My apologies.
I’ve been struggling with my blood sugar all day, and haven’t been able to get it back under control to get to work tonight.
As usual, we’ll be back tomorrow to catch up on anything we missed today.
Another reminder to get yourself checked if you’re at risk of diabetes, and do whatever it takes to avoid it. Because you don’t want this crap.
Seriously, if it’s not one damn thing, it’s another.
Apparently, it’s bike theft season.
Crosstown LA examined the trends, and discovered bicycle thefts tend to spike in Los Angeles during September and October.
According to the site, bike theft has surged in the fall since at least 2015, peaking in October from 2015 to 2019, and September for the past two years.
Bike theft numbers are likely artificially low, as publicly available Los Angeles Police Department data only counts thefts actually reported. Many people may not call police for a missing two-wheeler, either because of time constraints, or because they do not expect doing so will help with recovery.
Still, the annual fall rise in thefts indicates that the increase may be tied to the resumption of school, in particular the return of college students. From Jan. 1, 2015–Aug. 15, 2022, a total of 2,062 bicycles were reported stolen in University Park, where the USC campus is located and where many of its students reside. That is the highest count of any neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles.
The second-highest number of thefts occurred in dense Downtown, followed by Venice, a well-known cycling hub. The fourth-most victimized community in that period was Sawtelle, where many UCLA students live.
Like this, for instance.
Sometimes, the best way to thwart a theft is prevention. Ted Rogers, the editor of the blog BikinginLA and a former board member of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, said he takes measures to keep his bike safe.
“I’ve been known to walk my bike into stores just so I don’t have to lock it up,” he said. “Never lock your bike to a sign because signs can be unbolted and taken away. Never lock your bike to a small tree because those have been known to be pulled out of the ground.”
………
A Streetsblog Twitter thread explains plans by Metro and Caltrans to widen a section of the 405 Freeway through Carson.
We’ve already seen how they might as well just flush the money down the toilet, as other expansion projects — like the $1 billion effort to install HOV lanes through the Sepulveda Pass — have only served to make traffic worse through induced demand.
The money would be far better spent to improve transit, as well as bikeways, to reduce congestion by providing people with viable alternatives to driving.
Got some documentation on the project where @metrolosangeles and @CaltransDist7 plan to add more lanes to the 405 Freeway through the city of Carson. (short thread) pic.twitter.com/iFxMwRxYeG
— StreetsblogLA (@StreetsblogLA) September 12, 2022
………
A writer for City Watch considers how the Healthy Streets LA ballot proposal alters the balance of power for the “do-nothing” city council.
The Mobility Initiative alters the balance of power. Now the City Council is not in complete control. Now it must work with the Initiative’s sponsors. The City Council and the sponsors both need to consider the voters who will have the opportunity to accept or reject the Mobility Initiative or any other alternative measure cooked up by the City Council.
One of the issues that needs to be addressed is how to pay for the Mobility Plan and the $5 billion needed to repair our streets and sidewalks. Will this require an increase in our sales tax or a new parcel tax?
Although it should be noted that the Healthy Streets LA ballot proposal requires no additional investment, since it only requires the city to stripe infrastructure called for in the mobility plan when streets are resurfaced, when they would need to be re-striped anyway.
………
Finish the Ride wants you to come celebrate Halloween with them in Santa Clarita.
Prices increase for Finish The Ride and
Finish The Run Halloween in just ONE WEEK!Awards for best costume and top finishers, beer
garden, graveyard photo area, and more!Register today at https://t.co/VnKqyr05YI.#FinishTheRide #FinishTheRun #Halloween#NeverGiveUp pic.twitter.com/M2QGLOGdV8
— Finish The Ride (@FinishTheRide) September 12, 2022
………
More anti-bike sabotage, as someone built a cinderblock wall across a Portland, Oregon bike path, which someone else quickly knocked down.
A Joliet, Illinois man faces charges for a seemingly random attack on a woman riding bikes with her two children, striking her with a plastic pole and repeatedly hitting her after yelling at them to be quiet.
What could possibly go wrong? A seemingly endless line of porta-potties have been installed in an Edinburg, Scotland bike lane to serve people waiting in line to see the queen lying in state. Which puts riders at risk of an entirely different kind of dooring.
More proof that bicyclists face the same risks the world over, as bike riders in Ghana worry about hostile attitudes from drivers, which could “continue to cause fatalities among cyclists and further discourage young people.”
Toronto bike cops are called on the carpet for riding through stop signs, setting a bad example for the rest of us.
Police in Glasgow, Scotland are looking for an ebike rider who seriously injured a 55-year old bike rider in a collision; both stopped following the crash, but the ebike rider may have ridden off before learning how seriously the other man was injured.
………
A Venice bicyclist pulling a trailer was stopped by another man who insisted the bike was his in an altercation caught on security cam; the second man took the bike after appearing to whack the bike rider with a stick.
Pasadena police will conduct yet another in the seemingly endless series of bicycle and pedestrian safety operations this Friday. As usual, ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limits so you’re not the one who gets ticketed.
LA County is investing $15 million in a series of new bike lanes and other street improvements in South Whittier, La Mirada, and Santa Fe Springs
A 34-year old repeat offender was arrested by Cal State Fullerton university police for the seventh time on bike theft charges, after they saw through his attempt to disguise himself as a student.
Apparently assuming they’re the only ones who need to get anywhere, residents near San Diego State University’s new Snapdragon Stadium are protesting plans to reduce traffic lanes along portions of Mission Village Drive in order to install protected bike lanes.
Streetsblog looks at the bike treatments currently taking shape in downtown San Jose.
An Oakland website looks at ten road projects underway in the city, including protected bike lanes and road diets.
Don’t think twice about that odor emanating from your body after a hard ride; NPR says it’s good for you. Thanks to Robert Leone for the link.
More evidence we’re failing the nation’s bicyclists, as The Guardian cites a number of American bike riders who say they are giving up bicycling because they just don’t feel safe on the streets.
Oregon elected officials get out and ride their bikes at Portland’s annual Bike Town Hall. Something we should definitely try to replicate here.
Bikemakers continue to offer seriously overpowered ebikes, as Colorado-based Optibike introduces a bike with the world’s highest power-to-weight ration, and a top speed of 36 mph.
Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid pled guilty to the speeding, DUI crash that left a five-year old girl with severe brain injuries, as well as injuring another child; he faces a maximum of four years behind bars.
Sounds familiar. A Kansas City public radio station says the city’s worst intersection is all of them, with too many problematic intersections to fix at once.
Cincinnati bike riders and pedestrians will get a new bridge later this month, connecting multiple trails for the first time.
A Chicago cop could face discipline for running a stop sign and plowing into a bike rider, while traveling without lights and siren.
This is the cost of traffic violence. The head basketball coach of Pennsylvania’s Delaware County Community College was killed in a collision while on a group ride, after police say he lost control of his bike and swerved in front of the driver of an oncoming pickup; he still holds the school record for assists at Coppin State University, where he played in the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1990.
Bike Radar offers advice on bicycling while pregnant.
Bike Biz examines how bike shops can be more inclusive for disabled bike riders.
