Archive for Morning Links

Killer hit-and-run driver to be sentenced today, Torrance bike rider victim of a hit-and-run, and a bevy of bike April Fools

April 2, 2024 / / 2 comments
Just 273 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we all face on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re now up to 1,030 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels. 

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An admitted hit-and-run driver will be sentenced in Banning today for fleeing the scene after killing a bike rider in San Jacinto in 2022.

Twenty-two-year old Savaughn JoJuan Colon Barnes pled guilty to a single count of hit-and-run resulting in death in the killing of Margarito Castro as he waited at a red light in December of 2022, after prosecutors agreed to drop charges of gross vehicular manslaughter and fleeing the scene of a crime.

According to My News LA,

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Dawn Blair, about 8 p.m. on Dec. 4, Castro was in the center median, waiting to cross State Street at Dillon Avenue, when Barnes approached, going southbound on State “at a high rate of speed” in his Hyundai sedan.

“The driver of the Hyundai entered the center median … and struck the victim,” Blair said.

Unfortunately, under California’s overly lenient hit-and-run statutes, he now faces a maximum sentence of just four years behind bars.

And will likely be out in less than half that time.

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It’s now 104 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 34 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

But Pedal Ahead, the San Diego nonprofit charged with administering the virtually moribund ebike voucher program, hints that it may finally be showing signs of life.

Even if it does fund non-UL-certified ebikes that could suddenly and unexpectedly burst into flames.

But seriously, what’s the worst that could happen?

Meanwhile, Colorado’s new ebike rebate program may be smaller than California’s, which starts at $750. But unlike California, it’s available to anyone.

However, the state’s governor seems a tad out of touch arguing that it’s still worthwhile for bike shops to participate, even though they may have to wait as long as a year to get reimbursed — in effect requiring small shop owners to finance the state program.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. The editor of Palo Alto paper complains about proposed bike lanes on El Camino Real, arguing that it would be unsafe for kids and kill local businesses. Even though it’s been repeatedly shown that bike lanes are good for business, and little kids aren’t the only ones who might want to ride their bikes on the local main street just like people in cars.

Bike riders in Providence, Rhode Island turned out to protest plans to remove downtown bike lanes, as the tone-deaf mayor’s office argues the removal is necessary to ease traffic congestion amid the years-long closure of a local bridge. As if people in cars are the only ones who need to get somewhere. 

A 29-year old South Carolina man says he’s lucky to be alive, after he was shot near the knee after being forced off the road by an apparent road raging motorist.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Actor Matthew Broderick is one of us in more ways than one, after he’s caught  running a red light and riding past a “Wait Here” sign while riding a bikeshare bike in London.

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Local 

No news is good news, right?

 

State

She gets it. An Encinitas letter writer says drivers need to be more generous in sharing the road because too many people riding bikes have died in San Diego County, and paint is no protection from 2,000- to 4,000-pound vehicles.

San Diego’s Bike Anywhere Day will get a new Bike Week companion, as the city announced plans for a Bike Local Day to encourage people to ride in their own communities.

 

National

A longtime New York bike advocate decries the lack of privately owned, traditional strictly pedal-powered bicycles on the city streets, complaining that ebikes and bikeshares are taking over the bike lanes. And in other news, an old man yelled at the neighborhood kids to get off his lawn. 

Um, okay. To the surprise of virtually everyone, a local TV station invites outdoor enthusiasts to bike Sparta, Wisconsin, declaring it the Cycling Capital of America. Said no one else, ever, which may or may not be the point.

Hundreds of Wisconsin kids got new bikes as part of a statewide program to teach bike skills to elementary and middle school students.

The “biggest party on two wheels” is returning to Winston-Salem, North Carolina this September, with the multi-day Gears and Guitars music and bicycle festival. The only question is, how the hell am I going to get there, and who’s going with me?

 

International

Bollywood actress Saiyami Kher is one of us, calling for more bike-friendly infrastructure in Mumbai following a spike in bicycling collisions.

 

Finally…

That feeling when your crash is so embarrassing, even your bike tries to run away. If you’re going to steal a bicycle, it’s probably not the best idea to take it off the back of a parked sheriff’s patrol car — especially without checking for cameras first.

And I kinda wish this last one wasn’t just an April Fools joke.

Thanks to Norm Bradwell for the link.

……... 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Los Altos bike rider busted in apparent pretext stop, and San Francisco marks a full decade of Vision Zero failure

April 1, 2024 / / One comment
Just 274 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re now up to 1,030 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

………

It’s now 103 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 34 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

Meanwhile, Calbike offers an update on the virtually moribund program based on a recent virtual public work group, saying the program’s soft launch really is underway — and they believe the statewide launch will happen “soon.”

No, really.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

An English bike rider underwent extensive surgery to repair a broken elbow after someone sabotaged a bike trail by placing a large tree branch across it; a group of youths were seen “fleeing the scene,” though no one seems to have actually seen them move the branch.

A disabled British man suffering from Parkinson’s disease won his battle to have barriers removed that blocked his recumbent bike from a section of the National Cycle Network, reaching an out-of-court settlement to move the barriers, which were designed to keep motorbikes off the bikeway.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

A self-professed Boulder, Colorado bike rider accuses his fellow bicyclists of brazenly breaking the law, alleging that Boulder bike riders “want all the rights of both cars and pedestrians without any of the responsibilities.” Actually, bicyclists already have the same rights, as well as the responsibilities, regardless of whether they may or may not want them. And it’s not like drivers or pedestrians behave any better. 

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Local 

Streetsblog offers more details on Metro’s cancellation of a plan to have ride hailing provider Lyft operate the Metro Bike bikeshare system, saying the contract will stay with Philadelphia-based Bicycle Transit Systems (BTS) — and its unionized local workers — for the foreseeable future.

A retired Santa Clarita motorcycle cop says yes, you can get busted for biking under the influence.

