

Finally, no. Just… no. And a pro cyclist is felled by a flying mattress in the Tour of Oman.

Yes, a mattress.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Car vs Bike, Morning Links /

The Times winds down their look at biking in the City of Angels, and the day’s best bike links

February 24, 2014 / / 5 comments

I love it when someone does my work for me.

Today it’s the LA Times that takes a look at the sometimes contentious relationship between bike riders and drivers, just a day after columnist Steve Lopez took a moving look at the ghost bike phenomenon.

And quoted yours truly in the process.

The Times follows up with twin videos offering a look at biking in LA from both a motorist’s and cyclist’s perspective.

They’re not exactly hard-hitting. But both step away from the angry give-and-take that too often defines the discussion. Even between cyclists.

And maybe they can start a more civil conversation about how to safely make room for everyone on the streets.

Meanwhile, they kick off the conclusion of their RoadshareLA series with a look at the state’s new mandate for complete streets.

Yet oddly, drawing no conclusion in the process.

………

Just a few other quick notes.

Huntington Beach police are using Facebook to identify a bike thief; thanks to Geri for the heads-up.

LAist may have misstated the purpose of this website, which does a lot more than just chronicle fallen riders. But they offer a haunting series of ghost bike photos, along with a brief documentary, from ghost bike builder and photographer Danny Gamboa.

A Santa Cruz writer says we can do more to protect cyclists. And we should.

If you see something, say something. The NYPD is urging residents to call 911 if they see a dangerous threat to peace and security in the city — like bicycle pizza delivery people riding on the sidewalk.

Got to be more to this story, as a Texas man is shot to death in a dispute over a bicycle. As much as I love my bike, once the guns come out they can have it.

Does anyone really buy this “Dear Abby” style story of a Toronto cyclist who repeatedly rams into right-hooking drivers — on purpose? In real life, I’d suspect that’s the sort of thing someone might try once, as the bruises and broken bones dissuade a second attempt. Let alone a third.

Good news for Virginia drivers as dooring remains perfectly legal. So get out there and slam a few bike riders in the name of freedom.

As if aggressive and careless drivers weren’t enough, now we have to worry about suicidal rabbits.

If you have more time to kill, take a couple minutes — or maybe a few hours — the check out the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain’s massive list o’ bike links.

I hadn’t ridden past the Santa Monica pier for awhile. So I was surprised to see a new bike corral has sprouted on the sand next to the bike path. Great idea.

Bike-Parking-Still

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As you may have noticed, I’m trying something a little different today.

When I first started linking to news stories about bicycling, there weren’t many stories out there. Sometimes I had to struggle to fill a single paragraph.

These days, the explosion in bicycling has resulted in an equal explosion in news stories. Which is why I end up with those massive lists of links that take nearly a full day just to write, let alone read. And why you now only see them a few times a week.

So I’ve been thinking about offering a daily list of just the best links instead, sort of like you see above. Which would mean you’d get a daily fix of bike news from around the world. Just less of it, more often.

And still have time to actually have a life once you’re done reading.

So what do you think? Would you like to see something like this every day? Or would you prefer to keep doing what we’ve been doing?

Any thoughts?

……….

Finally, a brief reminder that if you like this site, you can help support my work through a much needed and deeply appreciated personal donation, advertising or sponsorship. This is a more than full-time job, and the only income I receive these days is what comes through this site.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, General / Tags: , , , ,
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