Morning Links: It’s bike video Friday — lo-fi Birds remake, Rapha Rides LA, and how not to win friends on a bike

September 1, 2017 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: It’s bike video Friday — lo-fi Birds remake, Rapha Rides LA, and how not to win friends on a bike

Let’s start off with handful of bike videos to get your holiday weekend going.

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Bike video #1: I’m all for lo-fi cinema, but this low budget remake of The Birds can’t match the original.

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Bike video #2: Rapha rides Los Angeles with artist and designer, Geoff McFetridge.

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Bike video #3: This is probably not the best way to win friends and influence people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw_WRKZoaao

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Bike video #4: It was Ridiculous Day at Thursday’s Stage 12 of the Vuelta, where Maxim Belkov was shoved off his bike by a spectator, going over the barriers and into a ditch.

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Bike video #5: A policeman guarding the Vuelta route apparently shoved a fan into a Shimano race moto, causing the rider to crash.

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In today’s mostly spoiler-free Vuelta update, the race leader was vertically challenged during Thursday’s stage 12.

The team bus belonging to Ireland’s Team Aqua Blue Sport went up in flames before the 12th stage when someone shoved a mattress under the bus and lit it on fire; fortunately, no one was in the bus at the time.

Kiwi cyclist George Bennett pulled out of the Vuelta after struggling with the same virus that made him drop out of the Tour de France six weeks earlier.

Former Senator, Secretary of State and presidential candidate John Kerry has been working the phones to find a new sponsor for the Cannondale-Drapac cycling team.

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Local

Great piece in The Argonaut about the weekly Venice Electric Light Parade, where people on colorfully lighted bikes ride through Santa Monica, Venice and Marina del Rey. Thanks to Audrey Kopp for the heads-up.

KCRW’s Frances Anderton responds to critics of the station’s piece on the anger over road diets in Playa del Rey.

CiclaValley gets dirty on the way to the Mount Baldy ski lodge.

Helen’s Cycles hosts a pair of group rides tomorrow, along with another in Arcadia next weekend.

The LACBC hosts their monthly Sunday Funday ride this Sunday, with a slow, family friendly ride from Gilbert Lindsay Park to the Washington Blue Line Station.

 

State

Santa Ana has opened a 1.1 mile network of bike lanes and sharrows connecting the south side of the city to the downtown area; the project was funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Partnerships to Improve Community Health program.

More than 11,000 people have signed a petition demanding that homeless camps be removed from the multi-use Santa Ana River Trail. Evidently, living on it is not one of the approved uses.

An apparent Bakersfield bike thief was killed in a collision with a flatbed truck moments after making off with a bicycle when the owner left it unlocked outside a convenience store.

The district attorney in San Luis Obispo County will attempt to try a 17-year old girl as an adult after the collision that killed a bike-riding Cal Poly student; she could face felony vehicular manslaughter, DUI and hit-and-run charges. The victim was a graduate of Murietta’s Mesa High School.

Santa Cruz has completed the final segment of a five-mile bike and pedestrian pathway along the San Lorenzo River.

The city manager of Daly City believes trash cans belong in the bike lane, in clear violation of CVC 21211(b).

These are the people we share the roads with. A San Francisco driver ran a red light and struck several vehicles, some parking meters, a tree and at least eight pedestrians; fortunately, no one was seriously injured. Should we really be surprised that no arrest has been made?

More sad news from the northern part of the state, where a man in his 50s was killed while riding his bicycle in south Sacramento County.

 

National

Streetsblog sums up the Governors Highway Safety Association report we discussed yesterday by saying the transportation establishment is finally beginning to understand bicycling.

Now your Oakleys can protect your skull, as well as wrapping points south.

A Madison WI program is working to get more Spanish-speaking immigrants out on their bikes.

After recording a series of bicyclists crash on the railroad tracks outside his window, a University of Tennessee civil engineering professor solves the problem by discovering that riders wheels won’t get caught if they cross at a 60 degree angle.

Pittsburgh got its first bicycle traffic signal to improve a dangerous intersection in the city’s Oakland neighborhood.

The New York Post explains how a bike delivery guy who was new to the city followed his Uber GPS to illegally ride the Lincoln tunnel, but still arrived in New Jersey in one piece.

The Washington Post looks at how China is exporting its dockless bikeshare revolution to the world.

A DC bike shop replaces an in-house coffee shop with a gourmet vegetarian taco stand. But no burritos, due to a non-compete clause with a nearby Chipotle.

Virginia police bust a wanted sex offender who’s been on the run for three years after he popped a tire trying to make his getaway by bike.

 

International

Five Vancouver rides to add to your bike bucket list.

A Canadian man was egged as he was riding his bike, the second time in two years he’s had food thrown at him.

You know you’ve got a problem when the roads are too dangerous for a former world and Olympic champion cyclist; Britain’s Chris Boardman says he won’t ride on the country’s streets, preferring to only ride offroad.

Apparently, even walking your bike home under the influence is against the law in the UK.

An Irish bike commuter says he’s acutely aware of the dangers of his 20 mile ride each way to and from work.

 

Finally…

When Lance Armstrong gives you a bike, you need to “lock your shit up” — especially if you’re the sheriff. Now you can have junk in your trunk on your next bike ride.

And as long as you’re riding behind the Google Maps car, you might as well bust a move.

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Unless there’s breaking news, we’ll be taking the holiday weekend off. (And you can sign up for email alerts over there on the right column to make sure you don’t miss anything, just in case.)

Get out there and ride, but be careful in the heat; if possible, limit your riding to the cooler hours of the day, and drink more than you think you need.

And that remember three-day weekends and the start of college football season bring more drunks out on the roads. So ride defensively and watch out for careless and distracted drivers, because they’re not watching out for you.

We’ll see you back bright and early on Tuesday.

 

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

Update: Bike rider killed when suspended driver veers into Oceanside bike lane

August 31, 2017 / / 7 comments

And then there were two.

Less than two hours after a man was killed riding his bike in Long Beach, another man was killed while riding on an Oceanside highway.

According multiple, mostly identical reports, the victim was struck from behind while he was riding west on State Route 76 east of Melrose Drive around 11 am.

Oceanside police were unable to revive him at the scene, and he died after being airlifted to an Escondido medical center.

He has not been publicly identified at this time.

