Archive for Morning Links

Weekend Links: Welcome a new sponsor to BikinginLA; good advice for drivers and cyclists from Long Beach

I hope you’ll join me in welcoming new sponsor AnyKicks, a Kickstarter project from an LA cyclist that promises to let you use any shoes with clipless pedals.

It’s a smart idea; I could use a set myself since I always ride clipless, but often find myself having to carry another pair of shoes for meetings or walking after I arrive at my destination. They still have a long way to go to meet the $30,000 goal, though, with only 25 days left to do it.

So take a moment to click on the link above or the ad over there on the right.

And let’s push this one over the top.

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And let that be a reminder.

If you have a product or service to promote, BikinginLA offers an affordable and highly targeted way to reach bike riders of all kinds here in Southern California and around the world. Ads are available in various sizes and on your choice of pages, whether long or short term. Email the address on the link above for more information.

And of course, donations to support this site are always welcome and greatly appreciated.

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Great pair of articles from Brian Addison of Longbeachize tell both bicyclists and drivers to just stop, already — stop riding on the sidewalk, riding salmon and being an ass, and stop honking, yelling at cyclists and saying “I didn’t see you.”

Seriously, good advice on both sides of the great roadway divide. And something we should all take to heart.

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Metrolink offers a new animated safety video reminding cyclists to stop for trains — and wait until the gate rises in case there’s another train coming.

Important advice, but for some reason, this one misses the mark for me.

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Local

KPCC’s Air Talk looks at the Milt Olin case and the electronic distractions facing law enforcement officers.

The LACBC’s Jen Klausner talks distracted driving and cyclist education with LA Magazine.

Streetsblog reviews the New Streets of LA panel discussion at the Levi’s Commuter pop-up in DTLA.

Rick Risemberg says better infrastructure will get more people to ride, not discounts tied to an LACBC membership. Though I’d hardly call a $35 annual membership pricey.

KCET profiles LA cyclist Daniela Sarmina.

Cycling in the South Bay says cyclists make the worst advocates, which is why Malibu is planning to meet you more than half way Sunday morning.

 

State

A new bill would remove a legal loophole allowing drivers to buy their way out of hit-and-run charges.

The OC Register says it’s time to end bike registration laws. That’s me nodding in agreement; too often registration is just used to harass bike riders.

A Palm Springs security guard photographs a bike thief in action.

Marin County puts a large cache of recovered stolen bikes on display in hopes the owners can reclaim them.

 

National

Bicycling offers six practical tips to teach anyone to ride.

A 70-year old cyclist hopes to beat her own record in the Leadville 100 mountain bike race.

An Illinois cyclist says he was deliberately run off the road by an angry driver; as usual, the motorist in question tells a completely different story.

Cleveland plans to convert abandoned streetcar routes into cycle tracks.

A writer for the Boston Globe looks at the joys of group rides.

No bias here. New Orleans police decide not to file charges against a truck driver who fatally right hooked a cyclist despite failing to speak with a single witness.

 

International

No matter how pissed off you are, don’t punch out another cyclist riding with his daughter. Just don’t.

A road raging UK driver gets 18 months for viciously strangling a cyclist after demanding £50 for non-existent damage when the rider inadvertently touched his wing mirror. Not to mention he never should have been passing close enough for that to happen.

Families of two fallen cyclists call for stiffer penalties for dangerous drivers; shockingly, the drunk/drugged driver who killed them had just gotten back on the road despite 67 previous convictions.

 

Finally…

A Lycra-clad Gordon Ramsey strips to the waist after a power ride through the Palisades. Karma strikes back, as a Dublin bike thief has his own bike stolen the morning of his trial; another hot Dublin bike was somehow sniffed out by the owner’s dog.

And in a case of really not getting the joke, the Manhattan DA issues a subpoena to discover the secret identity of the person behind the Bike Lobby Twitter account, evidently failing — as did AP and the New York Post — to realize it’s a parody account.

Sounds like maybe Manhattan needs a new DA.

 

Morning Links: Possible Olin cover-up, USC students launch Nutlock, and the other cyclist from my hometown

The LA Times updates the lack of action in the Milt Olin case, killed by an LA County Sheriff’s Deputy while riding on Mulholland Highway last December.

The story offers one bit of new information, reporting that an initial examination of the driver’s cell phone showed no activity at the time of the crash, while phone records later showed he had texted six times in the minutes leading up to it.

Which suggests that the texts may have been erased from the phone in an attempt to cover it up — or that someone may have ignored evidence on the phone pointing to his guilt.

