Morning Links: Philharmonic CicLAvia, fixing parking problems on MyFig, and the war on bikes moves mostly online

July 13, 2018 / / 4 comments

It’s official.

CicLAvia has released the route of September’s Disney Hall to Hollywood Bowl open streets event, which should be epic in every sense, with dozens of performances along the way.

Curbed offers a preview of the CicLAvia event, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, culminating in a free concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

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CiclaValley provides a 45-second update on the parking problems on the new MyFigueroa bike lane.

Twitter post

CiclaValley also reminds us about this Nike ad, with new LA Laker LeBron James playing a bike-born Pied Piper to kids in Miami.

Twitter post

And no, it’s not the least bit confusing to go from typing CicLAvia to CiclaValley and back.

No, really.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes goes on. And online.

A Tennessee man assumes he’s an expert on bike safety because he rode his into the side of a truck as a child, and criticizes a recumbent rider for riding in the center of a traffic lane — even though he clearly doesn’t know that word.

Apparently speaking from beyond the grave after being run over by bike riders three times, a New Jersey letter writer says his town shouldn’t encourage more bicycling because of the “mayhem” caused by “psycho” cyclists, even though he swears he rides one himself.

No windshield bias here. A DC writer complains about five types of “smug-ass” people who need to “cut the shit.” Needless to say, bike riders are number one on his list, for the apparently unforgivable crime of acting like bikes are cars, which is exactly what bike riders are supposed to do; number two are pedestrians in crosswalks who don’t get the hell out of his way fast enough.

A Saskatoon cyclist records a confrontation with an angry driver who followed him honking, then wanted to fight when the rider tried to explain his right to the road. Meanwhile, Saskatoon police say yes, bikes have a right to the road, but don’t try to educate the driver who harassed you, because that could be demeaning.

……..

A video from Slate’s Spokes Man says it’s fine to slap a car while riding.

Then again, he also seems to be okay with undertaking a semi while it’s making a right turn, which should tell you something.

I confess to slapping a few fenders when drivers drifted into my lane, or right hooked me without appearing to even know I was there.

But I stopped several years ago, after a driver got out of his car and beat a pianist to death in Hollywood when the victim slapped the hood of his car for encroaching on the crosswalk.

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Local

LAist gets it. A piece by KPCC’s Meghan McCarthy Carino says nothing can fix LA traffic, so deal with it. The simple fact is, traffic in Los Angeles right now is as good as it will ever be; the only option is to provide safe, efficient alternatives to convince people to leave their cars at home.

Good piece from Streetsblog’s Damien Newton looking at the lessons learned from the failed attempt to recall LA Councilmember Mike Bonin over the equally failed Playa del Rey road diets. And the stifling effect it’s had on street safety projects.

For everyone who missed out on Metro’s free Bike Hub membership during Bike Month, the LACBC is offering a second chance at a free one-year Bike Hub membership through the end of the month.

The Santa Monica Daily Press complains about e-scooters on the beachfront bike path, saying users are scooting through a loophole in the law.

 

State

A Bakersfield mother and bike advocate makes the case for why you should wear a helmet.

San Jose business owners become just the latest to fight a proposed bikeway, fearing it will be bad for business. Even though study after study shows just the opposite.

A San Mateo doctor is suing the other participants in a regular fast group ride for $1 million for injuries he received when another rider crashed into him. Something tells me he may not be welcome on the next one.

Sad news from Concord, where a 60-year old man was killed when his bicycle was rear-ended by a driver.

 

National

Your next power meter could fit on a valve stem.

An ebike helps a woman get back on a bicycle for the first time since she was eleven.

A Spokane writer suggests putting sharrows on a freeway, with bike pool lanes for two or more people on a bike. And no, he’s not serious.

Nevada’s indigenous tribes are welcoming Lime dockless bikeshare to their community to provide a transportation option that improves health and protects the environment.

A Montana man loses nearly half his 500 pound weight after taking up bicycling.

An Omaha bike co-op saved an eight-year old boy from a life of crime on the streets; ten years later he’s a high school graduate with a scholarship from Adventure Cycling.

A Minneapolis bike columnist says it’s time to take a pledge of civility.

A New Jersey woman — and the daughter of Holocaust survivors — discovers riding her bicycle in the recent ride from Auschwitz to Krakow, Poland is cleansing for the soul.