Another unexpected consequence of the queen’s death, as the introduction of ebikes to London’s bikeshare system — the former Boris Bikes — has been postponed during the mourning period.
Bike riders in Norwich, England are confused by signs closing bike racks during the mourning period, which wouldn’t seem to have anything to do with the queen’s death.
That’s more like it. The UK government has approved a traffic control device allowing Bike Bus chaperones to control traffic signals to improve safety for kids riding their bikes to and from school.
One of South Africa’s largest bicycling organizations is urging riders to wear neon colors during the day, and reflective gear at night. None of which will protect riders from the country’s notorious bike-robbing criminal gangs, however.
Premium bikes are gaining popularity with urban residents in China’s resurgent bicycle kingdom.
The owner of the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team is threatening to take UCI to court as his team faces relegation, with two lower-level teams preparing to move up to the WorldTour, while six teams are in danger of moving down.
A San Francisco website looks back at the five-day Mission Crit held in the Mission District September 3rd, billed as “the last great American bike race.”
In honor of the queen, everyone is expected to drive. That feeling when your gran fondo runs out of food.
And always remember to make eye contact with drivers, even though they may not be able to see you, anyway.
Remember, as a cyclist it's important to make eye-contact with drivers. pic.twitter.com/86LsVeCR4l
— Entitled Cyclist🚲 (@EntitledCycling) September 11, 2022
………
Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
No bias here.
A columnist for the Orange County Register bizarrely makes the claim that giving people without cars $1,000 to help cover their transit costs is part of the mythical War on Cars.
As if the new law awaiting Gov. Newsom’s signature somehow does anything to prevent anyone from owning a car if they want one, and can afford it.
Some people might say single occupancy vehicles are a way to get to work and earn a living, enabling the government to collect taxes from paychecks, and also that they transform into quadruple occupancy vehicles that drive people to school, to doctor’s appointments and on trips to spend money at California businesses.
Portantino doesn’t acknowledge any need for a car in his argument in support of his bill. “SB 457 will incentivize mass mode shift toward sustainable transportation by allowing a credit against the ‘net tax’ in the amount of $1,000 for each household with zero registered vehicles,” he said, according to the bill analysis.
And silly me. I thought conservatives were in favor of cutting taxes.
Evidently just not for poor people. Or if it involves cars.
Never mind that the quote above is her entire argument that the tax credits have anything to do with a War on Cars.
Although she seems to think banning the sale of new gas cars by 2035 is somehow equivalent to banning all cars.
Instead, she morphs into complaints about Covid relief payments and buying votes, conveniently forgetting that California law requires rebate checks if tax payments exceed the state’s needs.
But that apparently doesn’t fit her narrative.
Photo by Jonathan Cooper on Pexels.
………
It was nice while it lasted.
WeHo’s first attempt at bike-priority street failed, apparently because it was inconvenient of some ressident.
Never mind that you can’t encourage more bike riding by requiring bicyclists to stop every block or two.
PSA:: “Traffic Diverters” that were installed along Willoughby Av bet Fairfax X Vista will be removed this month – says City of West Hollywood that spent $300,000 in its failed experiment. Most neighbors support 4-way stops, speed bumps, maybe a roundabout but no to diverters. pic.twitter.com/BBgouiB6dZ
— Melrose Action (@melroseaction) September 11, 2022
………
Unbelievable.
Bizarre update to last week’s story about Baphomet Bicycles framebuilder Dillen Maurer losing a foot in a collision with an ATV rider as he rode his bike near his Taos, New Mexico home.
The local sheriff has concluded it never happened, and that Maurer cut his own foot off using a chainsaw. Although that be easy to prove — or disprove — since there would be blood and bone trapped in the chainsaw blade to back up the sheriff’s contention.
If not, he owes Maurer a very public apology.
………
Radio host Stephanie Miller is one of us, as is writer and contributor to her show Bob Cesca.
And Bob Cesca is #oneofus @bikinginla https://t.co/l9XUrYMfPe
— AB2097 is now law! 🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@erik_griswold) September 10, 2022
………
Ludacris is one of us, too. Or at least can play one in the movies.
Born on this day, September 11, 1977:
Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, rapper and actor, here showing actor Shane Graham how to ride in the BMX drama The Ride (2018).
Happy #BicycleBirthday, Ludacris!#botd #BikesInFilms pic.twitter.com/IeyzNDX3sK— Cool Bike Art 🚴 (@CoolBikeArt1) September 11, 2022
………
And NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt was one, too.
But only if he could ride backwards while sitting in the handlebars.
You've all seen the picture of Dale riding a bike backwards while sitting on the handlebars at a 1992 tire test at @IMS, well here is video of it from rTV6 abc via Michael R Hartz. pic.twitter.com/kjqs7jFwzI
— The Dale Earnhardt Archive (@ArchivesDe) January 29, 2021
………
No bias here. Ebike-riding teens get the blame for bad behavior by La Jolla drivers, as school officials complain about kids riding in a bike lane legally passing stalled traffic, and nearly getting hit by careless drivers who can’t figure out how to use their mirrors.
There’s no excuse for hit-and-run. And not much for being a self-entitled jerk forcing your way through a sea on oncoming bikes, even if they are on the wrong side of the road.
Driver of this early-model Lexus ES 300 clipped a bicyclist & ran over a 2nd bike on Alcatraz Ave. near Racine in North Oakland during their monthly East Bay Bike Party. @oaklandpoliceca investigating pic.twitter.com/fU4jJtXCav
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) September 12, 2022
Police in Madison, Wisconsin say the sabotage of bike trails with electronic cords hung at neck height has finally stopped; one man was seriously injured crashing into one on his bike.
No bias here, either. A New York woman was impaled on a fence after she was struck by a driver with 168 traffic violations — yes, 168. The driver blamed bad brakes, while the victim’s daughter somehow blamed a new parking protected bike lane.
A bike-riding transient was arrested for allegedly attempting to sexually assault a masseuse at a Pasadena health spa.
An Arkansas man got six years behind bars for fleeing from police on a bicycle while carrying meth and a handgun he was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon; he was stopped when he was tased by a cop.
A bike-riding South Carolina man was busted for randomly shooting a woman’s SUV with a BB gun.
………
A number of tiny homes for homeless veterans at West LA’s Veterans Center were destroyed in a fire evidently started by an overheated lithium ebike battery; 11 units were destroyed, and at least four others damaged.
Palmdale’s Planning Commission adopted a new 23-year update to the city’s General Plan, including plans to develop 20-minute neighborhoods, with increased walkability and bicycle safety.
Carlsbad bike riders call on the city to amend a “well intended but misguided” ordinance that requires ebike riders to dismount anytime they come within 50 feet of a pedestrian or equestrian on a pathway less than five feet wide, which in effect forces people to walk more than they ride on some trails.
San Diego’s Park Blvd is getting much needed bus and bike lanes leading to Balboa Park, following a repaving project.
Kindhearted Turlock firefighters bought a new BMX bike for a 14-year old boy after his was trashed when he was struck by a driver.
A Forestville teenager recounts his efforts to save the life of Santa Rosa chef Rob Reyes, who died after crashing into a metal bollard on a bike path during a bike ride with his restaurant staff last month.