 

State

A city planner on TikTok explains why bicycling rates are sometimes higher in cities with less favorable climates, comparing California’s traffic-challenged painted bike lanes with safer off-road bike paths in the Yukon and British Columbia.

Work is beginning on repairs to the landslide plagued Beacon’s Beach bike path in Encinitas, which could reopen in time for Memorial Day.

A new musical making its US debut at San Diego’s Old Globe Theater tells the tale of the first woman to ride a bike around the world in the 1890s — even though it barely shows an actual bike.

San Francisco opened a new quick-build bike lane leading to the city’s Oracle Park baseball field, linking to a new bikeshare station and the Giant’s bike valet. Meanwhile, anyone wanting to ride to LA’s Dodger Stadium continues to be on your own.

A Marin paper complains about a compromise plan to remove the “costly” bike lane on the Richmond-San Raphael Bridge four days a week, citing the “underwhelming” use by bicyclists while arguing that it doesn’t go far enough. Even though officials say the bike lane isn’t to blame for the massive traffic tie-ups on the bridge.

 

National

Dozens of people turned out for a Portland bike ride and ghost bike installation in honor of a homeless man who was killed by a driver while riding a bike, observing that he always stepped up to help others.

The Seattle suburb of Bellevue tossed the city’s commitment to Vision Zero out the window, exposing city staff members to needless personal and professional attacks.

An Indiana man was the victim of a bizarre attack while riding his bike when he was pepper sprayed and stabbed in the neck with a box cutter, in an apparent case of mistaken identity; as the victim lay on the ground, his attacker asked his name, then responded “Wrong guy” before running off, later telling police he was “Done with people.

‘An Indiana nonprofit gave out more than 750 refurbished bikes to kids in need to mark the Easter weekend.

A Virginia man managed to morph his ice cream bicycle business into a bike-and-mortar hot dog stand.

Raleigh, North Carolina will use a $150,000 federal grant to pay ebike riders up to $1,500 in exchange for usage data on where and how they ride.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A Florida man celebrated his 90th birthday with a 90-mile bike,

 

International

Momentum writes in praise of the humble beater bike for urban commuting.

Next City considers how chilly Montreal became a year-round bicycling success story. Meanwhile, sunny Los Angeles continues to be a hot mess for bike riding. 

Huge masses of people turned out for an Edinburgh bike ride to protest plans to halt the city’s Low Traffic Neighborhoods.

Shop owners in Manchester, England accuse a new bike lane of killing their businesses by preventing customers from parking in front of their shops. Although as we’ve seen other places, anecdotal claims of sales declines are often contradicted by sale tax receipts, or more easily explained by other reasons.

No bias here. London’s Daily Mail complains about the “menace” of ebikes, noting that the 260 illegally modified ebikes seized by police last year was double the number in 2022. Even though that works out to less than one a day — and the vast number of ebikes on the streets weren’t modified, legally or otherwise.

Bike riders in Macedonia argue you can’t have a smart airport in a smart city without first building smart streets.

Dubai will now use AI-powered robots with facial recognition to identify scofflaw bike riders and e-scooterists, and automatically send tickets for traffic and helmet violations,

 

Competitive Cycling

World champ Mathieu van der Poel won Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, making his move on a brutal cobbled climb with 26 miles to go, staying in the saddle when other riders jumped off to run their bikes up the hill; Elisa Longo Borghini sprinted for the win on the women’s side.

The five-day Redlands Bicycle Classic will return for its 38th annual edition on April 10, featuring a number of new twists — including a record number of women in the peloton.

Cycling Weekly says forget Giro’s weird and wacky time trial helmet, because everything bicyclists have put on our heads since bikes were invented are mystifying and ridiculous.

Smile and the world smiles with you — but put on a grumpy face if you want to mess with the competiton at your next race.

 

Finally…

Who needs a warehouse, when you can mount a DJ set and a set of speakers on a bicycle, and conduct your own rolling rave? Seriously, who wouldn’t want shag carpet pedals?

And that feeling when your ebike goes up in flames outside Buckingham Palace.

……... 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Guilty verdict in bizarre Palm Springs attacks, South Pas rips out safer streets, and new CicLAvia summer event maps

March 29, 2024 / / No comments
Just 277 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re now up to 1,029 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels.

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A 29-year old Palm Springs man was convicted on nearly a dozen charges for a bizarre series of attacks against other motorists and a bike rider.

Including forcing a man to jump off his bicycle to avoid getting run over when the seemingly maniacal driver suddenly hit the gas and jumped the median, aiming directly at victim at an estimated 60 mph.

Juaquin Mercer Moraga was found guilty of three counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon, two counts each of misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor vandalism, and one count each of felony vandalism and misdemeanor battery, after less than a day of deliberation.

The defense argued that Moraga was suffering from paranoid delusions at the time of the attacks, as a result of “major depressive disorder,” “cannabis use disorder” and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Which the jury clearly didn’t buy.

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It’s now 100 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 33 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

Austin, Texas claims it’s cracking down on people illegally parking in bike lanes. Although it’s hard to call it a crackdown when they’ve cited an average of less than two people a day.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

London’s Daily Mail reports on “amazing videos” depicting “exploding” rider-on-ride road rage. Which amounts to a motorcyclist gently criticizing bicyclists for riding through a red light, and a trailing bicyclist berating another bike rider for not undertaking a large truck.

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Local 

Los Angeles Public Press has more on Metro’s decision to give ride-hailing service Lyft the heave-ho, and keep the Metro Bike bikeshare program’s union-managed operating system in place, at least for now.

The LAFD used a hoist to airlift a 19-year old man out of a remote area in Tujunga Tuesday, after he suffered an arm injury while mountain biking.

Los Angeles County will hold a virtual public meeting April 16th to discuss the county’s Bicycle Master Plan.

 

State

Following the death of her friend on a Berkeley street last month, a writer for Cal Matters calls for safer streets through the passage of a pair of Senate bills, which would force Caltrans to adhere to its own Complete Streets policies, and require speed governors to limit the ability of drivers to exceed the posted speed limit by more than 10 mph.