Meanwhile, Salon is the first national news source to pick up the story, noting that texting while driving is illegal in California. But they fail to note the exemption for on-duty emergency workers, which could explain why the DA’s office can’t seem to find anything to charge him with.

This one was forwarded from multiple sources, so thanks to everyone who sent it for the heads-up; thanks to Hwy 39 for the Salon link.

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USC students unveil an innovative new wheel lock to help prevent wheel theft and eliminate the need to lock them in addition to the frame. Security is enhanced by plans to create multiple key designs to prevent thieves from simply buying a set to unlock the wheels.

After just two days, their Kickstarter campaign has already raised over $10,000 towards the $15,000 goal. A pledge of just $25 dollars will get you a pair of Nutlocks of your very own.

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The other famous cyclist from my hometown, Teejay van Garderen, will defend his USA Pro Challenge title later this month. Former next big thing pro cyclist Joe Dombrowski has vascular surgery to try and get his leg strength back.

And Peter Sagan may not be headed to Tinkoff-Saxo after all. Update: Yes, he is.

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Local

The LACBC invites you to attend Hot August Bikes at Hollywood’s Amoeba Records on Sunday, the 17th.

London Bridge may not be falling down, but the Riverside Figueroa Bridge is. Or being dismantled, anyway.

No irony here, as Beverly Hills promotes heart health while fighting bike lanes and discouraging bike riding in the city.

Santa Monica gets $4.4 million to improves streets and implement their Bike Action Plan.

Proposed Glendale Green Streets could include bike lanes. And a smart OpEd in the Glendale News-Press patiently explains why motorists are a bigger danger than cyclists.

 

State

Measuring traffic flow by automotive throughput — aka Level of Service — is now officially a thing of the past in California.

BikeSD makes a public call for the resignation of the chair of the city’s Uptown Planners group.

A 73-year old San Diego cyclist suffers major head trauma in a head-on collision with another rider.

Mobile bike repair service comes to San Diego.

BART hopes new signs will keep bike riders from breaking the rules.

 

National

The problem with Share the Road campaigns.

If you want to get cyclists off the sidewalk, build bike lanes.

Wearing headphones when you ride may not be smart, but it’s safer than driving with the windows rolled up.

East Texas cyclists start a safety campaign reminding drivers that bike riders are people, too.

A reminder that a new bike path isn’t any good if it’s not maintained, like this one in New Jersey.

A former American Gladiator allegedly flattens a pedestrian while riding in New York’s Central Park.

To protect and serve (pizza). Baltimore bike cops go above and beyond by delivering pizza to a seriously injured cyclist after she’s released from the hospital; link via Bicycling magazine.

The Baltimore airport opens a 12.5 mile bike path, complete with bike share to entertain waiting passengers and employees.

Kill a bike rider in Florida, and lose your license for a whopping six months.

 

International

A Vancouver motorist drives down a protected bike lane, then right crosses a cyclist after leaving it.

Evidently, a unanimous vote of Toronto’s city council doesn’t mean any more than it does here, as they voted for a separated bike lane that never gets built. Sort of like bike lanes on Lankershim, Westwood and North Figueroa.

A London grocery truck gets outfitted with 360-degree cameras in an effort to protect bike riders.

Caught on video: A London bike rider captures a first-person view of a cut-off collision; fortunately, he survived the brutal impact.

Lovely Bicycle meditates on a ghost bike for a 16-year old Irish rider.

A new Chinese bike helmet promises to be a combination turn signal and mood ring for your head.

 

Finally…

After a six-year old Portland girl posts a sign shaming the thieves that stole her dad’s bikes, the publicity helps get them back. After repeatedly giving a Texas man with Asperger’s Syndrome a ride to work, local police pitch in to buy him a bicycle; now that’s class.

And Austrian police tell a naked bike rider to put her damn clothes on, already.

 

Morning Links: KABC talks with Laura Weintraub; great video and photos from Brentwood Grand Prix

After dealing with breaking news for the last couple days, we’ve got a lot to catch up on. So let’s get right to it.

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KABC-7 talks with former bike-hater Laura Weintraub in the wake of yesterday’s new video calling for greater understanding and a détente between cyclists and drivers.

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A panel discussion at the new Levi’s pop-up store in DTLA this Thursday will consider making LA a more livable city.

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LA’s own former national crit champ Rasaan Bahati narrates his on-bike video of the last laps of Sunday’s Brentwood Grand Prix, while Echelon Design offers some incredible photos of the race.

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Sounds like fun. FAME FEST promises a street-long bike fest and scavenger hunt along famed Melrose Avenue this Sunday.

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England’s Montague Bikes is offering you a chance to win a 7-speed folding road bike.