Maui, Hawaii considers age limits and other restrictions on commercial downhill tour operators to address complaints about safety on the island’s Haleakalā volcano.
Aussie cyclist Lachlan Morton raised over $12,000 for his friend, Kenyan pro cyclist Suleiman “Sule” Kangangi, who was killed in the Vermont Overland gravel race, while setting a provisional record for completing the 530-mile Colorado Trail in 3 days 10 hours and 15 minutes.
The chancellor of the City University of New York is one of us, too, spending his weekend mornings on his bike.
Life is cheap in New Jersey, where carelessly killing a 13-year old kid riding a bicycle is only worth a damn traffic ticket.
Electrek discusses the best ebikes at every price point, starting at just $995 and rising to $6,999.
A London bike theft victim complains the city has to do more to stop the crime, with a bike is stolen even 16 minutes, and just 2.6% of cases resulting in an arrest.
That feeling when you’re not welcome in central London riding a Penney Farthing while dressed in Viking chain mail, complete with traditional Viking weaponry. Apparently bringing up bad memories of the last time the Vikings sacked London in 842.
The manager of the English Premier League’s Manchester United side is also one of us, taking a leisurely ride around Cheshire with his wife after the weekend matches were cancelled following the queen’s death.
That’s more like it. A UK truck driver whose provisional drivers license expired 20 years ago got eight years behind bars for killing bike-riding woman while high on coke.
A British woman recalls riding her bike over an embankment after nearly running over the queen and her corgis, only to find the queen peering over the edge asking if she was alright. The corgis, on the other hand, apparently didn’t give a bark.
A writer for Road Bike Action recommends taking an Irish bike trip back in time.
If you’re going to ride 870 miles from Liège, Belgium to Nice, France in search of a croissant made with “lavender grown on a wide limestone plateau high up in the Côte d’Azur hinterland,” it better be a damn good one.
New Zealand’s Stuff website continues their Better By Bike series with a local transport engineer discussing six myths about bicycling in Christchurch. Virtually all of which you can encounter on a regular basis to disparage bicycling in Los Angeles. The only difference is instead of being told it’s too cold and wet, we’re told it’s too hot and dry.
Remco Evenepoel became the first Belgian to win the Vuelta since 1978, a victory that was all but assured after three-time defending champ Primož Roglič dropped out following a hard crash in stage 16; Evenepoel also avenged his father Patrick, who finished next-to-last in the Vuelta 29 years ago.
Apparently, Evenepoel made the right choice by switching from soccer to cycling.
Belgium celebrated Evenepoel’s victory by illuminating Brussel’s main square in the red color of the Vuelta leader’s jersey.
Et voilà notre magnifique Grand Place aux couleurs de #LaVuelta22 ! Onze prachtige Grote Markt heeft nu de kleuren van #LaVuelta22 ! pic.twitter.com/nWew9cMSf9
— Philippe Close (@PhilippeClose) September 10, 2022
Meanwhile, Roglič blamed Britain’s Fred Wright for the “unacceptable” crash that forced him out of the race after touching wheels.
Evidently, Bollywood stardom doesn’t keep you from having to catch a ride home on a rickshaw after getting a flat on your bike. When you’re fleeing from store security on your bike after shoplifting at J.C. Penney’s, try not to crash into a police cruiser as you make your getaway.
And that feeling when you have to turn around and go back home because the queen died.
Because of the royal period of mourning, you can’t lock your bike to a cycle rack in Norwich. pic.twitter.com/QuFYmUizLj
— Jeremy Hutchinson (@Themightyhutch) September 11, 2022
Thanks to Teotwawki for the link.
………
Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
News broke late Sunday morning that a bike rider had been seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver in Newport Beach.
It was this evening before we learned that the victim didn’t survive.
Although as video from the scene makes clear, he never had a chance.
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding on the 3000 block of Jamboree Road near Camelback Street when he was struck by a driver around 8:30 am.
The driver fled the scene following the crash.
Initial reports suggested that the victim had suffered major injuries, with a watch commander with the Newport Beach Police Department stated his condition was “not real good.”
As it turned out, that was quite an understatement.
Raw video from the scene shows the coroner arriving and removing the victim’s body from a tent alongside the road, making clear he had died at the scene, and was never even taken to a hospital.
A black road bike can be seen lying in the bike lane with a shattered rear wheel, suggesting that the victim had been run down from behind. Meanwhile, the police tent where his body had been secluded sat a couple dozen yards up the road, making it clear he had been hit with significant force.
The posted speed limit on the street is 55 mph, making the crash almost impossible to survive. There is simply no excuse for speeds that high on any surface streets.
Police were looking for a white sedan with a cracked windshield, no make or model given. However, the Orange County Register reports a driver has been detained for questioning, though it was unclear if they have been arrested.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Newport Beach Police Department at 949/644-3681, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855/847-6227.
This is at least the 64th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 15th that I’m aware of in Orange County. That equals the county total for all of 2020, which had been the worst year in recent memory.
It’s also the third fatal bike crash in the county just this month.
Twenty-one of those SoCal deaths have been hit-and-runs.
Note: I’m not embedding the video, since it shows the victim being loaded into the coroner’s van, and his loved ones don’t need to see that.
Update: The Daily Pilot has identified the victim as 43-year old Costa Mesa resident Randon William Cintron. The paper reports a woman was taken into custody two miles away from the crash site; however, she has not been publicly identified.
According to the website 2urbangirls, the alleged driver was found with her car on the 2100 block of Eastbluff Drive near Corona del Mar High School, where she was detained and arrested.
Commenters to this story indicate the crash occurred on the uphill side of Jamboree Road, with no driveways or connecting roads that would justify merging into the separated bike lane.
A crowdfunding campaign has met the $20,000 goal in just one day.
Update 2: The driver has been identified as 36-year old Anaheim resident Adriana Rivera Bernal. She was reportedly high on an undisclosed drug at the time of the crash.
Bernal reportedly has a history of drug abuse, petty theft, ID theft and auto theft, as well as multiple DUIs. She’s being held on $1 million bond on charges of murder and hit-and-run, and faced arraignment Tuesday on two previous Orange County arrests.
Anyone with information is urged to call Newport Beach Police Investigator M. Keyworth at 949/644-3746.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Randon William Cintron and all his loved ones.
Thanks to Oceanside bike lawyer Richard Duquette, Mark Herda, Bill Sellin, Christian and an anonymous source for the heads-up.
A man was killed riding a bicycle in Laguna Hills Friday morning.
And that’s almost all we know right now.
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was struck by a driver near Paseo De Valencia and Alicia Parkway around 10 am.
There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or whether the victim died at the scene or was transported to a hospital.
The driver apparently stopped after the crash, and was questioned by the police.
Unfortunately, that’s all we know at this time.
This is at least the 63rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 14th that I’m aware of in Orange County. That’s more than the county saw for the entire year in 2019 and 2021, and one less than 2020.
And it’s only September.
Update: Bill Sellin forwards a post from the Bicycle Club of Irvine, which identified the victim as 72-year old BCI member Jeff Rosenthal.
Rosenthal was reportedly approaching Alicia Parkway in the westbound bike lane on Paseo de Valencia when he was rear-ended by a motorist, who has not been publicly identified.
