Morning Links: KPCC talks Idaho Stop, Timbuk2 party tomorrow night, and the bike side of International Women’s Day

March 9, 2017 / / 6 comments

KPCC’s Larry Mantle discussed California’s proposed Idaho Stop Law on his AirTalk program yesterday, with Calbike’s Dave Snyder and auto apologist Jay Beeber, who never met a car-dominated street he didn’t like.

I tried to listen, but turned it off when Beeber’s accusations of hypocritical bicyclists and false equivalency between bikes and cars went unchallenged; unlike cars, bikes don’t kill people.

And bike advocates aren’t being hypocritical when they try to stop drivers from killing us.

………

Timbuk2 invites you to party with them at their Venice store tomorrow night to celebrate their new line designed in collaboration with street artist Apexer.

Here’s how they describe the evening.

 

On March 10, SF creatives Timbuk2 and street artist Apexer, will debut their capsule collection at the Timbuk2 Venice shop. This partnership began at a Timbuk2 party in SF last year, where Apexer held a live graffiti session for neighborhood residents and diehard fans of the city’s street art culture. The response was so positive that Timbuk2 took the artwork to most celebrated styles, creating the Timbuk2 x Apexer Capsule Collection.

Decked out in a striking kaleidoscope, textile pattern and sewn in Timbuk2’s very own Mission District Factory, these are sure to be true standouts during your ride through the city. Highlights of the collection include:

  • Classic Messenger Bag – Deemed as Timbuk2’s inaugural design and refined with over 25 years of expertise, this pack truly stands the test of time. Price: $119
  • Tuck Pack – With a spacious interior, a roll-top closure, and stealth pockets, this pack is meant to keep up with any part of your day, from working to cycling and anything in between. Price: $119
  • Mini Prospect Pack – A small silhouette with immense function, this compact roll-top bag won’t weigh you down. Price: $119

To celebrate this dynamic union of West Coast staples, the shop will host a night unlike any other, featuring Apexer himself. He’ll be debuting his indelible collection and offering a limited-run of signed prints of his artwork! Guests will also have a chance to interact with the store’s new installment of Factory 2, an in-store customizer that offers full reign on style, color, and fabric selection as well as a live-video feed of the Timbuk2 Mission District factory where all custom bags are sewn. Look forward to a perfected playlist of funky tunes, beer from Fort Point Beer Company, the ever-so-popular margarita bike blender, and an undeniable Cali spirit embracing let-loose-vibes! Don’t miss out on getting the exclusive first look at the limited-run of iconic bags and RSVP now.

When:     

Friday, March 10, 2017

6pm-9pm

 

Where:                 

Timbuk2 Venice Shop

1410 Abbot Kinney Blvd

Venice, CA 90291

(424) 268-5550

……..

There were a few stories in the news about women and bicycling in honor of International Women’s Day yesterday.

VeloNews offers their five favorite women’s cycling stories from the past year.

Ella Cycling Tips says it’s time to be bold for a change in women’s cycling, while examining three things they’ve learned from covering women’s racing.

And The Atlantic discusses how the bicycle paved the way for women’s rights.

………

The Guardian says Team Sky’s self-proclaimed professionalism makes it hard to accept the amateurish mistakes they blame for doping allegations. Apparently those mistakes include exploding wheels.

A potentially damning investigation into allegations of sexism and thinly-disguised doping in British cycling may be undermined the riders’ code of silence.

Julian Alaphilippe takes the lead in the Paris-Nice stage race, as he attempts to become the first Frenchman to win the fabled race since Laurent Jalabert 20 years ago. More importantly, he also scored two cases of Beaujolais.

Lance says he admires those riders who sacrificed their racing careers by refusing to dope. Unlike him.

………

Local

Streetsblog offers a wrap-up on Tuesday’s election; as we noted yesterday, all the races have been decided other than CD1, where as many as 2,000 provisional and late absentee ballots may remain to be counted. Meanwhile, they found the Tesla-driving Cedillo supporter who stole Joe Bray-Ali’s campaign signs.

The Times notes that it’s hard to beat an incumbent in Los Angeles, while My News LA says it’s the same old, same old as all current office holders other than Gil Cedillo breezed to re-election.

CiclaValley provides his own election wrap-up, while calling on readers to support some other HIV/AIDS organizations that don’t waste money on political campaigns unrelated to their mission. The Advocate didn’t exactly offer a ringing endorsement of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Michael Weinstein either, saying he flushed millions down the toilet on the failed Measure S, money that could have made a huge difference for people fighting the disease.

Redondo Beach rejects plans to remake the city’s waterfront, which included improved bikeways, while booting the mayor who championed it.

 

State

Bike Portland’s Jonathon Maus writes about his brother Joel as he steps into the role of a Fullerton bike advocate.

A Suisun City man confessed to beating his daughter-in-law to death with a hammer after she pushed over his bicycle during a dispute.

Tragic news from San Francisco, where a man suffered life-threatening injuries in a collision with a bike rider as he crossed the street; citing the ongoing investigation, police have not revealed who was at fault.

San Francisco releases plans to remake nine major streets around the area known as The Hub, including several protected bike lanes.

Los Altos residents could be getting their stolen bikes back after police bust a man stealing an $11,000 bike from a garage, leading to a storage locker filled with other hot bikes.

Peter Flax has been busy; after his takedown of the Velominati’s Rules earlier this week, he follows up with a look at the California city responsible for the nation’s first bike lane fifty years ago.

 

National

Houston’s city council has put off a vote on their ambitious new bike plan over concerns about how to pay for it. Or they could use the traditional Los Angeles model, and just not build anything after passing the plan.

A New York man gets a slap on the wrist for the drunken hit-and-run crash that killed a man on his bike, getting anywhere from one to four years behind bars, and losing his license for a whole 30 days.

This is the way it’s supposed to be done. DC is building out a complete network of protected bike lanes in the city center, one street at a time.

Kindhearted Florida police buy a new bicycle for a boy after his lunch money and bike were stolen by a bully.

