Suspect arrested in hit-and-run death of Michael Vega; bike-jacking bank robber and Sat’s Tour de Fat

September 14, 2012 / / 3 comments

Let’s start with good news from the Inland Empire.

The Press Enterprise reports an arrest has been made in the late August hit-and-run death of Michael Vega in Rancho Cucamonga.

According to the paper, published news reports and a phone tip led police to a truck driven by construction worker Jason Cox; after inspecting the vehicle, they arrested Cox on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and hit-and-run resulting in death or injury.

It will be interesting to see how they can make the intoxication charge hold up, since Cox had over two weeks to sober up.

The paper says he’s being held in the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on $250,000 bond.

But before you get too excited, remember this is the same DA and court system that let the street racing killer of Jorge Alvarado off with just three lousy months in jail.

Thanks to Joe Devito for sending the link.

Update: The Inland Valley Daily Enterprise reports that the tip that led to Cox’s arrest came as a result of a video plea for information from the Sheriff’s Department that was posted on their website Tuesday.

Deputies received a tip Wednesday evening pointing them towards Cox, who drove a work truck for a construction company in Chino. When Police inspected the truck, they found heavy front-end damage, as well as paint the matched the truck and the bike.

Cox will appear in court on Monday.

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A Santa Ana cyclist chases down a bike-jacking bank robber with the help of a stranger, recovering his bike and leading to the arrest of the thief, who had previously failed to carjack three separate vehicles.

The thief may want to consider a new career once he gets out. Which isn’t likely to be anytime soon.

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This weekend’s big bike news is the return of Tour de Fat at L.A. State Historic Park — a full day of bikes and beer, starting with a can’t miss bike parade through Downtown from 11 to noon, with registration for the parade starting at 10 am.

Entertainment runs from noon to 5 pm. I’ll be there volunteering at the LACBC booth until at least 1 pm, so stop by and say hi; anyone who signs up for LACBC membership gets a token for a free beer.

And if you hurry, there’s still time to sign up to trade your car for a bike worth up to $2,250.

Admission is free. Costumes are encouraged, but remember the forecast is for temperatures in the mid to upper 90s on Saturday. So you might want to dress for the weather and wear as little as possible.

And no, you don’t need arrive by bike; there’s plenty of parking in the area, and it’s walking distance from the Chinatown Metro station.

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Don’t forget tonight’ Dinner & Bikes (& Cupcakes) with Elly Blue, one of the cycling community’s leading writers and thinkers, presented by LACBC affiliate Santa Monica Spoke.

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The Los Angeles Valley College Valley Star newspaper takes a look at California’s recently passed three-foot passing law. Jessica Simpson’s dad is given permission to drink again following an August DUI arrest, as long as he stays out of cars, bikes or motorcycles; nice to know the courts take these things not very seriously. West Hollywood teams with Sustainable Streets to offer a free Confident City Cycling course this Sunday. Courtesy of my friends at Altadenablog comes word of a lifelong cyclist and ex-Marine who won’t let MS stop him from riding, turning to Altadena custom bike-maker BlackSmith for a competitive hand bike. A Shell Beach physician is killed by a big rig after allegedly riding through a stop sign in San Louis Obispo; for some reason, a local TV station quotes bike injury stats from the Royal — note that word — Society for Prevention of Accidents. A bicyclist is injured every nine days in Mountain View; maybe he should learn to ride more carefully. It’s starting to seem like open season on bike riding pastors, as a Crestline Baptist minister is injured on a training ride.

People for Bikes wants your helps landing a $250,000 grant. The League of American Bicyclists responds to the National Women’s Bike Summit in Long Beach by announcing the launch of Women Bike to encourage greater female ridership. Analyzing Ebony magazine’s unhappy bicycle wedding. New bike helmet impact sensor automatically calls for help if it detects an impact. Bike Lawyer Bob Mionske offers advice on how to cover your ass if you lead a group ride. The massive Interbike trade show cracks down on non-industry entries; I’ve got a press pass, but no money to go, dammit. A suburban Iowa town is the latest to attempt to ban bikes. A Houston cyclist avoids serious injuries after falling 25 feet off a bridge. A Michigan judge agrees to sentence a hit-and-run driver to a minimum term after she pleads guilty, despite a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. Why cyclists do the things we do. Remarkably, a jury concludes that it was just a coincidence that a New Jersey driver happened to run down and kill the teenage boy who vandalized his car. New York is failing to protect its vulnerable road users; a blind Detroit attorney sues the city for failing to stop reckless cyclists. Not surprisingly, a Brooklyn driver isn’t charged after hitting a cyclist and driving through a fence into a 50-foot pit. Courtesy of our friend Zeke comes word of a South Carolina salmon cyclist who was the victim of a hit-and-run; also by way of Zeke is a nice story of a successful 25-year old bike shop — as well as word that Albert Einstein came up with the Theory of Relativity while riding his bike. No, really, if you’re going to carry 12 grams of dope on your bike after dark, use some lights.

Editors at the Washington Examiner fan the flames of bike hatred with a highly inflammable headline unsupported by the even-handed article. Edmonton cyclists get their first bike box, which is one more than L.A. cyclists have. Better UK bike commutes through technology. As usual, British courts give a slap on the wrist to a killer driver who failed to see a cyclist before running him over; they’re almost as bad as New York. The World Anti-Doping Agency considers amnesty for riders who confess to drug use, but too late to help Lance, who rudely insists on riding anyway. You won’t want to miss the tongue-in minutes of an appeasing — not appealing — Aussie bike club.