He leaves behind his wife of 41 years, as well as an adult son and daughter and their children.
I also received the following email from Ed Rubinstein, Orange County bike lawyer and a longtime friend of this site.
Thank you for your reporting, but I cannot let the rider who was killed remain anonymous. He was my best friend.
I do not have any information on how or why the crash happened, but I do know the wonderful human being whose life was snuffed out too soon. His name was Jeff Rosenthal. He was 72 years old, retired, and he had just celebrated his 41st anniversary with his wife Barbara. Jeff, like me, originally was from Long Island, NY. He was an experienced cyclist who used to ride over 7000 miles per year until he reduced the frequency of his rides slightly as he recently got back into surfing. He rode with the Bicycle Club of Irvine where we met about 10 years ago. He was my best friend, the witness at my wedding and we rode together no less than weekly. Jeff had a quick wit and was always smiling. He was the friend you could always count on to help, but he never wanted to bother others. He was out riding Friday morning. He butt dialed me that morning. He told me he had a flat. and I offered to pick him up as it was hot outside. He said he was almost home, and would call me if he needed any help. I wish he had accepted my offer. I now suspect I was the last person with whom he talked to that day. I am gutted and the world has lost someone precious.
Jeff (right without glasses) and myself in 2019 after riding a self-supported century
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jeff Rosenthal and all his family loved ones.
Thanks to Bill Sellin and Ed Rubinstein for their help.
The wealthy co-founder of the Grossman Burn Center has been ordered to stand trial for murder in the alleged DUI death of two little boys.
Fifty-nine-year old socialite Rebecca Grossman was allegedly speeding at over 70 mph in a 45 mph zone, while driving at just over the legal alcohol limit, when she plowed her SUV into the two boys in a Westlake Village crosswalk two years ago.
The judge refused to drop the murder charges, which stemmed from Grossman’s presumed knowledge that ignoring the speed limit and driving recklessly could result in the death of an innocent person, based on her previous history of speeding violations.
She brutally ran down 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his brother Jacob as they were crossing the street with their family on a skateboard and scooter, respectively, while failing to brake for the children or stop afterwards, until her car shut down a third of a mile away with the air bag deployed.
Grossman is currently free on $2 million bail, and faces 34 years to life if she’s convicted on the murder counts.
Photo from Ekaterina Bolovtsova on Pexels.
………
Get a Metro Bike bikeshare membership for just one buck for the rest of this month.
The 30-Day Metro Bike Share Pass is just $1 this September with promo code BIKESEPTEMBER22! 😱
Enroll today and get rolling with Metro Bike Share.
Sign up online today:
🚴🏽♀️ Regular 30-Day Pass: https://t.co/Du2HfQC6I1
🚴🏼♂️ Reduced Fare 30-Day Pass: https://t.co/kX7uc5yeyE pic.twitter.com/ieRyFZKAnY— Metro Bike (@BikeMetro) September 8, 2022
………
Metro is considering plans for bus-only lanes on Sepulveda Blvd north of Ventura Blvd in the San Fernando Valley, which could be used by people on bicycles, as well.
LA Metro appears to be working on a proposal to put 12 hour bus lanes for Line 234 on Sepulveda Blvd in the San Fernando Valley, between Raven St. and Ventura Blvd (with a small portion on Ventura Blvd in the mornings).https://t.co/LWrp4HBcHm https://t.co/UR5ClwHL2Y pic.twitter.com/BI6cmFW465
— numble (@numble) September 7, 2022
………
As Tolstoy makes clear, it’s never too late to learn to ride a bike.
“I feel that I am entitled to my share of light-heartedness and there is nothing wrong with enjoying one’s self simply, like a boy.”
-Leo Tolstoy, after being teased for learning to ride a bicycle at the age of 67Happy #BicycleBirthday, Leo!#BOTD September 9, 1828 pic.twitter.com/DfCBXpqyuq
— Cool Bike Art 🚴 (@CoolBikeArt1) September 9, 2022
………
Who needs carbon wheels when you can ride wood, instead?
………
Oh, please. A writer for Forbes makes the case for vehicular cycling, without using the term, arguing that protected bike lanes increase risk for people on bicycles, while using Forester as her primary support. Even though the most comprehensive study to date concludes that separated and protected bike lanes are the single biggest factors in improving safety for bike riders in urban environments.
No bias here. A Colorado TV station writes that a Ford pickup fled the scene after killing a bike rider, only mentioning in passing in the body of the story that the truck even had a driver.
No bias here, either. A South African website makes the case for requiring license plates on bicycles, arguing that “reckless cyclists have as much potential to seriously injure or even kill pedestrians” as motorists do. Which is absurd on the face of it, since motorists kill 1.3 million people worldwide each year, while people on bicycles cause a tiny fraction of that.
A British man beat the crap out of a neighbor in a “frenzied attack” that began with a dispute over scuffing the walls of the apartment building’s stairwell by bringing his bike up and down, spattering the victim’s blood over the newly painted hallway.
………
The LACBC will host a fundraising ride and party in the the Arts District November 5th, with tickets starting at $100.
Santa Monica is making Vision Zero safety improvements on a 2.5-mile section of Wilshire Blvd, as well as at Ocean Park and Lincoln, and Olympic and 14th; however, there are no bikeways planned for Wilshire. Dammit.
Caltrans offered an update on the agency’s progress implementing its new Complete Streets policy.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Yucca Valley man for the July hit-and-run that left two men with major injuries when their tandem bike was rear-ended by the suspect’s car; David Alderson is currently being held on $100,000 bond.
Great idea. A nonprofit group repurposed Uber’s abandoned bikeshare ebikes by establishing ebike lending libraries in low-income neighborhoods.
More fallout from that horrible article in The Atlantic that called ebikes monstrosities, as a Streetsblog op-ed says it’s not the ebike that’s a monstrosity, it’s car culture.
An environmental writer makes the case for “right-sizing” delivery trucks by replacing them with cargo bikes, but bizarrely concludes most people shouldn’t get one for their personal use.
Ars Technica says the new Urtopia Carbon ebike is what you get when you try to combine an ebike with an iPad.
220 Triathlon examines the best bicycling trousers for a dry and comfortable ride, none of which are remotely suited for your next tri.
Salem, Oregon’s second attempt at a bikeshare system ended in failure, unable to overcome theft and vandalism problems.
Portland bike riders learn the hard way that a separated bike path is still technically a roadway, after a local raceway directed Indycar fans to drive head-on into the path of bicyclists using it.
Like much of the country, Washington State is going the wrong way, with traffic fatalities rising to a 20-year high in the state, including a 26% increase in bike and pedestrian deaths.
There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole the tandem bike an Ohio special needs boy used to ride with his grandmother.
A half dozen MIT students and recent graduates rode their bikes 3,800 miles from DC to San Francisco, teaching STEM classes to kids along the way.
A columnist for the LA Times considers whether New York’s congestion pricing proposal is fair to lower-income drivers, and proposes banning cars entirely as one option that might be fairer.
A writer for Cycling Tips rides a 17-year old Cannondale for a month to compare how it stacks up to modern technology. Even though a 17-year old isn’t exactly an antique.