Working for bike safety is no protection from dangerous streets and/or drivers, as a long-time Florida advocate learned the hard way.

 

International

A cyclist describes how indoor cycling has helped him recover following surgery to remove a brain tumor, as he looks forward to getting back on his road bike.

Toronto advocates say doorings have increased nearly 60% in the city since 2014, arguing that the city isn’t doing enough to protect bicyclists.

London’s former cycling czar calls on the mayor to get moving on bike plans, saying political timidity will get him nowhere.

Berlin approves plans for 13 new bike superhighways, with two beginning construction this year. Meanwhile, current plans call for exactly 13 fewer bike highways here in Los Angeles, super or otherwise.

 

Finally…

No, seriously, look behind you before you change lanes, for crying out loud. And screw the Rules, and put your sunglasses on any way you damn well want.

………

On a personal note, the Corgi got her 15 minutes of fame following a visit to Amoeba Music in Hollywood yesterday, but failed to buy anything.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bike Events, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: LA elections: Still hope in CD1, while Koretz re-elected in CD5; living with the pain of killing a cyclist

March 8, 2017 / / 3 comments

Disappointing news in yesterday’s LA city elections, with 100% of precincts in.

Anti-bike incumbent Gil Cedillo appears to have eked out a victory in CD1, setting the stage at least five and a half more years of deadly streets as the city switches to holding its elections at the same time as state and national votes.

Although a runoff with Joe Bray-Ali is still possible, as Cedillo topped the minimum 50% threshold by just 198 votes; Bray-Ali issued a statement saying he isn’t conceding until all the votes are counted.

And in CD5, current councilmember Paul Koretz won a final term with nearly two-thirds of the vote over bike-friendly challenger Jesse Creed.

In the end, Creed and Bray-Ali struggled to overcome the power of LA incumbency, where office holders running for re-election almost never lose — thanks in large part to the city’s gerrymandered districts and the massive amount of out-of-district special interest money that inevitably pours in to benefit sitting councilmembers.

Not that those special interests would dream of expecting a return on their investment or anything.

The news was better in CD7, where Bike the Vote LA-endorsed Monica Rodriguez was leading, and will enter a runoff with Karo Torossian if the totals hold.

As expected, the other current officeholders steamrolled to victory over their token opposition in all the other races.

So if nothing changes, it looks like nothing changes.

A few districts with bike-friendly councilmembers such as Joe Buscaino, Jose Huizar and Mike Bonin will continue to get safer and more complete streets, while Cedillo and Koretz will continue to block much needed improvements.

And our city will suffer for it.

But at least we can end on a brighter note, as anti-growth Measure S went down to defeat, handing AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Michael Weinstein his third loss in three tries at ballot propositions in four months; attempts to regulate drug prices and require condoms for porn shoots statewide lost last November.

And Measure H passed with the necessary two-thirds majority, as the city and county finally appear to be getting serious about working together to end the crisis of homelessness.

……..

This is the cost of traffic violence.

A Massachusetts woman writes about what it’s like to live with the knowledge she killed a cyclist 20 years earlier.

I wasn’t found at fault in my crash; I wasn’t speeding, distracted or impaired on the night I rounded a highway curve and a bicyclist crossed in front of my car, too close for me to avoid. But I will always see him staring wide-eyed at me as he flew into and over my windshield. I will never forget his body at roadside, utterly motionless.

If you remember nothing else I write, I hope you’ll remember this: You do not want to be me. No destination, no text, no drink, no glance away from the road is worth knowing that you have killed another human being. You don’t want to feel you’d give anything not to have been on that road at that time. You don’t want to believe that anything you accomplish in life is offset by the death of another person. You don’t want any happiness you experience to remind you of the happiness denied the person you hit, her family, his friends. You don’t want to struggle to go on living, convinced you don’t deserve to exist, wishing you hadn’t been born.

She still says the collision could have been avoided if only the victim had lights on his bike. But notes that drivers have to change their attitudes to prevent similar tragedies.

Her own friend was killed riding a bike two years ago.

………

Cycling News looks back at the day the great Marco Pantini left cycling after being busted for doping during the 1999 Giro d’Italia.

The manager for Italy’s Androni Giocattoli team is royally pissed off that they’ve been excluded from this year’s Giro, calling it the biggest injustice of his career. Then again, Axel Merckx isn’t thrilled his team has been left out of the AToC.

The former Scottish national coach says men’s cycling is shit, but women’s racing is a growth industry.

The new chairman of British Cycling says there’s no evidence the organization isn’t clean. Which isn’t exactly the same as saying it is.

………

Local

KPCC’s AirTalk program will discuss California’s proposed Idaho Stop law at 10:40 this morning; you can listen to it live online.

A columnist for the Pasadena Star-News says don’t put the brakes on the Idaho Stop law that can make it safer for California cyclists.

Bike SGV posts more great photos from Sunday’s 626 Golden Streets, where a good time was clearly had by all.

Police in La Verne are looking for a bike-riding burglar after break-ins in a pair of jewelry and cellphone stores.

The Santa Monica Lookout says a new study shows SaMo residents are still sticking to their cars. Maybe if they washed their hands more often…

Pierce Brosnan is one of us, as he goes for a bike ride with his wife on an apparently non-existent beachfront bike path in Malibu.

 

State

Laguna Nigel police will hold an event at city hall on Monday to talk about traffic safety and enforcement.

The Sacramento Bee reviews the one-man performance Concussed: Four Days in the Dark, by comedian Jack Gallagher, based on the traumatic brain injury he got when he was hit by a car while riding his bike.

The driver for the mayor of Sacramento hit a bike rider at a notoriously dangerous intersection on Tuesday evening while the mayor in the car; naturally, they blame the victim for running a stop sign. So if the intersection is so dangerous, why haven’t they fixed it already?

 

National

A new US study posted on an Aussie website shows bicycling can slow the effects of aging, and that older people benefit more than the young. And here I assumed all those close passes were aging me, not realizing I was getting younger, and yes, better looking, with every pass.

