Morning Links: Counting distracted drivers, join Team LACBC for Climate Ride, and SoCal women’s bike racing

If you’ve ever wondered if distracted driving is really a problem, don’t.

A Florida ad agency filmed 20 minutes of rush hour traffic on a local freeway to count how many drivers were doing something other than focusing on the road ahead of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqBBVHzHV0c

Something tells me they could find even more by pointing their camera at LA surface streets.

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Team LACBC is holding a training ride for this year’s Climate Ride on Saturday.

They’re still looking for more riders who want to support the environment and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition while enjoying what could be the ride of your life. Or you can support some of the people already committed to riding it.

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We’ve featured a lot of news stories about bike racing the past few days.

Benjamin Goyette says there’s plenty of action right here at home, forwarding video of last weekend’s Pro Women US Cup race #1 at Bonelli Park in San Dimas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2y2NCrVtdA

He adds,

Despite her fresh injury after crashing hard last week, local favorite Larissa Connors collected precious UCI points with her 10th place finish in a strong field of Olympic athletes.

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Keeping up that theme, a rider for the Movistar team was injured by a rival rider’s disc brake during Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix, while the rider stuck by a race motorcycle suffered only minor injuries. Road.cc sums up the madness of the race.

And American legend Davis Phinney lists his dream cycling team from back in the day. While he includes a lot of great riders, my favorite would have to be Raul Alcala, one of the most exciting riders I’ve had the pleasure of seeing race in person.

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Local

The Times offers a great graphic explaining why it’s so hard to get bike lanes built in California.

Momentum Magazine looks at next month’s inaugural Los Angeles Bicycle Festival; you can support the event and get your tickets by clicking on the ad to your right.

CicLAvia is giving away a case for your iPhone 6 to celebrate their 10,000th Instagram follower.

Santa Monica is hosting a bike swap on May Day.

Arcadia will host a meeting tonight to discuss June’s 626 Golden Streets festival featuring 17 miles of open streets in the San Gabriel Valley.

 

State

The Orange County Transportation Authority has partnered with Caltrans to identify problem areas on PCH, including several that put bike riders and pedestrians at risk. As anyone who rides the highway probably could have told them.

The OC Register’s David Whiting says Orange County is missing out on millions of dollars in revenue it could earn as a mecca for mountain biking. Nice to see Whiting is still hanging in there with all the changes at the paper; while I may have disagreed with him at times, he’s definitely one of the good guys.

Someone tossed a basketball-sized rock through the window of a Costa Mesa bike shop and made off with a $2,900 mountain bike.

San Diego’s ability to meet it’s climate plan goals will depend on increasing density and convincing people to bike, walk or take transit to work.

A Coachella Valley writer says au contraire, bikes do belong in the wilderness.

The lawyer for a Yolo County driver accused of intentionally running down three bicyclists withdrew his plea of mental incompetency after it was pointed out the man has a documented history of feigning mental illness to avoid criminal charges.

 

National

Great idea. A Seattle couple operate a business instructing people how to incorporate bicycling into their lives, including how to ride to work.

That bike-hating Seattle radio guy is at it again, finding a city councilmember to support his contention that the city shouldn’t kowtow to “the more extreme elements of the bicycle community” by repealing its ridiculous mandatory helmet law. Even though Seattle is one of the few cities in the country that forces grownups to wear a skid lid every time they get on a bike.

Yes, bike riders are required to stop for school buses just like drivers, whether in Washington or anywhere else.

Texas police identify the schmuck who ran away after pinning two children in a bike trailer under his car. Thanks to Steve Katz for the heads-up.

Missouri legislators join cyclists for an annual ride around the capital to call attention to bike legislation and the benefits of bicycling.

Chicago is in the midst of a protected bike lane boom, with plans to build nine miles this year and another 50 within three years; they currently have 290 miles of bike lanes, protected and otherwise, throughout the city.

Indiana University’s annual Little 500, made famous in everyone’s favorite bike movie, will roll for the 66th time this weekend.

Better late than never. Tennessee finally gets around to banning cars from bike lanes.