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Local

Despite earlier bike and sidewalk-free design recommendations, current projections favor bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the redesigned Glendale-Hyperion Bridge.

A new road diet and bike lanes finally goes in on Figueroa St. But on south, not Gil Cedillo’s needlessly controversial north, Fig.

The Times’ Steve Lopez asks why an 86-year old cyclist can’t get the dangerous alley behind her home fixed.

CicLAvia begins outreach for October’s ride through Boyle Heights.

A HuffPo writer points out the perils of biking in New York and LA.

Santa Monica Spoke invites you to the Grand Opening of a new Dutch and folding bike shop.

Damien Newton asks if SaMo is ready for Vision Zero; ready or not, every city and state must resolve to eliminate traffic deaths.

Walk Bike Glendale responds to an anti-bike OpEd in the local paper.

 

State

A reminder that women face risks on the road that most male riders don’t, as a San Diego woman is assaulted while riding home from a bar.

A north San Diego area cyclist chases down the hit-and-run driver who ran down his wife.

A Sacramento man is arrested after attempting to stone a bike rider.

Cyclists enjoy a bike tour of historic sites in Napa.

Ten great NorCal bike rides.

 

National

Funding for bicycling and pedestrian projects will continue at current levels under the new Federal transportation budget. That’s the good news and the bad.

Are drivers and cyclists really natural enemies?

Caught on video: A extremely close call with a motorcyclist offers a reminder to always look behind you — and signal — before turning across a traffic lane. And a bike rider reminds us never to tailgate after crashing into a backhoe.

A Massachusetts man loses 200 pounds through cyclocross racing.

A Florida rider fights for his right to take the lane, but unlike California, local state law may not support him.

 

International

Popular young rider Peter Sagan jumps ship, while Tour de France champ Vincenzo Nibali sets his sights on the world championships.

Caught on video: This is why you need a bike cam, as a UK driver faces multiple charges for fleeing the scene after hitting a cam-equipped cyclist head-on.

London buses will test two new systems to alert drivers to cyclists in their path.

A globe-trotting American cyclist may be buried in Russia after no one comes forward to claim his body.

Don’t spit on other road users, no matter how mad you might get. Just don’t.

 

Finally…

An upstate New York man learns the hard way why it’s unwise to confront an ax-murderer wannabe over a $100 stolen bike. A New Jersey writer apologizes for berating the kid who stole his bike.

And if you’re a convicted felon illegally carrying a rifle and shotgun on your handlebars, don’t crash into a damn power pole, already.

 

Morning Links: Cyclist in critical condition after Koreatown shooting; was Marco Pantini murdered?

A Koreatown bike rider is in critical condition after being shot three times on Sunday.

According to the Daily News, the victim, identified only as a man around 45 years old, was riding at the intersection of Leeward and Westmoreland Avenues when he was attacked by two suspects at 1:15 am. At last report, he was undergoing surgery at California Hospital.

No word on a motive for the shooting.

However, this one hits a little close to home, since it’s just a block off the 7th Street bike lanes I, and many other bike riders, use to ride to and from Downtown.

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Local

Flying Pigeon reminds us that Cedillo rhymes with Armadillo — and not in a good way — while Orange20 notes that a certain councilmember receives almost all his support from outside the district.

Rick Risemberg looks at a useless, and not surprisingly, unused bike rack at his local drugstore.

LA Bike Trains founder Nona Varnado looks forward to ‘cross season.

Redondo Beach looks forward to removing a wall that has long been a major choke point on the south end of the Strand as part of a larger bike and pedestrian friendly improvement plan for the beachfront.

 

State

The San Diego City Council forms the city’s first Bicycle Advisory Committee a dozen years after it was first proposed.

Riders are forced to abandon the 100 mile Tour de Big Bear after a thunderstorm leaves two dozen of the nearly 2,000 cyclists suffering from hypothermia.

 

National

Now you, too, can be the part owner of a women’s pro cycling team.

Reno sees a rise in bike thefts in advance of bike-centric Burning Man.

In California, AAA fights bike safety legislation and separated bikeways on South Figueroa; in Seattle they sponsor benefit bike rides.

Missouri bike riders rally to protest harassment in the wake of a local mayor who allegedly ran a cyclist off the road. Meanwhile, a St. Louis blogger looks at the attitudes that fuel harassment.

Gothamist offers a beginners guide to biking the bloodthirsty streets — their word, not mine — of the Big Apple, while Well+Good offers seven suggestions for neophyte riders in the city.

Gulfport MS police are using GPS-enable bait bikes to combat a rise in bike theft.

 

International

Italian authorities open an investigation into claims that pro cycling legend Marco Pantani was murdered by being forced to drink liquid cocaine.