Finally, after a driver attempts to run a cyclist off the road, they talk it out like British gentlemen. And it turns out giving birds the bird won’t stop Aussie avian attacks.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities, Legal Cases, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Stupid driver tricks, Ohio edition — cyclist hit by sidewalk driver

September 13, 2012 / / 2 comments

I’m on the run today, so no time for a full update.

But I couldn’t let the morning go without sharing this story from Ohio bike lawyer Steven Magas.

We’d been trading a few emails about a case he’s working on, and the importance of video evidence in contradicting the usual knee-jerk blame that seems to fall on any cyclist involved in a traffic collision these days. And how security cameras, which seem to be just about everywhere these days, can often catch the incident as it unfolds.

I know.

The idea of me offering advice to an expert attorney like Steve is like telling the Pope how to avoid callouses on his knees.

Especially when my simple suggestion to look for security footage from nearby businesses results in a story like this.

It seems one of his clients had an odd and unexpected collision as he was riding awhile back.

The cyclist, an airline pilot, came up a hill and made right turn around a blind corner; his view of the street he was turning onto was blocked by a small business on the corner to the right until he was well into the intersection.

The moment of impact, capture by security cam.

Then out of nowhere, he was hit by a car, with no idea how the collision occurred or where the car came from.

Naturally, the driver screamed at the rider for hitting his car, even though the cyclist had made his turn on a green light and should have had the right-of-way.

So in an attempt to understand what had happened, he went back to the site of the collision later to take a look around. And just happened to notice a security camera on a building facing the intersection.

He talked to the building owner, and got a copy of the video footage for the time of his collision.

And yes, it had captured the full thing.

Car parked on the sidewalk, facing the wrong way, just prior to pulling out and hitting the cyclist.

Including the moments just prior to the collision, showing the driver illegally parked on the sidewalk — on the wrong side of the street, no less — hidden from view by the building to his right.

Yes, you read that right.

He was parked on the sidewalk, facing oncoming traffic.

And just as cyclist rounded the corner, the driver pulled out into the oncoming traffic lane, on the wrong side of the road and against the light, slamming into the bike rider with no warning.

So naturally, he insisted the rider was at fault. Despite, as Steve points out, a) illegally parking on the sidewalk, b) illegally parking facing traffic, c) illegally pulling out into the intersection against the light d) illegally entering traffic on the wrong side of the road.

But other than that, he didn’t do a damn thing wrong.

Okay, except failing to observe the right-of-way, and making sure the way was clear before pulling out.

Oh, and parking next to a fire hydrant.

At least, that’s the approach his insurance company seems to be taking, denying the claim despite the video footage proving their client was at fault.

Un-effing-believable.

I’m not always the world’s biggest fan of lawyers.

But I thank God we have people like Steven Magas, and the other bike lawyers listed over there on the right, to fight for our rights when logic and the law seem to go out the window.

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Don’t forget tonight’s meeting to discuss improving safety on the east end of PCH in Malibu. I’m not sure yet if my schedule will allow me to be there, but if you ride PCH — or would like to, if it was safer — this meeting matters.

And I’ve received word from Caltrans that PCH will be open to cyclists this weekend, though subject to delays, despite lane closures on Saturday and Sunday for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Legal Cases / Tags: , , ,

Lancaster cyclist killed in collision with empty school bus

September 12, 2012 / / 2 comments

The Antelope Valley News reports that a young Lancaster woman was killed in a collision with a school bus on Monday.

Twenty-two year old Alexandria Romero was riding west on Avenue G at Sierra Highway when she reportedly rode through a posted stop sign into the path of an out-of-service school bus traveling at 50 mph.

The driver attempted to brake, but was unable to stop in time, striking her bike with the right front of the bus. Romero was pronounced dead at Antelope Valley Hospital; at 50 mph, a collision with a bus — or anything else — is unlikely to be survivable.

Comments to the story speculate on why she failed to observe the stop sign.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know why she didn’t stop at what should have been a highly visible intersection. It’s possible that she may have been careless or distracted, or could have been able to stop due to a mechanical failure or some other reason. Or she could have misjudged the speed of the bus, and thought she had time to make it across the intersection.

I’m always suspicious of any reports that a cyclist ran a stop sign or red light in the apparent absence of independent witnesses. While it doesn’t seem to be the case here, drivers have an inherent interest in blaming the victim in any fatal collision.

This is the 52nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 15th in Los Angeles County; it’s the first fatal bike collision in the Antelope Valley in 2012.

Thanks to Antelope Valley bike advocate Michele Chavez for the tip.

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In a related story, I’ve received word that a woman who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run collision in Santa Clarita last week may have died of her injuries, but have been unable to find any confirmation. If anyone has any information on that collision or the condition of the victim, please let me know. Thanks to grrlyrida for the heads-up.

Category: General / Tags: , , ,

Heartfelt thanks to Sgt. Krumer, PCH lane closures this weekend, and a scofflaw cyclist caught on video

September 12, 2012 / / One comment

Let’s take a few minutes to catch up on the latest news.

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Streetsblog explains what to do when a police car blocks the bike lane.