Friends pitch in to rebuild a custom bike belonging to a New Jersey Lakers fan — and Wilt Chamberlain’s second cousin — painting it in the colors of the LA Lakers.

 

International

Designing better ultra-aerodynamic bicycles through artificial intelligence.

That bike bucket list just keeps getting longer, as Forbes recommends five bicycling vacations around the world.

A writer for the Guardian considers the best books on bicycling.

A British Columbia bike rider is using shadows on a straight, flat highway in Saskatchewan to prove the Earth isn’t flat. Because one more proof should be enough to convince all the flat Earthers, even though all the many others haven’t done the job yet.

Caught on video: A British bus driver passes a bicyclist way too close for comfort, coming so close it looks like it may have brushed the rider.

More proof life is cheap in the UK, where a woman gets a year behind bars for running down a bike rider while high on coke and driving without her glasses — with her kids in the car.

A Welsh judge has ordered a new trial in the death of British Olympic hero Chris Boardman’s bike-riding mother; in addition to the crash, the driver and his wife are accused of deleting cellphone data to cover up their actions.

Don’t count on seeing Irish band Glass Animals anytime soon, after the band’s drummer was seriously injured when he was hit by a truck while riding in Dublin.

A Dublin teenager has been jailed for one year for terrorizing bike riders on a canal pathway; he was part of a group that chased riders and strung rope across the trail in an effort to knock people off their bikes.

Helsinki, Finland is using artificial intelligence to position and manage their bikeshare system.

Mobility Lab says Danes bike for the same reason Americans drive — because they’re lazy and it’s easy.

Rome residents are painting potholes to warn bike riders and hopefully shame the city into fixing them.

The Prague, Czechoslovakia bike ban goes into effect at the end of this month; bike riders will be prohibited from pedestrian areas in the city center.

India’s Hero Cycles is reviving 110-year old British Viking bikes after a 40-year absence. So doesn’t that mean it’s really a 70-year old brand?

An Aussie man is attempting to record and preserve all the surviving bikes made by custom bikemaker Milton “Spike” Jones.

Dockless bikeshare company Obike has abandoned thousands of bikes across Europe after filing bankruptcy in Singapore.

 

Competitive Cycling

Wednesday was a good day for the world champ, and Thursday was good for Ireland and Team UAE Emirates at the Tour de France, even though broken spokes set a couple of riders back.

An Aussie writer says Sunday’s cobbled stage will be hell on wheels.

No, it probably wasn’t good taste to hope that a Croatian rider’s crash in the Tour boded well for England’s failed World Cup bid.

It takes a team effort to keep injured cyclist Lawson “Crash” Craddock riding in the Tour de France; by continuing in the race, he’s already raised over three times his original $21,000 goal to support a Texas Velodrome.

Virtually ignored in all the attention gained by the Tour de France, the women’s Gira Rosa stage race goes on, with Australia’s Mitchelton-Scott team threatening to break the recent dominance of Dutch teams.

A new study shows riding in the back of a peloton is even easier than previously thought; riders in the right position face 95% less wind resistance than riders up front.

 

Finally…

Touring the Rockies by bike, and playing the rocks along the way.  When your bike is stolen by the police so Meghan and Harry can have lunch.

And no, telling a woman you want to be her bike saddle is not a compliment.

And not cool. Period.

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

Today’s Morning Links called on account of sick corgi

July 12, 2018 / / 2 comments

My apologies once again.

I’ve spent this week caring for a very sick dog, who’s felt an urgent need to rush outside every few hours since Sunday night. And too often hasn’t made it in time.

As a result, neither of us has gotten much sleep.

The good news is, she’s doing better after getting an IV from the vet yesterday. And we’ve both been passed out ever since we got back home.

So I’m taking today off to get some desperately needed rest. As always, we’ll be back tomorrow to catch up on everything we missed.

She should be back to her usual rambunctious self in a few day.

And with a little luck, so will I.

 

 

Category: General /

Morning Links: Besmirched in bikes, welcoming King James, and raising funds for kids and bikes in Watts

July 11, 2018 / / 3 comments

Now this is what a bicycling city looks like.

Patrick Pascal forwards today’s photo from Dublin, Ireland, noting the city is besmirched with bikes these days.

But in a good way.

Although women apparently don’t feel safe bicycling there, despite the safety in numbers.

Pretty much like every other major city, Los Angeles included.

………

Here’s a good suggestion from someone who prefers to remain anonymous.