San Francisco marked ten years of the city’s failed Vision Zero program, as the city doubles down despite rising rates of traffic deaths, and city officials pinky swear to do better.

Oakland is down to the last five days for public input on proposals to redesign one of the city’s most dangerous streets by reconfiguring traffic lanes and auditing bike paths. Just please, please, please don’t put the bike paths in the middle of the damn roadway. No, seriously.

 

National

CBS News reports traffic deaths are spiking in the US, despite billions spent on improving safety. Except the $2.4 billion they’re talking about doesn’t go very far when spread among all the cities and states in the US, and doesn’t do a damn thing to reduce the size of SUVs, or get drivers to put down their phones and stop speeding. 

E! Online rates the best bikes and kick scooters for your little kids. Or grandkids. Or whatever.

Good Housekeeping recommends gifts for mountain bikers, triathletes and casual bike riders to put in your Easter, Passover or Ramadan basket this year. 

A 76-year old Oregon man says goodbye to his trusted and rusted J.C. Higgins bike, which was originally purchased from Sears three years before he was born.

Oregon’s bicycle tax, the only statewide bike tax in the US, reflects a significant bike boom in 2022, followed by a moderate bust back to pre-pandemic levels for 2023.

Rounding out today’s Oregon trifecta, federal funds from the 2020 Great American Outdoor Act will pay for new dirt on a “stomach-churning” singletrack trail along a cliff in the Columbia River Gorge.

Colorado’s $450 ebike rebate program kicks off on Tuesday, even though only 24 bike shops in the entire state are participating, after being told they could wait over a year to be reimbursed. Although something tells me the odds are somewhere north of 100% that California’s $750 ebike voucher plan will take even longer — if it ever launches.

Telugu actor Naveen Polishetty is one of us, after breaking his arm recently while riding in Dallas.

An Indiana city repealed its bike licensing law, a registration requirement so old, hardly anyone knew it existed.

Streetsblog considers the disaster on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, questioning why we treat major transportation tragedies with so much urgency, while ignoring “our collective car crash epidemic” with over ten times the number of victims on the bridge dying as a result of traffic violence in the US every day.

A South Carolina traffic engineer says he’s not ready to tell his peers he represents one of the safest biking towns in the US, when the city’s new bike lanes are just a thin painted strip in the middle of the roadway.

 

International

Gaza’s paracycling team has turned to delivering more then $70,000 in aid, after their dreams of competing in Paris were shattered by the war with Israel.

Velo visits a Giant factory in Taiwan to see how normal-sized carbon fiber bikes are made.

 

Competitive Cycling

Olympic favorite Wout Van Aert faces an uncertain schedule to return to the peloton after surgery to repair multiple fractures, following his high speed crash in the Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday; he could miss May’s Giro d’Italia, as well as the spring classics.

Velo offers the “ultimate guide” to the upcoming gravel racing season.

 

Finally…

Iron Man’s ebike is a Porsche. Many drivers may act childish, but not many actually are one.

And someone’s taking vehicular cycling just a tad too far.

https://twitter.com/motorisms/status/1773566868684505246

……... 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Metro Bike union beats back Lyft contract, $2.45 million in San Diego pothole case, and helmet law targets indigenous riders

March 28, 2024 / / 2 comments
Just 278 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re slowly gaining signatures, up to 1,027 now, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

………

It was a light bike news day yesterday. So if no news is good news, this may be one of my best pieces ever. 

The better news is, that means you can get out on your bike that much sooner today. 

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It’s now 99 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 33 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

Drivers in Manchester, England are accused of making a mockery of a controversial green bike lane by parking their vehicles in the bikeway.

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Local 

Public radio station KCRW’s Press Play discusses long overdue plans to reduce traffic lanes, widen sidewalks, and add bike and bus lanes along the Hollywood Blvd Walk of Fame.

Santa Clarita approved an extension of the Bouquet Canyon Trail, providing a connection between Bouquet Canyon Road and the city’s Central Park.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. is one of us, going ebiking in the ‘Bu with his son, while demonstrating that TMZ doesn’t know what the hell a BMX is.

 

State

A San Diego bike commuter and long-distance runner says that complaints over the curb-protected bike lane where an Encinitas father apparently fell to his death suggest that critics just don’t want to share the road with slower bicyclists.

A San Francisco website says it’s not Vision Zero that has failed in the city, but San Francisco’s piecemeal, reactive approach to fixing the problem.

Sad news from Napa, where a 45-year old man was killed in an apparent hit-and-run, after he was found lying in the street near his bicycle, suffering from serious injuries.

 

National

There’s a special place in hell for the hit-and-run semi driver who left a bike-riding 81-year old Queens, New York man to die in the street.

New York has authorized the use of e-cargo bikes to replace delivery vans in the city, many in the form of cute little pedal-powered mini box trucks.

 

International

Life is cheap in Scotland, where a man convicted of careless driving in a crash that left a bike rider with life-changing injuries walked without a day behind bars, after getting a lousy $1,900 fine and a 15-month driving ban; meanwhile, his victim may never be able to ride a bike again.

Irish pro cyclist Imogen Cotter is urging drivers not to make like a bunny, and slow the hell down over the Easter weekend.

The Netherlands is proposing banning performance modification kits designed to boost ebike speeds beyond the strict limits set by the European Union.

 

Competitive Cycling

American Matteo Jorgenson became the first American to win the one-day Dwars door Vlaanderen classic on Wednesday by attacking with a little over four miles to go, after favorites Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven and Biniam Girmay crashed out in a spill that took out more than a half-dozen riders; Jorgenson also won the prestigious Paris-Nice earlier this month.

The crash could jeopardize Olympic favorite and defending silver medalist van Aert chances of competing in the Paris Games after breaking his collarbone and several ribs, as well as knocking him out of the upcoming Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

Belgian cyclist Tiesj Benoot blames himself for the crash that injured van Aert.

