Morning Links: A nearly forgotten Ride of Silence, and a deadly OC intersection nearly claims another victim

May 19, 2014 / / 5 comments

main_02How could I have forgotten the Ride of Silence?

With everything going on in the bike world and my own life, the annual worldwide memorial to fallen riders completely slipped my mind this year.

It takes place at 7 pm tomorrow at a number of locations throughout Southern California, including Fullerton, Gardena, Irvine, three separate rides in Long Beach, Oxnard, Pasadena, San Clemente, Temecula, Thousand Oaks and Ventura.

Unfortunately, once again, there’s no ride in Los Angeles.

There may be other SoCal Rides of Silence planned that aren’t on the website; if you know of any not listed above, let me know.

Thanks to David for the reminder.

Update: A comment below from riffic points out that there is a Los Angles Ride of Silence after all, thanks to the Midnight Ridazz group Knight Riders. 

……..

A deadly Newport Beach intersection nearly claims another victim, as an allegedly drunken hit-and-run driver is later taken into custody.

According to Corona del Mar Today, the collision occurred at East Coast Highway and Newport Coast Drive, the same intersection where cyclist Debra Deem was killed by an 84-year old driver last August. Fortunately, the victim in this case suffered only minor injuries.

The cyclist and the driver were both headed west on East Coast Highway at 3:12 pm when the driver — who wasn’t publicly identified — hit the rider, then fled on Newport Coast. A witness followed the car, and the 23-year old suspect was taken into custody two miles away and an hour and 14 minutes later.

He faces possible charges of making an unsafe lane change, DUI causing bodily injury and hit-and-run with bodily injury, and is being held on $100,000 bond. No word on why it took so long after the collision to make the arrest.

Bike Newport Beach places at least part of the blame on surface streets designed like freeway interchanges.

Thanks to Amy Senk for the link.

……..

A salmon cyclist is in critical condition after getting hit by a driver who apparently turned into him on Hollywood Way in Burbank Sunday night. Fortunately, the victim is expected to survive, despite suffering significant head trauma.

The driver was arrested for possession of cocaine, though he was not suspected of being under the influence at the time of the collision.

The closest I’ve ever come to hitting a bike rider while driving was when I turned a blind corner and unexpectedly found a ninja salmon rider just feet from my front bumper.

There may be all kinds of reasons why it may seem to make sense to ride against traffic, but it is seldom a good idea.

If ever.

……..

Local

Evidently, if you support road diets, you are an extremist elitist giving the middle finger to motorists and ignoring the overwhelming will of the majority. Uh, right. Nothing like demonizing anyone who might possible disagree with you before they ever get the chance.

Great photos from the March Pasadena Art Night Ride from Milestone Rides.

San Marino’s draft bike and pedestrian plan got its first public hearing on Monday; word is there were a lot of angry and elitist NIMBYs in attendance.

Celebrate Bike Month with a rare weekend bike train examining the history of the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel River Trails this Sunday.

 

State

A new bill by Assembly Member Steve Bradford will prevent misdemeanor hit-and-run charges from being dismissed if the victim reaches a civil settlement with the driver before the case gets to court. The law, passed by the state Assembly, would ensure drivers face justice but could remove a powerful incentive to reach a civil settlement with the victim.

The Cycling Savvy training course is coming to Orange County for the first time; thanks to Serge Issakov for the heads-up.

 

National

A subtle new bike storage solution is currently raising funds on Kickstarter. I could use a handful of those suckers myself.

The eight most common beginner bicycling mistakes. Actually, signaling for a stop is a pretty big one, too, if it means taking your hand off the brake.

The driver who plowed into a crowd at Austin’s South by Southwest festival, killing two people — including a bike rider from the Netherlands — has been indicted on capital murder charges.

Not exactly the frat boy image you might have, as Western Kentucky fraternity brothers are riding across the country to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research.

A careful and courteous driver confuses a Boston bike rider.