And honors LAPD Sgt. David Krumer, who has been transferred to the Devonshire Division and is no longer the department’s bike liaison.

I’d like to second that sentiment.

The changes in the department have been so dramatic, it’s hard to believe it’s been just two-and-a-half years since then new Chief Charlie Beck and Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger met with cyclists at City Hall and promised things would be different.

And they have been, as the LAPD has slowly changed from the auto-centric, vaguely anti-bike perspective typical of too many police departments — see links to NYPD below — to one of the most progressive and bike-friendly departments in the U.S.

Of course, they’re far from perfect, as any number of cyclists can attest.

But the difference is night and day. And much of that credit goes to Sgt. Krumer, who has gone far beyond the extra mile to give cyclists a willing ear within the department, and worked to improve safety and ensure fairer enforcement for the city’s cycling community.

As Damien Newton notes in his story, the LAPD is working towards a plan that will place a bike liaison at each of the four Traffic Divisions within the department. That should, depending on who they place in those positions, provide even greater responsiveness for riders, as we will now be able to talk directly to someone who knows the local streets and the officers who patrol them.

But they will have very big boots to fill if they plan to follow in the footsteps of Sgt. Krumer.

We all owe him a big round of thanks.

And the department owes him a commendation.

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Speaking of LAPD, their officers stop actress Amanda Bynes driving without a license two weeks after it was revoked. And then let her just drive away.

Yes, drive.

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Long-time bike and community advocate George Wolfberg forwards word that PCH will face a partial closure this weekend to accommodate the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. The road will remain open to traffic; however, the right lane in each direction will be closed on both Saturday and Sunday from 5 am to 1 pm.

The question is how they will handle the massive numbers of cyclists who ride PCH every weekend. Will cyclists be shunted into a single shared lane with the great mass of no doubt angry and impatient motorists? Or will they attempt to ban bikes from the roadway during those hours?

All too typical that Caltrans doesn’t even consider cyclists in their press release.

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A first person account of what it’s like to get doored. Hollywood’s Yucca Street becomes the city’s first Bike Friendly Street, even if it is less than a mile. Gary tries to unravel the conflict between cyclists and pedestrians in Santa Monica. Santa Monica’s planned bike share program gets a half million dollar boost. Help explore a route for the first CicLAvia to the Sea. Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster is the first winner or the new National Bicycle Friendly America Leadership Award. Long Beach bike advocate/entrepreneur April Economides is chosen as General Manager of Bike Nation’s new bike share program.

Bike safety flyer from CA DMV (pdf) instructs cyclists to walk their bikes across intersections; no, really, they say you should get off your bike every block and walk it across the street. OC Gran Fondo expects 1,000 riders at the end of the month. A San Diego Lexus driver flees the scene after apparently hitting a cyclist on purpose. Cycling Unbound takes the contrarian view on bike licensing, arguing that it might actually be good for us. Former Hemet mayor has his classic Schwinn fixie stolen. The people of Oakmont reach out to support the cyclist victim of a road rage assault; thanks to @murphstahoe for the link. A San Jose woman is killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding her bike in Flagstaff AZ, where she was going to college. A San Francisco curmudgeon columnist worries that more bike lanes equal more collisions.

The Economist claims a cycling revolution is taking place in America. How to keep your bike from being stolen, more or less. A second rider was seriously injured in the LoToJa bike race that took the life of an Arizona rider this past weekend. Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong’s bikes were stolen on their way back home to Boise. Mapping Bike Route 66. Courtesy of Witch on a Bicycle comes word that the popular Yehuda Moon comic is no longer hidden behind a paywall. A Texas cyclist rides cross-county, only to be killed riding his bike to work. A Michigan Methodist minister is killed while riding his bike. The New York Times belatedly discovers that people are dying on the city’s streets, and the NYPD, busy ticketing riders in Central Park, doesn’t appear to give a damn — which could be why they’re being sued once again. A Shreveport taxi driver loses control and flips his cab after seeing a cyclist in his lane, and police inexplicably put out an APB for the rider. Georgia continues the witch hunt against the mother whose child was killed by a drunk driver; the killer driver got six months, while she got three years simply because there wasn’t a crosswalk anywhere nearby. The Key Biscayne city council wants cyclists to pay a toll to fund a wall to keep them safe from killer causeway drivers; is it just me or does that sound a little backwards?

Winnipeg woman realizes to late that a semi-truck was turning towards her as she road in a crosswalk. American Tyler Farrar suffers a severe concussion and has to abandon the Tour of Britain. A writer for the Guardian says MAMILs aren’t so bad, after all. Two boys from the same Nottinghamshire school are killed in bike collisions in just three months. Evidently, cyclists aren’t even safe on closed courses, as a rider is hit by a car within site of finish line at the Etape Cymru. A 17-year old New Zealand boy charged with driving without a license pleads guilty to injuring two cyclists this past May. Bicycling in China isn’t for the faint of heart.

Finally, not all hit-and-run drivers are uncaring jerks, as a driver stops and apologizes before leaving a cyclist lying on the roadway — then claims she didn’t know she hit anyone.

And before anyone thinks I only criticize drivers, consider this short clip of a scofflaw cyclist who not only ran a red light, but couldn’t be bothered to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Law Enforcement, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Yet another life wasted, as 15-year old bike-riding boy killed in apparent Santa Ana gang shooting

September 10, 2012 / / One comment

Okay, so this isn’t exactly breaking news.