The 25-year old driver reportedly veered into the bike lane where the victim was riding. He was arrested at the scene on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant, as well as driving with a suspended license.

A satellite view shows three through lanes on westbound SR-71, with a double left turn lane, right turn lans and a bike lane. There’s no protection for the bike lane, which runs between the right through lane and the right turn lane, despite the apparent 55 mph speed limit.

Anyone with information is urge to call OPD officer David Paul at 760/435-4431 or Sgt. Rick Davis at 760/435-4906.

This is the 38th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third in San Diego County. It’s also the second in Oceanside this year.

Update: The victim has been identified as 70-year old Wildomar resident Paul Cornish.

Update 2: It was later discovered that the driver, Felix Ruizbazan, was driving a stolen car. 

Update 3: Twenty-six-year old Felix Ruiz Bazan pled guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated; in addition to driving a stolen car without a license, Bazan was high on meth at the time of the crash.

He faces ten years behind bars when he’s sentenced.

Meanwhile, Cornish once held the record for the fastest crossing of the US by bicycle, which eventually led to the creation of the Race Across America (RAAM).

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Paul Cornish and his loved ones.

 

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

Update: Bike rider killed in North Long Beach collision; 17th rider killed in Los Angeles County this year

August 31, 2017 / / 2 comments

The Press-Telegram is reporting that a bike rider was killed in North Long Beach this morning.

According to the paper, the victim was struck by a car Downey Ave at La Jara Street around 9:45 am.

The rider, who has not been publicly identified, reportedly turned onto the street diagonally, putting him directly into the path of the oncoming car.

A police spokesperson says the victim saw the car at the last moment, but was struck as both he and the driver tried to avoid the crash.

He died at the scene.

A street view shows two lanes in each direction on Downey with a center left turn lane, and a parallel access road on either side.

It’s unclear where the rider would have entered the road at a diagonal angle. It’s possible he may have come off a side street intending to turn at La Jara, or vice versa, but that is just speculation.

It’s also questionable why he wouldn’t have seen the driver, since Downey offers an unobstructed view in both directions. As well as who told police he tried to avoid the crash after seeing the driver at the last minute.

It’s impossible to know what he may have seen and when, since he’s unable to give his side of the story. Or just what his actions were as a result unless they were observed by independent witnesses.

This is the 37th bicycling fatality in Southern California, and the 17th in Los Angeles County this year. And it’s at least the 13th bicycling death in Long Beach since 2010.

Update: The Press-Telegram has identified the victim as 54-year old Long Beach resident John Anthony Holland.

According to the paper, Holland was struck while riding northwest across northbound Downey Ave between Hedda and La Jara streets.

The driver reportedly moved into the right lane to avoid Holland at the same time Holland made a U-turn to his right, putting him directly into the path of the car.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for John Anthony Holland and his loved ones. 

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

Morning Links: Governors Highway Safety Assoc. study looks at bike safety — and gets it right for a change

August 31, 2017 / / 4 comments

Last week, we mentioned a study from the Governors Highway Safety Association indicating that bicycling fatalities had spiked 12.2% in 2015.

Now the Governors group has released their full report on bicycle safety.

The new study, A Right to the Road: Understanding & Addressing Bicyclist Safety, offers an in-depth examination of both the causes and possible solutions to the problems facing bike riders in the US.

And for the most part, seems to get it right.

Starting with a title that establishes our unquestioned right to the road right off the bat.

Admittedly, I haven’t gotten very far into the Governors study yet, making it only through only about a third of the report’s 75 pages.

But unlike some of their previous efforts, the GHSA attempts to put the facts — or at least, more of the facts — in context, noting that the jump in fatalities could be due in part to an increase in ridership.

Why hasn’t the percentage of bicyclists killed on U.S. roadways decreased? The simplest explanation may be the lack of protection afforded to bicyclists and the difference in mass when they collide with a motor vehicle. This results in asymmetric risk – bicyclists are likely to sustain a serious injury; the vehicle occupants are not (Ragland as cited in Williams, 2014). Also, noteworthy is the impact weather can have on bicycling. A mild winter, for example, can change bicycling patterns, resulting in increased exposure risk from motor vehicle crashes. Another factor is the economy – more traffic fatalities tend to occur with low unemployment and low gas prices (NHTSA, 2016).

Changes in exposure may also be due to the increase in popularity of bicycling because of its health and environmental benefits. It is estimated that 34 percent of Americans (103.7 million) three years of age and older rode a bicycle in the past year (Breakaway Research Group, 2015). While most rode for recreational purposes, bicycle commuting is also increasing, although the U.S. continues to lag behind other countries in the percentage of people who commute by bike (McKenzie as cited in Williams, 2014). Even so, according to the latest U.S. bicycling and walking benchmarking report, the percentage of adults biking to work has increased from 0.4% in 2005 to in 0.6% in 2013. The increase is more significant in large cities, which saw commuting by bicycle increase from 0.7% to 1.2% during this same time period (Alliance for Biking & Walking [ABW], 2016).

Bike share programs are also helping to spur the growth in U.S. cycling, as the number of systems has increased from four in 2010 to 55 in 2016, with users logging 88 million trips over the past six years. In 2016 alone, bike share riders took over 28 million trips; that is equivalent to Amtrak’s annual ridership and tops visits in a single year to Walt Disney World (National Association of City Transportation Officials [NACTO], 2016a). Despite this unprecedented growth, it is important to note that there have been only two deaths associated with bike share programs.

Although I once again have to object to their lack of nuance regarding helmet use, which fails to take into account the limitations of bike helmets, or whether collisions that resulted in head injuries could have been survivable with one.

Or that the best way to protect yourself is to avoid crashes and falls to begin with.*

The value of wearing a bicycle helmet cannot be overstated, since in a majority of bicyclist deaths the most serious injuries are head- related (Sacks et al., as cited in IIHS, 2016). Helmets are estimated to reduce the risk of head injury by 50 percent, and head, face or neck injury by slightly more than 33 percent (Sacks et. al, as cited in IIHS, 2016). However, a 2012 national survey of adults found that slightly more than half reported never wearing a helmet (Schroeder & Wilbur, 2013).

It’s also surprisingly progressive in places, like this section on where to ride.