On the women’s side, Dutch great Marianne Vos took her first Dwars door Vlaanderen win, outsprinting Shirin van Anrooij at the finish.

Twenty-eight cyclists competing in the Isle of Man road race won lifetime bragging rights, after Manx-native Mark Cavendish finished 29th.

 

Finally…

It’s time for the annual donning of the tweed. Your next e-cargo bike could take its tech from F1.

And that feeling when an illegal bike jump could be a real blast.

No, literally.

……... 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

LA unprepared for HLA, columnist bizarrely blames HLA for school closures, and fatal Encinitas fall raises bike lane questions

March 25, 2024 / / 3 comments
Just 281 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re up to 1,025 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

………

It’s now 96 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 33 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

A Massachusetts college student is in a medically induced coma after suffered traumatic brain injury, along with broken clavicle, broken hip and a punctured lung, because a driver forced her off the road and into a brick wall while bicycling in Spain; her parents are trying to crowdfund $250,000 to fly her back to the US for treatment.

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Local 

Mark your calendar for April 21st, when CicLAvia returns to Venice Blvd.

Glendale wants your input for proposed bicycle facilities on Glenoaks Blvd, particularly if you live in the area.

An unemployed South Bay man went from reselling ebikes from a beach chair on Hermosa Ave to owning his own ebike shop on the same street.

 

State

Calbike is asking you to email the state senate Transportation Committee to show your support for SB 960, which would require Caltrans to implement Complete Streets policies for the corridors under its control. Like on PCH, aka SoCal’s killer highway.

A La Jolla man is creating Strava art by using his bike to outline animals, plants and other shapes across San Diego County.

San Diego is set to receive over $220 million for road, bicycle and pedestrian projects, including funding for 265 miles of new and improved bike lanes on state highways.

This is who we share the road with. A 65-year-old Riverside County woman was violently attacked by a road-raging driver as she attempted to record him trying to fight a neighbor who had yelled at him to slow down in their residential neighborhood.

Monterey is gearing up for next month’s 34th edition of the Sea Otter Classic, which promises to be the largest yet.

 

National

Imports of ebikes fell slightly last year, partially offsetting a drastic drop in non-electric bikes imports, as ebikes continue to grab a larger share of bicycle sales. Thanks to PeddleEd for the link. 

Cycling News lists the best bike brands they trust, out of the more than 100 bike makes on the market.

Tragic news from Honolulu, where two people riding bicycles were collateral damage when a 20-year old speeding driver lost control of his vehicle, hit a utility pole, and landed in the crosswalk they were riding in.

Hundreds of people turned out for Portland’s 20th Annual Worst Day of the Year ride, as the weather appeared to live up to its billing.

Colorado bike shops will have to float the cost of the state’s $450 ebike vouchers for nearly a year before they can expect to be reimbursed by the state, which could limit participation in the program since few bike shops can afford to carry the added debt.

A 24-year old Colorado woman was arrested in Arkansas, two months after she fled the Rocky Mountain state to avoid charges for the hit-and-run death of a man riding a bicycle; she’s accused of knocking the 43-year old victim off his bike and over an embankment, and taking his bike to hide evidence of the crime.

The post-pandemic bike bust claims another victim, as a more than 140-year old Cleveland bike shop is set to close this year.

 

International

Momentum explores the five best Reddit communities for urban bicyclists.

Velo rates the world’s five best rides for roadies, including a ride around California’s Lake Tahoe.

Just in time for the Christian Holy Week, Bike Radar lists pilgrimages you can make by bicycle instead of on foot, ranging from 40 to 1,300 miles.

British Columbia ebike maker Biktrix suffered a massive loss when thieves drove up in a semi, and stole a shipping container holding $1 million work of new ebikes and unreleased prototypes.

Montreal-based Memento Cycles won the People’s Choice category at this year’s Philly Bike Expo with a steel gavel bike intended as a tribute to the LGBTQ community.

A writer for The Standard says yes, bicyclists can be annoying, but it’s drivers who are the real problem in London.

No surprise here, as a new Edinburgh study shows commuting by bicycle results in better mental health. Which virtually anyone who’s ever done it could tell you. 

The parents of a fallen Glasgow bicyclist surprisingly call for more people to get on their bikes, arguing there is safety in numbers.

Life is cheap in England, where dashcam video captured a careless driver crash into two women bicyclists, resulting in life-changing injuries to both victims, yet the 20-year driver got just ten lousy months behind bars, and was banned from driving for two years. If you ever wonder why people keep dying on the streets, slap-on-the-wrist sentences like this are a good place to start.

This is who we share the road with, too. A UK TikTok influencer filmed himself doing 90 mph in a 30 mph residential neighborhood, with just one hand on the wheel of his new Porsche, safety be damned. Which should be reason enough to take the damn thing away from him. Permanently. 

A British bike mechanic says there’s no tangible benefit to spending the equivalent of $12,600 or more on a bicycle.

An Irish cop was cleared of all wrongdoing after serving a three-year suspension for giving a lousy $50 unclaimed bicycle to an elderly man in need; needless to say, he intends to sue, although the story is hidden behind a paywall.

A French bicyclist learned the hard way to pay his fines, after the penalty for wearing headphones while riding tripled to 400 Euros — the equivalent of $433 — although he claims he never received a notice.

Former Singapore Transport Minister S Iswaran faces corruption charges, after he’s accused of receiving several gifts, including a new Brompton. The rest might be a problem, but taking the foldie seems totally understandable. And the whiskey. 

 

Competitive Cycling

A new Belgian study suggest that if you want to win in the pro peloton, don’t have kids, because becoming a father adversely impacts the performance of professional road cyclists.

Dutch pro Lorena Wiebes edged out Italy’s Elisa Balsamo to win the women’s Gent-Wevelgem in a photo finish; Mads Pedersen and Mathieu van der Poel took first and second on the men’s side.