At first, I was waiting for more information. Then I found myself putting it off as long as possible because I just didn’t want to write about the colossal waste of life and immense idiocy of yet another gang shooting.

All because a boy was riding his bike in the wrong neighborhood, or wearing the wrong colors.

Or just, you know, because.

And yet, there it is.

About 6 pm Sunday night, 15-year old Jimmy Hernandez was riding on the 2000 block of West Myrtle Street in Santa Ana when a vehicle pulled up next to him. One of the people inside fired a single shot; Hernandez fell off his bike and tried to walk away before collapsing and dying at the scene, as the driver sped away.

A Santa Ana gang detective stopped a burgundy Lexus in the area, leading to the arrest of known gang members and convicted felons Brian Jose Miguel and Alberto Santana, 18 and 20-years old, respectively.

KABC-7 reports Miguel will be charged with murder, while Santana faces a parole violation related to the murder.

The two are suspected in two other recent shootings, as well.

Now one young life has been snuffed out, almost before it has even begun. And two others have been carelessly thrown away, likely facing a lifetime behind bars.

And if that’s not a waste of life, I don’t know what is.

This is the fourth fatal shooting of a bike rider in Southern California so far this year, and the first in Orange County. That compares with nine last year.

My deepest sympathy for Hernandez and his family.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , ,

Surviving a Sunday Westside right hook — a first person account from the lucky cyclist involved

September 10, 2012 / / 5 comments

Sometimes it’s better to start at the end.

So let me start by saying that Michael Eisenberg is okay. Which is not what you’d expect after reading his description of the right hook collision he suffered on Sunday while riding his bike through Brentwood on his way to the Marina.

But we’ll let him tell the story.

I am very lucky. I was riding my road bike from home near the Chatsworth reservoir to Marina Del Rey today (Sunday) to go sailing. At noon, I was westbound on Sunset Blvd looking to make a left on Kenter Avenue.

There was too much traffic to work over to the left turn lane, so I chose to do what I thought was the safest alternative. I pedaled across Kenter, stopped at the corner, and waited for the traffic light to change so I could then cross Sunset. I could see a line of cars in the lane behind me with a Toyota Prius at the head of the line.  I did not see a right turn flasher.

The light changed, and I proceeded to cross Sunset. The next thing I remember is my shoes disengaging from the pedals of my bike followed by me slamming into the windshield of the Toyota Prius. My next recollection was of lying in the middle of Sunset Blvd, about 10 feet away from the Prius and my bike another 10 feet farther down the street.

I was surrounded by bystanders.  One was a cyclist who was an EMT asking me who the president of the United States is. Another bystander was a Doctor, and he started a basic neurological evaluation. LA City Fire arrived shortly afterwards, I’d guess within 2 minutes. LAPD arrived Code 3 in another 5 minutes. Fortunately, this was not a hit & run, as the 75 year old female driver of the Prius was a little shaken up.

The LA City Fire EMTs could not find any injuries, and I was feeling little discomfort. The most interesting anomaly was that my heart rate monitor had recorded an instantaneous jump from 70 to 160 at the moment of impact. For better or worse, I decided to decline a ride to the hospital. It was then the LAPD’s turn to write the accident report. I didn’t actually see the report, I only received an incident receipt to use to acquire the report in the future. I did mention to the female Prius driver, while standing next to the LAPD officer, that if her handicap placard wasn’t hanging from her rear view mirror obstructing her vision she probably could have seen me.

When all the paperwork was done, I checked my bike and equipment and found everything to be scuffed or cracked. My 2 month old BH Prisma Force looked trashed, but still operable. My Specialized helmet, gloves and carbon shoes were all scuffed. They all did their job blunting the impact and receiving road rash, saving my skull and skin from being injured.

I finished up the last 5 miles of my ride to the Marina. By that time there were various parts of my body (hip, calf, neck) that were causing me just a little discomfort. I elected to get a ride from my son to Kaiser for a quick check. That is where I received the biggest assault to my dignity. The Doctor came into the examining room, and said “I see you ran into a car”. I politely corrected him, and he then said “the nurse wrote down that you ran into a car, so you must have run into a car.” I felt I was being branded as guilty because I am a cyclist.

Anyway, X-rays showed nothing to be concerned about. The recommendation was to take it easy for 3 days, with application of an ice pack as necessary on my neck for a mild strain. The next step for me is to contact the Prius driver’s insurance company and see what they are going to do about replacing my bike and gear.

As Michael says, he was lucky.

And yes, it sounds like he did exactly what he should have done. I usually try to use the left turn lane to make a left, but when traffic conditions or a dangerous intersection make that too risky, I’ll make the same sort of L turn he did. I try to position myself just in front of the right fender of the lead car at the intersection, or just in front and to its left if it’s making a turn.

The problem comes when drivers too often don’t indicate they’re turning. Combine that with an obstructed view from behind, and you’ve got a situation where you can do everything right, and still get hurt.

It will be interesting to see if the police report agrees when he gets a copy.

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Herb Meyerowitz forwards a flyer he received while trying to enter the parking lot at Malibu Bluffs Park, a popular parking spot for cyclists preparing to ride PCH.

I’ve been aware for some time that Malibu was considering asking cyclists to park elsewhere in order to leave sufficient space for other park visitors; complaints have been made that we hog too many weekend parking spaces, leaving little room for actual park visitors.