Gizmodo says building the new Ikea bike is a pain worth suffering through.

Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer calls on bicyclists to use bike advocacy as a tool to save America.

Speaking of close passes, Houston researchers are looking for bicyclist and pedestrian victims of close passes by motorists for a new safety study.

The newspaper for tiny Victoria TX calls on the city to invest in making it more bike friendly.

A new Minnesota study shows bike commuting reduces chronic illness and preventable deaths, saving millions of dollars annually in medical costs. Maybe the GOP should make bicycling a part of their new healthcare plan.

This is what happens when you take Vision Zero seriously. Philadelphia’s mayor calls for a three-year plan touching on virtually every aspect of road travel in order to make the city’s streets safer.

It only took NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. five minutes into his first bike ride to get flipped off by a Florida driver.

 

International

A Canadian man with type 1 diabetes is riding across the country in the dead of winter.

A Calgary driver says it’s not her fault she hit a cyclist because the sun was in her eyes. Seriously, if you can’t see what the hell is directly in front of your car, pull the damn thing over and wait until you can.

A UK bike advocacy group calls for clarification on the differences between careless and dangerous driving charges after a driver who admitted to a dangerous pass gets just eight months for killing a man on a bike.

British police are asking for bike cam video to protect cyclists and enforce the law against dangerous drivers. It’s questionable whether similar video footage can be used to prosecute drivers for traffic violations in California, where current law says police must actually witness the violation, except in the case of felonies. Thanks to Cyclist’s Rights for the heads-up.

In an update on yesterday’s story, it turns out a Brit bus rider could tell it was a bicyclist fucking in the bushes because he still had his helmet on; his more traditionally attired partner was wearing a coat, at least. Or maybe it was just a couple with a weird bike helmet fetish.

Police in Malvo, Sweden are on the lookout for a pair of bike-by shooters.

Controversy over a 15-year old model aside, the Lagerfeld Paris fashion show featured crepe de chine Bermuda shorts edged in tweed, described as being perfect for space travel, as well as ideal for riding a bicycle. Seriously, you can’t make this shit up.

India’s Business World considers bicycling as a form of public transport.

Bicycling looks at Team New Zealand’s efforts to pedal to victory in the America’s Cup.

An Aussie news site examines how cycling culture around the world differs from Australia’s not-so-great approach.

Taipei is cracking down on sidewalk riders.

 

Finally…

Seriously officer, the wreck couldn’t be my fault, I was asleep at the time. Maybe this Haribo thing is catching on.

And Lance finally gets around to admitting he was a dick. Which everyone else knew a long time ago.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Morning Links: CA needs big bike boost to meet climate goals, screw the Rules, and riding on glass through NYC

March 7, 2017 / / 2 comments

It’s election day. Get out and bike the vote if you haven’t already.

And if you haven’t made a final decision in where to put your X, check out the voting guide from Bike the Vote LA.

I’m voting no on Measure S and yes on H. And wishing I was in CD1 to vote for Joe Bray-Ali, or still in CD5 to vote for Jesse Creed.

………

California will require a nine-fold increase in the rate of bike ridership, along with dramatic increases in walking and transit use, to meet the state’s 2030 climate change according to the LA Times.

Not to mention a corresponding decrease in driving rates, and an increase in density — which would be blocked if Measure S passes.

But it will take more than denser neighborhoods to get people out on their bikes.

Like a real commitment to building out the bike lanes and bicycle friendly streets contained in the Los Angeles Mobility Plan 2035. A commitment we’ve yet to see from our certain to be re-elected mayor or the city’s Department of Transportation.

And one that will have to be replicated in cities and towns up and down the state.

Not to mention a genuine commitment to LA’s Vision Zero Plan, which the people in charge of implementing it still see as “aspirational.”

That suggests they’re not willing to make the tough choices necessary to actually end traffic deaths, but will gladly settle for merely reducing them.

Which means people may still not feel safe on the streets unless they’re wrapped in a couple tons of steel and glass. And as long as they don’t feel safe, those lofty bike and walking goals won’t be met in the next 13 years.

Or maybe ever.

……..

Another great piece from former Bicycling editor in chief and current Hollywood Reporter features editor Peter Flax, who says the Velominati’s Rules were funny at first, but it’s time to give them a rest.

Seriously. Just get out on your bike and ride. Everything else is just details. And if someone else doesn’t like it, that’s their problem.

………

If you haven’t seen it yet, this may be the coolest video you’ll see all day. Or maybe all week.

Bored New Yorker magazine illustrator Christoph Niemann sketched a simple illustration of a bike rider on the inside of a car window as he rode in the backseat. And filmed it as the rider appears to magically come to life, riding alongside as they travel through the city.

………

More news from around the world about the Para-cycling Track World Championships that took place in our own backyard. But which no one seems to know about, since the local news media hasn’t bothered to mention it.

The US won its first-ever gold in the men’s team sprint event as the meet came to a close, with American Joseph Berenyi claiming double gold in the sprint and scratch C1-C2-C3 events.

Britain dominated day three with six medals, including a sweep of the tandem time trial; Brit rider Jon Gildea won two golds and a silver.

Slovak cyclist Jozef Metelka defended his title in the individual time trial.

And after so much bad news from Malaysia lately, it’s nice to see the country’s athletes shine in LA, taking bronze in the 200 meter sprint.

………

The US and the UK are finalizing plans for an every-other-year Olympic-style competition involving a half-dozen sports, including cycling; the first could take place in 2019.

After months of accusations of sexism and doping, Britain’s governing body for cycling has chosen a female soccer executive to head the organization.

Cycling Weekly hunts for the truth about the prevalence of asthma in the peloton, and the use of Therapeutic Use Exemptions to gain an unfair advantage over the competition.

You should be able to see the inaugural four-day Colorado Classic bike race, as NBC Sports has agreed to broadcast it and stream it live online.

………

Local

KPCC reports on plans for parking-protected bike lanes on Spring and Main in DTLA. The streets will eventually get concrete islands and curbs to protect riders and pedestrians at intersections.