Now you can buy the bike Pippa rode during RAAM for a mere £20,000; I don’t care whose ass was on it, the equivalent of $34,000 is a lot for a bike.

A study from the University of Duh shows people who live near car-free paths tend to bike and walk more.

Marianne Vos wins the Giro. No, not that Giro.

 

Finally…

German police rescue an 83-year old man from the middle of a busy high-speed highway; he was attempting to push his bike to neighboring Luxembourg to make a large bank withdrawal. And a Brit actress is pulled offstage minutes before curtain time after she was reportedly involved in a crash with a young bike rider.

 

Weekend Links: A handful of bike events, coffee and bikes go together, and if you can’t bike jack a friend…?

First up, a quick update on this week’s bike events:

Long Beach bicyclists can enjoy live music and a screening of Moonrise Kingdom at this year’s Bicycle Drive-In on Saturday.

Update: Somehow, I left off the LACBC’s monthly Sunday Funday ride, which rolls through Lakewood with a family ride this Sunday. 

Somehow, I missed Brooke Shields at last year’s Brentwood Grand Prix; maybe she’ll take part in the family friendly Expo Line ride connected with this year’s race on Sunday.

Culver City Walk & Rollers hosts a Family Bike Ride on Sunday.

The Eastside Bike Club hosts a family friendly ride for National Night Out on Tuesday.

The Levi’s Commuter bike pop-up shop opens in Downtown LA on Tuesday.

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Turns out coffee and cycling really do go together. A little caffeine can boost your performance — without cheating. However, too much can be a bad thing.

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Local

USC students consider how improving the city for bicycling could make LA more livable.

Santa Monica’s City Manager, who oversaw the city’s rise to become a local leader in bike friendliness, will retire in January.

Decent bike lanes could solve a lot of problems in Glendale.

 

State

After a judge dismissed a cyclist’s ticket for not licensing his bike on constitutional grounds, bike licenses could be on their way out in Santa Ana.

A Laguna Beach bike rider suggests its our own fault if a bike rider gets hit by a car — even though most of the recent OC cycling victims didn’t do a damn thing wrong. And despite his ill-informed proclamation, there are people who can afford cars that choose to bike commute, anyway.

The Desert Sun says it’s time to get a Palm Springs-area bike share rolling.

If you’re going to ride into the back of a parked car, try to make sure it’s not a CHP patrol car.

A 65-year old Bay Area bike rider explains that cycling gear is designed for comfort and protection, not fashion.

The suspect in a San Francisco hit-and-run that injured five people on Monday — including a bike rider who remains in critical condition — now faces 10 felony counts and $350,000 bail.

 

National

Next City offers a brief history of baseless pro-car, anti-bike movements.

A Portland cyclist sues Zipcar after he’s struck by a mattress that flew off the bed of one of their rental trucks.

Still no charges in the death of an Anchorage AK bike rider after 210 days; we can beat that, as it’s been nearly eight months since Milt Olin was killed by a sheriff’s deputy with no word on charges.

A writer for Red Kite Prayer questions the value of painted bike lanes, while a Des Moines letter writer says caving into driver pressure to remove them would be a mistake.

The investigation into that allegedly road raging Missouri mayor has been turned over to outside investigators. Thanks to Michael Eisenberg for the heads-up.

A bike riding doctor for the famed Cleveland Clinic offers tips on becoming a cyclist.

The Times looks at Richmond Virginia in advance of next year’s UCI Road World Championships.

 

International

A writer for London’s Telegraph says what’s stopping women riders is a lack of confidence.

An LA Times writer rides a rental bike through France’s Loire Valley.

Norwegian police charge an 82-year old man with having a bomb on his bike; turns out it was the battery pack on his homemade e-bike.

An Indian cyclist with an artificial leg accepts a challenge to ride across the world’s highest drivable road.

 

Finally…

In a case of real street justice, three Michigan judges help reclaim the bike stolen from one of them while he signed a search warrant a few days earlier. Missoula MT residents are up in arms over a planned local equivalent to the World Naked Bike Ride, with one father comparing it to allowing pornography in the schools.

And it’s bad enough to be bike jacked by a stranger, let alone someone you know; thanks to Bike SGV for the link.

 

Morning Links: LA Streets officially suck, road raging Missouri mayor, and Canadian cyclist shot during race

Camelbak Podium IceI’m planning a review of the new Camelbak Podium Ice water bottle soon.

But here’s a short advance preview.

If you’re anywhere near a bike shop this weekend, stop in a buy one.

Best. Water. Bottle. Ever.

Seriously.

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Local

City Controller Ron Galperin explains why so many of LA’s streets suck.