A DC paper seems surprised to find there’s actually a lawyer specializing in bicycle personal injury cases. You can thank the two great attorneys on the right who sponsor this site, and find a bunch more on the Resources page.

Caught on video: A Florida bicyclist suffered a broken orbital bone when he was sucker punched by teens in a Jeep.

 

International

HuffPo Canada says fewer children are biking and walking to school, and that hurts everyone.

A British grass track bike race was first held in the 1860s. But there won’t be a 125th edition this year.

Unbelievable. An Aussie man gets just 19 months behind bars for a fatal hit-and-run, despite not having a license — and despite a previous conviction for hit-and-run. And despite facing charges involving dishonesty 26 previous times. More proof that the failure to take traffic crimes seriously isn’t just an American problem. Thanks to David Huntsman for the link.

A New Zealand man fixes hundreds of bikes to give away to children each year.

 

Finally…

A new wireless speaker fits in your water bottle holder for when you want to annoy everyone else with your taste in music. And the 12 most ridiculous bicycling accessories.

Or bikes, for that matter.

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Thanks to John Hall for his generous donation to support this site.

It’s contributions like his that help keep this site going.

Morning Links: Even more bike racing news, fix LA traffic by biking to school, and FL gets serious about bikeways

Once again, there’s just too much bike racing in the news.

In a huge upset, Aussie journeyman domestique Mathew Hayman claims a surprise victory in Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix classic; the 37-year old rider says he’s proof dreams can come true. And that he’s sorry he won.

Britain’s Ian Stannard becomes the first rider from his country to podium at Paris-Roubaix, while Cycloscross Magazine looks at how cross riders fared in the race. Deadspin calls it a day in hell, but Vavel says it was one of the best Roubaix races in modern times.

And you have to see Peter Sagan put those bike skills to work by simply riding over another rider’s bike after a mass crash.

On the other hand, another bike race, another cyclist injured by a race moto.

Meanwhile, Alberto Contador says not so fast on those retirement plans after winning his fourth Tour of the Basque Country title.

British Olympic cycling gold medalist Laura Trott says the growth in women’s cycling is incredible.

Speaking of which, 41-year old Kristin Armstrong won the women’s title in the Redlands Classic, finishing 33 seconds ahead of defending champ Mara Abbott, who was riding with a broken collarbone; Matteo Dal-Cin wins for the men.

The pros weren’t the only ones competing, as over 600 children got their chance to ride across the finish line. As part of the Classic, people with disabilities learned how to ride adaptive bicycles.

And hundreds of local families have to say goodbye to the riders they’ve been hosting for the last week.

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Local

An OpEd for the Times suggests four easy fixes for LA Traffic, including biking or walking to school. Which is now illegal at one Texas school.

New Echo Park Adult Literacy Coordinator Richard Risemberg complains about LA’s disconnected bike network, noting that bike riders have to keep going even when the bike lane ends. Which it usually does. And congrats to Rick on the new gig.

As if there wasn’t enough drama on the streets, a Beverly Hills play centers on the death of a London cyclist in 1958.

Metro CEO Phil Washington makes a surprise appearance at an El Monte workshop to explain plans for the new transportation tax.

Long Beach will hold an open house to discuss their new bike master plan on Thursday.

 

State

In a seriously cringe-worthy incident, a San Clement BMX rider was impaled in the abdomen when the seat came off his bike.

The Desert Sun says a planned Palm Springs road diet is likely to annoy the local anti-bike contingent, but isn’t likely to affect many drivers. And really, isn’t annoying the bike haters what it’s all about?

A local charity gives a 13-year old Cathedral City boy with cerebral palsy a new adaptive bicycle.

A San Francisco orthopedist says love your bike, but leave it more often, because crosstraining is vital for cyclists.

 

National

When his bike lock won’t open, a Spokane man learns you can use bolt cutters to free your bike with patrons from a crowded restaurant looking on, and no one will care. Somehow, this is not comforting.

No bias here. A Montana letter writer says the tiny minority of thrill seeking cyclists shouldn’t be allowed in wilderness areas, because mountain bikers are incapable of riding safely.

