BikinginLA

Yes, I’ve got a lot of reading for you today.

But it’s shaping up as a great day for riding. So call in sick, if it’s not too late. Or tell your boss you’ve got to go meet a client on the other side of town, and get in a quick ride before our perfect L.A. weather turns less than perfect next week.

This will still be here when you get back.

I promise.

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Big changes at LADOT; but not yet clear what it means for L.A. cyclists. LADOT’s Venice wayfinding meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 14th. Streetsblog looks at last week’s LAPD sting operation on Downtown’s green Spring Street bike lane, and interviews L.A.’s rapidly rising bike-friendly mayor. Cyclists storm the L.A Police Commission to demand more protection from hit-and-run drivers. Rick Risemberg looks at L.A.’s first pedestrian plaza and second bike corral; the 7th annual Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer hill climbing stage race will roll from the same location on Sunday, March 25th. L.A. cyclists could enjoy a new bike, pedestrian and equestrian bridge thanks to a local philanthropist; I wonder how long before the horse crowd tries to get us evicted? Here’s your chance to start Beverly Hills first bike shop with little or no money out of pocket; a perfect opportunity for a wrench with his or her own tools. Beverly Hills should consider how bikes could boost small businesses. An interview with cyclist and Hollywood composer Cody Westheimer. Police shoot a cyclist in Harbor City when he pulls a gun after stopping him for riding without a light. The road raging driver who attacked The Path Less Pedaled’s Russ Roca avoids jail after admitting he has an anger problem; well duh. Meanwhile, Russ offers a very short bike PSA.

A new bike shop opens in Redlands this weekend. A San Diego mayoral candidate has a plan to double the number of bike commuters in the city; the shocking part is, he’s a Republican. A Bakersfield driver gets a whopping 10 months in jail for the drunken hit-and-run death of a cyclist; evidently life is cheap in Kern County. Four years in jail for an underage drunk driver who killed an English tourist is San Luis Obispo county. A San Jose cop is held liable for using excessive force on a cyclist after breaking his nose and dislocating his elbow — for a headlight violation. Petaluma police seem to think the way to improve safety for cyclists is to crack down on children without helmets, at least they targeted the drivers who run them down, as well. San Francisco cyclists can now take their bikes into work with them. The World Naked Bike Ride hits Baghdad-by-the-Bay this Saturday, and shows some Kiwi skin, as well.

Number 19 on drivers’ list of complaints — cyclists who don’t let them pass; if they treat us this badly, it makes you wonder how motorists treat people who do the other 18. Biking can save cities billions in health costs. An Idaho driver is found guilty of intentionally running into two Boise bike cops. A Kansas attorney who killed a cyclist while driving drunk is disbarred. Missouri police donate an unclaimed bike to a five-year old tornado survivor. A New York cyclist sues after getting a ticket for leaving the bike lane so he could make a turn. Will driverless cars be the safety solution some people think? A Baton Rouge cyclist starts the long road to recovery following a DUI collision that took the life of his riding companion; the driver who hit him had a BAC nearly four times the legal limit. Now this is the way to encourage helmet use, as Tupelo police hand out helmets to bare headed riders. According to a witness, the Florida hit-and-run driver who crashed into two cyclists, killing one, was so drunk he could barely stand up.

A 35-year old armless cyclist could represent Cuba in the upcoming London Paralympics. A new UK study says bike helmets — even the free ones passed out by Tupelo police — are useless in major collisions. A British coroner says road layouts should be reviewed in the wake of a cyclist’s death; think that would ever happen in this county? Me neither. Singer Florence Welch keeps getting lost on bike rides; thankfully, local kids are happy to guide her home. Scotland’s Transport Minister will meet with cyclists to discuss improving road safety.  Just days after a woman who tried to stab him to death was sentenced to prison, a Scot rider is killed in a collision. A road raging driver says she only meant to scare a cyclist, not run him over like she actually did. Evidently, the US isn’t the only place killer drivers get away with it, as a repeat speeder gets a suspended sentence for killing a cyclist during a race. Colnago launches the first road bike with hydraulic disc brakes. Cyclists in a German town face a ban on drunk riding. Professional cycling prepares to split into two separate race series in 2014. An 82-year old Taiwan farmer has pedaled his wife 7.5 mile roundtrip for medical care for the last 18 years.

Finally, the inmates evidently escape the asylum and condemn the proposed Escondido master plan as UN plot that favors bikes and transit over cars; damn, they’re on to us, comrades. And if you haven’t seen it already, check out the tongue-in-cheek Motherf***ing Bike video.

It’s Monday. Or it soon will be, by the time I get this online.