New Yorkers fight to lower the basic speed limit on city streets to 20 mph.

A Virginia psychopath deliberately forces a rider off the road at 30 mph; only the skill of the cyclist prevented serious injury.

A Florida driver gets 11 years for an allegedly drunken hit-and-run that took the life of two bike riders; as often happens when drivers flee the scene, prosecutors were forced to drop DUI charges since they couldn’t prove how drunk he was at the time of the collision.

 

International

The recent CycloFemme ride held in DTLA on Mother’s Day was just one of 303 rides around the world.

A British cyclist makes the news by riding in the only lane available to him.

Britain’s top cyclists explain why they want local authorities to do more to prioritize bicycling. Speaking of top Brit riders, evidently Bradley Wiggins’ son doesn’t like podium girls anymore than I do.

A new warning system promises to alert motorists to the presence of bike riders. As long as the driver has the $672 dollar monitor installed, and every bike rider on the road has a compatible tag on his or her bike. Otherwise, you’re on your own.

 

Finally…

Just as you suspected, your bike gets sad when you leave it at home. The war on cars enters a new phase as a chainmail-clad man attacks a woman’s BMW with a sword. And a three-year old leads the Giro d’Italia, however briefly.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Events, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities, Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: LACBC Bikes the Vote in June’s county elections, and anti-bike San Marino NIMBYs attack

May 18, 2014 / / 3 comments

Things are starting to get interesting.

As we discussed earlier, the LACBC’s Civic Engagement Committee* crafted questionnaires for the candidates for LA County Supervisor and Sheriff in next month’s primary election.

Now responses have finally come in from some of the leading candidates, including Hilda Solis in the 1st District, and Bobby Shriver and Sheila Kuehl in the 3rd, as well as Jim McDonnell, considered by many to be the front runner for county sheriff.

And they have some intriguing things to say.

Personally, I’ve been leaning towards Kuehl. But I’m starting to seriously question that choice based on her comment — which she repeats twice — that she supports bike lanes as long as they don’t reduce the total number of lanes available to vehicles.

In other words, she’s not in favor road diets.

Even when they reduce speeds and improve safety and livability for everyone. And she seems to be in favor of maintaining the automotive hegemony that has made a shambles of our city and county, and put the lives of their residents at risk.

But other than that, she has some good things to say.

On the other hand, Shriver seems to get that overcapacity encourages high speeds and dangerous driving, and that narrowing lanes and installing bikeways can help tame traffic.

Meanwhile, McDonnell has some good things to say about the role law enforcement can play in making the streets safer and more equitable for people on bikes, and improving relations between the department and county cyclists.

I don’t know yet how I’m going to cast my ballot, whether for these or any of the other candidates who’ve responded to the surveys. But one thing I can guarantee you is that I won’t vote for anyone who didn’t respond.

Because we have a right to know where the candidates stand on the issues that matter to us. And to make an informed decision based on their responses.

Whether or not we happen to agree with them.

*Full disclosure: I chair that committee, and helped write the questions along with LACBC Planning and Policy Director Eric Bruins and some truly outstanding volunteers, including the guy in the next paragraph — and I don’t mean Gil Cedillo.

………

Writing for Orange 20 Bikes, Rick Risemberg agrees that you should read what the candidates have to say about bikes now, or be sorry later. And uses 1st District City Councilmember Gil Cedillo — who didn’t respond to the LACBC’s questionnaire for last year’s city election — as the poster child for what could happen otherwise.

The LA Times notes Kuehl and Shriver also disagree on the plans for the Subway Not Quite to the Sea as it passes through Beverly Hills and under the high school. And whether that really matters at this point.

………

Evidently, they have NIMBYs in San Marino, too.

Annonymous opposition has arisen to what had been expected to be a fairly smooth route to adoption of the city’s draft bicycle and pedestrian plan (pdf).