The Source offers great photos of Sunday’s 626 Golden Streets open streets event through the San Gabriel Valley. Streetsblog reports on the event and solicits comments from readers who attended it.

 

State

Helmet cam video from the Santa Ana River trail shows it’s becoming a homeless encampment for several hundred people, potentially putting riders at risk. This is a lose/lose for everyone involved. A bike path should be safe for the people who use it. And everyone should have the right to have a roof over their heads, something Measure H will help accomplish in LA County.

San Francisco’s bike coalition object to the sudden removal of protected bike lanes from plans to improve safety on Upper Market Street. Maybe city officials want to improve safety, just not that much.

The San Francisco Weekly questions whether a proposal to put an end to bike chop shops in the city targets the most vulnerable. So, they’re saying stealing bikes is okay if you’re poor?

A Berkeley ghost bike memorializes a 78-year old man who had been riding in the city since he was a child.

 

National

Popular Mechanics says gravel cycling is terrifying — and exhilarating.

Legislation was introduced by California Representative Tom McClintock that would end the blanket ban on bicycles in federal Wilderness areas. Since it’s sponsored by a Republican, it might actually have a chance of passing in the current GOP dominated Congress.

The official report has been released into the death of a Montana Forest Service officer who was mauled by a grizzly bear, after crashing his mountain bike into it while rounding a blind curve at high speed.

Billings MT is struggling to find a way to pay for the city’s bike and pedestrian plan as federal funding dries up.

Austin TX has embarked on a three-year plan to reduce traffic congestion by doubling the number of people on bikes.

Muhammad Ali started boxing after his bike was stolen in Louisville KY; if he was still around this summer, he could just take the city’s new bikeshare, instead.

Bike Portland looks at day one of the first National Bike Summit of the Trump era.

 

International

Good news and bad news when it comes to the effects of bicycling on your sex life.

To the shock of absolutely no one, Carlos Vives and Shakira say their song La Bicicleta wasn’t copied from a Cuban singer.

Winnipeg officially decides it’s up to you whether or not to wear a helmet.

Bizarre tragedy from great Britain, where a bike rider died days after suffering a broken leg when he fell on a descent.

A British driver gets eight months for a “catastrophic error of judgment” for passing a bicyclist at the wrong time, even though the rider was wearing more hi-viz clothing than is “normally necessary.” So just how much is necessary?

Odd posters of a faceless boy on a balance bike have got residents of an English town talking.

Berlin is the latest city to plan a network of bicycle superhighways. You’ll note that Los Angeles is not rushing to join them.

 

Finally…

If you’re going to fuck someone in the bushes, get off your bike first — and maybe don’t do it in full view of a passing bus. If you’re going to steal a bike, promising to return it later probably isn’t going to work.

And no, sneaking your gun past airport security hidden in your bicycle probably isn’t the smarted move, either.

………

Thanks to Margaret for her generous donation to help support this site. And a special thanks to Pocrass & De Los Reyes for renewing their sponsorship for another year.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , ,

Morning Links: Los Angeles media ignores para-cyling world champs, and apologies from the pro peloton

March 6, 2017 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Los Angeles media ignores para-cyling world champs, and apologies from the pro peloton

The Para-cycling Track World Championships were held in Carson this past week.

Although you’d never know it from the local press, which evidently had more important stories to cover.

The only real news of the event came from 5,000 miles away, as BBC reports Britain’s Jody Cundy won the time trial for the 13th consecutive time; he hasn’t lost a race in eleven years. And the country took multiple medals on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Marie-Claude Molnar took three silver medals, losing to American Shawn Morelli in the 3,000-metre individual pursuit.

It’s embarrassing when the world comes to our city, with brave athletes overcoming disabilities to compete at the highest levels, and the local press doesn’t even care enough to mention it.

Let alone actually cover it.

………

Team Sky’s Michal Kwiatkowski took his second Strade Bianche with a long range solo breakaway, despite accusations of interference from a race moto. Cycling Weekly recaps what they call a brutal day of racing, while Cycling Tips offers photos from the race. Peter Sagan was apologetic after dropping out due to illness and a crash.

The British Parliament will look into the use and/or abuse of the painkiller tramadol by Team Sky and British Cycling. Meanwhile, the Guardian says the real crime in the unfolding doping scandal would be if it derails Britain’s boom in recreational cycling.

Speaking of British Cycling, they swear a shipment of banned testosterone patches to their headquarters was just an administrative error. Sure, let’s go with that.

Second place Tour de France finisher Romain Bardet was disqualified from the weeklong Paris – Nice after being towed by the team car following a crash. And he says he’s sorry, too.

………

Local

An estimated 100,000 people defied afternoon rains to make the 626 Golden Streets open streets event a success, on a route stretching from South Pasadena to Azusa.

A 33-year old Whittier bike rider was critically injured in a collision with a Foothill Transit Bus in Azusa on Friday.

The fate of a new plan to totally remake the Redondo Beach waterfront hinges on a citywide vote this Tuesday.

Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson continues his discussion on why you have to produce ID when a cop asks for it even when you’re riding your bike, and cites relevant case law to back it up.

 

State

San Jose bike riders go on a tour of the city’s murals and culture in neighborhoods that could be hurt by Trump’s policies.

San Francisco’s bikeshare program is about to embark on a major expansion thanks to a $49 million cash infusion from Ford, as it attempts to fight off competition from app-based programs.

 

National

An Arizona man faces up to 25 years for the murder of a bike rider following an argument, in what looks to be a road rage killing.

Aspen CO considers creating new corridors for bikes and pedestrians to go with a 25-year old bike boulevard through the city.

A new Illinois nonprofit is helping addicts recover through bicycling.

Despite the bikelash, the mayor of Pittsburg PA stands firm in his call for a citywide network of neighborhood bike lanes.

Kindhearted North Carolina cops raise money to replace the bikes stolen from a couple of little kids.

If building bike paths along former railroad right-of-ways is called rails-to-trails, what do you call a bike path built over a North Carolina sewer line?