A New Hampshire driver is fined just $2,000 and loses her license for a whole 90 days for killing an 83-year old bike rider. And she can get that back if she just makes an equal donation to Safe Routes to Schools. Evidently, the life of an old man isn’t worth much in the Granite State. At least not if he rides a bike.

Gun control advocates are riding from Newtown to DC to honor the children and teachers killed in the Sandy Hook shooting; the governor of Delaware will join them on the ride to help deliver a petition to Congress.

Philadelphia will invest $300,000 in a network of protected bike lanes.

A Columbia University student learns it can be challenging to review a bikeshare system if you don’t know how to ride a bike

Now that’s more like it. Florida establishes a $25 million annual fund for building bicycle trails, financed by vehicle registration fees; the money will be used to complete a coast-to-coast trail across the state, possibly followed by twin 800 mile trails from Pensacola to Key West on either coast.

 

International

Next time you’re in Tijuana, be sure to show up at a bike delivery-based vegan taco shop by bicycle to get a 15% discount.

Caught on video: An English woman lets it rip on YouTube about being treated like a second-class citizen just because she rides a bike.

The leader of Britain’s Labour Party is captured riding his bike on Google Street View.

Brit bike scribe and historian Carlton Reid explains to motorists that the reason bike riders don’t always use bike paths is because they’re usually terrible. Which is often the case here, as well.

Local residents threaten disruption and possible violence in response to a bike event in the UK next weekend. The best way to tell you’re dealing with NIMBYs is when they assure you they’re not NIMBYs. And violence? Seriously?

An Irish mother refuses to ride a bike and won’t let her children ride on the streets after she was knocked off hers by an aggressive cyclist; maybe she should talk to some Aussie women about overcoming their fears.

An Indian randonneur says cycling is an addiction for him; he owns a world record for riding across eleven Himalayan passes. Meanwhile, a small but growing group of women take up recreational riding in Mumbai.

 

Finally…

Practice is good, even if it means a bike cop face plant. If you’re going to run down a cyclist and chase him with a metal bar, try not to do it directly in front of the cops.

And don’t you dare take your hands off the handlebars in Cyprus.

 

Update: Bicyclist killed riding in carpool lane of the 10 Freeway in Alhambra

Some crashes just don’t make any sense.

According to multiple sources, a man was killed riding his bike on a freeway in Alhambra this morning.

The victim, identified only as a man in his 40s, was inexplicably riding in the carpool lane of the eastbound 10 Freeway just west of Garfield Ave at 4:30 am when he was run down from behind by a Metro bus.

He was pronounced dead at the scene; the LA Times reports the impact knocked him onto the train tracks in the center divider. The speed limit there is 65 mph, so there was virtually no chance of survival.

Bicycles are banned from most freeways, and the 10 through Los Angeles County is no exception. Even where it is allowed, bikes are not permitted in the traffic lane, let alone in the far left lane.

There’s no word on why he was there, or where he may of entered the highway. Or whether he had lights on his bike at that hour.

This is the 32nd bicycling fatality in Southern California, and ninth in Los Angeles County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 40-year old Eduardo Castillo, who is described only as a transient. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Eduardo Castillo and his loved ones.

Thanks to Henry Fung for the heads-up.

Weekend Links: Bighearted people and too much racing news, and an ebike maker says Mexico’s gonna pay for it

Today’s common theme is bighearted people.

An 87-year old Chico man gets not one, but two bikes from generous donors after his is stolen from a Walmart parking lot.

Generous Oklahoma TV viewers not only gave a disabled girl a new bike when hers was stolen, they bought another for her disabled brother. And fixed the brakes on her mom’s car, and paid next month’s rent on the apartment where they live after losing their home when a crooked contractor ran off with their money.

A Minnesota cop gave a young girl a new bicycle after hers was stolen and damaged when someone wedged it into a tree.

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Too much racing news today.

PRI says the legendary Paris-Roubaix race goes over the worst roads possible, while CiclaValley says it’s required watching this Sunday.