Where a bicyclist may ride has been debated by roadway users and elected officials for decades. Where to ride laws generally tell bicyclists where they should position themselves on the road, which in most states is typically as far to the right as practicable.

The challenge comes with defining practicable, which likely means different things to a cyclist, a motorist and a law enforcement official. The LAB notes that “what is practicable is often context sensitive based upon road and traffic conditions” and therefore “recommends that cyclists ride in the right third of the lane with traffic” (2017).

Safety should be the primary focus when it comes to where a bicyclist rides in the roadway. To that end, Colorado’s law states that a bicyclist should ride “far enough to the right as judged safe by the bicyclist to facilitate the movement of…overtaking vehicles” (LAB, 2017). The language strikes a balance between a cyclist’s safety and the efficient movement of traffic.

That progressiveness continues into their their recommended action steps for state officials, ranging from educating policy makers about Complete Streets to developing ebike policies and legalizing speed and red light cameras.

We could all benefit if most, if not all, of the Governors recommendations are carried out. Whether you choose to travel by two feet, two wheels or four.

Let’s just hope the people responsible for making those decisions read it, too.

*Just to be clear, I always wear a helmet when I ride. But they should always be considered the last line of defense when all else fails.

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Once again, the rain in Spain failed to remain on the plain, as riders slogged through the 11th stage of the Vuelta; Cycling Weekly offers video highlights of the race.

How to change your shoe mid-race.

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Local

KCRW’s Design and Architecture program discusses the over-the-top rage over the lane reductions in Playa del Rey, while saying they only saw three bicyclists using the bike lanes over a one hour period. However, it would have been nice if someone had pointed out that the lanes were removed to slow traffic, not make room for bike lanes; it shouldn’t be up to us to make LADOT’s arguments for them.

Bike SGV will be providing a free bike valet at UCLA’s season opener at the Rose Bowl this weekend.

The recently closed Coates Cyclery in Pomona is officially no more, as its landmark sign was replaced with one for the pet hotel that’s taken its place. Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

Santa Clarita deputies ticketed 45 drivers in Wednesday’s bike and pedestrian safety enforcement operation; no bicyclists or pedestrians received tickets.

After a decade of discussion, Long Beach is moving forward with planes for a 9.5 mile bicycle boulevard connecting North Long Beach with downtown and the shore.

 

State

Caltrans hired Jeanie Ward Waller, the former Calbike policy director, to head its new Sustainability Program. Which seems like a contradiction in terms for the department responsible for California’s unsustainable highway system.

A new bike and pedestrian safety project designed to improve safety for San Clemente students promises to make things a lot worse before they get better.

San Diego opened a one-mile protected bike lane connecting the Mission Valley and Mid-City neighborhoods.

Police in San Diego are looking for a bank robber who fled the scene by bicycle.

A Thousand Oaks resident says wait just a minute to plans for a bike lane through Potrero Valley, insisting it’s too high a cost for something that will only be used by recreational cyclists. Which is a common argument against bike lanes, based on nothing more than the writer’s own groundless prejudices.

Sad news from San Luis Obispo, where a 22-year old student at Cal Poly was killed in a hit-and-run while riding near his home; a 17-year old girl was arrested later, admitting to police she’d been drinking before the crash.

The hit-and-run driver accused of killing the top lawyer for UC Berkeley as he paused on a bike ride has a reputation for public drunkenness, though too much time had passed before his arrest to test him following the crash.

 

National

Slate says security bollards are the best defense against using motor vehicles as weapons, while helping to make cities more livable; an Op-Ed in the New York Times says expanded, smartly designed pedestrian areas will help reduce the danger, as well. Both could help improve safety on Hollywood Blvd and the area around the Chinese Theater and the Hollywood & Highland shopping plaza, which remain dangerously vulnerable to an automotive terrorist attack.

Good question. Streetsblog asks why automakers are allowed to sell cars that can go faster than 100 mph, exceeding the speed limit anywhere in the US. Judging by their ads, car makers go far beyond enabling speeding to actually encouraging dangerously aggressive driving.

A Bicycle Times Op-Ed says don’t be part of the problem by breaking the law on your bike, because everyone is watching. And judging.

A HuffPo writer heads to her local bike shop to ride a bicycle for the first time in 55 years.

Portland residents hang banners and signs urging drivers to slow down after a woman was killed riding her bike. Meanwhile, Portland’s bikeshare system now offers $3 a month memberships for anyone with a food stamp card.

A Bloomberg editorial in an Idaho paper says speed cameras save lives, and we need them everywhere. Nowhere more than California, where speed limits are mere suggestions, and speed cameras are currently illegal.

Montana residents will get their wish and get their parking back, after the Missoula city council votes to remove bike lanes that people continued to park in anyway.

Denver Streetsblog says glowing balloons aren’t the answer to keeping people safe on the city’s streets.

A teenaged Rhode Island bike rider escaped serious injury when he was collateral damage in a road rage dispute between two drivers who chased each other around a Burger King parking lot.

The company behind New York’s Citi Bike bikeshare is developing a dockless bikeshare bike that would also be compatible with existing docks.

New York City is installing free bike pumps in a trio of popular riding locations.

Philadelphia’s bikeshare bikes will sport fine art from Van Gogh and other artists.

 

International

Cycling Tips offers advice on how to keep riding once you have kids.

A British boy gets his bike back after it was stolen while he helped rescue a two-year old who had fallen into a pond, albeit much worse for wear.

Irish bike riders have been fined 1,660 times since on-the-spot fees for bicycling violations took effect two years ago; bike advocates just wish drivers would receive the same treatment.

French bike couriers say not so fast to plans from the country’s new president to relax labor laws.

A road raging Aussie bike rider has turned himself in for punching a bus driver after confronting him at a nearby bus depot. Note to Daily Mail: Of course he was still in his riding gear; was he supposed to strip naked first?

 

Finally…

Nothing like a bikeshare idea whose time has come 40 years later. Don’t believe everything your GPS tells you.

And you know you’ve got a problem when the people being paid to build a bikeway aren’t allowed ride their bikes, on or off it.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: Study shows drivers benefit from bike lanes, NC meeting on North Figueroa, and Burning Man bikes

August 30, 2017 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Study shows drivers benefit from bike lanes, NC meeting on North Figueroa, and Burning Man bikes

Once again, science backs up common sense.