Downtown’s California Plaza offers a free screening of the great bike-centric Triplets of Bellville this Friday, complete with live score and complementary bike valet.

Orange 20 offers a primer on LA’s least effective form of bicycling infrastructure.

A Glendale couple will ride 163 miles through Massachusetts to raise funds for a cancer research center.

Walk Bike Glendale hosts an Art Box Walk this Saturday.

 

State

As if bike-hating drivers aren’t bad enough. A Riverside rider is attacked by a German Shepherd that hates bikes, and bites the people on them.

Calbike offers their monthly update on bike advocacy on the state level.

Meanwhile, a new bill backed by Calbike seeks to modernize California’s outdated bike lane laws.

 

National

The Bike League introduces the new manager of their Women Bike program.

Bicycling talks with USC and Pepperdine grad Elysa Walk about her role with bike manufacturer Giant in making bicycling more accessible for everyone.

A cyclist says a road raging Missouri mayor yelled at him to get off the road before intentionally running into him; needless to say, the mayor tells a much different story. Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the heads-up.

No bias here, as the NYPD concludes no investigation is necessary before determining a bus vs bike collision was just an accident, but somehow, the rider’s fault.

Baltimore claims to be the birthplace of US bicycling.

Nice report from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia demonstrating once again bikes really are good for business. Would someone please tell Gil Cedillo, Paul Koretz and Tom LaBonge?

 

International

Tragic end to a heroic act, as an 11-year old Canadian bike rider pushes a friend out of the way before he’s killed by a drunk driver.

A British Columbia cyclist uses his own pants as a tourniquet after he’s shot while competing in an overnight race.

The dark side of Britain’s post Olympic biking boom.

A former UK government minister says bikeways must be redesigned with separate lanes for fast cyclists and slower riders who want to “pootle.” Personally, I don’t even know how to pootle, and not sure I’d want to in public.

Aussie police look for a toothless man who’s been sabotaging Queensland bike trails. Maybe he blames a bike rider for knocking his teeth out.

 

Finally…

Cyclists are up in arms after a British rental car company tells tourists to watch out for the country’s out of control cyclists. And after a Scottish rider has his bike stolen, he gets it back in much better condition.

 

Morning Links: Two months later, still no word from DA on Olin Case; Amoeba plans Hot August Bikes celebration

Sometimes, no news is no news.

More than two months after the Sheriff’s Department turned their investigation of their own officer who fatally ran down cyclist Milt Olin over to the District Attorney’s office, the DA has announced absolutely nothing.

According to the Daily News, there is still no word, official or otherwise, on whether the officer will face charges. Or even when or if a decision will be made.

Even though the DA’s own website promises a decision on filing within 60 days on any case, barring unusual circumstances.

I guess a texting on-duty cop running down a rider in a bike lane, then being investigated by his own department, rather than an independent agency such as the Highway Patrol — which normally investigates traffic fatalities in the county’s jurisdiction — could qualify as somewhat unusual.

Although the near-total news blackout on the results of the six-month investigation, followed by a total lack of comment from the DA’s office after more than two months, might make someone wonder just what the hell is or isn’t going on.

This case has stunk from day one.

And eight months later, the stench isn’t getting any better.

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Sounds like fun. Amoeba Records, along with a long list of co-sponsors, will celebrate Hollywood bike culture with Hot August Bikes in their parking lot behind store on Sunday, August 17th. The event, which runs from noon to 5 pm, will benefit the LACBC.

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Forgive the late notice.

The Bikeway’s Subcommittee of the LA Bicycle Advisory Committee — the city’s only official voice for bicyclists — will meet from 1 – 3 pm today at LADOT Headquarters, 100 Main Street.

BACBikewaysAgendaJuly302014

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Local

Been awhile since we’ve heard from bike lawyer Daniel F. Jimenez, better known here by his nom de bike Dj Wheels. He writes that cyclists are turning to tech products to improve safety.

Planning is underway for next month’s third annual Clitoral Mass ride; as the name suggests, men need not apply. Meanwhile, Culver City will get its own CicLAvia next July.

The Westside’s favorite bike race, the annual Brentwood Grand Prix, rolls this Sunday; always a great time offering exciting men’s and women’s racing.

Metro honors CICLE’s new executive director, Vanessa Gray.

Seriously? A Glendale museum director insists that cyclists — except for his law-abiding friends, of course — are crazed lawbreakers who speed downhill at 40 mph in spandex and without brakes, unlike all those rational, law-abiding motorists out there. Proving you can be really smart, and still say some really stupid things.

