Hard-hitting Vision Zero ad, foldie-riding VeloBarber, and your own personal helmet-mounted air scoop air filter

July 10, 2020 / / Comments Off on Hard-hitting Vision Zero ad, foldie-riding VeloBarber, and your own personal helmet-mounted air scoop air filter

Thanks for your patience with yesterday’s diabetes issues, which resulted in a somewhat truncated Morning Links. 

We’re back today to catch up on what we missed, as well as today’s news. And a whole lot of videos. 

For those keeping score at home, my bout with low blood sugar was followed by a spike in morning, followed by high blood sugar all day. 

Which I suppose means it all evened out in the long run. 

Seriously, diabetes sucks. 

Photo by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay.

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This is how you sell Vision Zero.

https://twitter.com/fietsprofessor/status/1281216319044624384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1281216319044624384%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Froad.cc%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Fcycling-live-blog-july-09-2020-275297

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Brompton posts video of New York’s bike-riding VeloBarber.

Maybe we could talk him into riding out here if SoCal goes back into coronavirus lockdown mode.

Which is looking like a distinct possibility right now.

Thanks to Aurelio Jose Barrera for the video.

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Now you can ride with your very own personal air filter sticking out from your helmet like an air scoop.

Which, sadly, almost makes sense these days.

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A British bike rider points out what may be the worst maintained bike path in the UK.

Even though it looks a lot better than some I’ve ridden in Los Angeles.

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The latest GCN video takes a look at bike tech that was ahead of its time.

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

A San Leandro man faces a murder charge after witnesses say he intentionally ran down a man riding a bicycle, then fled the scene; no reason was given for the attack.

A British bike rider was the victim of an early morning strong arm robbery when someone knocked him off his bike and rode off with it.

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Local

Uber covertly recruited advocacy groups to fight data sharing programs like the e-scooter data program pioneered in Los Angeles, without telling them the giant ride hailing service was behind it.

Metro is hosting a pair of virtual meetings next week to discuss a new joint development at the NoHo transit station, including a Bike Hub and Metro Bike station.

The San Gabriel Valley is about to get ebike bikeshare, starting with 30 bikes in El Monte and expanding to 840 bikes within the next year.

 

State

More on formerly auto-centric Caltrans plans to support bicycling, walking and transit.

The San Diego Bicycle Coalition is holding a scavenger hunt through next week to encourage active transportation in Imperial Beach. Thanks to Robert Leone for the heads-up.

That feeling when Frank Sinatra takes you home to Palm Springs and offers to buy you a car, but you’d rather have a bike.

Canceling this year’s La Quinta – Indian Wells Ironman race could leave a $10 million hole in the local economy.

 

National

The Bike League announced their latest list of 75 new or renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses; unfortunately, none are in Southern California.

Google Maps could soon show you the location of traffic lights, which is a vital tool for planning a bike route that crosses busy streets.

Forbes examines why you might want an ebike, calling them the hottest thing on two wheels.

Popular Science says add a quick quick-release check to the standard ABC (air, brakes, chain) pre-ride safety check.

An energy website calls the “humble bicycle” one of the heroes of the coronavirus crisis.

A Eugene, Oregon letter writer insists you should put a bike bell on your racing bike. No, really. But at least have the courtesy to give a vocal warning before you pass someone, especially on a bike path.

No Tour de Fat in my hometown this year. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

So much for that plan for secure bike parking pods in New York City, after the three-year old proposal ran into financial problems from the start.

An architecture critic for the New York Times says New York can, and should, become a biking city, while a columnist for the paper says he’s seen a carfree future and it’s amazing. Seriously, if New York can do it, what the hell is LA’s problem?

New York’s early Critical Mass rides led the NYPD to require a parade permit for any assembly of 50 or more people that blocks traffic, giving them the justification they needed to crack down on this year’s Black Lives Matter protests.

In a truly bizarre tragedy, a 17-year old Florida boy was killed in a collision as he was being pulled in a shopping cart tied to his friend’s bicycle with a plastic bag.

