My apologies.
But after writing about two fallen bicyclists tonight — let alone the other 20 people killed riding bicycles already this year — I just don’t have it in me to even think about bicycling, let alone write about it.
As usual, we’ll be back tomorrow to catch up on anything we missed.
The carnage continues on Southern California streets, as yet another person riding a bicycle has been killed by a heartless hit-and-run driver.
This time, the victim was just 15-years old.
According to multiple sources, he was struck by a driver while riding in the 2200 block of Main Street in Riverside, near Poplar Avenue, around 9:30 pm Tuesday.
The victim, identified as Colton resident Javier Gonzales, died at the scene less than 25 minutes later, after suffering major injuries.
Security cam video acquired by KCBS2/KCAL9 shows Gonzales was riding against traffic with three other boys when he was struck by the driver of a speeding pickup, who kept going without slowing down.
His friends immediately dropped their bikes and chased after the driver, but weren’t able to catch him or get the license plate.
Police are looking for a black or dark-colored full size pickup. Anyone with information is urged to call Riverside Police Department Traffic Detective Jeff Derouin at 951/826-8722, or email Jderouin@riversideca.gov.
They note that this is the fifth fatal crash in the city in just six days. But the other drivers at least had the basic human decency to remain at the scene.
Ironically, the driver would have been unlikely to face charges in this case if he or she had simply stopped after the crash. Now they face up to four years behind bars for felony hit-and-run.
This is at least the 22nd bicycling fatality in Southern California already this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.
Seven of those deaths have been hit-and-runs.
Update: Police have arrested a 37-year old man as the hit-and-run driver who killed Javier Gonzales. As of March 24th, Rosendo Morales Caldera was being held without bail.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Javier Gonzales and all his family and loved ones.
The bad news just keeps on coming.
Just two days after a former Upland councilmember died following a collision while riding his bike, another man has been killed while bicycling in San Bernardino County.
According to the Mountain News, 24-year old Christopher Sanchez was riding south on State Highway 18, also known at the Rim of the World Highway, at lower Old Waterman Canyon Road in San Bernardino when he run down by an SUV driver minutes after 5:45 pm Monday.
Sanchez died at the scene, shortly after being removed from the guardrail he was entangled with. The spandex-clad rider was still wearing his helmet, but was suffering from massive lower body injuries.
(Warning: The Mountain News story describes his injuries in needless detail, so be forewarned before you click on the link.)
The 50-something driver, who was not identified, apparently ran Sanchez down from behind, just yards after a sign warning drivers to watch for bicycles.
It’s not clear if the SUV driver was attempting a dangerous pass, or never saw Sanchez in the first place. Although to his credit, he remained at the scene, and was reportedly distraught after the crash.
Sanchez was a recent graduate of Cal State San Bernardino, and was going to start work at the Riverside County Public Health Department later this week. He had been riding in the area since he was 15-years old, and was very familiar with the roadway.
But as the Mountain News reports, someone on a bicycle can do everything right, and still pay the price.
Meanwhile, the first driver to stop at the scene has already returned to the crash site to place flowers and install a ghost bike for Sanchez.
Anyone who wants to help with Sanchez’s funeral expenses can contact his mother, Kristina Sanchez (RVS), c/o Victoria Elementary, 2910 Arlington Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506.
This is at least the 21st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Christopher Sanchez and all his family and loved ones.
If you missed it last night, the SoCal bike community lost a good friend over the weekend.
Tom Thomas, who spent two decades on the Upland city council, died on Saturday, two days after he was struck from behind by a motorcyclist while waiting at a Montclair red light.
So much for the myth that bike riders never stop for them.
Thomas was a founder of Upland’s Tour de Foothills and a supporter of the Pacific Electric Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail, as well as a noted local philanthropist.
One more reminder of the high cost of traffic violence.
Photo by pixel2013 from Pixabay.
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Streets For All is hosting another virtual happy hour next Wednesday, featuring LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell.
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No, we probably shouldn’t feel good about an overly entitled driver ending up feeling a little deflated.
But it’s kind of hard not to.
So he came back around. Funny thing is that when he was far off he put on his left turn signal like he was just gonna head to Burnside. But then he saw me still there and jammed on the gas and went for the intimidation move and blew out his front right tire! Bwah, ha, ha, ha! pic.twitter.com/UDbtkmOtg0
— Tony (@Tonyatwork) March 1, 2022
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Pink Bike offers a beginners guide to American mountain biking.