Which means you can hit the ground running and get the week off to a great start. Or settle in, click a few links and put the week off for awhile.

I know which one I’d choose.

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Once again, no one arrived at the Oscars by bike. Roadblock says it’s time to end the epidemic of hit-and-runs in Los Angeles; I couldn’t agree more. KCET looks at the Arroyo Seco Bike Path. The L.A. Times suggests bicycling as an alternative to $4 gas; CNN says that’s already happening. Silver Lake gets a new, apparently Dr. Seuss-designed pedestrian plaza. Better Bike correctly calls for a traffic culture change in Beverly Hills. Now that’s what I call a bike lane. Pro tip: If you’re going to steal a bike after dark, bring lights with you so you don’t get stopped by police. Walk Eagle Rock offers a safer and saner alternative to traffic-heavy Colorado Blvd. A South Pasadena police officer plans to ride 300 miles to honor a fallen comrade. The Claremont Cyclist offers a look at the Fortune 700 Fixed-Gear Stage Race at the Rose Bowl. The Santa Clarita Valley will get 158 miles of bikeways under the county’s new bike plan. Long Beach cyclists could soon get a ciclovia of their own. You can now nominate your favorite Long Beach bike shop.

The California Bicycle Coalition and City of Los Angeles are co-sponsoring a reintroduction of the state’s proposed three-foot passing law; hopefully the governor will sign it this time. Bike Newport Beach offer their endorsements — and the opposite — for the city’s Bike Safety Committee. San Diego authorities ask for help solving the murder of cyclist Jordan Hickey; his brother calls the killer a coward. Ventura County cyclists have a new free smartphone app to map out the county’s bikeways. In yet another incredibly wrong-headed move, the anti-bike folks at Caltrans plan to place rumble strips on coastal Highway 1, one of the state’s most popular and scenic riding routes. Family members want to honor the 80th birthday of a man noted for giving away bikes by giving him 80 more to give away. Cyclelicious honors the woman behind Palo Alto’s bikeway system. Facebook has their own Menlo Park bike plan.

Sports Illustrated remembers the 7-Eleven Racing Team that lead the U.S. into the world of bike racing. The Atlantic Cities asks if bike paths really promote bike riding. In a remarkable attack on bicycling, officials in Colorado’s Larimer County propose relaxing restrictions on everything but cycling events; evidently, blocking streets by running, walking or driving is okay, but not by pedaling. Could this be the first bike musical? The Spanish rider paralyzed in a Kansas collision during the 201 Race Across America is riding again, using a hand-crank bike. The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin says riding in traffic can be scary, but if you obey the law, bicycling is safe. An Ohio woman gets 9-1/2 years for running down a judge while drunk. A former military base commander dies nine months after being injured in a bike accident. A new book looks at the history of fast bikes. Miami cyclists issue a call for safer streets for everyone. Orlando streets are getting safer for everyone except cyclists and pedestrians. Jacksonville area residents oppose a plan for sidewalks because it could keep streets from being expanded from three lanes to four; no wonder the state leads the nation in bike and pedestrian deaths.

Canadians are urged to stop resisting bike lanes and start embracing them. Canadian Mounties blame a cyclist’s death on the lack of a helmet — never mind that he ran a red light or got hit by a truck. The debate on bicycling by the UK Parliament shows that bike safety has crossed the Rubicon, while another writer says talk is cheap. A UK rider says hi-viz and helmets aren’t the solution to bike safety, they’re what you have to wear when you don’t have one. Brits are actually more likely to die on a motorcycle — or on their feet — than on a bike; improving safety means increasing investment. “You must be this old to ride a Brisbane bike share bike.”

Finally, a Georgia legislator introduced a bill to ban side-by-side riding because of concerns about bicycle traffic on the “curvy and increasingly mountainous roads in the state;” evidently, they must be becoming less mountainous, since he’s reached a compromise with cyclists.

And leading Dutch bike blogger David Hembrow says that’s it, I quit and I’m taking my blog with me.

Haven’t been able to keep up with this week’s massive amount of bike news. So here’s a hot, steaming mound of delicious bike links to see you through the weekend.

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Let’s start with today’s most popular item.

A French cyclist set a new age-group record for one hour cycling. No big deal, except it came 86 years after he lied about his age to enter his first cycling event — at the tender age of 14.

That makes Robert Marchand 100 years old when he rode 15.1 miles in 60 minutes on a track in Aigle, Switzerland recently.

As Velonews points out, it does not threaten the record of 30.1 miles set by Ondrej Sosenka in 2005. But it did motivate the UCI to establish a new 100-plus age category.