Now that LeBron James is officially a Laker, the Los Angeles bike community should welcome him by riding with him from his Brentwood home to Staples Center for his first home game.

That would give a lot of LA kids a chance to ride a bike with the man known universally as King James. Something he clearly cares deeply about.

It would also give us the chance to call attention to the lack of safe infrastructure and the dismal state of LA streets.

And make sure he gets there in one piece.

So if anyone out there knows LeBron, just have him get in touch with me and we’ll put something together.

………

I’ve long been a fan of the East Side Riders Bike Club, and their mission to use bikes to change lives and improve the Watts community.

Now they’re asking for your help to raise $20,000 to support that vital work.

Here’s what their crowdfunding page has to say.

The East Side Riders Bike Club (ESR) is an all-volunteer, grassroots bicycle club working to prevent youth from joining gangs and/or taking drugs, but also engage youth to enrich the community through recreational activities, Our kids are introduced to bike safety, healthy eating and active living, the importance of giving back to the community, and are able to participate in community riding events hosted by ESR.

ESR seeks to positively impact the following community needs: Inadequate Organized Recreational Outlets for local youth in the Watts area, a community that is rife with high rates of child obesity, asthma and other respiratory challenges amongst youth; lack of Safe Passage and Travel Routes: while Watts is a very small community, there are clear gang-related boundaries and territories that limit the movement of local youth based on where they reside; Lack of Resources- families lack the resources to purchase bikes, safety gear, and/or other necessary equipment.

In turn, these kids feed the homeless, clean up neighborhood parks, and are learning to solve community problems by working together!

East Side Riders is raising money to help support our Organization, the BEAST Class and our overall continued support of ESRBC. Since 2008 ESR has provided sack lunches to the hungry, fixed kids bikes for free and provided meals for Thanksgiving, toys and food for Christmas including bikes and helmets for kids that really need them.

With your donation you would be helping our yearly budget that is partially paid for through grants. You can also donate you time to ESR by volunteering with our organization and spreading the word about our work.

If you’ve got a few extra bucks lying around, it would be hard to find a better cause to support.

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Local

Yes, LA Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Bob Blumenfield are considering bringing back mandatory, or possibly voluntary, bicycle licensing, though they swear it won’t be used to harass riders, unlike the city’s previous, unlamented program. You can get all the benefits of bike registration right here for free, without waiting for the city to make up its mind.

LA County is proposing an ambitious plan to make over a long-overlooked area near Harbor-UCLA Medical Center into a bike and pedestrian friendly neighborhood.

Curbed considers Pasadena’s plans to bail on its money-losing Metro Bike program.

Maybe you can be a paid brand ambassador for bike friendly New Belgium Brewing at Long Beach State, or one of 13 other campuses around the US.

 

State

An Escondido woman bought a new ebike for a man she calls her guardian angel, who meets her every day to protect her from harassment on a bike path.

Victorville wants your input on a grant application for new bike lanes.

Sad news from San Francisco, where a pedicab driver has died two weeks after he was run down by a hit-and-run driver; Bay Area bicyclists are angry over the crash on the Embarcadero, which was supposed to get a protected bike lane.

 

National

Bicycling offers more of their click-through clickbait, with six roads throughout the US you “gotta” ride. For once, a local road made the list, with Yerba Buena Road through LA and Ventura Counties.

Red Bull offers a beginner’s plan to take you from your couch to riding a 30 miler in just eight weeks.

Now that’s a group ride. Up to 10,000 bike riders are expected to turn out for the annual two-day Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic.

Denver bike and pedestrian advocates tell the mayor to put the city’s money where his mouth is, and back his ambitious infrastructure plans with enough money to build it.

He gets it. In a very tongue-in-cheek letter, a Colorado man calls on the local paper to stop covering up the thousands of motorist deaths caused by reckless pedestrians and cyclists, some of whom must be members of MS-13.

A well-known Iowa oncologist is recovering from multiple broken bones after touching wheels with another rider in a paceline.

Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan are testing a new ultrasonic radar device that measures the distance between a bike rider and a passing car to look for violations of the three-foot passing law.

I like this guy already. A Massachusetts columnist complains about the roadway caste system that puts drivers above bike riders, and suggests that people should park and watch other drivers before they complain about people on bicycles.

In the wake of a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, city councilman’s death while riding in a nearby parish, local leaders form a victim-blaming committee that may try to restrict riders rather than improving safety.