For years, bicycle advocates have argued that bike lanes improve traffic flow by giving people on bicycles their own space away from traffic, eliminating the need for drivers to slow down or go around them.

And reducing the risk that angry drivers will take their frustrations out on the two-wheeled person directly ahead of them.

Now a new study of how bicycle facilities affect traffic from a driver’s perspective has reached that same conclusion.

Results show that on shared roadways without clearly marked bicycle facilities, drivers are more inclined to pass bicyclists, encroach on other traffic lanes or line up behind bicyclists than on roadways with clearly striped or buffered facilities…

“The solid line makes the absolute difference in bicycle facilities— something that we haven’t seen in any other study. We found that the presence of a clearly marked or buffered bicycle lane makes a large difference in the way drivers behave around bicyclists,” said John Hourdos, Director, Minnesota Traffic Observatory, University of Minnesota.

Which means the best way to sell bike lanes to a suspicious driving public is to make it clear they’re the ones who will benefit.

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The Land Use and Public Safety Committees of the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council will hold a joint session on Thursday to “address the future of safety and lane configuration of N. Figueroa St.”

Anyone concerned about improving safety for bicyclists and pedestrians on the deadly street, where six people have been killed in the last six years, is urged to attend.

And yes, there will be snacks.

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The Californian Report examines how bicycles abandoned at Burning Man benefit kids hundreds of miles away. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

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Racing resumed in the Vuelta after Monday’s rest day, with a rain-soaked 10th stage.

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Local

Good read from Mar Vista Neighborhood Council member and former Los Angeles Streetsblog editor Damian Newton, as he wonders how we arrived at the current battle over road diets, and what we can all do “as advocates for safe streets and healthy communities, to move towards a more civil debate.”

 

State

A new bill would require the California Department of General Services to provide bikeshare for state employees at offices around the state; legislators rode bikes around the capitol to show their support.

A 26-year old Mission Viejo woman rode 4,205 miles across the US to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes.

A Coronado woman suffered a broken nose and three fractured vertebrae when a participant in Sunday’s Bike the Bay crashed into her head-on as she rode on a Coronado bike path.

A new study shows people who bike to and from transit in San Diego have twice the job opportunities as people who walk — but still 15 times less than people who drive.

Construction is scheduled to begin next week in National City on a segment of the 24-mile Bayshore Bikeway along San Diego Bay.

The driver accused of murder in the death of an off-duty, bike-riding Modesto cop had a blood alcohol content over four times the legal limit; he had a previous conviction for driving with BAC of .37 — over 4.5 times the legal limit — as well as an arrest for driving with a BAC of .26. And yet he still found a way to get behind the wheel, with or without a license.

A man riding a motorized bicycle faces DUI and hit-and-run charges after crashing into two pedestrians in a South Lake Tahoe crosswalk; no word on how serious their injuries are. It’s questionable whether DUI would actually apply in this case, depending on the maximum speed of the bicycle; below 28 mph, the statute for bicycling under the influence should apply.

 

National

The Spokane WA city council approves a road diet featuring the city’s first separated bike lanes, though construction remains several years away.

A Wisconsin man was arrested for riding a motorized bicycle while drunk, even though he was already out on bail following his seventh — yes, 7th — DUI arrest, presumably while driving.

A new Illinois law will allow bikes to legally be ridden on the shoulder of a roadway, which was previously a gray area, and permit drivers to briefly cross a solid center line to pass someone on a bike by at least three feet. That last part would have part of California’s three-foot passing law if it weren’t for Jerry Brown’s veto pen.

That’s more like it. A Tennessee driver got eight years behind bars and another eight years supervised probation for the drunken death of a bike rider in 2014 and possession of meth.

A New York HuffPo writer says white people who complain about ebikes are ruining the lives of low-income and immigrant workers.

Philadelphia opened its first one-way protected bike lane; naturally, not everyone is happy about it.

 

International

A Canadian man has his faith in humanity restored after people crowdfund a new bicycle for him after his was stolen in Winnipeg while riding across the country.

Montreal bike cops accidently bust one of the United States’ most wanted criminals.

The Guardian’s Peter Walker questions whether the UK is really menaced by reckless cyclists, noting that the conflict on our streets is just a question of differing modes of transportation, not warring tribes.

Brit bike riders respond to Sir Chris Hoy’s ill-advised comments shaming fat riders for wearing Lycra, while a writer for the Guardian justifies benefits of bikewear. Although Hoy’s larger point that people don’t have to dress like pro cyclists just to ride a bicycle seems to have gotten lost in the controversy.

An English writer says we have to ensure that bicycling can remain a social activity.

A British lecturer looks at the strain that ultra endurance sports takes on the body.

Caught on video: An Aussie bike rider goes over his handlebars when a driver inches out of a driveway in front of him; commenters are quick to blame one side or the other.

 

Finally…

Just call them the pre-teen Mont Ventoux Two. Seriously, there are better ways to present an homage to the late Tobe Hooper than chasing a bike rider with a chainsaw.

And proof that the “unenforceable” three-foot passing law actually can be.

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

Morning Links: Vision Zero in reverse on Vista del Mar, and an indignorant self-pious anti-bike lane cyclist

August 29, 2017 / / 4 comments

This is not how Vision Zero is supposed to work.

Bowing to complaints from angry motorists, Los Angeles reversed the road diet on Vista del Mar in Playa del Rey last week.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton reports the reconfigured street is now a “desolate, 4-lane highway,” with nothing to keep drivers from exceeding the already too high 40 mph speed limit.

And exceed it, they will. And already are.

Which means it’s just a matter of time until the next death on a roadway that has already seen far too many.

Except this time, the inevitable lawsuit will settle for far more than the $9.5 million paid out by the city recently in the death of a 16-year old girl. Because they had a chance to fix the problem and not only didn’t do it, but undid the fix they made.

A cost that will be born, not by the South Bay drivers who use the roadway as their personal speedway, but by the people of Los Angeles.

Or the South Bay cities that believe in calming traffic, but only inside their own city limits, for that matter.

It’s too early to give up on Vision Zero.

But this is exactly the wrong thing to do. And for exactly the wrong reasons.

Photo of deconfigured Vista del Mar by Streetsblog’s Joe Linton.

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Once again, the specter of an indignorant, self-pious cyclist raises its ugly head.