Florida bicyclists are threatening to sue over a new non-resident bike ban in Key Biscayne, accusing the city of using Covid-19 as an excuse to get rid of bike riders.

 

International

Cycling News says local bike shops will survive because there’s no substitute for their service and skills. Although your favorite LBS may not without your support.

Road.cc recommends the year’s best bicycling sunglasses (multiply the UK price by 1.26 to get an approximate US price); some form of eye protection is vital to keep your eyes safe from rocks, flies and other road debris, as well as harmful UV light.

The UK has opened its first CYCLOPS — Cycle Optimized Protected Signals —  intersection in Manchester, providing bicyclists with a segregated cycle track leading around the entire junction.

Irish bike thieves aren’t taking the pandemic off, with Dublin bicycle thefts up over 140% in June compared to last year.

The Covid-19 lockdown provided a glimpse of a greener future for Paris, where the mayor is committed to making it a bicycling city to rival Amsterdam and Copenhagen, while reducing the city’s reliance on cars.

A Kenyan newspaper talks with Salim Nasir, who rode 351 miles from Nairobi to Mombassa in just two days.

An Australian woman suffered a horrible freak accident when she fell off her ebike and was impaled on a mangrove.

 

Competitive Cycling

A writer for CyclingTips rides a steel frame bike to explore a few new-to-the-Tour climbs scheduled for this year’s Tour de France.

After losing his leadership position with Team Ineos — aka the former Team Sky — after eleven years, former Tour de France winner Chris Froome is jumping to the Israel Start Up Nation team for a shot at a record-tying fifth Tour win. Even though Lance won seven, but, you know.

Former British pro Emma Pooley set a new women’s Everesting record, shaving 15 minutes off the month-old record of 9:08:31.

 

Finally…

Who needs to carry a bike lock when you can ride one? Your next bike could have all-wheel drive. No, really.

And the newest Shelby Cobra comes with pedals and a handlebar.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already. 

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

Olive Street bike lane hits the street, vital bicyclists Black Lives Matter discussion, and parking in 7th Street bike lane

July 9, 2020 / / One comment

I give up. 

I’ve been battling low blood sugar for over four hours now, as I’ve struggled to finish today’s post. Despite my best efforts, I’ve finally reached the point where I have to throw in the towel. 

Unfortunately, I’ve only gotten about halfway through today’s news, so let’s just call this Morning Links lite.

And we’ll catch up with the rest tomorrow. 

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In today’s photo, Patrick Pascal sends proof that DTLA’s Olive Street bike lane is becoming a reality, looking south from 8th Street.

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This may be the most important video you see today.

Or maybe this year.

Tuesday evening, LA’s Velo Club La Grange hosted a two hour online discussion of racism, and what it’s like to be a Black bicyclist in the City of Angels.

This is how they describe it.

On Tuesday, July 7, 2020, Velo Club La Grange hosted a virtual Town Hall where a number of local Black cyclists shared their perspective and experiences and engaged in an interactive question and answer session. We invite you to watch this critically important conversation.

But that doesn’t begin to do it justice.

The panelists — a group of successful Black professionals — didn’t say anything I haven’t heard before from other people.

Yet hearing so many variations of the same hateful story, calmly told by so many people, was absolutely devastating.

Seriously, block out some time, and watch it. It may change the way you view race forever.

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When is a bike lane not a bike lane?

When its a parking lot.

Twitter post

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Help BikeSD raise funds for the Climate Ride this weekend.

https://twitter.com/BikeSD/status/1281066125724246016

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Submitted without comment.

Twitter post

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Barcelona soccer star Gerard Pique is one of us, arriving for an important La Liga match on his ebike.

https://twitter.com/MovistarFutbol/status/1280934558175821824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1280934558175821824%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fheavy.com%2Fsports%2F2020%2F07%2Fgerard-pique-bike%2F

Eddie Redmayne is one of us, too.

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Twitter post

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Photographer Sterling Lorence discusses how to get the perfect mountain bike shots.

