Morning Links: Bike rider injured in hit-and-run protest; driver charged with murder in Tour de Palm Springs death

April 12, 2018 / / 6 comments

Just one day after Frederick Frazier was killed in a brutal hit-and-run in South LA, another rider was struck in the same intersection.

During a protest over Frazier’s death.

And yes, that driver fled the scene, too.

A group of Frazier’s friends gathered to block the intersection at Manchester and Normandie with their bicycles to call attention to the death and demand justice for their fallen friend.

The protest got out of hand after several people attacked an LAPD SUV when police arrived to break it up, smashing its windows with their bikes.

According to Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman, the young men were angered after graphic photos of the man they knew as Woon were posted online overnight, showing their friend splayed out on the street as another rider attempted to comfort him in his final moments.

A woman in a tan car, who had previously gotten out to argue with one of the protesters, forced her way through the intersection, running a red light in the process, and deliberately slammed into a rider identified as Quatrell Stallings, throwing him into the air.

She then gunned her engine and fled the scene as Stallings stumbled to the curbed.

He was taken to a local hospital; reports are he was not seriously injured.

Now police are looking for two hit-and-run drivers.

One with a $50,000 bounty on his or her head for leaving Frazier to die in the street; another who could — and should — be facing a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

A memorial ride will be held for Frazier this Friday.

Thanks to Evan Burbridge for the heads-up.

………

A Desert Hot Springs man has received a well-deserved murder charge in the death of Washington man participating in this year’s Tour de Palm Springs.

Twenty-one-year old Ronnie Ramon Huerta Jr. is accused of driving up to 100 mph while stoned before slamming into 49-year old Mark Kristofferson, killing him almost instantly. He was taken into custody after the arraignment hearing, and held on a $1 million bond.

He’s also charged with driving on a suspended license and driving under the influence of drugs.

Thanks to Victor Bale for the link.

………

The LAPD’s Van Nuys Division misses the mark with a bike safety awareness flier.

The piece tells bicyclists to “Always ride in single file,” even though there’s nothing in state law that prohibits riding two or more abreast. And riding abreast is often safer in lanes that are too narrow to share with a motor vehicle by increasing visibility and preventing unsafe passes.

The piece also says riders should walk their bikes across busy intersections, which increases the risk by decreasing mobility and exposing riders to careless and distracted drivers for a longer period of time.

And never mind that a bike helmet may be a good idea, but it’s not required for anyone 18 or older.

But if the point is to increase awareness of bike safety, where is the companion piece telling drivers to always watch for bikes, pass with at least a three foot distance, and open doors with your right hand to prevent dooring?

………

Local

Metro released their draft strategic plan for the next ten years, as they transition from a transit provider to focusing on the entire mobility ecosystem.

CiclaValley explains what it’s like getting cut off in the bike lane by a Metro bus driver in DTLA.

A writer in Azusa encounters a 43-year old gang member at his local bike shop, realizing that bikes bring everyone together.

 

State

A pair of UC Santa Barbara graduates are nearing the completion of their self-supported bike tour from California to Columbia.

The bizarre anti-bike hysteria continues in San Luis Obispo, where the city council is accused of dirty tricks after re-affirming plans for a bike boulevard. Meanwhile, older SLO residents are up in arms over plans for an e-bikeshare system with a hub on the coast, worrying about whether they’ll be run off the sidewalk.

The San Francisco Chronicle shares the five best bike rides around Santa Cruz.

Testimony in a preliminary hearing fills in some of the blanks in the death of a San Francisco woman run down in Golden Gate Park last year, one of two people killed in the city by hit-and-run drivers just hours apart.

 

National

Another good piece from Bike Snob’s Eben Weiss, who considers the ethics of breaking traffic laws, noting that obeying the letter of the law isn’t always the safest way to ride.

Wired says Uber’s acquisition of dockless ebike provider Jump means they want to control every way you move, while Bicycling examines dockless bikeshare in the wake of Uber’s entry into the field.

Curbed says cities need to step up to the challenge of controlling streets and sidewalks as bikeshare and shared scooters begin to take over.

Don’t count on glowing infrastructure lighting the streets anytime soon.

A local news site says Honolulu drivers are complaining about the loss of a few hundred parking spaces to make room for bike lanes, somehow blaming that for the traffic congestion in the city.

No bias here. Police in Portland OR ignored a road rage assault on a bike rider that left him with a broken jaw, refusing to even file a report on the case.

A local weekly says Portland’s bike renaissance begins now.