This time in the form of a San Luis Obispo columnist who says he obeys the law when he rides, but accuses the city council of appeasing those damn scofflaw bike zealots with a cycle track he insists no one else wants anyway.

Maybe someone should tell him that many law abiding bike riders desperately want safer places to ride their bikes, and better bikeways have been shown to reduce illegal bike behavior.

And no, drivers don’t pay all the taxes and fees for the construction and maintenance of our roads.

Or even most of them.

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BikinginLA sponsor Thomas Forsyth will team with Wolfpack Hustle to host the Forsyth Cup at the Encino Velodrome on September 16th.

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Team USA announced the women’s team for the coming world road championships, including 42-year old defending world time trial champ Amber Neben, Chloe Dygert, Megan Gaurnier and SoCal’s own Coryn Rivera.

The Colorado-based Cannondale Drapac cycling team — home to Taylor Phinney, Alex Howes and Rigoberto Uran — has reluctantly started a crowdfunding campaign to stay afloat after losing a key sponsor for next year; the Denver Post reports it’s already raised around $1.5 million.

Chris Froome shrugged off concerns that his Team Sky has an unfair financial advantage over the other teams, comparing efforts to level the playing field to communism. Which is easy to say when he’s guaranteed a job for next year.

Good thing the doping era is over. This year’s Dana Point Grand Prix winner Kayle LeoGrande was banned for a whopping eight years after a drug test revealed seven separate prohibited substances.

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Local

West Hollywood’s WeHo Pedals celebrates its first anniversary tomorrow at Sal Guarriello Park at Santa Monica Blvd and Holloway from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. In case you’re wondering, the traditional gift for a one-year anniversary is paper; do with that what you will.

Pasadena’s planned two-way Union Street cycle track could start construction before the projected 2021 kickoff date.

Santa Clarita sheriff’s deputies will be conducting a bike and pedestrian safety enforcement program tomorrow, ticketing people for behavior that can jeopardize the safety of either, regardless of who commits it. Which means ride to the letter of the law until you’re out of their jurisdiction, which extends beyond the city limits.

The Expo Line bike path continues to be closed for maintenance work between Centinela and Stewart Street in Santa Monica; SaMo is also conducting a bike technology demonstration project at the intersection of Pico and 11th this week.

 

State

The OC Register gives you the lowdown on California ebike laws.

Nearly 20 special needs kids in Ventura get new adaptive tricycles, thanks to a Los Angeles-based nonprofit.

A Fresno school bus driver apparently right hooked a teenage bike rider, and just kept going.

The victim of Sunday’s Guerneville hit-and-run that killed a bike rider as he checked his phone on the side of the road has been identified as the chief legal counsel for UC Berkeley; a 28-year old Rio Nido man has been named a person of interest in the case.

Sacramento State University students will be greeted with several new green bike lanes leading to campus, as well Sacramento’s first bike boxes and bicycle traffic signal on a dangerous corridor near the school.

A large landslide nine months ago will keep a popular Sacramento riverfront bike trail closed until at least next spring.

 

National

PlacesForBikes’ Michael Andersen says improving bicycling is as much about slowing traffic speeds as it is building bike lanes.

A Seattle woman celebrates bike riders of all sizes with stickers reading With These Thighs.

The war on bikes continues, as a 72-year old Arkansas bike rider was seriously injured when he ran into barbed wire that had been strung at chest level across a bike trail. Lets hope they catch the jerks who did it and lock them up for a very long time.

A Pittsburgh website says new bike lanes are a good first step, but more has to be done to ensure safety.

Boston cops have accepted an invitation from the founder of a Boston stunt-bike group to ride with them, after the riders were booted from a parade that banned bikes over the weekend.

The New York Times examines dockless bikeshare companies, which are currently banned from the city.

 

International

Montreal bike cops accidently bust one of the United States’ most wanted criminals.

Six-time Brit Olympic champ Sir Chris Hoy says pretty much anyone who weighs more than 112 pounds looks awful in Lycra, and looks ridiculous in fluorescent colors or a full team kit; he later issued an apology for some of his remarks. Although I do have to agree with him about white bike shorts, which don’t look good on anyone.

A paper in the UK offers advice on how to keep your bike from getting stolen.

Organizers of a British mountain bike race face charges for not doing enough to ensure the safety of spectators after a young woman was killed by an out-of-control bike in 2014.

After months of reports that self-driving cars can’t recognize bike and riders would have to wear some sort of transponder to improve safety, German auto parts maker Bosch is introducing a radar system designed to recognize and automatically respond to bicyclists even in heavy fog, as well as spotting riders coming from behind in order to prevent doorings.

A sharp decline in Australian imports of children’s bikes prompts fears that children are less active in the country. It could have something to do with the country’s dangerous, auto-centric streets, and a mandatory helmet law and draconian fines that discourage their parents from riding. Or it could have something to do with dangerous bikes, after an Aussie teenager was impaled by the gear shift on his bicycle.

 

Finally…

Your next foldie could weigh just 15 pounds. Who needs spin class when you can just pedal your desk?

And why let a little thing like a hurricane keep you from riding?

 

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Morning Links: Strange news — bear spraying road raging driver, and club-wielding driver isn’t what he seems

August 28, 2017 / / One comment

It’s been a strange weekend for bike news

Take the bizarre story of a Wyoming bicyclist who used bear spray to take down a road raging driver.

According the Jackson Hole News & Guide, a drunk driver rear-ended another car. Then instead of confronting the other driver, he stumbled to a bike path and mistakenly threatened the bike rider, who responded by pulling a gun.

A witness tried to de-escalate the situation by tossing the rider a can of bear spray; when the driver came at him again, he used it.

First responders had to cut off all the driver’s clothes and rush him to the hospital, where he was booked on multiple charges.

Although now that I think about it, there are a lot of bears here in LA…

………

Second place goes to the wife of the Canadian driver who was caught on video sitting on a 74-year old bicyclist and beating him with a club, as she insists it wasn’t what it looks like.

At this point, we have no way of knowing how the dispute started.

But unless that club was some sort of Nerf stick, it was exactly what it looks like.

………

The California Transportation Commission takes the bronze with their strange questioning of a Calbike representative.