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

A New York driver plowed through a group of bike riders blocking an intersection for a Black Lives Matter protest, leaving a string of mangled bicycles in his wake; the driver was arrested two blocks away after being chased down by protesters.

A teenaged Pennsylvania driver faces charges for chasing down a bike rider and intentionally ramming hm with his car, for no apparent reason.

A British bicyclist was pushed into a canal by a group of thieves intent on stealing his bicycle, the latest in a string of similar attacks.

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Local

No news is good news, right?

 

State

Popular San Francisco nonprofit bike shop Pedal Revolution calls it quits after years of financial loses compounded by Covid-19.

 

National

Nice piece from Popular Science explaining the differences between cheap bikes and more expensive models. Or to put it another way, between mass market Bicycle Shaped Objects, and bikes you’ll actually want to ride more than one summer.

A writer for The Next Web addresses the age old question of whether you should buy an e-bike or an e-scooter; concluding, both.

Specialized is finally making the jump to e-commerce, allowing its bikes and frames to be sold online.

Louisville KY’s bikeshare system puts its money where its bikes are, posting Black Lives Matter signs at the docking stations.

Once again, a bike rider is a hero, but in a different way, as a Minneapolis bicyclist creates an organization to collect up to 100 pounds of household supplies for people in need and deliver them to community service organizations, all by bicycle.

Incoming Michigan football player RJ Moten is one of us, putting his lockdown time to good use with 50 mile bike rides. Let’s hope he keeps it up, because the chances of actually playing football this fall aren’t looking good.

A Massachusetts town gets creative with its bike racks. Although most bike riders would gladly trade artistic racks for better security. 

An Orlando newspaper recommends three outstanding bike trails for your next trip to Florida.

 

International

The European Court of Justice rules that Brompton’s unique functional shape can be copyrighted.

Bike Biz considers the role bicycles can play during the age of Covid-19.

Streetsblog says US states should copy Scotland’s E-Bike Grant program to replace car and transit trips with bike rides.

A former British firefighter discovers what it’s like to open a new bike shop in the middle of a pandemic, which counterintuitively turned out to be the perfect time.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cyclist exults over the pending return of bike racing.

VeloNews explains how budding Canadian cycling star Michael Wood made the transition from running to bike racing.

 

Finally…

At last, a bike you ride sidesaddle. That feeling when your bike ride turns into a cheesy DIY porn shoot.

And yes, you’re actually supposed to sit on this.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already. 

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

Update: Man killed riding bike in Desert Hot Springs hit-and-run; 5th Riverside County bike death in 30 days

July 8, 2020 / / One comment

Please make it stop.

Just one day after reporting on two bicycling deaths in Southern California, another man was killed riding in Desert Hot Springs sometime overnight.

And no, the coward behind the wheel didn’t bother to stick around. Or even call for help.

According to the Desert Sun, the victim was found lying next to his mangled bicycle around 5:45 this morning on Two Bunch Palms Trail near Cholla Drive in Desert Hot Springs. However, police were unsure on exactly when or where the crash occurred.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

There’s no description yet of the suspect or the vehicle. There’s also no word on whether the victim had lights on his bike, or what kind of bike he was riding.

He was found lying in the eastbound lane on the lightly traveled road, leading a bicyclist passing by the crash scene to note that drivers can be blinded by the rising sun, which came up at 5:42 this morning — about the time his body was discovered.

With little traffic at that early hour, it’s likely the driver could have easily exceeded the posted 45 mph speed limit on the straight, unbroken roadway.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Palm Desert Police Officer Chris James at 760/329-2904, ext. 351, or the PDPD watch commander at 760/329-2904, ext. 302.

This is at least the 30th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

It’s also the fifth bicycling death in the county in the past 30 days.

Update: The Desert Sun has updated their story to indicate the victim was a 43-year old man, though he still hasn’t been publicly identified. 

Police are looking for a maroon 2006-2009 Lexus IS250 sedan, last seen heading west on Two Bunch Palms Trail. Which would suggest that driver was headed away from the rising sun, not towards it. 