However, this is the first I’ve heard that they’re actually attempting to herd bike riders Webster Elementary School.

It seems like a reasonable request — especially with the promise that restrooms and water will be made available to riders.

Let me know how it works out if you give it a try.

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Tragedy strikes the annual LoToJa race as a rider falls off a bridge to his death on Sunday.

According to multiple sources, Robert Verhaaren, a 42-year old father from Mesa, Arizona, reportedly swerved to avoid a pothole on over a Snake River bridge in Wyoming. He lost control, hit the guardrail and went over the side of the bridge, falling 35 feet to his death.

The 206 mile ride from Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming is the longest race sanctioned by USA Cycling; tragically, Verhaaren died just eight miles from the finish line.

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The victim in last weekend’s Topanga Canyon hit-and-run has been identified as 60-year old Gary Morris of Van Nuys. Police are looking for a 1996 to 2000 Land Rover with possible damage to the right front. Anyone with information should call CHP Investigator Brooke Covington at 818-888-0980, ext. 228.

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A Denver cyclist says traffic laws weren’t made for cyclists. And uses that as justification for breaking them.

Meanwhile, an Asheville writer says cyclists have to give a little, too.

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A hyperventilating commenter on an earlier story says cyclists are crazy to ride on major roads, where speeding cars pass them by just inches.

Do I really need to say I disagree?

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Former doper tainted meat eater Alberto Contador makes a dramatic comeback by winning his second Vuelta; fellow Spaniards Alejandro Valverede and Joaquin Rodriguez finish second and third, respectively.

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Finally, a writer for the London Mail rips the cycling world a new one — especially the life-threatening Lycra louts she claims hit her elderly mother twice in just three weeks. Only problem is, she wrote almost exactly the same story two years ago; thanks to UK bike scribe Carlton Reid for the links.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, Guest Columns / Tags: , , , , , ,

Events: Malibu safety study, OC Bike bike wash for injured Marines, Pro Walk/Pro Bike and Tour de Fat

September 9, 2012 / / One comment

The City of Malibu is conducting a Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Safety Study in conjunction with the Southern California Association of Governments, with public hearings set for 6 pm to 8 pm on the next four Thursdays, at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road. Each session will focus on a specific stretch of PCH:

9/13 – Study Area 1 Topanga Canyon Road to Cross Creek Road
9/20 – Study Area 2 Cross Creek Road to Busch Drive
9/27 – Study Area 3 Busch Drive to Western City Limits
10/4 – All Study Areas

This is your chance to help remake one of the area’s most dangerous roads for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists; if you ever ride or drive PCH, you owe it to yourself to participate.

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Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

A new support group has formed for people who have been involved in a bicycle collision. Everyone is welcome to share your experiences, gain insight and understanding into your emotional state and develop new coping strategies. The group meets every Saturday from 11:30 am to 1 pm at 6310 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 401. Current LACBC members receive a discount. To learn more, contact Aurisha Smolarski at 323/203-1526 or email aurisha.smolarski@gmail.com.

OC cyclists can get their bikes washed this Sunday, September 9th from 10 am to 4 pm at S.C. Rider Supply, 520 S. El Camino Real in San Clemente, to benefit the Semper Fi Fund for injured Marines. The event includes all day barbecue, live music and prizes.

The Arthritis Foundation’s California Coast Classic invites you to ride down Highway 1 to raise funds for a cure. The ride rolls 525 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles from Sunday, September 9th to Sunday the 16th; a two-day option is also available on Saturday, the 15th and Sunday the 16th.

The national Pro Walk/Pro Bike® conference takes place this Monday through Thursday, September 10th through 13th in Long Beach. The 17th annual conference is sponsored by the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, and Project for Public Spaces. Long Beach will also host the country’s first National Women’s Bicycling Summit, as well as a Cycle Chic: Past, Present and Future fashion show on Thursday, September 13th in conjunction with the Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference; tickets for both are $35.

Wednesday, September 12th, Cynergy Cycles hosts a lecture by world-class physical therapist Robert Forster on Getting Started – Basic Bicycle Training, as part of their Phase IV Lecture Series. The session starts at 7 pm at Cynergy, 2300 Santa Monica Blvd.

Friday, September 14th marks the opening night reception of the Bike Love Art Show at Society — A Vayden Roi Gallery at 635 North Pine Ave in Long Beach. The exhibit features artwork by members of the Southern California cycling community; the reception opens at 6 pm.

Also on Friday the 14th, the incomparable bike scribe Elly Blue returns to the L.A. area for a evening of Dinner & Bikes (& Cupcakes), hosted by LACBC affiliate chapter Santa Monica Spoke; Joel Biel will screen his new short film One Less Truck, with dinner prepared by celebrity vegan chef Josh Ploeg. Doors open at 6 pm, with dinner served at 7; 502 Colorado Blvd.

This year’s Tour de Fat will take place on Saturday, September 15th at Los Angeles State Historic Park — and this time, it’s not scheduled on the Jewish high holidays, so everyone can attend. And should. Because it’s not just a fundraiser for the local bicycling community, it’s the most fun you can have with bikes and beer on a Saturday afternoon.

The massive Interbike trade show takes place in Las Vegas from Wednesday, September 19th to Friday the 21st. I had planned to be there this year, but the money gods have not been kind.