 

International

Great book excerpt from the authors of the Modacity website, who discuss how ebikes can provide mobility for everyone — and not just for “the laziest demographic in history.”

The City Fix says more bike riders corresponds to a happier city, but does not guarantee you’ll be happy if you ride a bike.

It’s the battle of the Parisian bikeshares, as the city’s vaunted Vélib‘ bikeshare has fallen on hard times, and several dockless systems struggle to survive. 

Every Muslim who can is expected to perform the Hajj at least one in their life, but nothing says you can’t do it by bicycle; two Albanian men will be riding six weeks across five countries to make their pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

 

Competitive Cycling

Yesterday’s fourth stage of the Tour de France ended in a three-way photo finish..

Bicycling looks at new gear at the Tour. So is anyone other Peter Sagan or Chris Froome wearing their eponymous glasses and helmet?

Yes, Americans can still compete in the top levels of pro cycling. Just not the men, apparently.

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can relive the 1970s cult classic The Warriors, but on two wheels. When it comes to pro cycling, stupidity is in the pain of the beholder.

And this is what it looks like when a thief steals your bike in broad daylight.

Not to mention how fast it happens.

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

Morning Links: Temporary solution to Balboa bike path parking, recycling bikes, and new Pure e-cargo bike

July 10, 2018 / / 3 comments

Danger d reports that LA Councilmember Nury Martinez’ office has come through on their promise to do something about drivers parking on the bike path through Balboa Park.

He says it may just be a temporary fix, but it will do until they can come up with a more permanent solution.

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Here’s a chance to help others while you get rid of any old, unused bikes you have sitting around.

You can drop your bikes off at 5619 Monte Vista St in Los Angeles, or call 323/255-6806 for more information.

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Burbank-based Pure Cycles is introducing a new, more affordable e-cargo bike called the CAPACITA.

Though why the name has to be in all caps is beyond me.

It features front and rear cargo racks, with disk brakes, full fenders and capable of 40-miles on a single charge. Not to mention it’s GPS enabled, and has built-in headlights and taillights.

And if you move fast enough, you can reserve one on their crowdfunding page for just $1399 — a 44% discount of the standard price of $2499.

I’ve been thinking about getting rid of my two-decade old car and replacing it with a ped-assist cargo bike, though the high price of most ebikes has given me pause.

But if I could get that much for my car, I’d give this one serious consideration.

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Local

A reporter for KPCC discusses LA’s problems implementing Vision Zero with a Chicago radio station. Definitely worth a listen, even if it’s not a pretty picture.

The LA Times goes for a ride along one of the possible routes NBA superstar LeBron James could take to get from his Brentwood home to the Staples Center. And it’s not a pretty picture, either. Personally, I’d take one of the two routes recommended by the LACBC’s Colin Bogart, which follows the route I used to ride from Westwood to DTLA with a few minor deviations.

Metro is hinting at good news, saying they’ll announce a fare makeover for the Metro Bike bikeshare system this Thursday.

On the other hand, Pasadena is planning to pull out of the Metro Bike system in the face of low ridership and mounting losses. The question is why would Pasadena continue to pump funds into a money-losing docked system, when dockless bikeshare can serve the same purpose at no cost to the city — and actually raise revenue through taxes and fees. 

 

State

Calbike’s annual California Dream Ride between Santa Barbara and San Diego is nearly sold out, with just five spaces left as of yesterday.

Streetsblog considers the relative slap on the wrist given the Marin driver who fled the scene after running down four bike riders — allegedly on purpose.

The president of the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition offers advice for drivers and bike riders on how to stay safe on the roads. Although as usual, the first advice for riders is to wear a helmet and hi-viz.

 

National

A writer for Outside says enough with the ghost bikes, it’s time to get organized.

Great story about a Washington state fifth grader preparing for his sixth century ride — despite surviving hearing loss and a hit-and-run.

At least one Utah town gets the concept that outdoor recreation offers a better long-term survival strategy than destroying the natural beauty to pull minerals out of the ground.

A Des Moines IA couple gets their stolen bikes back thanks to social media and an observant pair of bike riders. Although someone should tell the local police that cable locks are just an invitation to steal.

An Arkansas bike rider complains about the lack of bike path courtesy, particularly faster riders who can’t be bothered to announce their presence before zooming past.