Savannah GA acknowledges it has a lot of work to do to raise its bike-friendly status to the next level.

The open streets movement is spreading to Pensacola FL, with a five mile downtown ciclovía later this month.

A Florida man lost 165 pounds after getting on his bike, and learned to love competing on a mountain bike in Leadville, despite failing his first time out.

 

International

The things roadies lie about, including whether they can see through your shorts.

A British writer discusses the in and outs and ups and downs of riding in London.

A Brit rider is trying to track down and thank the women who came to his aid after he was knocked off his bike in a collision.

A UK think tank considers what London and Manchester, England could look like if the country prioritized cycling. Although once again, they propose elevating riders above traffic instead of actually fixing the streets.

Britain’s Daily Mail accuses police of turning a blind eye to bad cyclists after fines drop by two-thirds, despite an increase in ridership. Or maybe people on bikes are just riding more safely and obeying the law.

Cyclist Magazine visits the famed Moulton bicycle factory.

The head of Australia’s Mineral Council is taking up cycling, and says her ideal riding partner would be the Dalai Lama to help overcome her fear of falling. I’d hardly call a $2200 bike entry level, however.

A program to donate bicycles helps keep Kenyan girls in school.

Shanghai is struggling to keep up with the bike boom brought on by the Chinese app-based bikeshare systems, and considering naming and shaming those who abuse the system.

 

Finally…

Come for the bike clothes, stay for the bunny museum next door. It’s easy to say put a light on your bike if you’re carrying meth and drug paraphernalia, but harder to do when the bike isn’t yours.

And the US Postal Service is demanding $100 million from Lance — and nine cents.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Weekend Links: Bike riders behaving badly, protected bike lanes coming to DTLA, and road raging in a g-string

March 4, 2017 / / One comment

Today’s edition of bike riders behaving badly.

A Houston cyclist spit on a driver, with her two kids in the car, after allegedly darting out in front of her car from a bike path crossing the road. Never mind that she was on the phone at the time.

Police in St. Petersburg FL are looking for the bicyclist who leaned over a woman sitting in the passenger seat of a convertible, and spit into her husband’s face. Of course, the driver swears he did absolutely nothing to antagonize him.

Funny how drivers always seem to be the innocent party, victimized by crazed cyclists who lash out against total strangers for no reason at all.

And while we’ve said this before, it can’t be stressed enough. Never get physical, no matter what a driver may have done to provoke you.

Any questions of morality aside — and yes, it is wrong, not to mention disgusting — it makes you the bad guy, and could leave you open to criminal, as well as civil, charges.

Better to get whatever they did on video if you have a cam, and let the police deal with it. Or just post it online, and let the court of public opinion have its way.

And if you don’t have one, get one.

………

Bicycling’s Joe Lindsay asks if the new Colorado Classic is the race that will save American Pro Cycling.

Meanwhile, the magazine talks with the team of high school mountain bikers who beat Lance and his fellow ex-dopers.

………

Local

There will be a kickoff event for the planned protected bike lanes on Spring and Main streets, now known as Main & Spring Forward, in DTLA this Sunday for anyone not attending the 626 Golden Streets.

A UCLA lecturer says bike riders will continue to be put at risk in Westwood if CD5 Councilmember Paul Koretz is re-elected.

UCLA researcher and lecturer Herbie Huff says the solution to overcrowded roads isn’t tunneling under the city, it’s putting a price on them.

The Daily Breeze talks with candidates for the Manhattan Beach city council, only one of whom even mentions bicycling.

Once again, Long Beach will open the Toyota Grand Prix course to the public for an open streets event. And once again, it will only last for an hour and a half. And it will be on a weekday when most people can’t attend.

 

State

Don’t plan on riding the bike path at Bolsa Chica State Beach on the 25th, unless you want to ride through a pro-Trump rally.

San Francisco manages to get the cars out of its new Valencia Street protected bike lane in time for the official opening.

 

National

A dog website says don’t bring your bike into the dog park unless you want to risk wiping out in a pile of poop.

A new four-wheeled e-scooter prototype promises to be a cross between an ebike and an ATV, with a 16.5 mph top speed to allow it to be used in bike lanes.

A writer for Strong Towns says it’s time to move beyond open streets events, and consider closing some streets the other 364 days of the year.

A Wisconsin appeals court reinstates a road rage charge after ruling a county judge had erroneously dismissed the case.

No, seriously. If they can put a protected bike lane on New York’s busy Fifth Avenue, they can do it just about anywhere. Even on some of LA’s busier streets.

The new director of a Charleston SC advocacy group will have the unenviable task of turning around the nation’s worst city for bicycling.

 

International

DHL is testing last-mile delivery by cargo bike in 13 European counties.

Royal-in-law Pippa Middleton offers her tips on how to dress for riding.

Life is cheap in the UK, where fatally dooring a bike rider is only worth a $98 fine.

The rich get richer, as bike-friendly Sweden and Denmark open the world’s first cross-border bike ferry.

Caught on video: An Aussie cyclist just barely avoids getting run down by a speeding, out of control driver who flipped his SUV after apparently suffering a medical episode.

China’s once-ubiquitous Flying Pigeon is once again flying high, churning out bikes for the country’s app-based bikeshare programs.

 

Finally…

The perfect tri bike for everyone who wants to rock and roll all night, and party every day. Who needs energy gel when you’ve got gummy bears?

And if you’re going to get physical with a Paris bicyclist, put some damn boxers on first.

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: Blessing of the Bicycles returns, support for bikes in CD13, and choosing the right donut for your ride

March 3, 2017 / / 2 comments

My favorite Bike Week event is back for another year. So mark your calendar for the 14th Annual Blessing of the Bicycles at Good Sam, just west of DTLA.

………

In today’s political news, CiclaValley calls Measure S fear and fake news.

And nice to see five candidates for LA’s 13th council district come out in favor of walking, bicycling and bike lanes, including incumbent Mitch O’Farrell.