A Lincoln, Nebraska man gets three years behind bars for the drunken hit-and-run that left a city councilmember from a nearby town lying badly injured in the street.

The Catholic bishop of Davenport, Iowa is one of us; he’ll be riding across the state in this year’s RAGBRAI.

Three Illinois priests are riding across their Diocese to promote religious vocations.

Seriously? A road raging North Carolina man gets a gentle caress on the wrist for punching a bicyclist in an attack caught on video, as he’s sentenced to just three days behind bars. That will certainly send a message — one that says go ahead and attack other people on the roads.

 

International

A British man has been charged in the death of a 91-year old cyclist, who was killed while trying to set a national age record.

A transportation technology project from the University of Melbourne says to improve safety and performance on our streets, we’ll all have to be connected in a single network including cars, buses, pedestrians and bicyclists.

An Aussie ultracyclist set a new record by riding 555 miles in 24 hours.

 

Competitive Cycling

The head of cycling’s governing body says women cyclists deserve more than they’ve been getting, and he dreams of a Paris-Roubaix Feminine.

An autopsy concludes that Michael Goolaerts suffered a heart attack while riding in Paris-Roubaix last Sunday; there had been speculation that his heart stopped as a result of the fall.

Writing for Cycling Tips, Jonathan Vaughters reminds us that bike racing is a dangerous sport, where tragedy can happen any day.

 

Finally…

Hit a pothole on your bike, and get a bill for breaking it. Your next wheel could weigh ten pounds and make riding easier.

And no, dockless bikes don’t belong in trees.

 

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

Morning Links: Details on San Gabriel River Trail closure, cut off by a Metro bus, and bike tours around the world

April 11, 2018 / / 2 comments

More details on the closure of the San Gabriel River Bike Trail later this month.

As we noted yesterday, the pathway will be closed from 2nd Street to Marina Drive in Seal Beach from April 23rd to May 4th, between 9 am and 3 pm, Monday through Friday.

In response to an email from Mike Wilkinson, Long Beach Mobility & Healthy Living Programs Officer Michelle Mowery explained LA County is doing a video examination of discharge drains along the lower levee to ensure they’ll work properly during heavy storms.

It will require the closure of the entire San Gabriel River path, since the camera/vacuum truck takes up the entire width of the bike trail.

No detour will be provided, however, because the west bank of the San Gabriel River is in poor condition and not available for use.

………

This is what it looks like to get cut off by a Metro bus while riding in a DTLA bike lane.

Evidently, that small strip of green paint doesn’t work as bus repellant.

And yes, the bike rider has the right-of-way in that situation; driver’s are required to wait until the bike lane is clear before moving into it.

Bus drivers included.

Spring and Main Streets are scheduled to get protected bike lanes in the coming months, which should keep bus drivers from cutting into them like that.

Because nothing else seems to.

………

Today’s common theme is bike tours around the world.

A group of Arkansas cyclists say let’s bike to Luckenbach, Texas, with Waylon and Willie and the boys.

You can now take the high-speed train under the channel from London to Amsterdam. And yes, with your bike. But do it fast before Brexit screws everything up.

The London Telegraph suggests taking a bike tour through Jordan, calling it perhaps the most surprising cycling destination on Earth.

A New Zealand newspaper suggests a series of international bike tours that won’t make you feel like you’re riding in the Tour de France. Seriously, they had me at visiting a Scotch whisky distillery in the Inner Hebrides.

Enjoy the fresh sea breezes on Japan’s “sacred spot for cyclists.”

………

Local

Maybe we should all move to Wilmington. Councilmember Joe Buscaino —  one of the few LA city councilmembers willing to fight for bike safety — is calling for a four to five mile cycle track loop connecting the main features in the port area.

CBS News offers a brief report on LA’s pilot program to paint a few streets grey to cool the surface and the surrounding area. Which should make riding more comfortable on hot days if it proves successful.

West Hollywood drivers hit a pedestrian and a bike rider two hours and four blocks apart; the bicyclist wasn’t hurt, but no word on the walker.

Anti-bike forces strike out in Culver City, as both candidates endorsed by Bike the Vote LA come out ahead.

A writer takes an ebike for a spin in El Segundo to determine if they really are the future of transportation. And likes what he feels.

 

State

A San Diego drunk driver has been ordered to pay his victims just $12,000 in restitution — while their lawyer gets a whopping $218,000.