The 23-year old Ukrainian refugee accused of killing US junior cyclist Magnus White rejected a proposed plea deal that could have seen her sentenced to as little as two years behind bars, as prosecutors suspect she was literally asleep at the wheel.

 

Finally…

You can find lots of things while riding a bike, including the occasional body. Your next ebike could be patterned after Swiss cheese.

And yes, she has more bike skills than most of us combined.

https://twitter.com/OverThinking_ar/status/1771168187423281351

……... 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

New Flax bike book out now, Hollywood Complete Street plan announced, and Senate bill promises local bike/ped funding

March 22, 2024 / / No comments
Just 284 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re up to 1,022 signatures, so keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

And that’s my copy of Flax’s new book up there. 

………

It’s now 93 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 33 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. A group of merchants in the UK claim a new bike lane has killed their businesses, even though the project actually added 80 parking spaces.

………

Local 

Over 80 kids and adults took part in South Pas Active Streets’ Park-to-Park family bike ride in South Pasadena last Saturday, sponsored by seven local groups.

 

State

Police in Orange busted a bike thief who stole a bicycle from a 14-year old boy while he was playing with friends.

Sad news from Watsonville, where a 58-year old bike rider died in the hospital, a week after being injured in a collision; police investigators said the victim was following the law when he or she was struck by the 31-year old driver.

A Berkeley father calls for safe streets after he and his son survived a collision when a driver hit the cargo bike they were riding.

A Gold Country cycling columnist says don’t let bad behavior define bicyclists, and it’s never appropriate to flip off a driver. No matter how much they might deserve it. 

 

National

Marketplace says cargo bikes offer a solution to package delivery trucks clogging city streets.

Forbes offers a “complete and comprehensive” guide to the year’s best bike brands.

A 24-year old Colorado woman was arrested for a fatal hit-and-run, two months after she knocked a 43-year old man off his bicycle and left him to die on an embankment on the side of the road; the victim wasn’t found for more than two days after the crash. Drivers like that should face a murder charge for making the conscious decision to let their victims die rather than stop and call for help. 

Kindhearted Idaho cops gave new bikes to a pair of cousins, after the five and four-year old boys survived getting hit by an intoxicated driver.

They get it. A Kentucky radio station says motorists need to watch out for bicyclists. True, in every sense.

Hoboken, New Jersey will now require ebike delivery riders to be tested, licensed, and wear a high-vis vest with a registration number; the city has gone seven years without a single traffic death.

DC shows how to launch an ebike rebate program similar to the highly successful Denver ebike voucher plan, just six months after it was unanimously approved by the city council. Not three years or more, like bumbling and incompetent California’s moribund plan. 

 

International

A 32-year old Austin, Texas man became the first openly gay man to ride a bike around the world, traveling 27,461 miles across 37 different countries in 280 days, and raising nearly $19,000 for for LGBTQ+ suicide prevention nonprofit The Trevor Project.

Momentum takes a look at the bike bus movement, and why kids love it so much. Short answer, because it’s fun. Longer answer, because it’s a lot of fun.

Thanks to the Church of Scotland, bike riders will have a new 1.6-mile path between two small villages, after the church donated a parcel of land for the project.

Life is cheap in Scotland, where 69 year old man walked without a day behind bars for killing a 22-year old French-American bike rider while driving with an obscured windshield, and dragging her more than half the length of a football field; the lawyer representing her family writes that drivers hold the key to keeping bicyclists safe, and mere sentencing won’t cut it.

The Daily Mail joins “London’s patron saint of cycling” on a ride through the city’s streets to see if it really is a death trap, while a former British news host calls out the aforementioned saint, BBC host Jeremy Vine, after he was nearly hit by bicyclists blowing through a red light. Because as we all know, every bike rider is responsible for the actions of every other misbehaving bicyclist.

Czech carmaker Škoda’s We Love Cycling website recommends the five best bicycling festivals to visit this year.

 

Competitive Cycling

Sad news from Australia, where a 62-year old man was killed while competing in the Indian Pacific Wheel Race, seven years after popular ultra-endurance rider Mike Hall was killed in the first edition of the race; another competitor was injured in a separate incident.

Arkansas’ Joe Martin Stage Race has been cancelled for this year; one of just four remaining UCI sanctioned races in the US, and the longest-held stage race in America — assuming it returns next year, as promised.

The popular Belgian Waffle Ride, aka BWR, will return to North City in San Marcos on April 27-28.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you can’t find a place to do handstands and splits on your handlebars. And hell hath no fury like a bicyclist with a GoPro.

……... 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,

51-year old mother of two dies in hospital after Oceanside hit-and-run; 2nd North San Diego County bike death this week

March 22, 2024 / / No comments

St. Patrick’s Day was anything but lucky in San Diego’s North County this year.

A little more than 23 hours after a 48-year old man was found dead in a protected bike lane in Encinitas, a 51-year old mother was critically injured by a hit-and-run driver in Oceanside.

Sadly, she didn’t make it.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the victim, identified as 51-year old Oceanside resident Tracey Gross, was declared brain dead after being flown to Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla.

Gross was riding home on her bicycle on westbound SR-76 near Singh Way when she was struck by a driver, who fled the scene.

She was found lying in the roadway by passing motorists around 11:35 pm, suffering from severe injuries. Her bicycle was found over two miles away at SR-76 and College Boulevard, apparently dragged there by the fleeing driver.

Surgeons plan to harvest her organs tomorrow to be donated to people on the transplant list, following her wishes.

Gross had worked as postal carrier walking a mail route in Oceanside for the past decade; there’s no word on why she would have been working so late on a Sunday.

Family members say they weren’t notified until nearly noon the next day, despite having both her driver’s license and postal employee ID card on her at the time of the crash.

Oceanside police are looking for the driver of what they suspect is a silver 2013 to 2015 Kia Optima, with damage to the right front bumper and headlight, and parts of the bottom engine cover missing. The damage suggests Gross may have been rear-ended as she rode on the right side of the roadway.