………

Local

Caught on video: A Burbank bike rider was injured in a hit-and-run when he was right hooked as he rode off the sidewalk into an intersection.

626 Golden Streets offers a list of feeder routes to Sunday’s 18-mile open streets event in the San Gabriel Valley.

Santa Monica’s first open streets event was such a hit, it could be back in the fall. And every fall after that.

 

State

A trio of Orange County men will be riding up Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro on mountain bikes to raise money for a home for orphans and abandoned children at the base of the mountain.

San Diego’s KPBS considers how private corporations can encourage alternative transportation to help the city meet its mobility goals.

Caltrans proposes installing bike lanes and diagonal parking along Twentynine Palms Highway in downtown Joshua Tree.

A Stanford researcher is recruiting volunteers to determine if improvements in bike design have reduced risks of long hours in the saddle.

Three Foster city kids were hit by cars in three separate collisions on the same morning as they rode to a middle school in desperate need of a Safe Routes to School program; that’s half the bicycling collisions in the city for all of last year.

A Sacramento comedian has turned the severe concussion he got when he went through the windshield of a car into a one-man show; he’s back on his bike even though he still has aftereffects from the injury.

Sacramento’s American River bike trail is mostly open after workers cleared mud and debris from the recent flooding.

 

National

U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer has introduced legislation to help cities establish Vision Zero policies and treat traffic deaths as a public health crisis. Given the current political climate, you’re more likely to win the lottery this weekend than see this bill move out of committee, let alone become law.

Portland agreed to pay a bike rider over half a million dollars after he was injured by a hit-and-run driver while riding in a poorly marked, substandard bike lane; however, that’s just a fraction of his medical expenses.

Spokane County has finally settled with the family of a 15-year old bike rider after years of denying a deputy’s speeding patrol car had made contact with his bike; terms of the settlement were not announced. Never mind that even if the car hadn’t hit him, a close call could have been enough to make him fall.

Even Wichita KS is becoming more bike friendly as the city builds out its ten year bike plan.

A New York letter writer says the way to improve relations between the NYPD and bike riders is to give free rides on the city’s blue Citi Bikes to the men and women in blue.

NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson is one of us, as he spent Thursday riding ovals at North Carolina’s Wilkesboro Speedway with fellow drivers Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth.

A 12-year old South Carolina boy will be riding from Santa Monica back to Charleston SC to raise money for clean water. At that age, I was happy just to ride to the playground and back.

The solution to boosting bike ridership in Miami? Turn it into another Copenhagen.

 

International

A writer for the Guardian describes the lifelong pain of killing a pedestrian in a collision.

Caught on video too: Bikepacking the Inca Trail through the Andes.

A Winnipeg, Canada study determines that the keys to keeping bike riders safe are safety devices like lights and helmets, along with infrastructure that separates riders from motor vehicles.

Edmonton police are looking for a bike-riding serial purse snatcher.

Heartbreaking story from Australia, where a wife has to fight for a disability pension for her husband, who suffered major brain damage in a crash with a bush turkey.

 

Finally…

Your next bike could have an infinite number of gears. If you want a new bike, just leave your garage unlocked.

And forget energy gels, how to choose the right donut for the ride.

Category: Bike Events, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

72-year old Torrance woman killed while riding on sidewalk

March 3, 2017 / / 2 comments

Sad news from Torrance, where a 72-year old woman was killed in a collision with a delivery truck.

According to the Daily Breeze, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding her bike southbound on the west sidewalk of the 19600 block of Van Ness Ave when she was struck as the driver attempted to turn north on Van Ness.

However, there are no driveways on the west side of the street, and there does not appear to be a sidewalk on that side, which suggests she may have actually been on the east side of the street.

If that’s the case, the driver would have been looking for traffic to his left as he turned right, and may not have seen her approaching on the sidewalk to his right — even though he would appear to have had an unobstructed view.

Unfortunately, while riding on the sidewalk may appear to be safer than riding in the street, drivers tend to focus their attention on oncoming traffic, and may not notice someone coming towards them from the opposite direction.

Even though they should.

This is the seventh bicycling fatality this year, and the sixth in Los Angeles County.

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

 

 

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

Morning Links: No women’s French tour this year, LACBC staffer says no on S, and Pure Cycles goes electric

March 2, 2017 / / 6 comments

Let’s start things off with a long list of links from the wonderful wacky world of bike racing.

In a big step back for women’s cycling, the week-long Route de France race will not be held after getting dropped from UCI’s WorldTour calendar.

The physician for former Tour de France champ Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky claims his laptop with all their records was conveniently stolen three years ago, preventing doping authorities from being able to examine them. And he’s conveniently too sick to appear before a Parliamentary panel looking into it.

Lawyers for Brit cyclist Jess Varnish says the country’s governing body for cycling has learned nothing from its recent controversies; she had been dismissed from the team before the Olympics, and told to go have a baby.

The new Colorado Classic pro race will come complete with a three-day Denver festival, including performances by Wilco, the New Pornographers, Death Cab for Cutie, Saint Motel and La Santa Cecilia. The next to last leg of the race will run over the 8,000-foot elevation Peak to Peak Highway, which was one of my favorite rides when I lived out that way.

VeloNews says this Saturday’s Strade Bianche should be your new favorite race.

LA’s own former pro Phil Gaimon calls it the worst retirement ever, as he sets out to capture KOMS on YouTube. And speaking of Gaimon, he’s accepting preorders for his new book, Ask A Pro.

………

Local

The LACBC’s Carol Feucht explains why everyone who rides a bike should vote no on Measure S.

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune looks forward to Sunday’s nearly 18-mile 626 Golden Streets event, calling it an argument for a carfree LA County. Meanwhile, the Pasadena Star-News explains everything you need to know to ride from South Pasadena to Azusa.

If you’d prefer something more strenuous and less paved, CiclaValley invites you to Ryan Steers’ Birthday Gravel Feast this Sunday.

West Hollywood’s WeHo Pedals bikeshare will be free for new and existing members on election day.