If you’re riding in Goleta today, watch out for a police crackdown on traffic violations that put bike riders at risk, regardless of who commits them. You know the drill; ride to the letter of the law until you’re outside the city limits.

A Napa paramedic is taking a bike tour across the US while he still can, to promote laws requiring drivers to move over to pass emergency vehicles. He and his partner were hit by a speeding driver high on meth while they were on a call five years ago; doctors tell him he will probably be paralyzed from his injuries in another few years.

Sad news from Lodi, where a salmon cyclist was killed in a crash after reportedly swerving in and out of traffic.

 

National

No bias here. An appropriately named conservative talk show host goes on an anti-bike rant, asking if cyclists are Seattle’s most selfish commuters, and saying if you don’t like the crappy car-centric conditions, get on a bus.

Bike crashes are down in Austin TX, but like everywhere else, bicyclists still face dangers on the streets. Including one woman who barely survived a crash last year, only to be struck a second time by a hit-and-run driver this week.

Good idea. A Chicago suburb urges everyone to walk or bike to church or temple during Earth Day weekend.

New outdoor stairs in Oakland — no, the one in Pittsburgh — will get a bike ramp to help riders get their bikes up the hill.

 

International

A Toronto transportation planner who was seriously injured in a bike crash last year calls for stiffer penalties for drivers who kill or injure vulnerable road users

Sad news from the UK, as a 50-year old cyclist died of a heart attack while competing in a race.

A pair of Dutch cities will be connected with the longest heated cycle path in Western Europe to keep the path free from snow, and permit year-round riding.

An Indian website catches up with Alexi Grewal, still the only American man to win gold in the Olympic road race.

A local paper insists bikeshare can work in Delhi, despite the oppressive heat and air pollution.

After a deadly year, New Zealand bicyclists deliver petition to Parliament calling for safer bike infrastructure and lower speed limits.

An Aussie paper says it’s time for drivers to show a little respect after a pro cyclist describes how frightened she was to barely escape a close call.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cycling Tips looks at the up-and-down racing career of Tejay van Garderen, once the great young American hope. And suggests all he needs is a little luck.

Cycling Tips also profiles little known Aussie climber Alex Evans, who’s joining his Continental team for a block of races in the US.

Good question. A German website remembers a number of pro cyclists who’ve died of heart attacks, with Begian rider Michael Goolaerts just the latest in a long list. And asks why so many are dying.

Twenty-four-year old Swiss cyclist Stefan Küng left Paris-Roubaix with a broken jaw suffered in a crash, and will be out six weeks following surgery.

 

Finally…

As usual, safety tips for bicyclists, but none for the people in the big, dangerous machines. Don’t bother with evidence, just take the driver’s word.

And when finishing dead last shows as much heart as winning.

If not more.

 

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

Update: Bike rider killed in South LA hit-and-run

April 10, 2018 / / 5 comments

Yet another LA bike rider has been killed by a heartless coward who fled the scene.

According to a tweet by LAPD Capt. Jonathan Tom, a person riding a bicycle died after being struck by the driver of a white Porsche Cayenne at Manchester Blvd and Normandie Ave in the Manchester Square neighborhood.

A photo from the scene shows a shattered bike with debris scattered across the roadway.

No other information is available at this time.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD South Traffic Detectives at 323/421-2500, or anonymously at 800/222-TIPS (8477)

This is at least the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth in Los Angeles County; it’s also the sixth in the City of Los Angeles.

Update: The victim has been identified as 22-year old Frederick Frazier.

KABC-7 reports the crash occurred around 12:47 pm today; they place it in the 1300 block of West Manchester Ave.

Update 2: Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman has written a moving — and graphic — description of the final moments of the man known as Woon to his friends, described as a strong an experienced cyclist. 

She also reminds us that, thanks to LA’s hit-and-run reward system, there is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of his killer.  

And in a tragic irony, after several people blocked the intersection where Frazier was killed in an impromptu bike protest the next day, one person suffered minor injuries when a driver deliberately slammed her car into his bike. 

And naturally, fled the scene.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Frederick Frazier and his loved ones. 

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

Morning Links: Forsyth Cup this Saturday, SGR Trail closure, and road raging driver assaults CO cyclist

April 10, 2018 / / One comment

Cancel your plans for the weekend.

BikinginLA sponsor Thomas Forsyth is hosting Wolfpack Hustle: The 2018 Forsyth Cup at the Encino Velodrome this Saturday, offering a full day of intense track cycling under the sun.

………

The San Gabriel River Bike Trail will be closing for two weeks in Seal Beach later this month.