Chinese dockless bikeshare company Ofo has pulled out of Chicago, after licensing restrictions limit them to just 50 bikes in a 20 square mile area, or 350 if they require them to be locked to bike racks when not in use. Sometimes it seems pretty obvious that licensing terms are more about keeping dockless bikeshare out, as opposed to finding a way to work with it.

The bikeshare system in Minneapolis is changing its colors, dropping its prices and losing the docks.

After surviving a hit-and-run, a retired physician in Chattanooga says any talk about the city’s bicycle friendly status is just bull droppings.

The A Plus website considers why Boston bike riders bare all in the World Naked Bike Ride.

 

International

Tennis star Raphael Nadal is one of us, even if the US Open can’t seem to grasp that some people would rather bike than drive.

British bike advocates complain about the missed opportunity when the country fails to offer subsidies to buy electric bikes as part of the country’s plan to eliminate vehicle emissions. Which is exactly the problem we have in California, since drivers can receive both federal and state subsidies for buying an electric car, but get nothing for trading a car for a bike, electric or otherwise.

The driver who ran down British Olympic hero Chris Boardman’s mother in Wales was on his mobile phone moments before the crash.

Lime takes on the City of Lights, teaching Paris how to scoot.

Copenhagenize’s Mikael Colville-Andersen is taking heavy fire on Twitter over his comment that ebikes are an example of “white privilege” for “the laziest demographic in history.” Never mind that they allow virtually anyone to ride a bike, regardless of physical condition.

Whatever problems we have, be grateful you don’t ride in Western Australia, where a new survey says bicyclists should be forced to ride single file and banned from narrow streets. And half of respondents say bike shouldn’t be allowed on the roads at all.

Singapore is attempting to reign in dockless bikeshare with a new licensing program; three companies have pulled out of the city as a result, including Ofo.

 

Competitive Cycling

VeloNews reports on the team time trial in stage three of the Tour de France.

American Lawson Craddock says he intends to fight like hell to stay in the Tour — despite a broken scapula that will be put to the test if he makes it to the cobbles on the ninth stage.

CiclaValley considers the fashion side of the Tour de France.

Researchers from Canada’s Simon Frasier University have developed a new statistical-based method of spotting dopers.

Videos of the Tour of Flanders dating back to the 1980s are providing insights into the effects of climate change.

An Australian woman has been charged in the alleged distracted driving death of 23-year old pro cyclist Jason Lowndes last December.

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can dress like the Cannibal. Your next bike could have a drive shaft instead of a chain — although that rear cassette looks deadly.

And we may have to deal with angry drivers, but at least we hardly ever have to deal with stampeding police horses.

 

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

Morning Links: The online war on bikes goes on, fallen rider’s bike recovered, and spotting the good guys in the TdF

July 9, 2018 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: The online war on bikes goes on, fallen rider’s bike recovered, and spotting the good guys in the TdF

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes goes on.

Especially online

A British Columbia sports editor gets it, having the misfortune to moderate the online battle on Facebook and Twitter.

In most instances, though, “traffic” is not caused by bicycles. When I’m stuck in traffic, there’s nothing I want more than to be on a bicycle. That’s one of the reasons I find the hysterical rhetoric of the bike debate so strange. Cyclists, for the most part, are just trying to get around quickly, efficiently, cheaply and healthily. They aren’t the problem…

Sure, bikes can be infuriating but you just have to let it go if you’re in a car. The power difference is too great. Yes, bikers do stupid things, but so do drivers. And when it goes wrong between them, cyclists always lose.

Meanwhile, a Sonoma County columnist wonders why there’s so much misplaced hatred at bicyclists any time a bike story appears online. Or in real life, for that matter.

And yes, your car is 4,000 pounds and my bike is 20 pounds. But because something is bigger, stronger and faster does not give a driver of a vehicle ownership or priority on a public road. Might does not make right. It makes a bully.

Not every driver is a jerk. Not every cyclist is an angel. But let’s not lose sight of our individual humanity, however we choose to get around this beautiful county we call home.

And a Philadelphia-area paper says bicycles — and bike lanes — benefit everyone.

Biking may not be for everyone, but the health benefits to children, environmental benefits to leaving the car at home, and the economic benefit that gives those in poverty a way to get to work are reasons enough.

Share the road. We’ll all be better for it.

………

One bit of good news in a very hot LA weekend, as KTLA-5 reports the bicycle belonging to falling bike rider Sebastian Montero has been recovered, five months after it was stolen.