Their objections seem to focus on the plan’s regional connectivity with other local jurisdictions — which could bring dreaded outsiders on bikes! to their fair city. And worse, those dirty, smelly cyclists might “freshen up, shower and change clothes” in their precious parks and schools.

Ooh, scary!

The only thing missing is a reference to Agenda 21. Although I’m sure someone will bring that up at today’s meeting to discuss the plan (pdf).

San Marino flyer front

San Marino flyer back

If you live or ride in the area, you might want to be there.

Because your voice will be needed.

Thanks to BikeSGV for the heads-up.

San Marino Meeting

………

Mark Cavendish bookends the Amgen Tour of California with victories in the first and final stages, while Bradley Wiggins wins the overall title and sets his sights on making the team for the Tour de France. Bike prodigy Peter Sagan won the penultimate stage in a sprint to Pasadena City Hall, as a Spanish cyclist celebrates one lap too early.

Meanwhile, Cadel Evans is back in pink at the Giro d’Italia, as Pieter Weening sprints to victory.

………

Local

Former LACBC board member Michael Cahn writes that a bike rider was injured by a car in Santa Monica on Saturday. And examines both how it happened, and what can be done to prevent something similar in the future.

Paramedics rescue a bicyclist who apparently suffered a heart attack while riding on a bike path next to Soledad Canyon Road in Canyon Country.

 

State

Not even pedestrians are safe from hit-and-run drivers, as a UC San Diego professor is killed while walking on the sidewalk with her husband; thanks to Mark Ganzer for the heads-up.

KCET looks at Bike Week in Ventura County.

 

National

Passersby help free a Seattle bike rider trapped underneath a truck after she’s apparently right-hooked by a drunk driver.

The bicycling equivalent of a dude ranch is planned for a location near Arizona’s Saguaro National Park.

A 90-year old Arizona driver “thought” he had enough room to pass a trio of bike riders; instead, he hit all three, killing one. Something has to be done now to ensure older motorists are still safe to drive before they kill someone, not after.

A Colorado e-bike builder develops a bike-pulled emergency response trailer to help people stranded by natural disaster.

A Michigan bike builder specializes in wood frame bikes.

 

International

Former Trinidad and Tobago national team cyclist Roger Smart was killed while driving on the island, the second member of the team killed in a collision in the last two months.

An Irish bike rider on 3,000 kilometer fundraising tour for his sister’s medical expenses says the county’s drivers are going to kill someone, and it might be him.

Drivers in an Aussie state could now face up to two years in jail for endangering cyclists, motorcyclists and “riders of animals.” I assume they mean horses. Or do they have a lot of koala and wallaby jockeys Down Under?

Nice. A 60-kilometer Hiroshima expressway has bike and pedestrian lanes for its full length, even as it connects six separate islands.

 

Finally…

Cambridge, UK cyclists are being targeted by a drive-by egger. And an Aussie writer wraps her story in so much anti-bike bile it’s impossible to take seriously. Which is too bad, because she  actually has a point.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Weekend Links: More on Cedillo’s North Fig torpedo, win a Linus bike, and bid on biking with Sharon McNary

May 16, 2014 / / One comment

Lots of bike news this weekend.

So grab some coffee and settle in for some serious reading. Then get out on your bike; it looks like a perfect weekend for riding.

………

CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s apparent attempt to torpedo the North Figueroa road diet, for reasons known only to him, has resulted in significant blowback from the bicycling and transportation communities.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton says there may be political reasons to oppose the road diet. But calls BS on the fears of delayed emergency response cited by police and fire officials, who were apparently talking off the cuff and not officially representing their departments. According to Linton, the issue has previously been studied extensively by the city and found to pose no significant impact.

Meanwhile, in an open letter to Cedillo, BAC Chair Jeff Jacobberger questions what authority the city has to replace previously approved bike lanes with less-safe sharrows, and whether we can now expect the same wrench to be thrown into other planned bike projects.

Apparently Cedillo is betting the damage done to his reputation in his first year as a council member will be long forgotten by the time he has to stand for re-election in another three years.