According to Streetsblog, Jared Sanchez of the California Bicycle Coalition was attempting to discuss a recent letter outlining ten principles for transportation justice that should be considered for funding under the state’s new gas tax.

But instead of responding to any of that, all the members of the commission wanted to talk about was Calbike’s stand on a bicycle license fee. Even though no one at the state level had even proposed one, for very good reasons.

And even though anyone can already register their bicycles for free.

Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

………

The Vuelta is taking today off for the race’s first rest day; catch up on the ninth stage here.

Former world champ Lizzie Deignan, better known as Lizzie Armistead before her marriage, won the one-day GP de Plouay race in France on Saturday; the top American was Lauren Stephens at seventh.

The American-based Cannondale-Drapac team is in danger of folding after losing a sponsor for next year.

A business website talks with the Irish women’s tandem duo that’s been dominating nearly every race in the paracycling road world cup, in advance of the world championships at the end of this month.

Keep your eyes on this 13-year old women’s racer, who finished second in a Tennessee juniors race, then came back three hours later and won the women’s Cat 4-5 race.

And our own former pro Phil Gaimon answers questions you never dared to ask a pro cyclist.

……….

Local

Metro bikeshare will officially come to Venice on September 7th. Meanwhile, Pasadena’s new Metro Bike system is already nearly matching the usage of the year-old system in DTLA.

Bighearted Arcadia firefighters bought a new bicycle for a teenager after his was destroyed in a crash; credit Helen’s Cycles in Arcadia for helping, as well.

A Santa Clarita writer calls for Vision Zero in the Santa Clarita Valley, saying current efforts don’t go far enough.

A physician from north of Los Angeles describes how her Pedego ebike has allowed her to commute to work without fear or pain.

A Malibu letter writer says something has to be done to slow drivers and motorcyclists who turn Latigo Canyon into a speedway every weekend, putting residents, dogs and bicycle riders at risk.

Long Beach isn’t just bike-friendly; it’s been named the tenth most walkable city in the US for the second time in a row.

Winning the 1995 Junior National Downhill Mountain Bike Championships, followed by a stint in beach volleyball, helped Long Beach’s Jon Mesko develop the competitiveness he needed to succeed in business.

Long Beachize explains that a new roundabout at 6th and Park is part of the 6th Street bike boulevard. And it’s actually a good thing, even if drivers don’t get it.

 

State

San Diego bicyclists enjoy their one chance all year to ride across the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge.

A Rancho Mirage woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI after injuring two bike riders in a Friday night crash.

A Berkeley bike rider was killed in Guerneville as he stood checking his phone on the shoulder of the roadway; the driver abandoned his blacked-out BMW several miles away.

Stanford will donate $5 million to build a new bicycle and pedestrian overpass or underpass over Caltrain tracks.

 

National

People for Bikes looks at the new generation of bike lane separators that are starting to arrive on the market.

Portland police recover several stolen bicycles when they bust bike chop shop in a homeless camp.

When a Portland man was hit by a car while he was riding his bike to view last week’s eclipse, hospital workers took him outside to view it once they stabilized him.

An Arizona man has been sentenced to ten and a half years behind bars for killing two bicyclists and injuring three others while on meth; a lawsuit against the driver and his former employer settled for $11 million.

No bias here. A Wisconsin paper says cycling becomes more dangerous when cars and cyclists don’t pay attention. Maybe they don’t get that self driving cars aren’t a thing yet.

An Illinois couple open their home to bike tourists as part of the Warm Showers program.

An Ohio man swears off fixing neighborhood kids bikes after unwittingly abetting a teenage crime wave.

A group of stunt-riding kids accompanying a candidate for mayor are ordered out of a Boston Caribbean Carnival Parade mid-route, because parade rules bans bikes, dogs and snakes.

An upstate New York engineer used bicycling to lose weight and beat diabetes.

David Beckham’s college student son is one of us, as the former soccer star rides to pick him up from school in New York.

Louisiana’s West Baton Rouge Parish is putting the final touches on a network of bikeways, including a five-mile bike path on top of the west levee on the Mississippi River.

 

International

A writer for the Guardian says she’s proud to ride an ebike and whiz past outdated macho attitudes to cycling.

Protesters are furious that bicyclists will now be allowed to ride through a 115-year old pedestrian tunnel under the Thames River.

Just a slight overreaction. A British newspaper columnist calls for prison terms for repeat sidewalk cyclists.

No, seriously. Don’t try riding across the third rail on an electrified English rail line.

Ireland’s Road Safety Authority will distribute 80,000 hi-viz vests to school children this year. It’s a sad commentary when you have to dress kids up like glow-in-the-dark clowns just to keep them safe on the way to and from school.

An Aussie bike commuter calls distracted pedestrians the scourge of those who ride.

Seriously? After an Australian woman was assaulted by three men while riding her bike home from work, police tell her she shouldn’t be riding at that time of night.

 

Finally…

When you already have an outstanding warrant, probably not the best idea to carry a replica rifle on your handlebars. There are probably better place to ride your bike than the middle of a busy freeway.

And yes, experts recommend having a flasher on your bike; no, this is not what they had in mind.

 

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Bicyclist killed crossing street in Ontario Friday night

August 27, 2017 / / 2 comments

Sad news from Ontario, where are man was killed while riding his bike Friday night.

As usual for the Inland Empire, not much information is available.

According to the Daily Bulletin, a man was hit by the driver of a vehicle while crossing 4th street on his bike just east of the 15 Freeway around 9 pm Friday.

The victim, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, was pronounced dead at a regional medical center around 9:40 pm.

The driver, who had been traveling east on the roadway, stayed at the scene and called 911.

A press release from the coroner’s office (second item) adds a few more details, placing the site of the crash just east of the southbound onramp to the 15, and identifying the victim as a white male.

No other information is available at this time.

A street view shows a wide roadway on 4th with six lanes in each direction, a right turn lane, and double left turn lanes leading onto the freeway.

Despite the traffic signal, there’s no crosswalk visible in the photo.

If the victim was traveling from north to south, it could have been difficult to cross the roadway in time, with or without the light.

This is the 36th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth in San Bernardino County.

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

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

Morning Links: Camarillo hit-and-run driver, more on Governors’ bike safety study, and a bicycle bike workstand

August 25, 2017 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Camarillo hit-and-run driver, more on Governors’ bike safety study, and a bicycle bike workstand

Another day, another heartless hit-and-run coward.