Here’s one for your bike bucket list. Or maybe 20, as a European travel insurance comparison site lists the continent’s most Instagrammable bike routes, including this one in Scotland offering challenging climbs and breathtaking scenery.
London’s bikeshare system saw record use this summer, as local residents took advantage of sunny weather to avoid transit strikes and rising fares.
The British woman who got mugged outside a police station when she tried to reclaim her stolen bicycle got it back, thanks to a bighearted scooter shop owner who returned it after buying it off the thief. But her bad luck continued when she had yet another bike stolen in the meantime.
Bianchi has a new flagship road ebike, complete with a more than $5,000 price tag.
Israel is opening a new $7.3 million, 1.3 mile bike tunnel through the Jerusalem mountains, making it the world’s fifth longest.
Incoming Kenya First Lady Racheal Ruto was among the thousands of Kenyons who turned out to pay their respects to Suleiman “Sule” Kangangi, after the influential Black cyclist died in a solo crash during Vermont’s Overland Gravel race.
Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel extended his lead in the Vuelta with another stage victory on Thursday, and is now leading Spain’s Enric Mas by two minutes and seven seconds; don’t waste your time looking for an American in the top 50.
However, Evenepoel raised hackles by refusing to sign a kid’s jersey following Thursday’s stage.
🚴🇪🇸 | Foto! En anders een handtekening! Hier tekenen graag! 🙄🙄 #LaVuelta22
📺 Koers kijk je op discovery+ pic.twitter.com/iJy73PjnG6
— Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) September 7, 2022
Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini overcame a crash to finish second in Thursday’s stage two of the women’s Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, finishing two minutes after Dutch pro Annemiek Van Vleuten.
The Tour of Britain responded to the sudden death of the UK’s Queen Elizabeth by cancelling the remainder of the race, which was set to conclude Sunday on the Isle of Wight, and declaring Spain’s Gonzalo Serrano the winner.
Repeat after me — if you’re carrying meth, weed and drug paraphernalia on your bike, put a damn light on it. That feeling when there’s no place to park your cargo bike.
And in case there was any doubt, yes, Queen Elizabeth was one of us.
Banríon Éilís a Dhó agus a rothar pic.twitter.com/CW6Gb11MXj
— Galway Cycling Campaign (@GalwayCycling) September 8, 2022
Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.
………
Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
Let’s start today by amplifying a message sent by our old friend John Lloyd to the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition.
If you know anyone who lives, attends school, works, or bikes in Sierra Madre please help spread the word that the city has removed a portion of the bike lane on eastbound Sierra Madre Blvd. between Grove and Lima, so they could replace parallel parking with angled parking in front of the public library. Mind you the library has ample parking in a lot behind the building, but it’s a few more steps to the front door. They also already have handicapped parking spaces right in front along the library driveway. The city has replaced the bike lane with sharrows that now require a stressful merge into the travel lane with 35mph traffic when the bike lane abruptly ends, and creates an additional hazard from drivers backing out of the angled parking. This creates a danger for drivers and particularly for cyclists. The city has thus created a hazardous and stressful situation for people on bikes. They have traded safety for a couple of unnecessary parking spaces.
I will be giving public comment and asking the city to RESTORE THE LIBRARY BIKE LANE at next week’s city council meeting. I would love it if folks could help spread the word if you know anyone who cares about this issue. They need to know this isn’t okay. Public comments are at the beginning of the meeting and are limited to 3 min each.
- Where: Sierra Madre City Hall 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.
- When: Tuesday, Sept. 13, 5:30 PM.
By removing the bike lanes, not only has the city increased the risk for people on bicycles, but they’ve also assumed full liability for any bike rider who gets injured there, from this day forward.
Whether or not they intended to.
And I know some damn good lawyers who would be more than happy to make that painfully clear to them.
………
Join Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell to discuss street safety in LA County tomorrow night.
………
The long awaited 7th Street protected bike lanes are finally taking shape in DTLA.
Check out the progress on the 7th Street Improvement Project! Construction of the curb-protected bike lanes is mostly complete between San Pedro and Wall Street. The final project will add cycle tracks and other upgrades to 7th from San Pedro to Figueroa. pic.twitter.com/xW106Ce7ch
— LADOT (@LADOTofficial) September 6, 2022
………
The National Safety Council is kicking off a series of Roadway Safety webinars next Tuesday, starting with the author of There Are No Accidents.
With over 40,000 lives lost each year on U.S. roadways, #RoadwaySafety is a national crisis. Starting on Sept. 13, we will kick off a new webinar series with the first event led by @JessieSingerNYC. Register for the webinar and submit your questions: https://t.co/C5eBs1Qm7n. pic.twitter.com/iZeNug9ePs
— National Safety Council (@NSCsafety) September 7, 2022
………
Legendary Hollywood star Humphrey Bogart was one of us, as he talks with the only actor who could ever upstage him, the equally legendary Lauren Bacall.
Or at least he knew the value of posing with a bike and a beautiful woman for a good publicity photo.
#VintageRiders Publicamos una foto protagonizada por Humphrey Bogart y Lauren Bacall 😁🚲🤗 La estrella de cine mira muy atentamente a su compañera quien luego sería su esposa. ¡Qué viva el amor ❤!
¿Te gustan estas fotos de la época dorada de Hollywood?
(📷 Vizpópuli) pic.twitter.com/3kNYATloll
— bicicletasokan (@bicicletasokan) September 7, 2022
………
A New Orleans city councilmember responds to the usual complaints from motorists about a new protected bike lane by proposing to make it more dangerous, while a representative of the firefighter’s union is apparently unaware that big, heavy firetrucks are capable of driving over flimsy plastic car-tickler bendy posts.
After a cobra bit an Indian man as he was working in the fields, he killed the offending snake by biting it back — then rode his bike home with the dead snake draped over his shoulders.
………
Two men reportedly broke into the Raleigh New Company Store in Santa Monica on Monday, stealing six bicycles and e-mountain bikes retailing for approximately $5,000 each; a day earlier, police arrested a 60-year old man for the theft of multiple ebikes locked together near the beach, including one with the AirTag that led to his capture.
South Bay letter writers argue over ebikes, infrastructure and bicycle education in response to a fallen 13-year old ebike rider, with predictable results — including the mistaken comment that ebikes are motorcycles, and require a drivers license. Only throttle-controlled bikes and ebikes capable of traveling over 28 mph require a motorcycle license and helmet.
A Cardiff man is still looking for answers, 43 years after a bike rider found his murdered twin brother’s lifeless body on the sand at Torrey Pines State Beach, on what would have been their 15th birthday.
Streetsblog says San Jose has lost its way, retreating to victim blaming and shared responsibility in the face of rising traffic deaths, rather than expanding the bold, Dutch-style, quick-build infrastructure the city pioneered just a few years earlier.
Sad news from Northern California, where a mountain biker was found dead 200 feet below the Downieville Downhill Trail outside of Downieville; the victim’s wife had contacted the local sheriff’s department when he didn’t return home from his ride.
NACTO, aka the National Association of City Transportation, calls for reforming bike law to decriminalize urban bicycling, after finding current laws disproportionately punish people of color.
Gear Patrol considers the year’s best gravel bikes.