Police suspect the driver lives in the Oceanside area, near the site of the collision. There’s a high probability that he or she may have been under the influence, since the crash occurred late on St. Patrick’s Day.

Gross leaves behind her two adult children, aged 28 and 22, as well as her mother, who flew in from her home in Reno, Nevada to be with her in the hospital.

Her mother described her as an amazing, strong and brave woman, who always stood on her own two feet and loved her family and children deeply.

Anyone with information is urged to call Officer Jose Gomez of the Oceanside Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team at 760/435-4952, or email at jjgomez@oceansideca.org.

This is at least the 11th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Tracey Gross and all her family and loved ones. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Metro reneges on pledge to complete LA River path by ’28, and life is cheap for Ethan Boyes in San Francisco’s Presidio

March 21, 2024 / / No comments
Just 285 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

We’re still stuck at 1,018 signatures, so let’s keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

Actual image of Metro executive promising to complete LA River bike path, by Schwerdhöfer for Pixabay.

………

It’s now 92 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And 33 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. A Toronto bike lawyer suddenly had his mic cut after asking a city counselor to denounce anti-bicyclist comments made at a recent public forum that had devolved into a war of words, with one commenter threatening to run over any bike riders that get in his way.

No bias here, either. A UK petition calling for bicyclists to “display registration, pay road tax and have insurance” has closed after drawing just 353 signatures in six months.

………

Local 

Investing in Place considers the implications of LA’s newly approved Measure HLA, and what needs to be done to prevent implantation from devolving into a chaotic mess, and leaving already underserved communities behind.

Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, is looking for volunteers to help with next month’s Finish the Ride and Finish the Run in Griffith Park.

Metro is offering a new and improved on-demand process to rent their new and improved electronic bike lockers.

West Hollywood approved a Complete Streets makeover for Willoughby Ave, as well as parts of Gardner Street, Vista Street and Kings Road, replacing the existing sharrows with curb extensions, scaled traffic circles, protected bike lanes, wayfinding signs, a mini-park, and enhanced crosswalks near schools.

Pasadena wants your input on a proposal for quick-build Complete Streets improvements along Allen Ave to improve access to the Metro A Line Station, and connect to existing bike lanes on the city’s north side.

Santa Monica cops will conduct yet another Bike & Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operation on Saturday, ticketing any driver, bicyclist or pedestrian who commits a traffic violation that could endanger anyone on two wheels or two feet. As usual, ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limits so you’re not the one who gets written up.

 

State

More on the Encinitas bicyclists calling for removal of a curb-protected bike lane on the coast highway, after a 48-year old man was found dead next to his cruiser bike early Sunday morning, even though there is no indication yet that the barriers played any role in his solo crash; Oceanside bike lawyer and BikinginLA sponsor Richard Duquette says the rash of bike crashes since the lanes were installed may be an argument to remove those barriers, but not all protected bike lanes.

A Palo Alto website says a proposal by Caltrans to install green bike lanes on busy El Camino Real is the wrong way to go, because it would encourage bicyclists to ride on a busy street interrupted with frequent entrances and exits, and other “ingress and egress interruptions.” Or is it just that only drivers deserve safe, direct routes to wherever they happen to be going?

 

National

Bicycling reports Strava is now giving you even more data to obsess over. Or you could just, you know, enjoy riding your bike, instead. Read it on AOL this time if the magazine blocks you. 

Cycling Weekly says forget Amazon’s Big Spring Sale if you’re looking for good deals on quality bikewear, although you can find some deals on bike tech.

Bike Portland says a whopping 94.5% of women and non-binary bicyclists responding to a recent survey reported some form of traumatic harassment while riding on the streets. Which should be astonishing, but sadly isn’t. 

A Montana man says he hated ebikes, but using one to go elk hunting changed his mind. Although I suspect the elk might have a different opinion.

 

International

Cyclist considers the best titanium road and gravel bikes, as prices for Ti bikes continue to drop, while simultaneously going pretty damn far in the other direction, too.

Strong Towns examines how cold, hilly Montreal became a year-round bicycling success story.

With a timeline only Los Angeles could envy, Edinburgh, Scotland officially opened the city’s longest bike lane after a ten-year process, with a local councilor complaining that contractors had made a “pigs ear” of the installation work.

Manchester, England bike advocates are calling for the removal of new barriers recently installed to keep “antisocial motorcyclists” off a bridge forming part of the UK’s National Cycle Network, warning that the “unlawful, discriminatory” barriers would block access to anyone with a disability.

New hiking and biking trains will roll out of Prague to take bike riders and hikers to trails throughout the Czech countryside.

After nearly 60 years of riding, a 70-year old Gibraltar man calls for more bike lanes, as well as stricter regulation of e-scooters.

 

Finally…

Your next ebike could have an electronic crankset with an automatic transmission, and no chain or belt drive. That feeling when a groundbreaking rock opera becomes a Broadway musical because you fell off your bike.

And who needs a mountain when you’ve got an e-mountain bike in DTLA?

……... 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

California ignores bikes while failing to meet climate goals, and San Francisco utility offers $1,000 ebike vouchers

March 20, 2024 / / No comments
Just 286 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

As of this writing, we’re up to 1,018 signatures, so let’s keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

Meanwhile, UCLA is hosting a City-Wide Community Safety Listening Session Event tonight. Which is a good opportunity to demand safer streets, and call for a public meeting with the mayor. 

Photo by Maxfoot from Pixabay.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. A self-described “anti-cyclist cyclist” tells his fellow bike riders to just stay in their lane, stop filming lawbreaking drivers, and get other bike riders to clean up their act and stop breaking traffic laws. Because evidently, you’re somehow responsible for the bad behavior of people you’ve never met, as long as they ride bikes. 

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Over 100 people riding bicycles and motor scooters took over a Boston freeway where bikes are expressly banned on Sunday, forcing drivers to crawl around them as the popped wheelies and swerved in between cars.

………

Local 

West Hollywood gave Bird the bird, ending its contract with the e-scooter provider at the end of this month, and leaving Lime the only dockless scooter provider in the city.