The pathway will be closed from 2nd Street to Marina Drive between 9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday, from April 23rd to May 4th. So plan to take another route for a few days.

Thanks to Michelle Mowery for the heads-up.

………

As we’ve noted before, the war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes is all too real.

The latest example comes from Colorado, where a road raging SUV driver yelled at a pair of bicyclists after they made a safe and legal lane change, including signaling, to position themselves for a left turn.

Then circles back and physically assaults one of the riders for the imagined crime of flipping him off, which both riders denied doing.

Granted, things may be different in Colorado.

But LAPD officers have told me that a road raging driver can be charged with assault the moment he or she leaves a vehicle to confront someone, whether or not they actually become violent.

Something to remember the next time it happens to you.

And yet another reminder of why having some sort of cam on your bike isn’t optional anymore.

Thanks to Frank Lehnerz for the heads-up.

………

 

Local

KPCC looks at what ten years and $20 million dollars will buy on South Figueroa, where construction on the long delayed My Figueroa complete streets project is expected to wrap up later this month.

CiclaValley offers his thoughts on the tragic death of 15-year old cyclist Sebastian Montero Easter Sunday.

A Halifax, Nova Scotia musician left Los Angeles by bike on the first leg of a tour across the US in support of his new EP, and to raise funds for a Canadian mental health organization.

A website says the most dangerous time to drive a car in Los Angeles is around 4 pm on Friday. Which likely correlates to the most dangerous time to walk or ride a bike, as well.

Robertson Blvd is the most dangerous street in West Hollywood for car crashes when adjusted for traffic volume. Which likely makes it one of the most dangerous streets for bike riders and pedestrians, as well.

Santa Monica is hosting a free lunch tomorrow to discuss plans for Bike to Work Month.

 

State

San Diego orders a DIY kids pump track closed due to liability issues.

Apparently, Los Angeles isn’t the only city where angry drivers complain about road diets and insist no public outreach was done, as a San Jose columnist points out the significant public outreach before one was installed last year.

Uber has purchased dockless e-bikeshare provider Jump, as it moves to become an urban mobility company, rather than just a taxi substitute; the purchase is not expected to affect San Francisco’s pilot program.

A Marin judge has blocked plans to allow bicycles on a singletrack trail, after ruling that the county failed to conduct a full environmental impact study.

 

National

Bicycling says don’t throw your hi-viz away yet, despite recent studies that say it may not do any good.

Oregon is considering allowing ebikes on some state park and coastal trails.

Coast Guard officials in Seattle remind people not to leave their bicycles on the ferry; not surprisingly, some are bikeshare bikes, but most belong to the people who apparently forget they rode a bike that day, too often leading to a man-overboard search.

Seattle bicyclists take one last ride across the Alaskan Way Viaduct before it’s torn down to improve views of the coast, and replaced by a new underground tunnel.

A seven-lane Detroit boulevard is going to lose two lanes to make room for improved sidewalks and protected bike lanes. Let’s hope motorists in the Motor City have more sense than those in Los Angeles, who rose up in arms over a similar project on Venice Blvd.

Jersey City becomes just the latest American city to adopt a Vision Zero plan. But as we’ve seen in Los Angeles, adopting a plan is the easy part; actually making the hard choices necessary to save lives take political courage that is too often missing.

No irony here. A Pennsylvania motorcyclist notes the differences between how bicycles and motorcycles are treated under the law, without apparently recognizing the primary differences between the two.

 

International

Researchers from the University of Duh conclude that bad weather can get people to change their travel plans, especially those on foot and bikes; plans are underway for heated and cooled bike lanes to address those problems in some cities.

A Winnipeg woman is looking for a bike-riding caregiver for her Parkinson’s afflicted husband as they prepare to take a bicycle tour across the US and Canada.

After apparently running out of children to order off his lawn, a British academic says dockless bikeshare is a menace.

An English man proves the benefits of ebikes, as an 88-year old stroke survivor stuns his doctors with his recovery after borrowing his neighbor’s ped-assist bike.

Tragic case from the UK, where a 27-year old man died after a slow-speed collision with a bike rider; for once, no one appears to be blaming the man on the bike.

A Saudi woman now enjoys riding her bicycle in public, which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. And looks forward to driving a car, which will soon be legal for women there for the first time.

A new study suggests that the mandatory bike helmet law in Australia’s New South Wales state wasn’t responsible for the drop in bicycling deaths usually attributed to it.