Montero was riding a friend’s borrowed bike this past Easter Sunday when he was killed by an alleged speeding driver at Burbank and De Soto.

His own bike had been stolen two months earlier, and his mother had begged for its return to remember him.

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Sometimes it’s not hard to spot the good guys.

American Lawson Craddock went down with a bloodied eye and a broken scapula in Stage 1 of the Tour de France. And not only finished the stage, but challenged himself to finish the race.

Twitter post

And Compton’s own Rahsaan Bahati offered to match the amount.

Twitter post

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Local

LA has posted information about proposals to close the absurd Northvale Gap in the Expo bike path. Which exists only because NIMBY homeowners in the area successfully fought construction of the bike path when the Expo Line was built, after failing to halt construction of the train line itself.

The LA Times‘ Robin Abcarian decides that e-scooters are fun, but too damn dangerous after falling off one when she collided with a bike rider on the Venice bike path, and patched up another woman who skinned her knees. Both of which could have happened if they were on roller skates instead of scooters.

A Los Angeles writer says the car still reigns supreme in Southern California, where “Much of the region’s built environment is designed to accommodate the presence of private vehicles and to punish their absence.”

Pomona plans to build a Class I shared use trail along San Jose Creek; the 14-foot bikeway would provide safe access to Cal Poly Pomona, as well as four schools and a similar number of parks.

 

State

San Diego plans to install hundreds of bike racks throughout the city.

The fight over bikeshare in Santa Cruz is nearly settled, as the docked Jump ebikes are becoming ubiquitous in town, despite the objections of some residents.

 

National

Streetsblog says no, drunk walking isn’t behind the rise in pedestrian deaths, despite last week’s incredibly misguided and one-sided PBS report.

Bicycling offers eleven great bike paths to add to your bike bucket list, two of which are in California. And one of which — Colorado’s Trail Ridge Road — my brother just rode last month on his bike tour of the state.

Denver Streetsblog profiles former Boston bike advocate and bicycle rabble rouser Jonathan Fertig, who recently moved to the city.

A Dallas publication points out that some people actually make a living off all those dockless bikes and scooters. Not to mention the invaluable data being generated by them.

This is the cost of traffic violence. A five-year old Michigan boy was killed when he was struck by a food delivery driver while on his first ride without training wheels.

The FBI has gotten involved in the hit-and-run death of a Michigan woman as she rode her bike home from hearing her husband’s band perform in 2013; the bureau is offering a $25,000 reward, to go along with a $50,000 reward offered by a private group. It would be interesting to know the basis for the FBI’s involvement, since hit-and-run, fatal or otherwise, is a state crime.

No surprise here, as the bicyclist who was run down by a drunk hit-and-run driver on Tennessee’s Natchez Trace Parkway — allegedly intentionally — has filed suit for nearly $2.5 million. Driver Marshall Grant Neely will remain in rehab until he’s sentenced after violating his probation by getting drunk every day.

Now that’s more like it. A Connecticut car dealer will give you a loaner when you have your vehicle serviced. But it will have two less wheels than the one you brought in.

A New York website looks at the city’s fight over ebikes through the eyes of two bike riders on opposite sides of the issue.

The Vision Zero Network looks at the efforts to end traffic fatalities in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

 

International

The CBC offers advice on how to avoid a right hook. Moving left and taking the right lane just before an intersection greatly reduces the risk, but some idiots may still try to go around; I’ve been right-hooked by drivers turning from the left lane.

A new European study shows bicycling is great for reducing obesity — unless you ride an ebike. Of course, the question is whether the study was based on ped-assist bikes, which still require the rider to pedal, or throttle-controlled bikes, which don’t.

A London man develops a friendship with the bike-riding woman who comforted him after he was struck by a truck driver as part of last year’s terrorist attack on the Westminster Bridge.

Vice infiltrates a London ride out to see what it’s like to pop wheelies in traffic with hundreds of mostly teenage riders.

Caught on video: A pair of Irish bicyclists get left hooked — the equivalent of our right hook — by a cab driver while riding in a narrow bike lane; remarkably, both men were unhurt.

A Change.org petition calls on Google and Apple to do more to fight cellphone addiction after an Australian man is left a paraplegic by a crash with a distracted driver while riding his bike.

The former Thai Navy SEAL who died during the attempt to rescue a teen soccer team trapped in an underground cave was one of us; 38-year old Samarn Kunan’s Instagram account reportedly contained several pictures of him mountain biking. 