Nineteen-year old Panorama City resident Daniel Antonio Garcia has been arrested for the hit-and-run crash that killed 44-year old David Rodriguez in Arleta last August; Garcia was allegedly speeding when he veered right to go around another vehicle, and slammed into Rodriguez’ bike.

Hats off to the Video Production students at Los Alamitos High School, who made a video to help a fellow classmate with cerebral palsy win a new adaptive bike.

Forget ebike vouchers. Long Beach will now allow residents to check out an ebike for up to three months from the city’s new ebike lending library.

 

State

Some San Diego County bike advocates are demanding changes to the curb-protected bike lane on the South Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas, where Encinitas resident Ryan Currie was found dead after apparently crashing his bike.

A school principal in a disadvantaged South Sacramento neighborhood is calling on people to donate bikes to the school so students can bike to school to attend classes more regularly.

 

National

Escape Collective takes a deep dive into why modern performance bikes are so damned expensive.

PeopleForBikes wants to have a say new federal rules proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to address ebike injury risks.

Samuel J. Mancini, the former CEO of bicycling brand investors Outdoor Capital Partners, will spend the next 71 months behind bars in a Colorado federal prison, as well as paying $10.5 million in restitution, after being convicted of scamming investors in a Ponzi-like scheme.

A South Dakota orthopedic sports medicine doctor bikes the five-mile daily commute to his office, except for days when he rides the 65-mile commute to his outreach clinic in Sioux Center, Iowa — or 150 miles each way to a clinic in Sioux Falls.

He gets it. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg opened a new bike path along Rhode Island’s Woonasquatucket River, saying projects that build dedicated lanes for bicyclists are essential to expanding transportation options for commuters.

New York has launched a new ebike safety campaign, telling ebike riders to “Get Smart Before You Start.” Because they apparently assume that a not-very catchy and pretty damn meaningless slogan will somehow cut the city’s rising rate of ebike deaths, even though most occurred on streets without bicycle infrastructure. 

 

International

Fifty-one percent of people on the planet commute by car every day.

The Standard considers the rise of bike cam-equipped vigilante bicyclists targeting London’s lawbreaking drivers.

A trio of British men received sentences of six-and-a-half years, ten years and 25 years behind bars for the fatal stabbing of a man in a dispute over the victim’s stolen ebike. As we’ve said many times before, no bike is worth your life. Or anyone else’s.

Sad news from New Zealand, where business and climate journalist and commentator Rod Oram died when he suffered a heart attack after crashing his bicycle; he was 73.

 

Competitive Cycling

Road Bike Rider talks with ultra-endurance cyclist Leah Goldstein, who demolished the competition to become the first woman to win the Race Across America’s solo division in 2021.

British Olympic legend Laura Kenny announced her retirement after winning five Olympic golds, seven European titles and 14 World Championships in her 13 year career.

 

Finally…

When you’re riding a bicycle with a stolen gun tucked into your waistband, stop for the damn stop sign, already. Who needs a bull for a bullfight when you can just mount horns on your handlebars?

And how to take that big step from a balance bike to a pedal bike.

Which hopefully you’ve done by now.

……... 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: ,

Grossman accused of illegal conduct and jury tampering, and bike-riding woman critical after Oceanside hit-and-run

March 19, 2024 / / No comments
Just 287 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025.
So stop what you’re doing and sign this petition to demand Mayor Bass hold a public meeting to listen to the dangers we face walking and biking on the mean streets of LA.

Then share it — and keep sharing it — with everyone you know, on every platform you can.

As of this writing, we’re up to 1,018 signatures, so let’s keep it going! Urge everyone you know to sign the petition, until the mayor agrees to meet with us! 

………

Please forgive yesterday’s unexcused absence.

After a crowded weekend trying to wrangle a wild corgi with a torn rotator cuff — me, not the corgi —  and my lower back way out of whack, while my blood sugar inexplicably circled the drain all weekend, I just had nothing left to give, barely managing to write about Sunday’s fallen bicyclist in Encinitas. 

Then again, it’s not a lot of fun to try to type with a torn rotator cuff, either, as the damn thing keeps reminding me. 

Regardless, we have a lot to catch up on, so let’s get to it. And please forgive me if I don’t credit you for something you sent me, after losing track of things over the weekend. 

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. A Cambridge, Massachusetts member of the deceptively named Cambridge Streets For All group — which is unaffiliated with the LA group by the same name — says no, the city’s bike lanes don’t work. Even though a recent study showed the bike lanes were very effective, and her pro-motorist group has lost a series of law suits attempting to prevent the bike lanes or have them removed.

No bias here, either. In a story locked away behind the paper’s paywall, a writer for London’s Telegraph somehow insists that bicyclists have turned Paris into hell on Earth, arguing that it is being ruined by bike lanes, ebikes and the nastiest cycling culture in the world. Because evidently, she liked it better when the streets were choked with cars and smog, and it wasn’t safe to cross the street with your baguettes. 

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Cops in Boca Raton, Florida busted a pair of masked juvenile bicycle riders who were allegedly menacing motorists by weaving in and out of traffic, after one of the group crashed into a police car.

The singer Pink is one of us, as she rides through the streets of Sydney, Australia with husband Corey Hart. Although all anyone seems to care about was her lack of a helmet, in violation of Aussie laws.

………

Local 

Streetsblog lists the LA-area projects funded by the federal Reconnecting Communities program, which will remove barriers and improve first mile/last mile bike and walk facilities to reconnect communities divided by highway projects, which usually went through low-income areas and communities of color.

Pasadena nonprofit Day One is distributing some of the 5,000 bicycles abandoned on Metro buses and trains every year to residents of Pasadena, Pomona, and El Monte through the free Metro Adopt a Bike Program. At least I remembered my friend Tim Rutt found this one. 