Seoul, Korea opens a new red-colored, one-way bike lane on the city’s most prominent street, complete with solar-powered lane markers, and posts at intersections to prevent right hooks.

 

Competitive Cycling

An investigation has been opened into the death of Belgian cyclist Michael Goolaerts during Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix classic. He reportedly crashed after riding off the road at high speed, but it’s unknown whether he suffered a heart attack before or after the crash.

Lost in Sunday’s sad news was the race run by cycling scion Taylor Phinney, who finished a surprising eighth in what may be the world’s toughest single day bike race.

 

Finally…

When the ticket for speeding on your ebike reads 62 mph. The poetry of cyclocross — no, literally.

And when your ride has a message. And the message is f*ck cars.

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

Morning Links: 15 years for Oceanside drunk driver, ebike regulations, and young cyclist dies in Paris-Roubaix

April 9, 2018 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: 15 years for Oceanside drunk driver, ebike regulations, and young cyclist dies in Paris-Roubaix

For once, the charges — and the conviction — fit the crime.

An Oceanside woman faces up to 15 years behind bars after she was convicted of second degree murder for the drunken hit-and-run crash that took the life of a homeless man.

In an extreme case of heartlessness, she drove over a mile with the victim’s body embedded in the seat next to her. Then parked the car around the block from her house and walked home.

And did all that after her friends warned her she was too drunk to drive, but got behind the wheel anyway.

At least she’s not likely to be driving again for a very long time.

Drunk or otherwise.

………

Today’s common theme is ebikes and the rules governing them.

City Lab considers New York’s recent, and way too late, approval of ped-assist ebikes.

Popular Mechanics questions when ebikes cease to be bicycles.

And the Washington Post looks at changing ebike regulations across the US.

Meanwhile, police departments are quickly adopting ebikes as the best tool for bike cops.

………

Spoiler alert: If you haven’t watched Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix bike race, stop reading now and skip to the next section.

Still here?

World Champion Peter Sagan out sprinted Swiss rider Silvan Dillier to take the cobbled Monument after taking off on a breakaway with 33 miles to go.

But don’t take my word for it.

https://twitter.com/Paris_Roubaix/status/983003465222905856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheradavist.com%2F2018%2F04%2Fthe-last-moments-at-this-years-paris-roubaix-spoiler%2F

If that wets your appetite, SoCal Cycling has posted video of the full race broadcast. And in a piece written before the race, a Scottish website says Sagan is a throwback to an earlier era.

All was not good, however.

The race known as the Hell of the North lived up to its billing with the heartbreaking news that 23-year old Belgian rider Michael Goolaerts died of cardiac arrest in a Lille, France hospital several hours after the race.

Goolaerts heart reportedly stopped 65 miles into the race, as medical staff struggled to resuscitate him as he lay on the side of the road; it was unclear if he collapsed while riding or as the result of a crash.

His team released a statement announcing the death, and asking everyone to respect the privacy of Goolaerts’ family.

He had posted this moving photo on Instagram just two weeks ago.

Twitter post

………

Local

A new report shows what the lower LA River could look like as you ride through, once the existing gaps in the bike path are finally closed.

An Op-Ed in the LA Times says almost no one walks to or from LAX because the airport has made it virtually impossible to do. But those who do may find some hidden gems. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up.

Culver City goes to the polls Tuesday; Bike the Vote LA has your voter guide.

 

State

A section of the Santa Ana River Trail near Angel Stadium has finally reopened after authorities cleared out a massive homeless encampment. Although they can’t seem to find anyone willing to take the people in.

Dockless bikeshare comes to downtown San Diego.

San Francisco celebrates Walk to Work Day with a tone-deaf distracted walking tweet from the fire department.

The US Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis is now accepting nomination for this year’s class.

 

National

Great piece from elite cyclist Ayesha McGowan on the need to go beyond tokenism in bike marketing, and bring more diversity to the bike industry. McGowan is working to become the first African-American woman on the pro tour.

Fast Company makes the case that the Trump administration blew it by focusing on highway projects in their infrastructure plans, rather than bike and pedestrian trails that can revive rural economies.

Curbed’s Alissa Walker says you can’t be a climate mayor if you’re making room for more cars. Let’s hope LA Mayor Eric Garcetti reads that.

It only took Goodyear 120 years to get back to making bike tires.

Seattle’s new mayor puts the brakes on plans for a promised bike lane on 4th Street, delaying it until at least 2021 over fears of slowing traffic. Because everyone knows people on bikes don’t count as traffic. Right?