Investigators determined that the victim was riding in the middle of the roadway, though they don’t know which way he was going. 

Presumably, they mean in the middle of the lane, rather than down the center line. However, with no shoulder on either side, there’s nowhere else to ride without hugging the edge of the road. 

It’s also important to note that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to determine the exact point of impact in bicycle collisions; police often rely on where the victim’s body and bicycle landed, which can have little or no relation to where they were hit. 

Update 2: The victim has been identified as 43-year old Palm Springs resident Christopher Jones. Police now place the time of the crash as around 5:30 am.

Update 3: Police arrested 31-year old Yesenia Bibriesca of Desert Hot Springs on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, after finding the Lexus believed to have been used in the crime. 

She’s been released on $75,000 bail. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the Christopher Jones and his loved ones.

Thanks to Victor Bale and Phillip Young for the heads-up.

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

White bar owner pulls gun on Black bike rider, pre-ride bike checks in the age of Covid-19, and support Sunset4All today

July 8, 2020 / / Comments Off on White bar owner pulls gun on Black bike rider, pre-ride bike checks in the age of Covid-19, and support Sunset4All today

Unbelievable.

When a bike-riding Black man stopped next to a Philadelphia bar to urge people on the patio to wear masks and social distance, the bar’s white owner responded by standing up and threatening him with a gun while shouting Trump campaign slogans.

A couple of women responded by quickly stepping between them and urging the owner to put the gun away, while the man on the bike armed himself with a U-lock in self defense.

Which probably wouldn’t do much to stop a bullet.

Twitter post

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Remarkably, the police haven’t taken any action yet, despite clear video evidence of assault with a deadly weapon.

Apparently Black lives don’t matter that much in the City of Brotherly Love.

Or maybe it’s just Black bike riders.

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Lots of people still need to get their bikes ready to ride before taking them out during the pandemic.

USA Today offers tips on things to check before resurrecting your bike during the age of Covid-19.

Popular Science — yes, it’s still here — provides their own advice on how to bring your old bike back to life.

Surprisingly, they both get it right. And credit USA Today for not even mentioning helmets until the last line.

Then again, Popular Science doesn’t bring it up at all.

While you’re at it, you’re going to need some good chain lube, too.

And C|net tells you how to keep your ebike battery in top shape.

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Once again, you’re urged to support protected bike lanes on LA’s Sunset Blvd by spending your money to support a local business along the corridor; this time, it’s The Kitchen on Fountain Ave.

Twitter post

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

An upstate New York man faces charges for shooting at a boy riding a bicycle; fortunately, he only hit the bike.

Call it a bike hate crime. Someone used a four-wheel drive vehicle to pull down a giant bicycle sculpture on a Virginia trailhead, as well as ripping out bus benches, trash cans and porta-potties.

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

Seven young kittens had to be rescued from a UK barn, after their mother was hit and killed in a collision with a bicyclist.

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Local

No news is good news, right?

 

State

Six long Bay Area rides that begin in urban centers, for your next trip to the area.

 

National

A $25 donation to the Davis Phinney Foundation could get you a $9,400 Allied Cycle Works Able road bike hand painted by former pro Taylor Phinney.

Bicycle Retailer examines what companies in the bike industry received loans as part of the federal Payroll Protection Program; the only LA-area company appears to be offroad ebike maker BM E-bikes.

Tim Blumenthal is stepping down as president of PeopleForBikes after leading the bike industry advocacy group for the past 16 years; current COO Jenn Dice was scheduled to take his place on of the first of this month.

Reviewers for Outside suffered through weeks of trail riding just to help you pick the best mountain bike helmet.

A Denver TV station says car-mounted bike racks are in short supply now, too.

The new Pikes, Peaks and Prairie Route route plotted out by the Adventure Cycling Association runs 1,300 miles from Yellowstone to Minneapolis, past the Devil’s Tower, Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills.

Milwaukee Brewers utility player Brock Holt is one of us, after his wife bought him a bike to ride to practice sessions during the coronavirus lockdown.