If you’re having trouble unloading your used Peloton bike, it could be because you’re competing with the company’s own efforts to dump their bikes.
It took less than ten minutes for Denver residents to claim the city’s latest round of ebike rebates, as data shows the program really is replacing some car trips.
A Denver couple learns the hard way that insurance companies may bizarrely conclude that ebikes aren’t bicycles, so they don’t have to pay for them.
There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole a 16-year old autistic Texas boy’s bike, but hats off to the bighearted strangers who bought him a new one.
Kansas City bicyclists feared a section of the city’s Longview Lake loop long before a popular father of ten was killed riding his bike there last month.
A retired nurse was killed by an on-duty Burbank, Illinois cop who ran down her bicycle; the officer was placed on administrative duty while the case is under review.
New York’s Central Park Raccoons gather for impromptu nighttime races on anything with two wheels, ebikes excluded.
Take your gravel bike for a run on the 185-mile long Chesapeake & Ohio Cana pathl through DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
A Mississippi man faces murder charges for shooting his cousin following a heated argument over a fight between their sons about an allegedly stolen bicycle. We’ve said it before — no bicycle is worth taking a life. or losing one.
Tampa Bay bicyclists say the local infrastructure may not be great, but it could be worse.
An Ontario, Canada First Nation man faces multiple charges in the alleged DUI death of two women as they were riding their bikes on the first nation this past June.
The World Wide Web Foundation is hosting a two-part ride from Oxford, England to CERN in Geneva to raise funds and call attention to their mission to make the internet safe, trusted and empowering for everyone, with the first three-day stage from Oxford to Paris this week; you can donate here. Thanks to Glenn Crider for the heads-up.
A Dutch expat was acquitted of killing a 56-year old pedestrian in the UK after he asked the court why bike riders couldn’t ride 30 mph if drivers are allowed to, concluding that the 23 mph he was actually riding at was an appropriate speed.
Olympic track cycling gold medalist Katie Archibald paid an emotional tribute to her partner Rob Wardell, as the 36-year old Scottish mountain bike champ was laid to rest following his fatal heart attack last month.
Colombian Rigoberto Urán claimed Wednesday’s stage 17 of the Vuelta, while Remco Evenepoel was virtually assured of victory when three-time defending champ Primož Roglič withdrew following his hard crash near the finish line of Tuesday’s stage.
Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini jumped to an early 23 second lead in the five stage Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta after the opening time trial, with Demi Vollering and Annemiek van Vleuten close behind.
Cycling News introduces New Zealand’s Corbin Strong, calling the neo-pro the surprise leader of the Tour of Britain.
There’s more than one way to cheat, as a 73-year old man was busted for motor doping at a French hillclimb; officials became suspicious when he finished just three minutes behind his much younger competitors.
VeloNews talks with gravel champ and freshman race director Amanda Nauman as she prepares to launch the inaugural Mammoth Tuff in California’s Eastern Sierras next weekend.
Your kid’s next balance bike could be sculpted from wood, with an uncomfortable looking bench for a seat. That feeling when Stupid Bike Night isn’t, but it is intentionally weird.
And using your bicycle to break down the door of a mom and pop smoke shop is not an approved use for it.
Then again, ripping your arm open crawling inside isn’t the best idea, either.
………
Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
Life is cheap in Arizona.
And justice is slow.
According to a Facebook post, Annaleah Dominguez is just now facing sentencing for the stoned-driving death of former Big Orange Cycling club member Rob Dollar outside Phoenix AZ in 2017.
Yes, it’s taken five long years for the Orange County expat to see justice. Dollar had just moved to Gilbert in the weeks prior to the crash, and was in the process of forming an Arizona chapter of the bike club.
He was riding down South Mountain south of the city on October 29th when he was run down by then-19-year old Dominguez, who was reportedly passing another rider on the uphill side as she rounded a curve, and hit Dollar head-on.
He died at the scene. He was just 36.
Police investigators found cannabis outside the car, which Dominguez and her passengers had allegedly discarded after the crash. She reportedly admitted to drinking and smoking weed prior to the Sunday morning collision.
She now faces just one year to three and a half years for negligent homicide in an apparent plea bargain, since there’s no record online of a conviction or guilty plea.
She deserves to serve the max.
Eric Arentsen
13h
ROB DOLLAR
Big Orange member, Rob Dollar, was killed almost five years ago. An impaired driver crossed a double yellow line and took Rob’s life in a head-on accident as he was riding his bike. We encourage those that knew Rob to send a note to the Probation Officer encouraging the stiffest sentence possible. The driver is facing 1 to 3 ½ years in jail for negligent homicide. We hope you will make your voices heard at the sentencing by sending a note today.
Send your email to Diane.Knuepfer@jbazmc.maricopa.gov by September 28 with your thoughts about the sentence and how Rob’s death has impacted your life. Here are some bullet points to get you thinking:
- How has Rob’s death impacted you? Please build on what Rob meant to you and the community.
- How has the crime (guilty of negligent homicide) affected your life? If you are a cyclist, have you changed where you ride or how you ride?
- What are your thoughts regarding the sentence the court should impose on the defendant?
Deadline is Sept 28.
As Jon suggests below, three and a half years doesn’t begin to address the severity of the crime, or the enormity of the loss to Dollar’s friends and family.
Even if it is all she can get in this case.
@bikinginla the wheels of jjustice turn slowly https://t.co/yK9kriPNsS and you may remember the case https://t.co/r7MVMJF9i0 – am just going to say a maximum of 3.5 years for this homicide is not nearly enough
— Jon (@joninsocal) September 6, 2022
Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels.
………
Aussie pro Lachlan Morton is riding the 530-mile Colorado Trail in memory of his friend, Kenyan cyclist Suleiman “Sule” Kangangi.
As you’ll recall, Kangangi was killed in a tragic fall ago during Vermont Overland gravel race just ten days ago.
Morton has already raised an additional $7,000 for Kangangi’s wife and children over the $70,000 raised by the crowdfunding campaign before he started his ride Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, Kenyan Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed credits a conversation with Kangangi for her own keen interest in bicycling, and the country’s potential to develop into a cycling powerhouse.
………
Planning efforts are still ongoing to improve safety in Griffith Park, in addition to the recent closure of Griffith Park Drive.
Join us this Thursday 9/8 @ 6:30 PM to see what's ahead in our improvements for Griffith Park! 🌟
Learn about latest work in the ongoing Griffith Park Safety & Mobility study, with presentation boards and staff Q&A.
RSVP: https://t.co/djLrqv052r pic.twitter.com/9qefKt29Ue
— Councilmember Nithya Raman (@cd4losangeles) September 6, 2022
………
Not only is NBA star Kevin Love one of us, he appears to be riding the ebike/sidecar combo we mentioned yesterday, with his dog safely in the passenger seat.
Born on this day, September 7, 1988:
Kevin Love, basketball star, shown here going on an ebike ride with his dog.
Happy #BicycleBirthday, Kevin!#BOTD pic.twitter.com/NbAbanscVR— Cool Bike Art 🚴 (@CoolBikeArt1) September 7, 2022
………
Virginia Beach VA is ripping out a pilot bike lane after a single year, even though it was the most popular part of the city’s popup safety project.