And yes, I want to be just like him when I grow up.

Thanks to Evan G. for the heads-up.

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Satnam Singh, the driver charged with the murder of Ventura cyclist Nick Haverland, entered a plea of not guilty to second-degree murder, felony drunken driving, felony hit and run, and misdemeanor hit and run, as well as two counts of inflicting great bodily injury.

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A British bus driver is sentenced to 17 months in jail for using his bus as a weapon when he deliberately ran down a cyclist he’d argued with moments earlier, in a horrifying wreck captured on a nearby security camera; his victim credits his helmet for saving his life. Thanks to Erik Griswald, Richard Risemberg and Stanley E. Goldich for the tip.

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A couple of noteworthy CHP reports today courtesy of Cyclelicious, as a bike rider reported a car stuck in the trees after seeing it come off the 405 near Carson — not off the exit ramp, but over the side of the freeway.

And a classic definition of a SWSS (Single Witness Suicide Swerve), as a Riverside cyclist is accused of intentionally turning into a vehicle in order to get hit.

Yes, they’re finally on to our evil plan to get ourselves killed in order to collect the insurance money.

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An Occupy 90210 rider is hit by a car in Beverly Hills; the aftermath is caught on video as fellow protesters press for information and flirt with the police. Downtown’s Spring Street green bike lane gets extended to Venice Blvd, but may lose it’s hue, which turns out to be not so Hollywood friendly; the LA Weekly never misses a chance to unfairly bash bicyclists. Here’s your chance to influence the city’s new Transportation Master Plan. LAist looks at the LACBC’s upcoming Tour de Taste; if you’re thinking about going, move fast because only 200 lucky ticket holders will get to attend — and once it’s sold out, you’re SOL. Santa Monica may roll out new bikeways sooner than planned. If you’re hit by a car while riding drunk, don’t try to fight with the paramedics who are trying to help you. Rolling Hills Estates considers a 1.3 mile bike lane along Palos Verdes Drive, as residents rail about the risks posed by out-of-town bicyclists; thanks to Jim Lyle for the link. A recent Long Beach transplant offers a video love letter to her new bike-friendly hometown. Alhambra’s proposed bike plan moves forward. SF Gate reviews the new book Hollywood Rides a Bike by Steven Rea; you can meet the author in Pasadena on Saturday.

Bicycling offers their take on the 100+ best rides in California. Frank Peters predicts the future in Newport Beach. A former Orange County postman and Klan member once held a bike speed record; maybe that robe and pointy hat were surprisingly aero. OC residents prematurely protest a planned expansion of the Santiago Creek Bike Trial. The 13-year old cyclist seriously injured in a Santa Ana hit-and-run has forgiven the driver who hit her; at 13 she’s already a better person than I will ever be. A bad week for San Diego cyclists continues with a Thursday hit-and-run that left a rider severely injured. Bicyclists in San Diego can Ride the Boulevard on Saturday. A 73-year old cyclist rear-ends a CHP patrol car in Cambria. Berkeley bicyclists are now part of the second city protected by an L.A.-style cyclist anti-harassment ordinance; we’re still waiting for that first test case here.

War vets plan a nearly 4,200 mile cross country bike ride to draw attention to veterans issues. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposes requiring automakers to stop electronic distractions from working while the car is moving; with a platform like that. why isn’t he running for President instead of those other guys? Did a federal prosecutor whitewash the Lance Armstrong case, or is Lance just too big to fail? Fat Cyclist features a guest writer who lost a whopping 364 pounds on his bike. Maybe it’s time to rebrand bikes and buses. A car site offers drivers 10 rules for coexisting with bicycles. Is big oil afraid of bikes?

Someone tries to nail Oregon bikes, literally. If you already have two outstanding warrants, maybe you shouldn’t ride your bike with meth in your sock. A world-class women’s bike race will be revived in Idaho. If you’re riding with drug paraphernalia, maybe you should replace your burned out headlight after the first six times you get stopped. Your next bike could have an automatic transmission, courtesy of students at my hometown university. Chicago’s WGN claims more than 1,000 people died in Illinois in the last year as a result of distracted driving; a little odd, since only 927 people died as a result of traffic collisions in that state in 2010. A New York driver who fatally doored a cyclist, then left the scene, will face charges — for driving with a suspended license, with a maximum sentence of 30 days; this is what passes for justice in Gotham? Then again, there’s no justice for pedestrians in NYC, either; what the hell is wrong with the NYPD? Maybe the reason is New York police will only investigate collisions if someone is killed or likely to die — and issues more summonses to cyclists than truck drivers. Ex-framebuilder Dave Moulton suggests killing someone shouldn’t be just a whoops-a-daisy. Writing for The Atlantic Cities, Sarah Goodyear says the city needs a version of their famed “Broken Windows” approach for traffic crimes. A 70-year old cyclist looks back on a lifetime of riding; thanks to George Wolfberg for the heads-up. When you’re riding with cocaine in your wallet, make sure you have a light on your bike — and don’t fight the cop who stops you.