He may be right.

But I wouldn’t bet on it. Bike riders have long memories.

………

Estaban Chavez wins Stage 6 of the Amgen Tour of California, as the race moves on to Saturday’s Pasadena finish. More on Taylor Phinney’s exciting solo ride to victory on Thursday’s Stage 5 of the Tour of California, while Wiggo is back on top of the race and his game.

Peloton says to expect the unexpected in this year’s Giro, which still has two weeks to go after the ToC wraps up on Sunday; Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni wins his second Giro stage in four days.

……..

Now this is a great idea. A new lockable bike stem makes your bike unsteerable if it’s stolen. Just don’t lose the key.

………

Looks like cab companies are fighting back against Uber, Lyft, et al. Download the Taxi Magic LA app and enter the code BIKEMAGIC before 5 pm Monday the 19th, and you’ll be entered to win one of five new Linus bikes.

……..

Pasadena public radio station KPCC’s online public auction ends at 1 pm today.

So you only have a few hours to bid on a pair of bike rides with one of the city’s top political reporters. Submit the winning bid, and you can enjoy a coastal bike tour along PCH or a beach cruiser bike tour from Santa Monica to Hermosa Beach with reporter, cyclist and triathlete Sharon McNary.

With current bids of just $60 and $100, respectively, at the time of this writing, both are seriously undervalued. Which gives you a chance to step in and snap up a great ride with a fascinating and friendly guide for a just fraction of what it’s really worth.

But only if you hurry.

……..

Local

Why it makes sense to bike to work in LA.

Just a few short years ago, at least some Malibu city officials were vehemently anti-bike. Now they’re teaming with other cities surrounding the Malibu Hills to develop a regional bike plan. Link courtesy of Bicycle Fixation’s Richard Risemberg.

Streetsblog calls West Hollywood’s La Brea Streetscape project a missed opportunity — especially when it comes to bikes.

 

State

San Diego is sitting on 200 racks for their planned bike share system as the city debates where to put them.

The Visalia paper offers tips to keep you safe on your bike. And unlike most newspapers, gets it right.

The Tesla driver who blamed that new car smell for making him fall asleep and kill a Santa Cruz cyclist faces up to one year in jail after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge. Note to motorists: if you feel sleepy, pull over, dammit.

 

National

Five ways bicycling can make or save you money that goes way beyond the usual suspects — including raising the value of your home and giving you a tax break.

Google Maps now provides elevation data for their bike routes to help you avoid hills. Or find them, if you prefer a challenge.

People for Bikes offers 14 ways to make bike lanes better.

Vox says it’s time to stop forcing bike riders to wear helmets. Personally, I’m a firm believer in wearing a helmet; I credit mine with saving my life and brain in a solo fall seven years ago. But too many people — especially non-riders — don’t realize they’re only designed to protect against impacts up to 12.5 mph.

Bikeyface considers the issue of unwanted advice, while Bike Snob offers advice on how to avoid confrontations on the street.

A local website offers an anti-bike hatchet job in honor of Seattle’s Bike to Work Day. Note to MyNorthwest: motorists have been known to run red lights, fail to signal and act with a sense of entitlement, too.

A Colorado driver faces anywhere from two to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing a cyclist. Prosecutors dropped charges that she was allegedly drunk when she fell asleep at the wheel while on her way to a court hearing for a previous DUI case.

A popular Indianapolis bike trail shows benefits for local businesses where it parallels a main street, not so much where it doesn’t.

 

International

Our Vancouver friend Chris Bruntlett decries the irrational culture of fear that surrounds bicycling.

A UK letter writer says there’s no evidence bike riders endanger pedestrians.

This is why you need to shift your hand position frequently, as a British cyclist loses her life after crashing into a house when cyclist’s palsy leaves her unable to squeeze her brakes.