And a Palos Verdes letter writer (second letter) complains about bicyclists getting their own private space, plus being allowed to use every lane on the public roadways, unlike all those law-abiding motorists who would never dream of driving in a bike lane. Thanks to Margaret for the heads-up.

 

State

A San Francisco cyclist suffers life-threatening injuries when he’s hit by the driver of a stolen minivan fleeing from police; six other people were less seriously injured.

After a young New York woman is killed while riding in Chico, her parents vow to live out her bucket list.

A Stockton man sics his dog on a bike rider for the unconscionable crime of using a hose without permission.

 

National

The Bike League looks at how better laws can promote bicycling, and invites you to order their new Smart Cycling Quick Guide.

Despite what the NY Times says, Bicycling insists there’s no proof carbon fiber is making bikes more dangerous. And the magazine’s Test Director can barely control his anger at the Times piece.

I’ve been ignoring multiple stories lately about a competition to design the urban bike of the future; Bike Snob explains in his own inimitable way why that was the right choice.

A Chicago study shows only buffered bike lanes keep riders outside the door zone.

An upstate New York woman was high on crack when she hit a cyclist not once, but twice before fleeing the scene — and despite her 23rd license suspension. You’d thing after the first dozen or so, someone would permanently revoke her license and forbid her from owning a car.

A proposed change in DC law would end contributory negligence in car vs bike collisions.

When Ft. Lauderdale police lead Critical Mass riders uphill at a dangerously slow pace — 3 mph, for chrissake — a ride leader asks them to speed up so people won’t fall. And is nearly forced into a collision by a cop, then arrested for his trouble.

 

International

A local Yorkshire official who called cyclists lawless menaces who speed through the village at a remarkable 50 mph is convicted of drunk driving at nearly twice the legal limit. But we’re the dangerous ones, right?

Now that’s class. When the Malawi bike team competing in the Commonwealth Games brought a pair of bikes to a Glasgow bike shop for repairs, the staff decided they deserved better. And loaned them two high-end bikes for the competition.

British rider Emma Pooley announces she’ll retire after the Commonwealth Games.

After pedestrians call an Irish bike rider an idiot for riding on a footpath, he proves them right by attacking them with a key and screwdriver.

 

Finally…

A Houston burglar uses a doggy door to steal a bike, then leaves it behind when he can’t ride it. And Long Beach police respond when a six-year old tries to use a toy gun to jack another boy’s bike.

Seriously, you can’t make this shit up.

 

Morning Links: LA sheriff’s agree PCH cyclists belong in the lane; women could race in 2015 Pro Challenge

Don’t tell Seth Davidson.

But he’s rapidly turning into one of Southern California leading bike advocates.

After meeting with the police chief of Santa Paula on Friday, along with the LACBC’s Eric Bruins, in the aftermath of the recent anti-bike You Tube fiasco, the author of Cycling in the South Bay followed up with Sunday’s Sheriff’s Department ride-along on PCH.

Along with members of Big Orange Cycling, Davidson organized a demonstration of why large groups of cyclists belong in the traffic lane, riding abreast, rather than hugging the curb or weaving in and out of the lane while riding single-file.

In a result that should surprise no one, with the possible exception of most motorists and many law enforcement personnel, the deputies agreed that riding abreast in the lane was far safer than the other alternatives, and posed fewer problems for the drivers around them.

Which means that riders on PCH can expect fewer unfair and unfounded tickets for violating the requirement in CVC 21202 to ride as far to the right as practicable, which doesn’t apply on non-sharable lanes.

And the deputies agreed that the right lane of PCH is too narrow for a bike to safely share with a motor vehicle. Especially once the new three-foot passing law goes into effect in September.

As he points out, this is less a victory than a step in the right direction.

But it’s a damn big step.

And we all owe Seth, and the other riders involved, a round of thanks for fighting for our rights and helping them take it.

Thanks to Al Williams for the heads-up.

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Now that Kazakhstan-based Astana rider Vincenzo Nibali has won it, the Central Asian country wants to host the Tour de France. After a fan lost his helmet cam while filming stage three of the Tour, Europcar rider Kevin Reza films himself finishing the stage, then returns it to the owner. A team founded by Jock Boyer, the first American TdF rider, hopes to be the first all-African team to compete in the race. Jens Voigt looks back on the last of his 17 Tours.

And following the successful Le Course women’s race at the Tour de France, the USA Pro Challenge may consider letting women race next year.

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Local

A Freedom of Information request confirms an LAPD officer had no basis to claim bike lanes would delay emergency response times on North Figueroa, despite what he said during a sham hearing put on Councilmember Gil Cedillo.

CicLAvia is working on a route through several cities in southeast LA County for spring of 2016.