Santa Clarita parks commissioner and cyclist Kevin Korenthal is packing his bikes and family and moving to Texas.

Interesting piece of advice from Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson, who says while you aren’t required to have a license to ride a bike, you do have to show a cop your ID if you’re asked for it.

 

State

San Clemente will install a nearly one-mile long protected bike lane along the coast highway.

San Diego was reminded the hard way that it’s cheaper to fix infrastructure problems than pay for it later, as a man was awarded a $4.85 million for injuries he suffered when his bike hit a seven-inch sidewalk displacement caused by a tree root. But seriously, how fast did you have to be going to fly 28 feet after hitting it something like that? Let alone on a sidewalk.

The UC Santa Barbara student government is funding nearly $127,000 worth of bike racks to deal with a chronic shortage of bike parking.

A San Francisco supervisor calls for a ban on bicycle chop shops, and authorizing police to seize any bikes or parts they find in one. We could use a law like that on a statewide basis; you can see bike chop shops operating in plain view all over Southern California.

 

National

A wine website lists the five best US cities for biking and beer; San Diego and Berkeley made the list, along with my hometown.

Bike Portland recounts the city’s journey to making Vision Zero its top transportation priority.

The South Dakota State University newspaper recommends biking to class to relieve stress and improve time management. Not to mention keeping all those cars off campus.

An Iowa writer says you should add the cross-state RAGBRAI ride to your bucket list.

Chicago Streetsblog offers a four paragraph bike helmet manifesto, saying if people in your city feel the need to wear a helmet, it’s a sign the streets aren’t safe. Except bike helmets aren’t designed to protect riders from cars, they’re made to protect against relatively slow speed falls.

This is just so wrong on so many levels. A New York community board member says a protected bike lane is unnecessary, because “Once Trump removes all the illegals… there won’t be anybody to ride bike lanes.” Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

The Washington Post says cities around the country are embracing lower speed limits to save lives.

A North Carolina man has been arrested in the case of the scooter rider who harassed and assaulted two men in Key West, calling them homophobic slurs and saying “You’re in Trump country now.”

 

International

People will soon be able to walk or bike between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit on a multi-use path installed on the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

An English woman suffered a fractured cheekbone when a shoplifter fleeing store security smashed into her on his bike.

Caught on video: A Brit rider gets caught in a frightening squeeze play when a bus driver drifts into the bike lane he’s riding in.

Caught on video too: A Glasgow, Scotland bike rider apparently made a wrong turn and ended up riding in the middle of a busy freeway.

Berlin sees bicycles as the key to solving the city’s transportation problems.

Now that sounds like fun. Take a food and bike tour through northern Italy with the Border Grill’s Mary Sue Milliken and other chefs on the Emilia Romagna Chef Bike Tour this June.

Exploring Abu Dhabi by bikeshare.

China’s Ofo app-based bikeshare built a $1 billion business one 15¢ bike ride at a time. Although where to put them all seems to be a problem.

 

Finally…

When you’d rather hate on bicyclists than bother to understand what the hell you’re talking about. Finding the nation’s most bike-friendly city in the most bike-friendly country.

And like Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival, Burbank-based fixie maker Pure Cycles goes electric.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: Help Metro rank their budget priorities, and WeHo unveils its new bike/ped mobility plan

March 1, 2017 / / 2 comments

Metro wants your input on their proposed budget for the 2018 fiscal year. You can respond online or in person at any of the meetings below.

And be sure to rank Active Transportation at the top of your priority list.

Which hopefully means more than just running to catch the bus that’s leaving without you.

………

West Hollywood unveils its draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan, which promises to deliver real networks for bicycling and walking.

Hopefully sooner rather than later.

………

Now you, too, can make your pancakes like the pros do.

An entire Iranian cycling team gets banned after two of its riders test positive for steroids.

Just like sidewalk cyclists in cities around the world, pro cyclists Peter Sagan, Greg Van Avermaet and Sep Vanmarcke could face a fine. They should do their racing in Los Angeles, where riding on the sidewalk is legal.

And despite Sagan’s example, a mouthful of candy probably isn’t the best way to refuel on your ride.

………

Local

KPCC looks at the CD1 city council race between embattled incumbent Gil Cedillo and four challengers, most notably our own Joe Bray-Ali.

This month’s LACBC Sunday Funday ride will be a feeder ride from Highland Park to the 626 Golden Streets event.

Metro unveils the locations of Pasadena’s coming bikeshare system.

 

State

Fresno releases their $1.3 billion Active Transportation Plan, despite not building out the city’s previous plans. Not unlike the languishing plans found most cities, where new bike and pedestrian plans are usually forgotten as soon as they’re written.

A San Francisco bike rider was the victim of a violent mugging when someone whacked him with a crowbar and stole his bike. One more reason to always wear a helmet.

Oddly, if you fail to remove parking meters from the curb next to a raised San Francisco bike lane, drivers will continue to park there.

Caught on video: A Sacramento cyclist is lucky to be alive when his back wheel is clipped by a speeding train after riding onto a railroad crossing. No word on whether he rode through the barriers, or even if the crossing had crossing arms or warning lights.

Security video was posted online that shows the fatal shooting of a bike rider in Redding last month; the driver claims it was self defense, though the victim may have been reacting to a near collision.

 

National

Schwinn invites you to relive your childhood with a new limited edition Lemon Peeler Stingray.

Mountain bike legend Gary Fisher says e-mountain bikes are the next big thing, because they remove all the work and just leave the fun. Which kind of takes the fun out of it.

Like pretty much anything else from Ikea, their new bike requires some assembly, but Fast Co-Exist says you’ll have a very rideable urban bike when you’re done.

This is the cost of traffic violence. One of the nation’s leading experts on bioterrorism was killed in a collision when he was collateral damage in a wreck between two cars in St. Louis.

Friends of a killer Minnesota driver blame a possible undiagnosed brain tumor instead of intoxication for the crash that took the life of a runner in a crosswalk.

CNBC talks with MIT physicist Assaf Biderman, maker of the Copenhagen Wheel, which promises to turn nearly any bike into an ebike.