 

Finally…

A new bike seat on springs promises to isolate your butt from road bumps. And in case you wondered, you can fit 42 folding bikes in a single parking space.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Calendar: A lucky 13 bike events this weekend — Glendora Mtn Road, Amgen Tour of Calfornia & touring Central Ave

May 16, 2014 / / Comments Off on Calendar: A lucky 13 bike events this weekend — Glendora Mtn Road, Amgen Tour of Calfornia & touring Central Ave

The latest monthly ride hosted by the authors of Where To Bike Los Angeles and the LACBC rolls this Sunday on a challenging ride up Glendora Mountain Road.

Touring Los Angeles County with LACBC and Where To Bike Los Angeles

Glendora Mountain Road

When: Sunday May 18, 2014
Time: Meet at 8:30am; ride at 9:00am
Where: Claremont Metrolink Station, 200 West 1st Street, Claremont

Glendora Mountain Road (also known simply as GMR) and its sibling, Glendora Ridge Road, meander upward through the San Gabriel Mountains from the historic town of Glendora to Mount Baldy Village at the base of one of the regions few ski resorts. This ride is simply amazing for its relative tranquility (the two roads are often closed to automobile traffic) and unparalleled views of everything from the valleys to the high peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is not surprising that Bicycling Magazine listed this ride among its “50 Rides of a Lifetime.” So join us, and the Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition, on this classic ride in eastern Los Angeles County.

We will begin in Claremont and ride west through La Verne, San Dimas, and Glendora before turning north and uphill onto GMR. We will ride its many oak shaded switchbacks before connecting onto Glendora Ridge Road at Horse Canyon Saddle. From there, we’ll pedal east along Glendora Ridge Road for several miles before dropping into Mt. Baldy Village for a brief rest. From there, its 12 miles of downhill back to Claremont.

Ride Length: 45 miles.

Ride Duration: Approximately 6 hours, including stops.

Difficulty: Recommended for intermediate-level riders, age 16 and up. You should be comfortable, and capable of, riding uphill for sustained distances. While the grades are not steep (GMR averages about 5 percent), the total elevation gain is about 4,800 feet over 31 miles.

Rain Policy: Torrential rain, snow, earthquake, or fierce wind cancels the outing. Otherwise, we ride.

What to bring: A road-worthy bike, extra inner tubes, a patch kit and pump, drinking water (2 bottles), a pocket snack (such as an energy bar, banana or trail mix), a helmet, and money for refueling stops and post-ride refreshments in Claremont.

RSVP: Strongly encouraged, via wheretobikela@gmail.com, so we can send you last-minute advisories, particularly about weather.

………

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.

Downtown’s Just Ride LA bike shop hosts weekly no one left behind Monday evening and Saturday morning shop rides, 1626 South Hill Street.

Saturday, May 17th, the LAPD Topanga Community Police Station is hosting a free Kids Bike Safety Fair from 10 am to 1 pm; 21501 Schoenborn St in Canoga Park.

While LA’s Bike Week is sadly over, Pasadena’s wraps up with a mini-ciclovia from 11 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday, May 17th with Ride, Roll and Stroll, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, in advance of the penultimate stage of the Amgen Tour of California, which finishes at Pasadena City Hall; RSVP here.

Also on the 17th, Team LUNA Chix Los Angeles Cycling is hosting a Road Riding Skills Clinic. Check in ready to ride at 8 am at the Sports Chalet, 2 Chalet Dr in La Cañada Flintridge. 

Santa Monica’s Helen’s Cycles host a no-drop Women’s Only Group Ride on the third Saturday of each month; the next ride is scheduled for 8 am on Saturday, May 17th, details TBD.

Join the Eastside Bike Club for a 10-mile, family-friendly no-drop Community Bike Ride celebrating Bike Month on Saturday the 17th; meet at Stan’s Bike Shop, 880 Myrtle Ave in Monrovia at 7:40 am, departing at 8.