Camarillo police are searching for the driver who fled the scene after rear-ending a man riding his bike on Lewis Road near Dawson Drive early Sunday morning, leaving the victim with major injuries.

Unfortunately, there’s no description of the hit-and-run driver or suspect vehicle.

Anyone with information is urged to call Senior Deputy Sam Dominguez at 805/388-5146.

………

More on the new study we mentioned yesterday from the Governors Highway Safety Association.

The report called for better infrastructure, enforcement and education, along with better training for in state and local bike laws for police.

The study was also just the latest to name Florida as the most dangerous state to ride a bike.

Meanwhile, the next time someone criticizes Vision Zero without understanding what they’re talking about, you can point them to this newly updated Policy Platform from the Los Angeles Vision Zero Alliance.

………

Now this is a creative solution.

A British bike mechanic adapted his bicycle into a mobile workstand to create the ultimate fully mobile bike repair shop.

 

………

Mark your calendar for the 2017 South Bay Cycling Awards, aka Wanky Awards, at the Strand Brewing Company in Torrance on October 14th.

Cycling in the South Bay has a list of this year’s nominees, as well as past winners.

………

Cycling Weekly offers highlights of Thursday’s stage 6 of the Vuelta, where American Tejay van Garderen remained in the GC hunt, despite suffering a pair of crashes.

An Aussie Olympic track cyclist was arrested and charged with six counts of selling ecstacy; Jack Bobridge had retired from racing last year after winning silver in team pursuit in the 2012 and 2016 games.

Russia’s anti-doping agency has banned marathon cyclist Alexei Medvedev for two years for using performance enhancing drugs. But seriously, the doping era is over, right?

And a special congratulations to eight-year old Taylor Rungaitis; the Simi Valley 3rd grader is now a world champion after winning her age group at the UCI 2017 BMX World Challenge in Rock Hill SC.

……….

Local

CiclaValley looks forward to those promised bicycling improvements to 7th Street in DTLA. As does pretty much anyone else who has the misfortune of riding it.

If you’re going to have a heart attack while riding your bike, do it in front of a Pasadena fire station.

Hermosa Beach approved its first comprehensive planning document in 36 years, calling for a citywide network of bike lanes and mixed-use development in the downtown area.

Sad to see Long Beach’s Seafarer chapel go; it will be torn down next week to make way for an off-ramp and bike path for the new bridge being built to replace the aging Gerald Desmond bridge.

The Downey Bicycle Coalition is hosting an Art Party Ride this Saturday.

 

State

A bicyclist and a motorcyclist were both critically injured in San Diego yesterday morning when the bike rider reportedly crossed over the path of the motorcyclist to make a left against the light.

A 38-year old San Bernardino man was arrested as the so-called “Bicycle Bandit,” accused of riding his bicycle to set eight fires in an Bernardino and Highland, including a brush fire that burned 700 acres.

Ventura County officials are drawing plans for a three-mile bike lane on a stretch of Potrero Road through Hidden Valley that’s popular with cyclists.

A recovering addict says he’ll never get the chance to thank the officer who arrested him in 2014 for changing his life by treating him like a human being, after the off-duty Modesto police sergeant was killed riding his bicycle Tuesday evening.

San Francisco bicyclists threaten to boycott businesses who demanded that a new bikeshare station be removed because the businesses weren’t consulted before it was installed.

San Francisco riders criticize plans for a protected bike lane that ignores the mixing zones at intersections.

Volunteers with the Petaluma Police Department fix up unclaimed bicycles and donate them to local nonprofit organizations.

 

National

A coming bike industry report says ebikes are the industry’s fasted growing category, older Americans account for 1/3 of all new bicyclists, Latinos ride more than any other racial group and low-income people ride more than anyone else. So much for the myth of the rich, elite cyclists.

Portland completes a 9-mile, $4.5 million bikeway through the city, although it frequently jogs to side streets to preserve street parking in commercial districts. So even in bike friendly Portland, they prefer parking spaces to customers on bicycles. Even though the former can be converted to much better uses.

Oregon police arrested the woman who fled the scene after demanding the bike rider she hit pay for the damages to her car. But not until she returned to the scene of the crime, crashed into a tree and ran over her passenger.

The kickers for the Oregon State University football team are two of us, riding the streets of Corvallis on their new tandem bicycle. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

How to explore Chicago on a bikeshare bike.

Heartwarming story from Minnesota, where a five-year old girl born with no arms rides a bicycle for the first time thanks to a custom-made prosthetic device.

Michigan police have identified the hit-and-run driver who killed a bike-riding nun, but no charges have been filed yet. The suspect was found after filing a false police report that he had hit a deer.

NIMBY Massachusetts homeowners literally say Not In My Back Yard to a proposed bike path.

An 84-year old man recalls winning a 1949 boy’s bike race in Valdosta GA after a picture of his victory unexpectedly appears in the local paper.

 

International

A Canadian bike rider has his journey across the country halted when someone stole his locked bike and all his gear in front of a Winnipeg Walmart; however, local residents have been contributing to replace it.

The husband of the London woman killed by a brakeless fixie rider calls for changes in the law to treat bike riders like motorists when someone is killed or injured by a cyclist. Someone should tell him most killer drivers walk away with just a light caress on the wrist.

A London bike courier explains why he rides brakeless. And why he’ll probably put one on his bike now.

The co-host of the Good Morning Britain TV show blew up at a bicycling advocate on yesterday’s show when he wasn’t satisfied with the answers to his questions. Meanwhile, a man on another show blasted a bicycle advocate for saying only a minority of riders break the law, while calling for all bicyclists to be registered.

An Australian driver claimed he was blinded by the sun when he plowed into a dozen cyclists while making a U-turn, injuring five riders, one critically. So why couldn’t he see the riders before he made his turn? Or if he was already blinded, why the hell would he make a U-turn when he can’t see where he was going?

 

Finally…

Probably not the best idea to steal a police bike minutes after being released on a shoplifting charge. Seriously, don’t stab your bike-riding former partner in crime in the butt just because he wants to go straight.

And that’s one sketchy DIY ebike.

But this one looks like a blast.

Literally.