 

Competitive Cycling

An Irish writer mourns the death of anti-doping after four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome is exonerated in his asthma inhaler doping case. Froome was soundly booed by spectators at the start of the Tour’s second stage.

Speaking of Froome, he started the Tour by riding off the road and losing 51 seconds. Which inspired a look back at the unwritten rules of crashing in the race.

Cycling Tips recaps stage 1, while Peter Sagan had to take of his rainbow jersey and slip into yellow after stage 2.

A writer for Outside says yes, there are cheaters in pro cycling, but we should watch it anyway to support the ones who don’t. The problem with that is we have no way of knowing who they are. Or aren’t.

Ten books to feed your Tour de France fever when you’re done watching the day’s stage.

Lest we forget, there’s another top-level WorldTour stage race going on, with the women’s Giro Rosa.

Phil Gaimon has posted video of his grudge match victory over Fabian Cancellara.

Very sad news from Kansas, where 64-year old John Egbers died three weeks after he was hit by a car while competing in the 4,300-mile Trans Am Bike Race. A second rider struck in a separate collision remains hospitalized.

 

Finally…

Riders in the Tour de France hardly ever get attacked by elephants. Maybe you should put your helmet over your kidneys if you ride indoors.

And your next Pashley could be a Morgan.

Just in case anyone gets me on their secret Santa list this year.

 

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

Morning Links: Bike-related SoCal shootings, bad MyFig bike signals, and drunken victim blaming by PBS

July 6, 2018 / / One comment

It’s been a violent few days in Southern California.

Tragic story from Santa Ana, where a woman collecting recyclables was barely able to get off her bike in time before a truck slammed into it early yesterday. Only to discover the driver was already dead or dying from a gunshot wound; police are unsure where or how he got shot.

And man was shot as he and a woman were riding their bicycles on the LA River bike path in Long Beach on Wednesday. Although given the date, it’s possible it could have been caused by some idiot firing a gun into the air to celebrate the 4th.

………

Michael MacDonald, aka topomodesto, offers a scathing indictment of the bike traffic signals on the new MyFigueroa bike lanes.

https://twitter.com/topomodesto/status/1014881629397921792

The response from LADOT simply says they’re still fine-tuning the street.

………

Today’s must-read is a powerful op-ed from a pair of Toronto bicyclists and political science professors, who say it’s anarchy on the streets for the city’s cyclists.

An affluent city in which the act of riding a bike means our parents, partners, children and friends can die violent deaths is a travesty. A police force that won’t protect us should be ashamed. A legal system that won’t punish offenders is a farce. City councillors who won’t allocate funds to protect lives should be pushed out of office.

Until the city asserts its proper authority, the act of cycling in Toronto will remain a nasty, brutish and deadly experience.

Much of which applies to Los Angeles, as well. From a legal system that too often lets deadly drivers off with a slap on the wrist — if they get charged at all — to councilmembers who don’t just refuse to fund projects, but actually halt already funded safety projects.

And who should be pushed out here as well if they refuse to protect the lives and safety of their constituents, and anyone else who uses the streets of this city.

………

On the other hand, PBS NewsHour offers an incredibly wrong-headed report blaming drunk pedestrians for the rise in pedestrian deaths.

Not distracted drivers. Or even poorly designed SUVs.

A third of pedestrians killed in crashes in 2016 were over the legal limit, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s nearly 2,000 people — up more than 300 since 2014.

“Those numbers are pretty shocking,” said Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices. “We think this is a big problem.”

Sure.

Except there is no legal limit for walking, because unlike operating a deadly two-ton machine, drinking doesn’t significantly impair moving your feet unless you get stumbling, falling down drunk.

Never mind that the report doesn’t specify how many of those intoxicated pedestrians were actually at fault, or did anything to contribute to their demise other than simply being there.

And it doesn’t mention how many of those deaths were actually caused by a lack of safe sidewalks and crosswalks that may have forced victims out into the street. Other than to suggest you should walk a quarter mile in each direction to get to a safe crossing rather than simply run across the street, like most people would do, drunk or sober.

Let alone the simple fact that if one-third of the victims were under the influence, that means the overwhelming majority weren’t.

We could spend hours picking this one apart.

But let’s just say this story is an incredible, stinking example victim-blaming windshield bias.

And PBS should be ashamed of it.