The LACBC invites you to help experience South LA’s iconic Central Avenue, the birthplace of West Coast Jazz, on Saturday the 17th. Meet at Central Avenue Jazz Park, 42nd Place and Central Ave at 10 am, returning by 2 pm.

Newly bike-friendly Rancho Cucamonga hosts the Annual Cucamonga Challenge this Saturday, May 17th, featuring a 35 mile ride, family fun ride and 5k/10k run/walk.

As noted above, the Amgen Tour of California finishes up with two final SoCal stages, on Saturday May 17th, from Santa Clarita to Pasadena, and Sunday the 18th in Thousand Oaks.

Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica invites you to join them in a ride to view Stage 8 of the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday, May 18th. The ride offers your choice of two starting points, San Vicente and Ocean in Santa Monica, rolling at 6:30 am, and the Michael Landon Community Center at PCH and Malibu Canyon Rd in Malibu at 7:15 am. The rides will catch up with the Helen’s Cycles van on Mulholland Highway for complimentary food and beverages. 

Glendale is hosting the 2nd Annual Jewel City Fun & Fitness Ride on Sunday the 18th at Verdugo Park, with rides ranging from seven to 45 miles.

KCRW’s Design & Architecture joins with the Helms Bakery complex, 8723 Washington Avenue, to host Reinventing the Wheel on Sunday, May 18th at 1 pm. The forum of the future of mobility includes space-age cars from the Petersen Automotive Museum, Linus city bikes and mobility exhibits, as well as live music, food trucks and complimentary beer; admission $15.

The San Marino Traffic Advisory Commission will hold a meeting on Monday, May 19th at 7 pm to discuss the city’s draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan at the San Marino Center, adjacent to the Crowell Public Library, 1890 Huntington Drive.

The semi-scuttled plan to install desperately needed bike lanes on Santa Monica Blvd in the Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills comes back before the BH City Council on Tuesday, May 20th at 2:30 pm, 455 N. Rexford Drive.

The California Bicycle Coalition is hosting a Bike Advocacy Day to influence elected officials in Sacramento on Wednesday, May 21 in Sacramento.

Discover LA’s world famous street art on the Northeast Los Angeles Mural Ride on Saturday, May 24th. Meet at the Heritage Gold Line Station, 3545 Pasadena Ave at 9:30 am, rolling at 10.

Walk ‘n Rollers, Bike SGV, City of El Monte Health & Wellness and Day One team up to host the free El Monte Bike Festival on Saturday, May 24th from 9 am to 1 pm at Mountain View High School, 2900 Parkway Drive. Activities include a Bike Skills Course, Bike Repair, Group Rides, and Fitness Obstacle Course.

The San Fernando Valley Bike Club offers a twice monthly Compagni Group Ride — Italian for companion — on the second and fourth Sunday of every month; the next ride takes place on Sunday, May 25th. Click here for details and other rides; lots of other great sounding rides on the list, too.

Join Milestone Ride’s Johnny Lam and Sang Hung on a four-day ride from Chino Hills to Joshua Tree and back, from Tuesday, May 27th to Friday, May 30th; details TBD.

LACBC Empowerment WorkshopsThe Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is hosting a series of workshops aimed at empowering local advocates. The next workshop, focusing on winning campaigns, is scheduled for 10 am on Saturday, May 31st at LACBC Headquarters, 634 S. Spring Street in DTLA; see poster at left for additional dates, times and topics.

The California Bicycle Coalition, aka Calbike, will host a Los Angeles Better Bikeways House Party from 6 to 9 pm on Saturday, May 31st at a secret, undisclosed location which will hopefully be revealed upon registration. Donations will be requested to support their campaign for better bikeways throughout California.

The Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, the city’s only official voice for bicyclists, meets on the first Tuesday of every even-numbered month; the next meeting takes place at 7 pm on Tuesday, June 3rd at 6501 Fountain Ave. I’ll be celebrating the Corgi’s birthday that night.