A New York driver cuts a teenage bike rider off as he rides on a sidewalk, then blames him for getting mad.

A New Orleans writer calls Mardi Gras a gateway drug that turns people on to the possibility of two-wheeled transportation because it’s the most efficient way to get around during carnival season.

Bike-riding medics protect the crowd at the Mobile AL Mardi Gras celebration.

 

International

The family of a fallen British bicyclist call for reforming the country’s sentencing laws after the driver who killed him cops a plea for a reduced sentence.

Britain could cut serious bicycling collisions by a third just through better enforcement of safe passing laws.

A British man decides he needs a change, and bikes 9,000 miles from his hometown to South Africa, while expecting to get jumped by a lion along the way.

The leading Dutch bikeway engineering guide gets an update, showcasing the country’s best bike practices. Which means the best practices, period.

Five German woman have been attacked by an acid-throwing bike rider since December.

 

Finally…

If at first you fail to hit a cop with a bicycle, try throwing a tricycle. Is it still a three state challenge if there’s only two?

And if you’re going to flee from a failed break-in, remember to take your bike with you.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Riding with SaMo’s mayor, crazed California driver, and your next bike should have a bazooka

February 28, 2017 / / 3 comments

Evidently, Saturday’s ride with the mayor of Santa Monica was a successful affair.

David Drexler forwarded his thoughts afterwards.

Thanks for the “heads up” about the monthly ride with the Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer.

It was a lot of fun.  He is a great guy, and very approachable.

We chatted for a while before the ride, and rode together for a while. He likes to talk about cycling infrastructure and Santa Monica’s plans for the future including a fully protected bike lane from North to South coming up soon for construction that will feed into the East/West green lanes.

The Mayor told me that both he and his wife and 2 children all have bikes at home and ride together, and most days he cycles from his home to his city office in Santa Monica.

Also with us for the ride was the Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole who likes cycling and was pointing out areas for Green Lane expansion and revision to the Mayor during the ride.

You don’t have to be a resident of Santa Monica to participate in the Monthly ride with Mayor, so everyone should consider coming out and chatting with him about cycling next time.

Photo attached of the Mayor (on the left) giving the group instructions before the ride.

………

These are the people we share the roads with.

Somewhere in California, a crazed road raging driver harassed a bike rider, demanding that “all you little bastards” should get out of town, and threatened to come back with a shotgun.

Although any experienced road raging driver would know that using a gun is a crime, but using a car just makes it an accident.

Right?

Thanks to Frank Lehnerz for the heads-up.

………

Members of the pro peloton name the most promising young riders; no North or Central Americans made the list, though one Columbian rider did.

So much for cleaning up the sport. An anti-doping organization claims no drug testing has been done at the last five international cyclocross events, and they haven’t checked for motor doping, either.

Alberto Contador says it’s more important to ride with style than to win. Something tells me his sponsors would disagree.

Flamboyant world road champ Peter Sagan likes Haribo candies more than post-race interviews; Bicycling Magazine compares his early season behavior to performance art.

VeloNews discusses Saturday’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad one-day classic, where riders used a tactic employed by traffic-shy cyclists around the world by taking to the sidewalk. And it turns out the women Omlooped, too. Twice.

………

Local

Road and Track says the future of Los Angeles transportation is full of possibilities, from trains and hydrogen-powered cars to, yes, bicycles.

A new bike-inspired coffee shop and bicycle accessory shop will be opening soon on York Blvd in Highland Park, where a successful road diet has helped bring life to the street. Though this being Los Angeles, not everyone approves.

CiclaValley explains how to take your bike on MetroLink.

There will be a feeder ride for people looking to get from Highland Park to Sunday’s 626 Golden Streets ciclovía/open streets event.

 

State

Bike co-op and advocacy group BikeVentura is officially launching with a party this Saturday.

Sacramento sheriff’s deputies are looking for a bike thief who assaulted the owner of a bike he was trying to steal.

 

National

Nice to know we’re still making life miserable for self-driving cars.

Mobility Lab asks how far is too far to ride to work, concluding that anything beyond 30 miles is just crazy. Although I once met one of the early RAAM competitors, who commuted 157 miles by bike from his home in Steamboat Spring CO through the mountains to Denver, and back again, everyday, even in the dead of winter.

Police in Oregon are searching for the identity of a drunken rider who was hit by a truck on Friday. This is why you should always carry ID. And ride sober.

Young riders of faster ebikes could be required to wear a helmet until they reach the age of 21 under proposed Utah legislation.

A Denver bicyclist claims he was repeatedly passed, then intentionally run down by a road raging street sweeper driver.

A former Wichita KS bike shop owner now runs a bike repair service out of his garage, while offering free bike rentals to anyone who wants to borrow one.

Even heartland cities are attempting to eliminate traffic fatalities, as Columbia MO commits to developing a Vision Zero plan.

Massachusetts is planning a network of bike lanes to keep up with rising demand.

Evidently, blocking bike lanes is nothing new; New York truck drivers have been doing it since at least 1899.

If anyone feels like moving to the deep South, the Georgia Bikes advocacy group is seeking a new executive director.

 

International

Road.cc presents the perfect bikes to buy when you have more dollars than sense.

A Nova Scotia columnist calls on the province to scrap its mandatory bike helmet law, saying that it will keep bikeshare from succeeding there without making riders any safer. Meanwhile, a writer for Forbes says bike helmets can be hazardous to your health by encouraging risky behavior.

British cycling champ Chris Hoy goes from Olympic gold medalist to children’s book author.

Caught on video: A Kiwi parent could face a police investigation after he knocks a BMX rider on his ass for colliding with his skateboarding son at a new skate park.

 

Finally…

Not even bike messengers are safe from automation. Forget a Swiss Army Knife; what you really need is a bazooka-toting Swiss Army Bicycle.

And seriously, cats should know better than to try mountain biking, anyway.

 

Category: Guest Columns, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »
Wordpress Theme by ThemeZee