The Eastside Bike Club hosts Date Night on a Bike on Friday, September 21st. Riders will meet at 7:30 pm at Hecho En Mexico Restaurant, 4976 Huntington Drive in El Sereno, leaving for a short ride before returning for dinner. Participants are encouraged to bring bright lights for their bikes, and dress up in vaquero attire.

The second season of Cycle Claremont is set to take place on Saturday, September 23rd, with complimentary bike check and minor maintenance starting at 1 pm, and the ride set to roll at 2 pm.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Civic Engagement Committee meets at 6:45 pm on the last Tuesday of each month. The next meeting will be Tuesday, September 25th, at the Downtown Pitfire Pizza at 2nd and Main, across from LAPD headquarters. Email bikinginla at hotmail dot com to be added to the email list.

Celebrate the return of Carmagedon on Saturday, September 29th as Wolfpack Hustle — yes, the cyclists who beat a Jet Blue jet from Burbank to Long Beach — invite you to ride your bikes from every point in the city to meet on the L.A. River bike path for the biggest ride ever with the All City LA River Ride; details to follow.

There’s a new date for the next CicLAvia, which has been moved up one week from October 14th to 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday, October 7th. The route has also been changed, with new spurs extending from Expo Park  in South L.A. to East L.A. and Boyle Heights.

The Bicycle Film Festival returns to Los Angeles this October, with a kick-off party at historic El Cid in Silver Lake on the 11th, followed by the debut of The Contender, the first BFF-produced film at Cinefamily on the 12th. Other screenings will take place at the Downtown Independent theater from 11 am to 10 pm on Saturday the 13th, with an all-ages DTLA block party the next day from 10 am to 6 pm. Convergence rides are planned for the various events. Email volunteerla@bicyclefilmfestival.com for more information or to volunteer.

Run or bike with the men and women in blue as the LAPD’s Metropolitan Division hosts the 5th Annual Randy Simmons 5K Challenge Run on Saturday, October 20th, with rides of 26 and 52 miles. The rides start at 1880 North Academy Road; register by Thursday, October 18th.

Sunday, October 21st, Hemet High School hosts a Grad Night Poker Ride featuring five climbs on a 55 mile route. First place prize for the best poker hand is $500, with a $50 prize for the worst hand; lunch provided by Sweet Baby Jane’s BBQ. Thanks to Scott Boyd for the tip.

Now here’s a great idea for a ride. The Arthritis Foundation is teaming with one of the L.A. area’s favorite Cuban bakeries and cafés to offer the first ever Tour de Porto’s starting at 8:30 am on Sunday, October 28th. The ride starts at Porto’s in Glendale, travels a short distance to the Burbank Porto’s, then down the L.A. River Bike Path to the restaurant’s Downey location. If the entry fee includes a Cubano or Medianoche, count me in.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , , ,

The Biking Black Hole can’t get it right; no justice in Texas, and road rage is all the rage these days

September 8, 2012 / / 7 comments

A little news and a whole lot of links to wrap up the week.

………

Police in the Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills offer safety tips for cyclists, but can’t manage to get it quite right.

Bike riders are required to ride as close to the right as practicable, not as far right as possible, as they state. There’s a big difference, which any police officer should understand.

And which is scary as hell when they don’t.

Riding as far to the right as possible puts riders in the gutter and door zones, and gives police an excuse to ticket anyone with the audacity to take the lane. Riding as far right as practicable keeps cyclists out of the way of swinging doors and broken glass, and allows them to legally ride in the center of non-sharable lanes.

Which is basically the difference between being bike friendly and observing the law, and making sure riders know they aren’t welcome in your city.

Meanwhile, the city considers adding an handful of bike racks, but banning locking bikes to virtually anything else.

In other words, once again appearing to support cycling while actively discouraging it.

………

Amazingly, the Texas driver who ran down tandem cyclists Greg and Alexanda Bruehler in 2009 — resulting in the single saddest photo I’ve ever seen — has been acquitted in their deaths.

Clearly, there is no justice for cyclists in the state of Texas.

The driver was doing 79 in a 65 mph zone when he failed to see the riders wearing hi-viz vests, and drifted off the roadway onto the shoulder where they were riding. The defense won the case by arguing that anyone could have could have made the same mistake.

The scary thing is, they’re right.

Even scarier is no one really seems to care. Not even a jury.

………

There’s been a horrifying number of road rage and traffic violence stories in the news the past few days.

For instance, a Massachusetts driver punches a cyclist in the face after the rider’s bike falls over and scratches his car. Local police don’t get it when a Mass cyclist is deliberately doored. A Pittsburgh cyclist is chased up a flight of stairs, stabbed and cut from ear to ear in a brutal road rage assault. A Texas mixed martial arts fighter has been charged with the shooting death of a cyclist after they apparently argued last year; even in Texas, shooting someone because you feel disrespected is a rather extreme response. A former Florida police officer threatens two cyclists with a knife when one flips him off after he threw something at the riders. A Hamilton Ontario cyclist is beaten by a pickup driver after being yelled at, then grazed by the truck’s mirror. A road-raging Toronto cab driver faces up to five years in prison for backing into a cyclist following a dispute, causing the rider to lose a leg. A UK car passenger is sentenced to three years for jumping out of the car and beating a cyclist to a bloody pulp.