A new urban cycling bike shop is opening in Santa Monica, with a pre-grand opening happy hour on Wednesday.

Two Long Beach riding groups will meet Wednesday to discuss how to get more women riding in the city.

 

State

The Palm Springs area could get its own bike share program.

Mountain View is looking for a new Mobility Coordinator. I’ll take the job if I can do it from here.

 

National

A six-year old Portland girl makes her own sign criticizing the thief who stole her father’s bike.

My already bike-friendly Colorado hometown is getting buffered bike lanes.

Red Kite Prayer remembers mountain bike framebuilder Tom Teesdale, who died of a heart attack during Iowa’s RAGBRAI.

A question I’ve often asked myself — should you speak up when you see someone riding in a risky manner?

New York’s Citi Bike is cheaper than other transportation options, and faster than most.

 

International

Moving story of yet another bicycling visitor to this county whose life was cut short by an American driver; this time a young Toronto man run down outside Memphis.

The son of a fallen cyclist asks London’s mayor to stop promoting bicycling in an unsafe city.

A new Indian concept bike could fit in a backpack, and be reassembled in just 10 minutes.

Could a single bad decision ruin Tokyo cycling forever?

 

Finally…

A Boston-area cop begs to differ when a rider claims he can’t be arrested for refusing to give his name after running a red light. And a nice story, as LA Sheriff’s transit deputies and support staff buy a new bike for disabled Reseda man after his is stolen from the Chatsworth Orange Line Station. Nice work, guys.

 

Morning Links: DUI drivers get well-deserved extended sentences, and a careful Menifee cyclist mourned

Good news as a couple of outrageous high-profile legal cases come to a conclusion.

A Chula Vista car thief is sentenced to 14 years, 8 months in prison for the death of bike rider David Voigt. Michael Reyes, who was already on probation for car theft and meth possession, was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty earlier this year to gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence, auto theft, possession of methamphetamine and other charges.

Reyes was behind the wheel of a car he had just stolen after a day of drinking when he crossed onto the wrong side of the road and hit Voigt head-on, killing the husband and father before crashing into a tree and power pole.

And a Colorado woman gets a well-deserved 10 years for killing a cross-country cyclist after falling asleep while driving with cocaine and anti-depressants in her system — while on her way to a court hearing on a previous DUI arrest.

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Menifee remembers fallen cyclist Matt Carp for his caring and passion for riding, while a friend describes him as the safest bike rider he’s ever ridden with.

Unfortunately, sometimes that’s not enough.

Compounding the heartbreak, Carp’s oldest son took his own life following his father’s death, in a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.

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As expected, Vincenzo Nibali rode to victory on the Champs Elysees after dominating the Tour de France from the first stage to the last. He says he couldn’t have won without improved drug testing to level the playing field.

Improvements in bike technology are increasing the risk of serious injuries in the peloton. And the legendary Jens Voight calls it a TdF career after 340 stages.

The Wall Street Journal looks at Sunday’s big race in Paris; no, the other one. As expected, Marianne Vos took the inaugural women’s La Course race, as British favorite Lizzie Armistead crashed out near the end. The NY Times notes Vos won a race she worked to get started.

Meanwhile, Brit rider Emma Pooley observes that women’s cycling is an underdeveloped asset.

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Local

Mayor Garcetti promises urban acupuncture to transform the city’s future Great Streets; I know exactly where I’d like to stick the first needle or two.

Better Bike’s Mark Elliot offers an insightful response to the recent Times editorial criticizing Councilmember Gill Cedillo’s ill-advised veto of the planned North Figueroa road diet. Two other letter writers, not so much. As often happens, a pair of self-proclaimed bike riders insist no one will ever ride to work or to go shopping simply because they can’t imagine themselves doing it, ignoring the fact that countless others cyclists do it every day.

A sarcastic Burbank letterset decries planned bike lanes on Verdugo, saying it doesn’t matter how many motorists or homeowners are inconvenienced if it placates bike riders. Sounds about right to me.

A Pasadena rider suffers serious head injuries when he’s hit by a car while walking his bike across Los Robles Ave; fortunately, he’s expected to survive. This is why I always prefer to ride rather than walk my bike across an intersection; on foot, you’re a sitting duck.

 

State

A Santa Ana cyclist vows to fight after he’s ticketed for not registering his bike and riding on the sidewalk; several SoCal cities — including LA — cancelled their bicycle registration requirements after police used them to target bike riders.

Newport Beach asks cyclists to comment on the city’s proposed bike plan.

A Riverside cyclist is rescued after intentionally riding his bike off a paved pathway on Mt. Rubidoux.