Vancouver vigilantes battle bike theft with GPS-enabled bait bikes. A writer for London’s Independent writes about ghost bikes, but clearly doesn’t get it. Cyclists will be riding ‘round Parliament in protest on Wednesday. How cycling went mainstream in today’s London. Do bike safety campaigns do more harm than good? Uh, no. Make that hell no. A road raging driver head-butts a bicyclist in Bristol. Edinburgh cyclists get on-street bike lockers. Biking is just a little different in the Scottish countryside. An Indian court rules that dangerous drivers should see no mercy in case involving a bus driver who ran down a cyclist; is it too late to move to Delhi? The bike movement continues to spread as Jakarta plans 50 kilometers of new bike lanes.

Finally, a Gainesville City Commissioner evidently fears the local police will be threatened by Spandex-clad cyclists with plastic tire levers. And courtesy of frequent contributor George Wolfberg, why drivers may not see you; George was also — quite deservedly — named Pacific Palisades Citizen of the Year for 2011, and should be every other year, as well.

And in non-bike news, my dogsled racing brother and his team get stomped by an angry moose; fortunately, neither man no beast was seriously injured.

Grab a cup of joe, limber up your link-clicking finger and settle in for a little Monday morning reading.

The petition drive to get SCAG to increase funding for SoCal bike projects is nearing the deadline; have you signed yet? The Slauson Avenue Public Improvements Taskforce will meet on Wednesday, February 22nd; this is your chance to argue for bike lanes and a more human scale for one of our city’s great boulevards. Cynergy is offering a bike commuting clinic in conjunction with the Santa Monica Bicycle Center. There’s less than six weeks until the 28th Annual Redlands Bicycle Classic. Get ready for 300 miles of epic Death Valley cycling. Family members sue UC Santa Cruz as a killer bike path goes unrepaired. A 64-year old San Simeon man is killed near Cambria; police say he was hit at 60 mph as he stood next to his bike on the side of the highway. Mark your calendar for the first ever Legends Gran Fondo sponsored by the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis. The SF Gate says the U.S. House was wrong to eliminate funding for Safe Routes to Schools, and that the House Transportation Bill was hijacked by Republicans “locked in a pave-and-drill mentality of the 1950s.” Well said.

Drivers work about two hours a day to pay for their cars; cyclists work about 3.5 minutes a day to pay for their bikes. Seattle man gets off a bus, hails a cyclist, punches him in the face and rides off on the other man’s bike. A bike thief is busted by a little cooperative effort by Moots bikes and bike shops in Golden CO and Pittsburgh PA. My old hometown has come full circle in supporting cyclists; I’m still waiting for their call offering me the bike coordinator’s job. A Michigan cyclist is cited for not getting across the intersection before the light changes, even though the driver who hit him admits not seeing the bike directly in front of her. Little 500 teams compete to convert pedal power to electricity. A Texas cyclist argues against bike lanes, citing the dangers posed by cars, doorings & buses; aren’t those the exact reasons to build them? Preserving a historic bridge while making it more fit for humans. The death of his cyclist brother turned a Charleston lawyer into an advocate for bike riders. A South Carolina cyclist is killed as he’s turning his life around.

Cerebral Palsy doesn’t stop this UK man from riding, so what’s your excuse? The head of Scotland Yard’s Road Death Investigation Unit says current penalties for dangerous drivers are too lenient — and killer motorists should face up to life in prison. Advice on avoiding the door zone. A British MP warns about the dangers of Lycra Louts. After breaking our hearts with allegations of doping, tarnished legend Jeannie Longo is set to retire, a few years too late. An Australian Parliament Member wants to triple the fine for dooring. A New Zealand man wants to form a human chain to force participants in the annual World Naked Bike Ride off the road and into the ocean. A New Zealand bike safety advocate says bike helmets aren’t fit for the purpose they’re intended. Tokyo police have issued 10,000 warnings for violating the city’s new cycling regulations.

Finally, Bicycling reminds us about Wham-O’s long lost Wheelie Bar; when I was a kid, everyone had one of these, or wanted one. And the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain offers another of their typically great blog roundups, authored by my favorite London expat Scottish bike blogger.