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

Morning Links: Bike deaths up in US, lawsuit filed in death of Newport Beach boy, and bike lanes coming to Cal Poly

August 24, 2017 / / One comment

A new study from the Governors Highway Safety Association shows bicycling fatalities rose 12.2% in 2015, climbing faster than the overall increase in traffic deaths.

However, that could be due to the continuing rise in bike ridership.

Without placing the figures in context, it’s impossible to know if bicycling is actually becoming more dangerous, or if overall safety is improving as the rate of deaths per million cyclists or miles traveled may be decreasing.

Your guess is as good as theirs.

In other findings from the study, which was funded by State Farm insurance —

  • One-third of Americans surveyed reported riding a bicycle in the last year.
  • Drivers had been drinking in 12% of fatal bike crashes, while 22% of the victims had alcohol in their systems. Which is not the same as saying they were intoxicated.
  • Distracted driving was blamed for just 76 out of the 818 bicyclists killed nationwide. However, that’s likely to be a dramatic undercount, since police need a warrant to check phones after a crash. And seldom ask for one.
  • More than half of the victims weren’t wearing a helmet. Although there’s no information on whether those victims suffered a fatal head injury, or if their injuries could have been survivable with or without a helmet.
  • Intersections are no longer the most dangerous place to ride; 72% of deaths occurred on the roadway, rather than at an intersection.
  • Roughly half of all bicycling deaths occurred at night, even though 80% of all bike rides take place during daylight hours.
  • The average age of bicycling victims was 45.

………

The parents of eight-year old Brock McCann have filed a lawsuit in the death of their son.

The third grade student was killed by the driver of a garbage truck as he rode his bike home from school in Newport Beach last year.

Video allegedly shows the driver never looked to his right as he turned from a cul-de-sac, and that he rolled through a crosswalk without stopping.

McCann’s parents are suing the driver, as well as the city trash hauler he worked for.

………

Boyonabike’s John Lloyd sends photographic proof that the formerly auto-centric Cal Poly Pomona really is installing the promised protected bike lanes on Kellogg Drive.

Photo by John Lloyd

The school received a lot a well-deserved criticism for failing to improve safety following the death of Ivan Aguilar four years ago.

It’s nice to see that this year’s students will finally find the campus more welcoming for those who don’t come by car.

………

In today’s spoiler-free Vuelta report, someone won his first Grand Tour stage, while someone else wore the leader’s jersey. No word on whether either was kissed by a podium boy.

Italian olive oil maker Colavita is pulling out of bike racing after 15 year of team sponsorship.

……….

Local

A ride will be held this Saturday to explore the new protected bike lanes on Venice Blvd in Mar Vista, which have been only slightly less controversial than the lane reductions in Playa del Rey.

Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s deputies patrolling on bicycles made four drug busts Tuesday evening, as the bikes allowed them to ride in undetected.

Santa Monica’s two-mile COAST ciclovía will return on October 1st.

 

State

A new report shows overall emissions of toxic and greenhouse gasses are going down in California, while transportation emissions are going up. Which means the state and local governments need to do more to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

The Watsonville driver sentenced to eleven years behind bars for the death of a bicyclist was high on Valium and methadone at the time of the crash, and fell asleep during the investigation.

A new bicycle master plan promises to improve safety in Stockton, where 70% of streets are rated high stress. Of course, even the best plan is nothing more than lines on a map until they actually put paint on the ground, which seems to be a step too far for most cities.

More details on the off-duty Modesto police officer who was killed riding his bicycle on Tuesday. The driver was arrested for DUI, and could face a murder charge after a previous conviction for drunk driving in 2014.

 

National

A Seattle weekly says safety in numbers resulting from an increase in bikeshare riders could do more than bike helmets to improve safety. Meanwhile, a sports website tries out Seattle’s new Ofo dockless bikeshare, which could be coming to SoCal soon.

After an Oregon woman sideswiped a bike rider, she demanded $200 to pay for the damage to her car, then fled when the rider, who is traveling cross country to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s, suggested calling the police.

A Chicago letter writer urges bicyclists to follow the rules like she does when she drives. Because apparently, she’s the only driver who never speeds, always comes to a full stop at stop signs, and never makes an unsafe lane change or drives distracted.

Illinois becomes the sixth state to follow California’s lead and adopt a three-tiered system to classify ebikes.

Life is cheap in Michigan, where a stoned driver walked with one year of probation after killing a bike rider, who reportedly “came out of nowhere” to crash into her car.

A Maine court rules that authorities don’t have to prove what a distracted driver was doing at the time of a crash, saying they can presume distraction based on the driver’s behavior.

Tolls could double on a Miami causeway to pay for a fully separated bike lane and other improvements on one of the city’s most popular and scenic cycling routes. Which might improve safety, but won’t win any friends with drivers.

 

International

Los Angeles isn’t the only city facing an angry bikelash. A Vancouver man has started a petition to rip out protected bike lanes on a bridge eight years after they were installed, arguing that the 7,000 riders who use them each day during the summer months aren’t enough to justify the impact on traffic.

Caught on video: Dozens of young British bike riders swarm the streets, pulling wheelies and circling around the roadway in front of drivers, in the latest fad sweeping that’s been sweeping America’s East Coast as well as the UK.

Caught on video too: A London man uses his bikeshare bike to defend himself after a man lunges at him with a knife when he was asked to move aside so they could pass.

A British fixie rider faces up to two years behind bars after he was acquitted of manslaughter in the death of a mother of two kids when he crashed his brakeless bike into her, but was convicted under an obscure 1861 law that forbids “causing bodily harm by wanton and furious driving.” And yes, it’s illegal to ride brakeless in the UK.

Nice story from Wales, where an eleven-year old boy rode a bicycle for the first time after being fitted with two mechanical hands.

Wednesday marked the 104th anniversary of a Russian bicyclist completing his round-the-world ride in Harbin, China; sadly, he died three years later in World War I.

An Indian man has ridden over 11,000 miles through 12 Indian states to fight gender-based violence and injustice.

An Aussie website asks if cyclists are fair game in Australia. It’s a hard-hitting piece, and very difficult to read in places. But well worth the effort — especially since you’ll see exactly the same attitudes expressed by LA drivers.

 

Finally…

Next time, try to time your breakaway so the drawbridge rises after you go past. Who needs tires when you’ve got soles?

And riding to the right is right, except when it’s wrong.

 

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