An Oxnard cop becomes a Facebook hero after he buys a little girl a new princess bike to replace the one she had stolen.

The family of a fallen San Luis Obispo cyclist files suit against the driver who took his life.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition offers advice on how to avoid dooring and what to do if it happens anyway.

 

National

People for Bikes asks why don’t more African-Americans ride them?

How to teach anyone to ride a bike in five easy steps.

Remarkably, an Oregon rider is back on his bike after three surgeries for benign brain tumors.

An Indiana man keeps riding at age 83.

A North Carolina rider says every cyclist lives with “the fear.”

 

International

Canada is missing the boat — or rather, the bike — on cycling tourism.

A Vancouver pedestrian suffers a broken back when she’s hit by a speeding cyclist and knocked off a seawall. Seriously, show some extra caution around people on foot; some pedestrians may be clueless, but they’re the only ones more vulnerable than we are out there.

The Guardian follows a single New York Citi Bike around the city for a day; here’s what happened when they tried the same experiment in London.

Yet another young driver tweets about running down bike riders, yet another employer pays the price for her stupidity.

An American cyclist who spent the last two decades circling the globe to promote world peace is killed by a drunk driver near Moscow.

Tokyo looks to London for bicycling inspiration.

 

Finally…

An Indian army officer sets a new record for riding a bike 103 kilometers — 64 miles — with a bottle of water balanced on his head; not surprisingly, there was no old record. And an Illinois bike rider is pleasantly surprised when a cop tickets the tailgating driver behind him. Thanks to my aspiring filmmaker nephew Adam Sputh for the heads-up; if there are any admissions officers for the USC film school reading this, save him a place in the class of 2019.

 

 

Morning Links: Woman-less Tour de France is all but over, and way too much national bike news for one day

Nibali demolishes the field on the famed Hautacam, just like that guy Lance used to do, virtually cementing his victory in the Tour de France. Orica-GreenEdge rider Michael Albasini insists he’s not a racist and did not say what they say he said.

The Washington Post notes the total lack of women competing in the Tour de France, other than a token separate but unequal race on the final day. NPR says the Tour is a 2,200 mile test of epic eating.

And an expert says cycling is winning the war on doping, apparently while managing to keep a straight face.

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Local

Plans are underway to improve accessibility to Union Station from surrounding neighborhoods by bike and on foot.

Streetsblog looks at yesterday’s press conference for AB 47, a proposed bill to create an Amber Alert-style warning system for serious hit-and-runs.

The annual Brentwood Gran Prix rolls Sunday, August 3rd, along with an associated community ride to explore the upcoming Expo Line.

Pasadena needs volunteers to test bicycle detection systems at intersections.

Great editorial from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune says smart growth is our future — including bike lanes in LA, Pasadena and other cities in the SGV.

 

State

A San Diego bike rider is seriously injured in a left cross collision, yet the headline puts the blame on the cyclist.

Now that the courts have reaffirmed that the reckless driving statute applies to bikes, San Francisco Streetsblog wonders when the local DA will apply it to drivers.

In a reversal of a bizarre ban, it’s finally legal to park your bike in your own garage in San Francisco.

 

National

A new Portland study says the air is cleaner for bike riders at 11 mph.

Even a platinum-level bike friendly city can be a dangerous place to ride, as a cyclist in my hometown is critically injured by a red light-running driver.

A Colorado hit-and-run driver gets six years for killing an 11-year old pedestrian; the defense says he’s a good boy who only ran away so he could go home and hug his mom. No, really.

An Iowa writer says bicycling helped heal her broken heart.

Despite what some on the far right might claim, bikes aren’t a symbol of anything.

A New York artist asks which kind of cyclist would you be?

Now that’s more like it, as an upstate New York driver faces 25 years to life after being convicted for killing a cyclist in a drunken hit-and-run, then fleeing police with the victim’s body still embedded on his truck.

A five-year old New Orleans boy is lucky to be alive after a brakeless rider slams into him and his two-year old brother.

 

International

Low fence creates a protected bike lane in Beijing.

A Toronto street is a cyclists’ door zone, as doorings increase but prosecutions don’t.

A London tailor creates a breathable, bike to boardroom bespoke suit for cyclists.

Maybe that Dutch cyclist who twice cheated death on doomed Malaysia Airlines flights didn’t after all; no record can be found that he ever bought a ticket for either flight.

 

Finally…

After refusing to apologize to the cop who tried to stop him, salmon cyclist Alec Baldwin has his case scheduled for dismissal if he can just avoid getting arrested for the next six months; good luck with that.

And talk about a great kid, as an eight-year old boy finds a way to include his disabled brother in all three events in a triathlon.