Learn the basis principles of bicycle and traffic safety with CICLE’s free Traffic Basic Safety Class on Saturday, June 7th from 11 am to 1 pm, in conjunction with the Caltech BikeLab; Caltech Y Ground Floor Meeting Room, 505 S. Wilson Ave in Pasadena.

Helen’s Cycles host a no-drop Men’s Group Ride on the first Saturday of each month; the next ride is scheduled for 7:45 am on Saturday, June 7th, at the Santa Monica location, 2501 Broadway.

The Chatsworth Neighborhood Council invites you to ride the COLT — the 2nd annual Chatsworth Orange Line Tour — on Sunday, June 8th. Meet for the family-friendly bike rally and health walk at 9 am at the Chatsworth Train Depot Parking Lot A, 10040 Old Depot Plaza Road.

Sunday, June 14th marks the first Tour de Downey bicycle ride, followed by the second annual Make Music Downey concert. The $25, 35-mile ride to Long Beach and back departs from Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Ave, at 7 am; there’s also a free six-mile Community Ride departing at 9 am.

LA’s most popular fundraising bike ride rolls on Sunday, June 22nd with the 14th edition of the LACBC’s Los Angeles River Ride. Ten rides of varying lengths, with starting points in Long Beach and Griffith Park, including two centuries, a 15-mile family ride and a free kid’s ride; discount prices available through May 27th.

Mark your calendar for the Peace Love & Family Ride for Crohn’s and Obesity in South LA on July 5th and 6th. Great cause; more details when they become available.

Bike racing returns to Downtown LA on Saturday, July 12th with Wolfpack Hustle: The Civic Center Crit; racing takes place from 1 to 8 pm on the streets surrounding LA City Hall, 200 North Spring Street.

The Honor Ride Irvine rolls at 8 am on Saturday, August 2nd, starting at A Road Bike 4U, at the corner of Main St & Red Hill Ave in Irvine.

The year’s second CicLAvia takes place on Sunday, October 5th with a new variation on the classic Heart of LA route through Downtown LA, from Echo Park to East LA.

Paso Robles hosts a Wine and Roses Bike Ride on Saturday, October 11th; the event is limited to the first 350 riders to sign up.

Calbike is hosting the inaugural California by Bike Surf ’N Turf Tour. The multi-stage ride travels from Santa Barbara to San Diego, starting on Halloween and ending November 5th; registration is now open.

The first winter — or late fall, anyway — CicLAvia is also the first to roll through historic South LA on Sunday, December 7th, from the cultural center of the Southside in Leimert Park to the birthplace of West Coast Jazz on Central Avenue.

Find bike racing schedules and other cycling events at SoCal Cycling.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: Bike Week wraps up at Downtown’s Union Station, and Phinney kicks ass at the AToC

May 15, 2014 / / 6 comments

Bike Week ain’t over until the fat lady sings.

And chances are, she’ll be in Downtown LA tonight, along with just about everyone else but me for the first ever Metro Bike Night at Union Station.

The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, with a full schedule of activities for the bicycling community.

This free event will feature special guests, live music, food trucks, outdoor booths, free bike valet, bike short films, trivia, bike portraits and a fashion show. There will also be a raffle for a chance to win a Tern folding bike, a one year supply of Clif Bar products, Abus U-locks, 30-Day Metro passes, Bike Week LA special edition t-shirts and more!

And did I mention it’s free?

It’s not that I don’t want to be there. But the wife is keeping me on a shorter leash than the Corgi until this diabetes thing gets more under control.

So let me know how it goes.

And have one for me.

………

Aussie Michael Matthews wins Stage 6 of the Giro d’Italia as a massive crash delays the peloton. He leads the overall standings, with Cadel Evans just 21 seconds behind.

Cycling scion Taylor Phinney takes Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California in a thrilling solo breakaway; bike prodigy Peter Sagan is second. Between the two of them, you could be looking at the future of bike racing. Wiggins leads overall.