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No bias here. San Diego letter writers debate the value of the new 30th Street bike lanes, with local residents claiming no one uses them, because they don’t see anyone riding on them at the exact moment they happen to look.
Even fictional bike riders get blamed, as the mother of a character in 9-1-1: Lone Star was killed off when she stepped off a curb and was hit by a man on a bicycle.
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Los Angeles police are looking for a man who was seen riding a bicycle nearby when a woman’s body was set on fire in Chinatown and left burning in a shopping cart.
Streetsblog checks out the new 4.2-mile extension to the San Fernando Road bike path, which will result in a ten mile path extending north from the Burbank airport, parallel to Metrolink’s Antelope Valley Line railroad tracks, when it’s finished around the end of the year.
Montebello received a nearly half-million dollar grant to build a better connection to the Rio Hondo River bike trail from the Grant Rea Park.
Governor Newsom announced $296 million in Clean California grants to remove litter and beautify underserved communities, as well as building walking and biking paths, and other Complete Streets features.
Calbike highlights workshops for next month’s California Bicycle Summit in Oakland.
Santa Barbara’s one-year old bikeshare system is still operating at just 50% of capacity, after struggling through a number of problems in its first year.
Palo Alto decides to keep California Street carfree at least through the end of next year. Meanwhile, a former Palo Alto bike shop could be home to 124 below-market-rate apartments for low-income residents.
Around a hundred people turned out to demand that San Francisco’s JFK Drive be kept carfree, rather than returning it to a high-traffic throughway bisecting Golden Gate Park.
Sad news from Concord, where a teenage boy who had recently immigrated from El Salvador was killed when he was struck by several vehicles as he rode his bike to school; a crowdfunding page has raised over $21,000 to send his body back home.
Forbes examines the recent study that shows children in bike trailers breathe in more exhaust fumes than the adults they’re riding with, due to their lower position.
Momentum Magazine reviews the new $5,000, carbon-fiber Dutch-style ebike made by America’s only remaining Tour de France winner.
The Arkansas man who drove home with the body of a bike rider in the back of his pickup will face reckless manslaughter and hit-and-run charges, as well as being changed as a habitual offender; he claimed he didn’t know the man was in there until he got home — and then just went to bed until police tracked him down.
A “boneheaded” New York bill could make it harder to install or remove bike lanes and bike racks by requiring electronic and written notification to local community boards and elected officials before any action is taken, which could result in a six-month hearing process. To which Los Angeles bike riders respond “Welcome to our world.” Except most of us would be overjoyed if the process only took six months.
New Jersey drivers will now be required to change lanes to pass bike riders and pedestrians, or give at least a four-foot passing distance if that can’t be done safely. Although like California’s three-foot law, there’s a loophole allowing drivers to pass closer than four feet if they slow down and pinkie swear they really, really had to.
He gets it. A New Jersey columnist says cities must embrace ebikes to break their dependency on motor vehicles.
A sportswriter for The Washington Post learns it’s okay to show weakness and rely on friends when she decides to ride her age for her 42nd birthday, and they won’t let her quit — even if it takes her nearly seven hours.
Here’s your big break to get into television, as long as you’re a bike rider in Key West.
Florida authorities are investigating a drawbridge operator for possible manslaughter charges after a 79-year old woman was killed when the bridge opened while she was walking her bike across it.
You know a London intersection is designed to kill when eight bike riders have died there in just 14 years, and no one does a damn thing about it.
Once again, life is cheap in the UK, where a 23-year old driver will spend a whole two years and three months behind bars for killing a ten-year old boy as he was riding bikes with his dad, as a result of an ill-advised passing attempt. Meanwhile, the boy’s family will face a sentence of life without him, without being guilty of anything.
A German startup is making a bike cam with distance measuring technology and other sensors to reveal hidden dangers, while preserving detailed evidence in the event of a crash; the data can be combined with other riders and analyzed to create urban heat maps of individual cities.
This is the cost of traffic violence. A horrible story from Bangladesh, where a passenger van driver and its owner face charges after killing six of seven brothers as they were walking home from their father’s funeral.