The Durango, Colorado newspaper calls on everyone — or mountain bikers in particular — to respect the land, and stop using closed trails and building illegal ones.

Denver’s bikeshare system is adopting a hybrid program to compete with dockless bikeshare, allowing riders to leave bikes in hundreds designated bike corrals, or leave them anywhere for a small additional fee. Something Metro may want to consider as dockless bikes expand through Los Angeles.

New York bicyclists ride to call for safer streets and remember a father killed by a drunk driver as he rode his bike.

Treehugger says you could solve the problem of New York’s salmon cyclists by getting rid of one-way streets. Or at least installing contraflow bike lanes.

This is the cost of traffic violence. The University of Georgia remembers an award-winning professor and experienced cyclist who was killed while riding her bike last week; the driver was accused of following too close and not giving a safe passing distance.

 

International

Road.cc explains why cycling clothes are better for long rides, and why you probably don’t need them around town.

A Costa Rican website recognizes the need to improve bike safety, but questions whether a new 9.5 mile bike lane in the capital does more harm than good.

A Canadian broadcaster has been cited by two government agencies for calling on drivers to hit “idiot” bicyclists.

A Vancouver Op-Ed says bicycling is often more convenient than driving in major cities. I’ve found that true in Los Angeles, where I could commute from Westwood to DTLA in the same time it took to drive, with far less hassle and aggravation.

Around 4,000 young Londoners took over the streets as they rode to call for an end to knife crime in the wake of several recent murders. Meanwhile, a website looks at the movement bringing young riders onto the streets of the city.

A UK bike rider kicks the car habit after 20 years, and says it feels great.

A British newspaper asks if it’s time to make bike helmets mandatory after a young helmetless rider suffers major facial injuries after going over the handlebars. While some studies have shown helmets can help prevent facial injuries, he would have had to wear it over his face to prevent most of his; a good pair of glasses probably would have done more to prevent his eye injuries.

An English town tries “cyclist speed dating” to get more people on bikes.

An Egyptian man set off on a two month, 3,000 mile ride to Russia to watch the 2018 World Cup after Egypt qualified for the first time in 28 years. And the US didn’t. I’m just saying.

Walking and bicycling could be the best solution to Nairobi’s crushing traffic.

An allegedly drunk South African driver was convicted of killing two cyclists on a group ride in a high speed crash after leaving a night club at 5 am.

No bias here. A Kiwi columnist proudly admits to road rage when it comes to people on bicycles — especially MAMILS in colorful Lycra.

An Aussie study suggests that suggests that speed limits and lane widths may be more to blame for crashes with bicyclists than bad driving. However, a Canadian study shows that nearly half of bike collisions are the result of driver error and following too closely.

A 15-year old Australian cyclist takes bike-hating drivers to task for their shocking attitudes.

 

Competitive Cycling

London’s Independent talks with the author of a new book about the dark side of cycling.

A pair of Kiwi cyclists rode Paris-Roubaix in honor of nearly 60 members of the New Zealand Cycling Corps buried nearby, who were killed on the Western Front in the war to that was supposed to end all wars. Except it didn’t.

Tom Boonen hints that he believes Fabian Cancellara used motor doping to beat him in the 2010 Tour of Flanders. 

In an absolutely unnecessary display of stupidity on the part of race organizers, American cyclist Lawson Craddock was lucky to escape without injuries after crashing into one of several parked cars that were left on the race course on the final stage of the Tour of the Basque Country.

Twitter post

 

Finally…

Stopping dockless bikeshare vandalism 19¢ at a time. When a bike lane is just a hippie plot to make construction workers ride bicycles.

And the next time you find yourself being attacked by angry cows on a bike ride, call a plumber.

 

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

Elderly man killed riding his bicycle in Norwalk collision

April 6, 2018 / / 2 comments

Evidently, the driver had nothing to do with it.

According to the Whittier Daily News, a man described only as a Latino in his 80s was killed when he was struck by a sedan in Norwalk this morning.

The collision occurred at 7:46 this morning at Mapledale Street and Claressa Avenue. He died at the scene.

It’s only in the last sentence of the article that the driver was even mentioned. And then only to say he or she was not arrested.

A street view shows two quiet, residential streets with no lane markings, which should have a 25 mph speed limit.

Normally a crash at that speed should have been survivable, but someone of that age is likely to be more fragile than a younger person would be.

This is at least the 15th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh in Los Angeles County.

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

Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,
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