Proving it’s not just drivers, police find their suspect in a methadone clinic after a drunken Colorado cyclist pulls a knife on a driver. A Massachusetts cyclist bends a car’s antenna after an argument with a driver. A New York mob trashes a car after a collision with a cyclist during the Fashion’s Night Out celebration. A 16-year old cyclist breaks into a couple’s home after an argument over an open car door. And closer to home, the OC Weekly’s food writer gets into a little bike on bike action; thanks to David Bain for the heads-up.

So let me offer a little advice.

Having been the victim of a road rage assault, I would much rather get off my bike and let the jackass pass than have an angry, potentially violent, driver behind me.

And no matter how much you think the other party deserves it, violence is never justified — it’s far more likely to jeopardize your own life and freedom than teach the other person a damn thing.

One more bit of hard-earned advice.

Never flip off the driver behind you.

Trust me. I’ve learned the hard way that cars are bigger than me, and they hurt.

………

Some idiot jackass stole the bike Jerico Culata was riding as he lay dying on last week’s Critical Mass ride; there’s not a pit in hell deep enough for someone like that. Formerly bike-unfriendly Malibu has come a long way, now launching an interactive website to explore improving safety on PCH — for bicyclists and everyone else. The city will also be conducting public hearings on the subject the next four Thursdays. Rapper The Game comes to the rescue of a cyclist who was unresponsive after a crash with his bike on top of him — the cyclist, not The Game — no word on how the rider got that way. LADOT introduces new street signs for Bike Friendly Streets. A Sierra Madre driver sees a girl riding her bike, but steps on the gas instead of the brakes; local police say “oops.”

Bike Lawyer Bob Mionske looks at California’s recently passed three-foot passing law and CEQA exemption for bike lanes. San Clemente gets over $1 million in grants for bike and pedestrian projects. NPR looks at charges that Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital sent jobs from Santa Ana-based GT Bicycles overseas; seems like there’s some truth on both sides. San Diego plans to encourage cycling in the “fun” communities. A San Diego cyclist suffers major leg injuries in a crash with a delivery truck. A North San Diego County writer asks who owns the roads, and correctly concludes we all do. An 18-year old salmon cyclist is seriously injured in a Temecula left cross collision. A bike rider in Perris suffers major injuries in a collision with a minivan on a street that somehow seems to simultaneously run both south and west. Rancho Mirage tells cyclists to walk their bikes on the sidewalk across a bridge — even though it has a bike lane. Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious is run off the bike path by an overly aggressive rider. A Modesto cyclist is killed after both he and the driver who hit him run a four-way stop; guess which one will probably get the blame? San Francisco cyclists will get their own lane on The Embarcadero during next month’s America’s Cup races.

People for Bikes looks at biking to school. A cyclist watches an idiot bike rider from his position behind the wheel; thanks to Jerry Oser for the heads-up. Barbie rides a bike. New foldable bike helmet fits odd shaped heads. Suffering the emotional scars of urban cycling. A Portland man moves forward with a statewide initiative requiring bike license plates and licenses for bike riders. An Albuquerque court imposes the maximum sentence on a drugged driver who killed the bike riding manager of the local REI. The 13-year old Milwaukee girl who laughed about it after killing a cyclist while street racing in a stolen car has been ordered into mental health treatment; well no shit. Ohio suffers three cycling fatalities in one week. An Atlantic City cyclist is killed when he’s caught in the crossfire in a gunfight. An Alabama driver won’t be cited after colliding with a cyclist who was riding on the sidewalks illegally. Long Beach’s bicycling expats, now Portland residents, visit our buddy Zeke in North Carolina. A Florida driver with drugs in her system receives the maximum sentence for killing a cyclist — a six-month suspension of her drivers license; no wonder the Sunshine State leads the nation in bike and pedestrian deaths.

A Toronto writer is taken down by streetcar tracks while trying to maneuver around a truck blocking the right lane. A London magazine editor apologizes after writing that “the only good cyclist is a dead cyclist,” noting that he was merely being ironic with his heartfelt wishes that you and I would just die and get it over with. London considers, probably not seriously, a multi-million-pound network of elevated bikeways. UK driving instructors want bicycle awareness to be part of the driving test. Former Formula 1 driver Alex Zanardi wins gold in the Paralympic handcycle time trial 11 years after losing his legs in a horrific crash. Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree cancels his attempt at a record setting 100 mph bike ride, saying his ride isn’t ready yet. An 11-year old French boy finds a brake lever imbedded in his thigh months after a bike crash; even my stomach turned a little writing that one. One of the better Vueltas in years is slowly coming to a conclusion, as Contador holds a seemingly comfortable lead after bouncing back from a drug scandal that stripped him of his 2010 Tour de France victory; maybe current and former dopers should form their own bike racing league so they can take whatever the hell they want and not have to worry about getting caught.

Finally, a UK cyclist apparently accomplishes the rather remarkable feat of rounding a corner on the sidewalk at 20 mph; even more remarkable is the arthritic pensioner who claims he managed to stop the speeding rider merely by putting his arms out.

Superman ain’t got nothing on him.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , , ,

The winners of our Mojo Bar giveaway, updates on recent bike crashes, and UPS blocks the bike lane

September 7, 2012 / / 3 comments

Let’s catch up on what turned out to be a far too busy week.

………

First up are the winners of last weekend’s contest to give away some CLIF Mojo bars by revealing your own favorite means of performance enhancement for when you ride.