A South African bike advocacy group is fighting back against dangerous streets and drivers with a campaign declaring #CyclistsLivesMatter. Which I would probably appreciate more if it wasn’t co-opting a fight for racial justice.
An Australian man pled guilty to using meth before he got behind the wheel and killed a 57-year old man riding a bicycle.
Cycling’s governing body responded to the invasion of Ukraine by banning all UCI teams, national teams, regional teams and race commissaires from Russia and Belarus; UCI is also removing all cycling events in both countries from the calendar. However, individual athletes will still be allowed to compete for teams from other countries.
Evidently, a mountain bike is an important bicycling accessory. It’s perfectly okay to call new traffic rules the “Lunatic Highway Code.”
And tell me again why you can’t carry groceries home on a bike.
I know who to call the next time I see a car parked in the bike lane. pic.twitter.com/lOVZ6zTVsi
— Cool Bike Art (@CoolBikeArt1) March 1, 2022
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
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Someone is
A
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Gabe the Sasquatch
Governor Newsom announced $296 million in Clean California grants to remove litter and beautify underserved communities, as well as building walking and biking paths, and other Complete Streets features.
Palo Alto decides to keep California Street carfree at least through the end of next year.
Around a hundred people turned out to demand that San Francisco’s JFK Drive be kept carfree, rather than returning it to a high-traffic throughway in the middle of Golden Gate Park.
New Jersey drivers will now be required to change lanes to pass bike riders and pedestrians, or give at least a four foot passing distance if that can’t be done safely. Although like California’s three-foot law, there’s a loophole allowing drivers to pass closer than that if they slow down and pinkie swear they really had to.
Here’s your big break to get into television, as long as you’re a bike rider in Key West.
You know an intersection is designed to kill when eight bike riders have been killed there in just 14 years, like this “infamously hostile” London gyratory (a more complex version of a roundabout), and no one does a damn thing about it.
Once again, life is cheap in the UK, where a 23-year old driver will spend a whole two years and three months behind bars for killing a ten-year old boy riding bikes with his dad during an ill-advised passing attempt. Meanwhile, the boy’s family was sentenced to a life without him, despite not being guilty of anything.
Britain’s official press watchdog has ruled that it’s perfectly okay to call the country’s new traffic rules the “Lunatic Highway Code.”
A German startup is making a bike cam with distance measuring technology and other sensors to reveal hidden dangers, while preserving detailed evidence in the event of a crash; the data can then be analyzed to create urban heat maps of individual cities.
This is the cost of traffic violence. Horrible story from Bangladesh, where a passenger van driver and its owner faces charges after killing six of seven brothers as they were walking home from their father’s funeral.
A South African bike advocacy group is fighting back against dangerous streets and drivers with a campaign declaring #CyclistsLivesMatter. Which I would probably appreciate more if it wasn’t co-opting a fight for racial justice.
An Australian man pled guilty to using meth before he got behind the wheel, and killed a 57-year old man riding a bicycle.
Cycling’s governing body responded to the invasion of Ukraine by banning all UCI teams, national teams, regional teams and race commissaires from Russia and Belarus; UCI is also removing all cycling events in both countries from the calendar. However, individual athletes will be allowed to compete for teams from other countries.
Evidently, a mountain bike is an important bicycling accessory.
And tell me again why you can’t carry your groceries home on a bike.
I know who to call the next time I see a car parked in the bike lane. pic.twitter.com/lOVZ6zTVsi
— Cool Bike Art (@CoolBikeArt1) March 1, 2022
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Finally, confirmation.
Word began to spread Monday that a longtime Upland community leader was killed in a collision while riding his bike.
Now, sadly, we know it’s true.
According to Southern California News Group writer Steve Scauzillo, Tom Thomas, a 20-year Upland city councilmember and one of the founders of the Tour de Foothills, was struck by a motorcyclist while riding in Montclair last Thursday.
He was waiting in the left turn bay on Monte Vista Avenue at Richton Street, when the motorcycle slammed into him from behind.
Thomas died on Saturday, after undergoing surgery to repair internal injuries, as well as suffering numerous broken bones.
He was a member of the Upland council from 1990 to 2010, and was known as a philanthropist in the local community, in addition to being an ongoing supporter of the Tour de Foothills and the Pacific Electric Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail.