626 Golden Streets will return to the San Gabriel Valley at the end of next month, as Active Streets Mission-to-Mission connects the Mission Districts of Alhambra, San Gabriel and South Pasadena through five miles of carfree streets.

Spectrum News 1 looks at what’s new on PCH, where residents are finally demanding safety improvements after 59 people have been killed on the Malibu section of SoCal’s bloodiest highway since 2010, despite fighting them for years. Short answer, not enough. 

Santa Monica’s Complete Streets project on 17th Street and Michigan Ave was recognized by the League of California Cities as the winner of their 2024 Local Streets and Roads Project Award, Complete Streets award. Does that mean local residents will stop complaining about it now?

A greenbelt along the 91 Freeway in North Long Beach’s Hamilton neighborhood received a $1.2 million federal grant; the Hamilton Loop will include parks, and a walking path and bike lanes, along with other features.

 

State

Calbike celebrates the passage of HLA, while noting that five of the eight “bike champions” they endorsed will make the fall election.

Sad news from Auburn, where a 60-year old woman was killed when she was struck by a truck driver in Placer County just outside the city, while riding with another person. Or maybe she was 70.

 

National

Streetsblog explains how and why to start an ebike lending library. The why is easy — because people are growing old waiting for California’s ebike voucher program to finally launch so they can buy one. 

A travel website selects the country’s most bike-friendly towns for retirees; California’s Solano Beach, Arcata and Pismo Beach make the list that was topped by Walker, Minnesota, despite the high rents in the two California beach towns.

The Texas Department of Transportation launched a new traffic safety campaign urging bike riders and drivers to “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” Because we all know that all it really takes to end traffic violence is a not-so-catchy slogan.

Proving that Iowa is more than just corn, a new nine-mile bike trail will connect two existing trails to create a continuous, 120-mile loop through the state.

Heartbreaking story of a Chicago mother trying to get justice for her 16-year old son after he was killed by a suspected stoned driver while riding his bike; a Twitter/X thread from Bike Lane Uprising recounts efforts to help when the mom didn’t even have a lawyer.

Sad news from New York, where a 31-year old man riding an ebike was killed when he was run over by the driver of a postal truck after allegedly falling, although residents pointed to a human-shaped dent in a parked SUV as evidence the victim was actually pinned by the driver between the two vehicles.

New York-based urban tech accelerator URBAN-X apparently thinks the future rolls on two wheels, selecting seven companies focused on advancing electric mobility and two-wheeled transportation for their latest project, on the assumption that ebikes will take a more prominent role in transportation.

A New York council member says a planned bike lane is stuck in community engagement purgatory. Proving that Los Angeles isn’t the only major city with an interminable community engagement process, even if it seems like it.

 

International

Momentum celebrates the beauty of upright bikes, while GCN answers the burning question of whether you’re better off buying a new $600 bike or a $600 used bike.

They get it. Cycling Weekly says leave the bike computer at home, and just absorb the world and let your mind wander.

Worcester, England is revoking a ban on bikes in the city center, as council members call it unnecessary and ineffective, and more a reflection of political theater than traffic safety.

This is what it looks like when an ebike battery explodes into a fireball in a London apartment.

BBC host Mollie King, who doubles as lead singer of Brit girl group The Saturdays, raised the equivalent of $1.4 million for Comic Relief with her 310-mile bike ride across the UK in honor of her father, who died from a brain tumor.

A 49-year old British woman faces possible jail time after she was convicted of manslaughter for yelling at a 77-year old woman to stop riding her bike on the sidewalk; the victim then veered off the sidewalk into the street, where she was struck and killed by an oncoming driver.

Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan is one of us, confusing fans by riding his bicycle just one day after buying a new Range Rover for the equivalent of over $700,000.

Forget carbon. Your next handcrafted Japanese bike could be made of wood.

Kiwi bicyclists went “starkers,” or close to it, to call attention to body positivity, bike safety and the environment in the New Zealand edition of the World Naked Bike Ride.

 

Competitive Cycling

UCI has officially blessed Giro’s weird-ass time trial helmets made for the Visma-Lease A Bike cycling team.

Belgian Jasper Philipsen won the Milan-San Remo in a photo-finish Saturday, throwing his bike ahead of Aussie Michael Matthews and Tadej Pogacar for a razor-thing victory.

Former Italian pro and 2021 Paris-Roubaix winner Sonny Colbrelli was credited with foiling bike thieves attempting to steal the bikes belonging to the Bahrain-Victorius cycling team as they slept in their hotel on the even of Milan-San Remo. The team, that is, not the bike thieves. Or the bikes.

America’s greatest ex-Tour de France winner relates how he suffered PTSD after having all seven Tour wins stripped away, losing his prize money and agreeing to pay the US government $5 million for cheating on their watch as leader of the US Postal cycling team; Lance says he had to check himself in for an intensive, five day treatment program that had him on the shrink’s couch for ten hours a day. If he felt that bad, just imagine how the people he bullied for all those years must have felt. And yet he still won’t just go away, already. 

Meanwhile, cycling fans ridicule Lance’s recent comments that bicyclists don’t compete like they used to back in the good ol’ days when he was still doping. Uh, racing.

Bicycling reports that Germany’s Canyon Bicycles has signed Dutch cross-discipline cyclist Mathieu van der Poel to a “staggering” ten-year deal. Although maybe they should ask Trek how that worked out with Lance. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you. 

Sad news from Belgium, where 24-year old cyclist Jonas Bresseleers, a former teammate of Remco Evenepoel, was killed when he was struck by a truck driver while riding his bike; Bresseleers survived another disastrous collision five years earlier when a group of riders were sent the wrong way during a race, and he and two other cyclists were struck by a driver, resulting in the death of his teammate and friend Stef Loos.

 

Finally…

The pope wants to sell you his Pinarello. Why worry about bike parking at the end of your ride, when you can just take your own bike rack with you?

And that feeling when you have to crowdfund your own bike lane sweeper because the city won’t clean them — and the local paper makes it seem like a good thing.

……... 

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

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: ,
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