A Manchester, England bike rider is on trial for killing a 56-year old pedestrian, who died eight days after the rider allegedly ran a red light while wearing headphones.
………
At last, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is giving us enough notice of a planned bike and pedestrian safety operation to make a difference, with the crackdown scheduled for September 15th in West Hollywood. The usual protocol applies — ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limit line, so you’re not the one who gets ticketed. Or just avoid WeHo altogether that day.
Smart Cities Dive offers more details on California’s new $1,000 tax credit for carless low income households.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is visiting San Francisco to put a spotlight on bicycling, among other issues; she’ll travel to Texas later in the week.
A writer for Adventure Journal compares ebikes to snowboards, arguing that any controversy seems to stem from a fear of change, combined with a little arrogance and jealousy.
Cycling Weekly insists ebikes are the future of transportation, despite their current status as an oddity in the land of the automobile.
Cycling News offers tips on how to increase the resale value of your bike.
A veteran bikepacker is attempting to be the first person to ride the entire 5,900-mile Eastern Divide Trail, billed as the world’s longest offroad trail. As usual, read it on Yahoo if Bicycling blocks you.
Um, no. A Las Vegas paper bizarrely reports that “police suspect (a bike rider) was hit by a car” Tuesday morning, critically injuring the victim. Except there’s no suspicion about it. They the driver was operating the car that hit the victim — even though they fail to mention that the car even had one.
Baphomet Bicycles framebuilder Dillen Maurer lost a foot in a collision with an ATV rider while riding his bicycle near his Taos, New Mexico home over the long weekend; his left foot was somehow severed a few inches over the ankle.
A Denver columnist asks if people can live with ebikes on Colorado bike trails.
As usual, low-income neighborhoods populated by people of color get ignored by city officials, as residents of Chicago’s Far South Side complain about a lack of any bike infrastructure, let alone the protected bike lanes they want and need.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a major expansion of the city’s bike lane network, with a goal of putting half of Boston’s population within in three-minute walk of a protected bike lane in just three years — although the initial expansion calls for just 9.4 miles of new bike lanes in the next year.
A Virginia letter writer questions the need for a local bike lane, saying he just returned from Paris where he saw hundreds of bicyclists, but very few bike lanes. Evidently, he also missed the news about the major expansion of separated bike lanes in the City of Lights, with plans to make the entire city 100% rideable.
A contentious London bikeway is exceeding expectations with ridership up 37% over 2019, despite the dire predictions of an anti-bike lane counselor. Meanwhile, London will make a trio of separated, pandemic popup bike lanes permanent.
A new study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that regular exercise can help keep you from getting infected with Covid, and reduce the severity if you do get it. Once again, read it on Yahoo if Bicycling blocks you.
Bicycling continues to grow more popular in Belgium’s Flanders region, though the increase in ridership is also accompanied by a jump in bicycling injuries.
A Welsh cycling club discovered the high cost of Brexit when they arrived in Spain for a 600-mile fundraising ride to battle prostate cancer, and were hit with over $8,400 in customs tariffs for their bikes.
King Oyo of Tooro is one of us. King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the reigning Omukama of the Bantu kingdom of Tooro in Uganda, rode a section of the kingdom’s bike race with the peloton to start the competition.
A Kiwi longtail bike commuter complains about the abuse she faces from drivers on a daily basis.
Defending Vuelta champ Primož Roglič’s bold effort to reclaim the red leader’s jersey suffered a setback when he fell hard just 300 yards from the finish, as Mads Pedersen took the win in Tuesday’s stage 16; Although Roglič somehow gained eight seconds anyway, and now trails leader Remco Evenepoel by one minute 26 seconds.
Giro winner Jai Hindley nears the end of the Vuelta in tenth place, despite never seriously contending for the red jersey.
Cycling Weekly considers five things they learned from Tuesday’s Vuelta stage, including that Roglič is down, but he may not be out. Although the first test is whether he can even make Wednesday’s start.
That feeling when Piglet, Eeyore and Pooh come out to cheer on the peloton, along with some random monkey.
🤪 @OutOfCycling #LaVuelta22 pic.twitter.com/VQiPVOGYkD
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) September 6, 2022
Getting down with bike disco. That feeling when your Strava data reveals the location of top secret military bases.
And when you bust out of jail, and refuse to go back unless they let you ride a bike.
A monkey escaped from the Kharkiv Zoo today 🐵
The zoo employee had to catch and persuade the animal to return home for a long time.
As a result, the monkey froze and agreed only for a warm jacket. She was returned to the zoo on a bicycle.
The news we deserve pic.twitter.com/fmpLcBMwRE— Ukrainian News24 (@UkrainianNews24) September 5, 2022
Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.
………
Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
One quick personal note before we get started.
You may recall an LA Times story from a couple years ago about how my wife and I took in a foster corgi for a homeless man for a few weeks after our corgi died, so he could get into a shelter and get back on his feet.
Those few weeks turned into nearly six months. But in the process, that little dog helped heal three lives.
Sadly, the corgi — whose owner asked us to keep his name private — died on Friday, after suffering from cancer and doggie dementia.
He was 15 years old.
………
SoCal bike writer Peter Flax was the victim of a right hook by a driver who cut in front of him after passing, then claimed he “came out of nowhere;” turning so close Flax actually brushed his shoulder against the moving SUV.
Which serves as yet another reminder that, in the entire history of cars and bikes, no one on a bicycle has ever come out of nowhere. Though it may sometime seems that way to careless and/or distracted drivers.
Click on the tweets below to read the whole thread.
I was very glad that another rider was 20 yards behind me and saw it. The driver initially claimed that I recklessly came out of nowhere and rode into his SUV. But then the other cyclist said no, you passed the rider and then 5 seconds later took a hard right without signaling.
— Peter Flax (@Pflax1) September 1, 2022
………
Streets For All will host their latest virtual Happy Hour a week from tomorrow, featuring my state assembly member.
Although probably not just because he’s my assembly member.
………
Your periodic reminder that bike advertising was so much better back in the day.
It's that time of year again…
ca. 1929 pic.twitter.com/EsxjVjmkbK— Cool Bike Art 🚴 (@CoolBikeArt1) September 4, 2022
Atlas Cycles, Sonepat (New Delhi)
ca. 1950s pic.twitter.com/yMNnjTMF64— Cool Bike Art 🚴 (@CoolBikeArt1) September 4, 2022
………
No bias here. A writer for Vice responds to last week’s anti-ebike screed in The Atlantic by saying the lack of appropriate infrastructure for ebikes is making bicycling worse, and that we have an ebike problem that more ebikes won’t solve.
A DC bike rider was hit in the face with a metal water bottle thrown by a road raging driver, who then reversed into him and tried to run him over; fortunately, he escaped with a few bruises.
Former Canadian pro cyclist Marcel Zierfuss was the victim of a road raging driver in Toronto’s contentious High Park; the man started by driving erratically and swearing about entitled cyclists, before swerving towards Zierfuss and finally brake-checking him, leaving Zierfuss with a serious concussion, nose injury and whiplash. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.
An English city painted over a previously existing bike lane because drivers couldn’t manage to avoid a new pedestrian island without swerving into it.