The bike races must go on, as Belgium collectively shrugs off the threat of terrorism following the Brussels bombings.

Deadspin calls it the one of the best victory celebrations in cycling history as Italy’s Diego Rosa got off his bike before the finish line on a solo breakaway, held it over his head and walked across with the peloton over three minutes behind.

Former world champ Philippe Gilbert suffered a broken finger when he and a teammate were attacked by a pair of drunks who got out of their car to confront them.

A sharp-eyed bike shop employee helps recover a stolen four-wheeled adaptive bicycle in time for a disabled Marine vet to participate in the Redlands Bicycle Classic. Meanwhile, another disabled rider is competing in his seventh Redlands Classic, ten years after he was felled by a stroke.

Organizers of the Redlands Classic do their best to minimize the race’s impact on local businesses.

The annual Sea Otter Classic starts Thursday in Monterey.

And a podcast looks at Tillie Anderson and the fight for women’s place in bike racing —  a battle that’s been building since the 1890s. Although that looks like a very uncomfortable bike fit.

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This Trump-inspired ebike video cracked me up. Especially the line “Mexico is gonna pay for it.”

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Local

The Times asks Facebook users which streets are most in need of bike lanes. And of course, it immediately devolves into accusations of freeloading, scofflaw cyclists and stealing precious road space from motor vehicles. Don’t you just love social media?

Metro reminds us of the rules for taking bikes on their buses and trains.

Chris Brown and Benny Benassi ride their bikes along an oddly empty Strand in Hermosa Beach, as bikini-clad women writhe on the beach for some unexplained reason.

 

State

A new project to enhance the southern entrance to Corona del Mar will widen sidewalks and add landscaping, but fails to improve bike access despite community support.

A North San Diego County news group says painted lines are not enough after the Encinitas City Council votes to put a bikeway along Highway 101, rather than next to a rail line; another local paper likes both the result and the harmonious discussion.

A Coronado program takes a more positive approach to scofflaw riding by rewarding bike riders for obeying the law.

A Cathedral City letter writer says the traffic signals required for a proposed 50-mile bikeway around the Coachella Valley will cause traffic delays and more pollution.

SLO police use a bait bike to bust a transient bike thief.

More bad news from the central coast, as a 53-year Salinas old bike rider was killed in a collision on Thursday.

 

National

People for Bikes examines why the ride just outside your front door could be the best bike ride ever.

All of the sudden, the Dutch cargo bike that converts from bicycle with a kids seat to a stroller has millions of moms talking.

A free bikeshare program in Cheyenne WY proves a hit in its first week. Seriously, if bikeshare can succeed in cowboy country, it will work anywhere.

Coon Rapids MN goes for parking over bike lanes, and can’t even decide to paint sharrows to designate an already existing but unmarked bike trail.

 

International

Triple Pundit looks at a group of bike trail projects around the world they say are an urban cyclist’s dream.

Vancouver unveils its prototype bikeshare bike, which does look kind of cool; the system is scheduled to start this summer.

When Calgary built out an entire network of bikeways all at once, bike counts on those routes jumped 95% in just three months.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that over half of all British motorists confess to becoming more aggressive when they drive. The number here would likely be much lower. But only because American drivers probably wouldn’t admit to it.

A British QC — a senior lawyer appointed by the Queen (and yes, I had to look that up) — says juries are too eager to acquit dangerous drivers who injure or kill someone who isn’t in a motor vehicle.

A London truck driver gets just five months for the death of a cyclist that could have been avoided if the driver had used his turn signals and checked his mirror.

An Englishman says a new bike path has ruined his life by destroying the view outside his apartment and keeping him up with lights that stay on all night. Although the landscaping hasn’t been put in yet since it was just finished, and they’re waiting on programming to automatically dim the lights. Thanks to David Wolfberg for the heads-up.

Athens gets its first bikeshare station; it’s free for the first half hour, and 50 cents every half hour after that.

Caught on video: An Australian rider’s bike is run over by an SUV — whose driver doesn’t stop — while trying to undertake the car as it turns onto a roundabout; police blame the guy on the bike.