Meanwhile, Pasadena’s Bike Week will culminate with the penultimate stage of this year’s Tour of California and a mini-ciclovia on the closed streets. And here’s 10 things to know if you’re planning to watch the final stage of the ToC in Thousand Oaks.

………

Local

Figueroa For All looks at last week’s highly staged public meeting about the North Figueroa road diet and bike lanes, which appears to have been so slanted against the proposal it’s a wonder the speakers didn’t slide right off.

A writer for City Watch is apparently competing to see how many things he can get wrong in a single article politely decrying LA bike lanes. For one, there is no law requiring bike riders over 18 to wear a helmet. And who can legally use a bike lane has long been defined, even if it’s often ignored, just like every other traffic regulation.

The Daily News profiles a physician who planned to ride his bike 60 miles from his Ventura home to Cal State Northridge for Bike to Work Day, then take the train back home. Yet they somehow file the story under Recreational Cycling.

The Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition calls on the city to pass a bike and pedestrian anti-harassment ordinance; you can sign the petition here.

Newly bike-friendly Rancho Cucamonga will host the Annual Cucamonga Challenge ride, run and walk on Saturday.

 

State

San Diego ‘s Bike to Work Day scheduled for today has been postponed two weeks due to the city’s fires.

Santa Rosa plans to substitute a greenway for a once-planned freeway extension that was canceled after public outcry.

A Los Osos woman has been biking to work for over 20 years.

 

National

NPR says bike commuting is picking up speed across the US, while a writer for the network explains the lingua franca of the bike world. So that’s where the term shoaling came from.

People for Bikes says a bicycle whizzing past stalled cars in a protected bike lane at rush hour is as powerful an ad for cycling as a 10 pm TV spot is for Taco Bell.

The Washington Post says America is anything but bike friendly.

Tragically, Portland suffers its first bicycling fatality since 2012, a record any other major city would envy.

Kansas City police dip into their own pockets to buy a boy a new bike after his was stolen.

New Jersey ups the ante by considering a four-foot passing law.

A DC real estate agent runs her business by bike.

 

International

A Vancouver writer offers advice on how to enjoy biking to work. As I’ve said before, though, the hardest thing about bike commuting is just deciding to do it.

Sad news, as legendary British long-distance cyclist Billie Fleming passed away just days after her 100th birthday.

A new film presents the tragic story of the late, great Italian racer Marco Pantani.

Aussie cyclists are outraged when a road safety official writes that bicycling does not fulfill an important transportation function; he later claims the comment was a clerical error.

 

Finally…

Some cool, beautiful and just plain bizarre bikes and riders from the early days of bicycling. But did they have bike locks that could alert you if someone tries to mess with your bike or use your cell phone to call for help if you wipe out?

And for every group-riding cyclist who ever said they can’t ticket us all, a Tucson cop would beg to differ.

Category: Bike Events, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Bike rider killed in Riverside collision; eighth bicycling fatality in Riverside County this year

May 15, 2014 / / 8 comments

More bad news for Bike Week.

According to the Press-Enterprise, a forty-year old bike rider was attempting to cross Van Buren Ave Blvd at Doolittle Ave in Riverside around 10:15 pm Wednesday when he was hit by a late-model Ford traveling north in the center lane.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified pending notification of next of kin, was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:30 pm.

The Riverside County coroner lists the victim’s age as 32, and places the location as 1600 feet north of Arlington Ave.

While the article makes no mention of which way the victim was riding, Doolittle does not cross Van Buren, so he could only have been riding east. No explanation is given for why he was attempting to cross the road; however, he may have been trying to reach the bike lane on the northbound side and wasn’t able to get across the the six-lane boulevard in time.

A street view shows a 55 mph speed limit north of Arlington. Whether the driver may have been speeding or the victim simply misjudged his ability to cross before oncoming traffic caught up to is yet to be determined.

This is the 39th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth already this year in Riverside County, compared to just two this time last year.

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

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