Houston police are looking for a man who fled by bicycle after fatally shooting another man following an altercation outside a convenience store.
A bike-riding thief punched a student walking on an Illinois university campus before making off with the victim’s cellphone.
A 20-year old British man fled from police on his bike after showing up late for a court hearing, then hurling abuse at social workers.
………
Long Beach bike riders enjoyed a tour of new murals painted over the weekend as part of The Long Beach Walls and Art Renzei Festival.
No news is good news, right?
Tour de Fat is back in my Colorado hometown after a two-year pandemic layoff.
A Colorado man got 16 years behind bars for his part in an organized bike theft ring that used stolen cars to break into 29 Boulder area bike shops, then shipping the stolen bikes to a Mexican bike shop for resale.
The Chicago Tribune offers photos from Sunday’s Bike the Drive open streets event on the city’s iconic Lake Shore Drive; a growing number of those riders were using ebikes.
Five kids from the Cleveland Boys & Girls Club hopped on new loaner bikes to help a videographer with the local paper finish the last three-tenths of a mile of his century ride — then are shocked when they get to keep the bikes, along with other gear.
They’re one of us. Or maybe four of us, as Kate Hudson and her fiancé Danny Fujikawa, and Sophie Turner and husband Joe Jonas go for separate bike rides in New York.
This is why people keep dying on our streets. After a Pennsylvania driver drifted onto the shoulder of a roadway, critically injuring a 61-year old bike rider, police gave him a pat on the wrist by writing a pair of traffic tickets. As someone noted on Twitter, that could cost the driver tens of dollars.
Hundreds of DC area bike riders turned out to honor a fallen bicyclist at her ghost bike ceremony; the veteran diplomat was killed by a driver while riding in Bethesda, Maryland last month.
A new book details the world’s largest collection of bicycle derailleurs.
Smart bike helmet maker Lumos has introduced a set of magnetic bike lights that can display red, white and yellow lights, which combine with an app to work as turn signals and brake lights; there’s still a few left at two for $65.
Wired likes Skarper’s new ebike conversion prototype, but questions why someone wouldn’t just buy an entire ebike for the $1,190 price tag. Although we’re getting closer to the Holy Grail of conversion kits, where they’re small enough to toss in a backpack and just clip on as needed.
Hats off to a four-year old Welsh girl, who has raised the equivalent of over $1,100 by riding her bicycle 93 miles over the past six weeks.
Once again, authorities managed to keep an elderly driver on the road until it’s too late, after a 70-year old English man was killed when he was run down on his bike by an 82-year old driver with failing eyesight, who couldn’t manage to read a license plate from ten yards away.
After a Bristol, England woman’s bikes were stolen, she spotted one of them when she went to the police station to file a report — and was mugged by the thief when she tried to reclaim it, even though they were right outside the doors of the cop shop.
Then there’s the Lancaster, England thief who denied stealing a bicycle when he was questioned by the police , but they saw him riding the purloined two wheeler the next day. Oops.
A UK woman says she made her two kids stop riding their bikes after it got too dangerous when officials started removing the pandemic popup bike infrastructure; a British bike advocacy group blames the removal of those bikeways for a drop in bicycling rates.
Good news, as Welsh decathlete Ben Gregory is breathing on his own and slowly coming out of a coma after suffering a fractured neck and skull, and multiple brain hemorrhages when he was struck by a driver in a near-fatal collision while riding his bicycle last month.
No bias here. Stuff says the data is inconclusive on whether Christchurch’s protected bike lanes are improving safety, with four of 13 planned major bikeways in operation — except the data is only inconclusive because it’s based on the entire city, with no specific safety information for the new bike lanes themselves. The website also asks why Christchurch lost its position as New Zealand’s bicycling city, where bikes outnumbered cars on the streets as late as the 1950s.
A drunk driver in Hunan, China could face a charge of intentional murder or injury for the hit-and-run crash where she ran down an ebike rider, then dragged the victim for more than one thousand yards after her clothes got caught on the car’s bumper. We could use a law like that here.
Veteran Belgian cyclist Sep Vanmarcke won Baltimore’s inaugural Maryland Bicycle Classic, out-sprinting four other riders who survived a lengthy breakaway; more than 50,000 spectators turned out for a brief glimpse of the riders zooming by, with downhill speeds of up to 45 mph.
Things are getting more interesting in the Vuelta, where Remco Evenepoel is holding on to the red leader’s jersey by one minute 34 seconds over second place Primož Roglič, after the three-time winner shaved over a minute off Evenepoel’s lead in Sunday’s 15th stage.
Now you, too, can own your very own replica of Tadej Pogačar’s Tour de France-winning yellow Colnago V3Rs signed by the cyclist; the current bid is the equivalent of just over $550,000 — yes, over half a million bucks — with the proceeds going to a nonprofit that provides access to education for vulnerable children. Did I mention it’s a replica?
This is what a photo finish looked like in Monday’s Tour of Britain.
Some way to claim your first win of the season!
Congratulations, @ceesbol1995 🏆#TourOfBritain 🔴🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/SyQLOWAeda
— AJ Bell Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 5, 2022
Oddly, advice on how to treat common bike injuries doesn’t involve wrenches, spokes of bike lube. Seriously, who doesn’t need a 153-pound ebike with a sidecar?
And that feeling when a man decides to take up bicycling after a judge bans him from driving for the next year for driving while high.
Even though he couldn’t legally drive in the first place.
………
Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
Ghost bikes come in children’s sizes, too.
We mentioned Friday that an eight-year old boy was seriously injured when he was struck by a pickup driver in Coto de Caza Thursday morning.
Now we’ve learned that the boy was taken off life support Saturday afternoon.
Eight-year old Bradley Rofer was walking his bicycle through a crosswalk on his way to school, with members of his family watching, when he was run down at 7:25 am.
He was rushed to Mission Hospital, where he underwent surgery.
Bradley was crossing Coto de Caza Drive at Oso Parkway when he was struck by the driver of an older Ford 150 pickup turning left from Oso onto Coto de Caza; it was his first day riding his bike to school.
This is how The Orange County Register described it.
It was supposed to be a fun day — Bradley was going to ride his bike to school for the first time. He’d learned proper bike safety rules and would be wearing a helmet. His family would be watching and cheering him on. He was ready.
Eight-year-old Bradley Rofer was used to impressing people in his Coto de Caza neighborhood. Riding his bike solo, starting a business that raised money for children with cancer, reading a 300-page plus Harry Potter book at age 7 — those were normal things for the Wagon Wheel Elementary School student.
According to his mother, Bradley was doing everything right when he was hit, including wearing his bike helmet, which firefighters initially credited with preventing more serious injuries.
The driver, identified only as a 53-year old Tustin man, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. There’s no word on why he couldn’t see a boy walking his bike in a clearly marked crosswalk.
There was no crossing guard at the site when Bradley was struck, 20 minutes before children were expected at the school.
His mother broke the news on Facebook.
A crowdfunding campaign to assist with funeral costs and other expenses has raised over $23,000 of the $40,000 goal.
This is at least the 62nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 13th that I’m aware of in Orange County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Bradley Rofer and all his family and loved ones.
Thanks to William Sellin for the heads-up.