Not really caught on video: An Aussie cyclist apparently catches a tow on an 18-wheeler, although the video stops before he grabs ahold and starts up again after he lets go.

 

Finally…

When you’re already driving a stolen pickup, probably not the best idea to toss a GPS-enabled bait bike into the back. No, seriously, stealing a bike is nothing to brag about.

And there’s nothing wrong with operating a business out of your home, unless it’s running a successful bike theft ring.

 

Morning Links: Sierra Club endorses in Tuesday CC election, and results from Redlands Bicycle Classic

Just a quick update today after a far too busy yesterday.

Not to mention I’m in mourning after my DU Pioneers lost in the semifinals of the Frozen Four.

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The Sierra Club endorses Daniel Lee, Councilwoman Meghan Sahli-Wells, and Thomas Small in Tuesday’s Culver City election.

Which corresponds perfectly with Bike the Vote LA’s ranking of the candidates.

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Defending women’s champ Mara Abbott won Thursday’s stage of the Redlands Bicycle Classic despite suffering a possible broken clavicle in a fall; unknown 22-year old Colorado rider Sepp Kuss won the men’s stage.

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Local

The Times says building a bike lane will finally get easier when the state gets around to writing to CEQA rules to correspond with a change in the law eliminating the requirement for an environmental review for one.

A Manhattan Beach man is riding across the country to raise $10,000 for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

This year’s edition of Finish the Ride rolls through Griffith Park this Sunday. And yes, there’s free beer for every adult rider.

Also Sunday, you’re invited to ride through Northeast LA with the LAPD’s senior lead officers for the area. This would be a great time to bring up the need for better bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the area, especially on North Figueroa.

 

State

A state appeals court rules that a convicted drunk driver can withdraw his guilty plea for killing a seven-year old Fresno boy as he rode in a crosswalk with his family. Apparently, he wasn’t satisfied with his well-deserved 12-year prison term.

Fat bikes are gaining popularity among Sonoma County cyclists.

 

National

April is Distracted Driver Awareness Month. Something few bike riders actually need a month to be aware of.

Momentum Magazine looks at nine examples where bike infrastructure had a positive impact on cities and their local economies.

A new study says sleep deprived teenagers take more chances, such as riding a bike without a helmet.

Plans for a Portland bike trail are in jeopardy because of fears it will harm wildlife, while a Portland paper looks at attempts to open wilderness trails to mountain bikes.

A Oregon bicyclist is looking for the stranger who saved him when he became disoriented after a fall.

A Seattle cyclist proposes building a protected bike lane on a busy Interstate highway through the downtown area.

A Pee-Wee Herman-ish Flagstaff AZ bike rider says it’s time to take over the city council to make the city bike friendly.

A Wisconsin teenager apologizes from behind bars to the family of the cyclist she killed while driving a car in 2012, when she was just 13 years old.

A six year old Georgia boy was accidently shot by a friend as he rode his bike.

 

International

Business Insider talks to British world champ Lizzie Armistead, who has been torching the women’s cycling circuit this year. But despite the headline, as amazing as she is, she is not the world’s fastest pro cyclist.

The Guardian asks why so few British frame makers are women. A better question is why are there so few women bike builders anywhere.

A writer for Bike Biz says the shortfall in bicycling infrastructure is hitting women the hardest.

Cycling Weekly asks if Rapha is one of the UK’s biggest cycling success stories, or just a triumph of branding.

Nothing like getting doored by a London cop.

At least that’s perseverance. After a Brit bike rider is escorted off a freeway leading to Heathrow Airport by police, he gets back on the freeway and does it again.

If you’re not doing anything this June, how about a three-day bike race through the Kalahari desert?

A teenage bike rider hopefully learned the error of his ways when he groped a Kiwi kickboxer.

 

Finally…

At least no LA bike path has ever been closed on account of Wapati. Maybe Boaty McBoatface isn’t the best name after all.

And a proposed amendment to a bill repealing Nebraska’s requirement for cyclists to use sidepaths when available would require cyclists to use sidepaths when available; thanks to Mark Elliot for the heads-up.