The winners were chosen in a totally biased and arbitrary manner by yours truly, based strictly on how much I liked the response.

And from my perspective, it looks like Brian was clear winner.

I ride with http://www.ride2recovery.com My enhancer is seeing a fellow Wounded Soldier Amputee passing me, or just not giving up!!

Seriously, how could I not reward a Wounded Warrior who just flat refuses to quit? Let alone one who uses his fellow riders for inspiration.

But we also had several runners-up who gave great responses as well.

Like Joe B, who struck a similar note.

I’ve found that the best way to enhance my performance is to have my slightly-faster buddy riding about fifteen or twenty feet in front of me.

I’ve got to admit, few things motivate me more than trying to catch and pass that rider just up the road.

Then there’s Lois Rubin, who deserves to win if she can ride a mountain bike without blowing chunks after eating this. Or maybe she didn’t mean at the same time.

For mountain biking – Pickles! and peanut butter, bananas and honey in a small whole wheat pita. For the road – hammer gel and mojo bars. Really.

Opus the Poet struck a similar note.

Peanut butter and honey sandwiches on whole wheat. I can run for miles on them. I did a century on a 24 oz. loaf and small jars of honey and peanut butter. And a few Gatorades.

Anyone who can go a hundred miles on a loaf of whole wheat bread has my respect.

Several people noted the value of a little — or a lot — of caffeine. But Mike Caputo threw in some music and a little lubrication.

My favorite performance enhancers (in no particular order) are a Starbucks Tall White Chocolate Mocha, a little ‘Beautiful Day’ by U2 (still works) and a quick squirt of bike lube on the chain (I know this is supposed to be done after but it feels so good)…of course the stretchy paints don’t hurt.

Finishing just out of the money, since CLIF’s agency limited me to five winners, was this response from Ben Calderwood.

Sherpa blood. No, I may have dreamed that. Plain ol’ Clif bars and gels, typically. The Mojo bars are too good; I tend to eat my stash long before I get on the bike.

I can think of more than a few riders who wouldn’t hesitate to ingest or inject Sherpa blood if they thought it would shave a few seconds off their time, or maybe win them a Tour de France title. But let’s think of Ben as first runner-up, and not just because he put in a plug for the product.

If for some reason we can’t ship a set of Mojo bars to one of the winners — like if someone doesn’t respond with a valid address — maybe we can slip him into the mix. At least now he knows how Taylor Phinney feels.

I’ve already emailed the winners, who have until this Monday to respond with a mailing address.

And thanks to everyone who entered. There were a lot of great responses, so don’t feel bad if you didn’t win.

It wasn’t an easy decision.

………

A representative of the LAPD has confirmed that Jerico Culata, the 18-year old cyclist killed on the UCLA campus during last week’s Critical Mass ride, was riding a brakeless fixed gear bike, as many have speculated.

It appears that Culata was unable to control his bike on the moderately steep downhill; he didn’t have the strength or skill to slow down without brakes, lost control and struck a concrete wall head on, suffering non-survivable brain injuries.

Go ahead.

Make every argument against helmet use you want to make.

But this is exactly the sort of injury bike helmets were designed to protect against. And while no one can say Culata would have survived if he’d been wearing one, his chances clearly would have been better if he’d had one.

………

A spokesman for the CHP reports that Willis Veluz-Abraham may not have died as a result of rumble strips on Stunt Road, after all.

According to the officer, Veluz-Abraham was riding with a group of other riders who were filming him with a bike cam; he reportedly looked back at them just before taking a corner too fast, losing control and going off the side of the road.

The CHP investigation places no blame on the rumble strips that had recently been installed.

I might question that, myself.

Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve disagreed with the CHP.

Even if they didn’t contribute directly to his crash, the rumble strips could — repeat, could — have destabilized his bike enough that it was impossible to regain control. And even if they didn’t play a role in this case, it should be obvious to everyone that rumble strips and bikes don’t mix.

But I freely admit I may have gotten it wrong this time.

And let’s hope that video, if it still exists, never sees the light of day.

………

Still no news on last Saturday’s Topanga Canyon hit-and-run in which a Land Rover-driving coward left a cyclist seriously injured on the side of the road.

The CHP reports that the investigation is still ongoing, and no further details are available at this time.

However, they may need volunteers to distribute posters this weekend; I’ll let you know if they reach out for help.

………

Maybe you’ll recall the prompt response I got from UPS a couple months back, promising not to block any more Santa Monica bike lanes.

So much for that.

This was taken Tuesday on northbound San Vicente Blvd, just around the corner and a few blocks from the previous incident.

………

Finally, California gets another dangerous driver off the streets. And enough with the damn earthquakes, Beverly Hills. It’s just a desperate plea for attention, and we’re not falling for it.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike, Contests, General, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Jerry Browned by a Hollywood tour bus

September 5, 2012 / / 11 comments

Yesterday was an odd day.

From encountering, for the first ever, a relative of a hit-and-run who didn’t want the incident publicized and attempted to censor my work — and no, I’m not the least bit sure I made the right choice. To  a Hollywood tour bus scaring the crap out of me in Santa Monica by buzzing past at far less than arm’s reach.

And I’m not sure which one pissed me off most.

No, actually, I am.

Meanwhile, here’s the other one.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike / Tags: , , , ,
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