………

Local

KPCC says LeBron could use the new MyFigueroa bike lane to get to Staples Center, except it’s full of parked cars.

 

State

A San Diego TV station explains how the city’s new bike boxes improve safety for bicyclists.

Now living in Los Gatos, mountain biking legend Juliana Furtado speaks out about the risk of suicide and depression, saying she’s lucky to have survived the disease that took the lives of her mother and older sister.

San Francisco-based Spin is bailing on bikes, and getting onboard the dockless e-scooter craze.

A Sonoma County Facebook group is teaming together to help recover stolen bicycles.

Sad news from Santa Rosa, where a man was killed in a crash with two hit-and-run drivers while riding his bike to see his kids; one of the drivers was arrested four miles away.

 

National

That car exhaust you suck in when you ride might be putting you at greater risk for diabetes. It’s frightening to think I might not have inherited my adult-onset diabetes from my mother after all, but gotten it from 30 plus years of riding in traffic instead.

A writer for Forbes says if you want to stay safe on the streets, you need to get radar taillight. Meanwhile, SoCal pro cyclist Coryn Rivera lists the gear she says you need to stay safe on a road bike.

A local magazine says sprawling, auto-centric Dallas could become a bike city. And if Big D can do it, so can Los Angeles.

A Detroit man is spending his weekends on his bike to photograph the city’s street art.

A Michigan court ordered a new trial over a $1 million judgement in the death of a six-year old boy who was killed riding his bike on a fairgrounds trail, after the fairgrounds argued the boy’s father was to blame for letting him ride there.

An Indiana bike rider was hit by a car, which apparently didn’t have a driver. And despite the statements from a bystander blaming the victim for not having a helmet — and who doesn’t think bikes belong on the road — a witness to the crash says a helmet wouldn’t have kept him from getting run down from behind. Thanks to Melissa McCurley for the heads-up.

Instead of making bridges safe for bike riders — or even legal, for that matter — Newport RI is now offering to drive them across the bridges on shuttle buses.

A Buffalo NY bike rider who refers to himself in the second person does the highly flawed math, and says streets aren’t wide enough for bike lanes.

New York is making plans to fix a scary gap in the city’s bike network. Meanwhile, most of LA’s bike network is a scary gap.

Philly bicyclists demand that drivers stop parking in bike lanes. Meanwhile, an op-ed says the way to build a better Philadelphia is to design it for everyone from 8 to 80.

Baton Rouge LA bike advocates say their best hope for changing the city’s bike unfriendly nature died along with a city councilmember who was run down from behind while riding his bike last week.

 

International

Horrifying video from Vancouver, where a bike rider gets right hooked by a massive gas tanker truck, which proceeds to run over her bicycle just as she jumps to safety.

Great advice for motorists from a Yukon columnist, who says drivers are responsible for 90% of crashes with bicyclists.

Good advice from the CBC in Winnipeg on how to avoid having your bike stolen. And how to avoid buying a hot one.

Guardian readers recommend ten European trips to add to your bike bucket list.

A UK writer ranks every type of bike rider from worst to least worst, saying there’s no such thing as an actively good cyclist. Even though she professes to write from the perspective of one.

 

Competitive Cycling

American Tejay van Garderen won’t be competing to win the Tour de France; instead he’ll be riding in support of team leader Richie Porte.

SB Nation says the Tour de France is a parade of dreams, and every moment of the tour is the highlight of someone’s life.

A new biography of America’s last remaining Tour de France winner credits Berkeley with spawning the modern bicycle-racing boom.

Seven TdF teams will be sucking down their $33 a bottle ketones sports drinks during this year’s race.

A group of women cyclists are riding the full Tour de France route one day ahead of the men competing in the race, while still contending with traffic and other inconveniences. But sure, let’s go ahead and pretend women can’t handle long stage races or difficult courses.

Good profile from Peter Flax, who says world road champ Peter Sagan is an enigma wrapped in rainbow stripes.

This is what happens to cyclists with questionable test results who don’t have Chris Froome’s money or Team Sky’s lawyers.

Now you, too, can own your very own Tour de France bike for a mere twelve grand.

The 805 Thousand Oaks Grand Prix rolls this weekend.

 

Finally…

Oh sure, anyone can ride around the world on two wheels. Actually, Khloe Kardashian doesn’t look a bit like she’s competing in the Tour de France, or any other bike race.

And no need to what until you stop, just grill your food while you ride.

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