Just politics as usual.

 

Morning Links: It’s a video Thursday, with a scofflaw LA BMX tour, rotating jazz bike and a knockout kick

Let’s make this a video Thursday.

Watch BMX rider Nigel Sylvester ride salmon on Broadway, nearly run people off the sidewalk and litter on Skid Row in a fast-paced tour of the City of Angels. Thanks to Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up.

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See a Brazilian jazz band perform inside a rotating, pedal-powered giant wheel.

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A cyclist in an undetermined country defends himself against a pushy antagonist, knocking the man out with a single kick before riding away.

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Local

Congrats to LADOT for winning a National Planning Award for their successful People Street program, which is responsible for dozens of plazas, parklets and bike corrals.

The Eastsider asks the seemingly eternal question of when that flood control barrier blocking the LA River bike path will finally come down.

Mark your calendar for your nearest public meeting to discuss Metro’s proposed 2016 transportation ballot measure.

KPCC looks at the push to use the word crash instead of accident to describe collisions in order to emphasize driver responsibility.

You’re invited to examine the new Long Beach Bicycle Master Plan at a public open house one week from today.

 

State

Twenty-five-year old Cuban rider Ruben Companioni wins the first stage of the Redlands Classic.

Fresno deputies surprise a 10-year old girl with a new bike after hers was stolen in a burglary last month.

Sad news from Turlock, as a bike rider died after being stuck by two vehicles; the first driver stopped, while the second fled the scene.

Once again, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is hiring a new Executive Director. Although you might want to know why the last one quit before taking the job.

 

National

New stats from the US Department of Transportation show over 86% of bikeshare stations in the US extend the reach of transit systems by connecting to another form of transit.

A new theft-resistant, app-enabled ebike unlocks automatically when you touch the frame.

Men’s Journal says this is the most comfortable saddle you can get for under $100.

The founder of Angie’s List says maintain your bike.

A writer on LinkedIn explains to CEOs why bicycling is good for their companies.

Co.Exist says cities keep installing sharrows because they’re fast and cheap, even if they don’t improve safety.

In the latest marketing gaff from Specialized, the company apologizes for putting up posters saying “Better bikes come from better bike shops” on a boarded-up non-Specialized dealer, after it was closed following a gas explosion. And offers $1,000 to make up for it.

Legislation under consideration in Vermont would require drivers to give cyclists a four-foot passing distance, and yield to cyclists before turning. But it would also require riders to stick to the edge of the pavement, allowing them to move towards the center of the lane only when the shoulder is unsafe.

A Rhode Island bike advocacy group is building a Bike Barn on a vacant lot to house their offices and a bike co-op.

The New York City council finally puts its money where its mouth is, considering a significant increase in funding for Vision Zero projects. Let’s hope LA follows their example.

In today’s alliterative news, a Baltimore man got a bullet in the butt thanks to a bike rider.

 

International

Bike racing’s governing body will meet next week to discuss the dangers of race motorcycles. And talking is probably all they’ll do.

Women in the UK get on their bikes to encourage other women to ride.

As if dodging dangerous drivers wasn’t bad enough, a British delivery driver was felled by a window pane falling from 21-stories up.

A Brit anti-doping scientist claims he would have caught Lance a lot sooner. Only if his test could somehow uncover collusion with cycling officials to hide the results.

Seville, Spain cuts car use 27% in just ten years, as bike modal share rises to nine percent. Tell that to the next person who says increasing bike use in LA won’t improve traffic congestion.

A San Francisco woman touring India would rather ride her bike in the daytime heat than battle the country’s traffic.

An Emirati writer suggests cycling in the early morning or after dark to avoid the country’s blistering heat.

An Australian website says most Queensland drivers are giving bicyclists the required 1 meter passing distance, which rises to 1.5 meters when the speed limit is above 37 mph; the law will be made permanent following a successful two-year trial.

 

Finally…

If you’re going to ride under the influence, try not to crash into a police car. And the only requirements for a popular bike club are ride a bike and don’t be an ass.

Which probably counts me out.