Chicago bike shops say the pandemic bike boom is leading to the best bike year in history.

Streetsblog says New York’s open streets program isn’t working for everyone, with most located in wealthier and predominantly white areas.

A Philadelphia high school football coach sadly remembers a 15-year old boy who was fatally shot while riding his bike during a violent weekend in the city.

Police in North Carolina are looking for a Charlotte man with dementia, who may be riding his bike to Statesville, roughly 41-miles away.

 

International

Cyclingnews considers the best all-around bike for commuting, riding and racing.

A Canadian woman has raised over $30,000 to fight ovarian cancer while setting a new record for bicycling across the country, covering 3,667 miles in just 20 days.

London’s police insist an officer accused of stopping a man for Biking While Black said he didn’t have any lights displayed, rather than saying he didn’t have a license plate, which isn’t required in the UK. Never mind that the stop was made in broad daylight.

An English driver got ten months behind bars for crashing into a woman who was riding her bike while driving at twice the legal alcohol limit; he’ll also lose his license for 27 months.

A new study shows a third of Scottish drivers don’t give bike riders the required five-foot passing distance, as police warn they could face fines.

The British edition of Runner’s World offers tips on how to prevent and treat knee pain from bicycling.

Police in the UK are looking for a BMX rider who shouted a racially abusive comment at a woman as she walked along a roadway.

Britain’s largest bike chain predicts the bike boom will last throughout this year.

More evidence of the pandemic bike boom, as bike sales under the UK’s Bike to Work program have doubled over last year.

 

Finally…

Your next bike could be a submarine. And get off the damn sidewalk, already.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already. 

Category: Product Reviews / Tags: , , , , , ,

Riverside bike rider killed in collision with motorcyclist Monday night; 4th Riverside county bike death in 30 days

July 7, 2020 / / 2 comments

More bad news today.

According to My News LA, a bike rider was killed in a collision with a motorcyclist in Riverside Monday night.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was attempting to cross Magnolia Ave just east of Jackson Street around 10:25 pm when he allegedly rode directly out in front of a man riding west on a Harley.

He was killed instantly.

The motorcyclist and his passenger were taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries.

A police sergeant appeared to blame the crash on a lack of crosswalks in the area. Yet a street view clearly shows the intersection of Magnolia and Jackson controlled by a traffic signal, with a crosswalk in every direction, suggesting the crash may have been significantly east of Jackson.

Magnolia is a four lane divided street in a residential neighborhood, with bike lanes and a wide planted median, and a 40 mph speed limit.

The question is why the victim would ride out in front of such a loud motorcycle, even if he or she didn’t see it.

It’s possible they were under the influence or distracted in some way, or that the 54-year old motorcyclist may have been traveling at a high rate of speed.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Riverside Police Department’s Traffic Bureau at 951/826-8720.

This is at least the 29th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

It’s also the fourth bicycling death in the county in the past 30 days.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

17-year old bike rider Ernesto Manzano Jr. killed riding against traffic in Monterey Park

July 7, 2020 / / One comment

Yet another tragic reminder to never ride against traffic.

According the Pasadena Star News, 17-year old Los Angeles resident Ernesto Manzano Jr. was riding downhill on the wrong side of the road when he was hit dead-on by a driver headed in the opposite direction around 6:40 Friday evening.

Sadly Manzano died at the scene.

Authorities place the collision near the intersection of Crest Vista Drive and Windover Way in Monterey Park.

They don’t say what street the crash was on; however, the driver was headed north, which suggests they both were on Cresta Vista.

The driver remained at the scene; police don’t believe drug or alcohol played a factor in the crash.

Unfortunately, riding salmon probably did.

Wrong way riding may seem safer, since it allows you to see oncoming traffic. However, it greatly increases the risk of a collision, because drivers don’t expect to see you coming towards them, while dramatically reducing reaction times.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Monterey Park Police Department watch commander at 626/307-1200.

This is at least the 28th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

It also appears to be the first LA County bicycling death in two months.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Ernesto Manzano Jr. and all his loved ones. 

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