He leaves behind his wife, Ann Shriner Thomas, and three daughters, as well as a grieving community. Ann Thomas requested that anyone wanting to honor her husband donate blood, and give to any of the many organizations he supported.
This is at least the 20th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 1st that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.
Photo from Tom Thomas Facebook page
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Tom Thomas and his loved ones.
Thanks to Michael Wagner for the heads-up.
Before we start, I’m aware of the death of a well-known Upland man who was struck by a speeding motorcyclist while riding his bike last week.
I’ve reached out for official confirmation, and just trying to avoid getting ahead of the story before family members are all notified.
We should know more later today.
Thanks to Claremont Cyclist Michael Wagner of CLR Effect for the heads-up.
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The United Nations has issued a red alert on climate change.
A new report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says the world is facing environmental disaster, with humankind unable to keep up with the increasingly rapid pace of change.
This is what the New York Times had to say.
The report also carries a stark warning: If temperatures keep rising, many parts of the world could soon face limits in how much they can adapt to a changing environment. If nations don’t act quickly to slash fossil fuel emissions and halt global warming, more and more people will suffer unavoidable loss or be forced to flee their homes, creating dislocation on a global scale…
Many leaders, including President Biden, have vowed to limit total global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial levels. That’s the threshold beyond which scientists say the likelihood of catastrophic climate impacts increases significantly.
But achieving that goal would require nations to all but eliminate their fossil-fuel emissions by 2050, and most are far off-track. The world is currently on pace to warm somewhere between 2 degrees and 3 degrees Celsius this century, experts have estimated.
That alone should be the only argument we need to ensure pedestrians, bicycles and transit are given priority, not on some streets, but on every street.
And yes, that includes removing parking to build bike lanes.
Because whether or not that inconveniences someone today, it’s a lot better than watching the world go up in flames tomorrow.
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It’s now legal to ride an ebike on trails in the Santa Monica Mountains, which will be allowed for the next year on a trial basis.
Effective today, e-bikes are allowed on State Parks Trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. in a one-year trial. https://t.co/lY2mHada6b#emtb #mountainbiking #santamonicamountains
— CORBA (@CORBAmtb) February 26, 2022
Thanks to mountain bike advocacy group CORBA for the tip.
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Caltrans is planning to close the bike lanes in both directions on PCH tomorrow and Thursday, between Deer Creek Road and Sycamore Canyon Road west of Malibu.
The roadway will be reduced to a single lane in both directions to restore the retaining wall between supporting the roadway over the ocean.
Bike riders are urged to avoid the area for the next two days.
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Sign the petition to get the Healthy Streets LA measure on the ballot for the November general election on the UCLA campus tomorrow, from 2 pm to 4 pm on the Bruin Walk.
The ballot measure will improve traffic congestion and safety, while fighting climate change, by requiring Los Angeles to build out the city’s groundbreaking mobility plan whenever streets are repaved.
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Streetsblog takes a look at the nascent progress on the new protected bike lanes on Riverside Drive near Griffith Park.
Credit goes to CD4 Councilmember Nithya Raman for pushing the project through.
Checking out the progress on new @cd4losangeles protected bike lanes on Riverside Drive. Repaving progress (close to Griffith Park & Mulholland Fountain), but not that far along yet #bikela pic.twitter.com/CxPmROcpie
— StreetsblogLA (@StreetsblogLA) February 27, 2022
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If you’re in the Bay Area, here’s your chance to start your bike advocacy modeling career.
We're looking for models of diverse age ranges to be part of our new biking community photo collection!
We'll be using the photos for our website refresh & social media posts for BTWD 2022.
Compensation: $100/person or $300/group (up to 5 people)
Sign up: https://t.co/3ixxK0dz01 pic.twitter.com/tbwCcVv4fV— Bike East Bay (@BikeEastBay) February 28, 2022
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Once you’ve experienced the peloton, a war zone is nothing.
https://twitter.com/cyclelicious/status/1498385440008667139
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Two-time Tour de France champ Tadej Pogačar is the face of a new ad for bike tourism in Slovenia.
Best advice — turn off the sound and ignore the captions so you can just take in the spectacular views.
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Someone is sabotaging bike lanes on a Mesa, Arizona highway by covering them with caltrops — small, multi-spiked metal tacks designed so one of the spikes always points up to puncture tires — which could cause a dangerous crash, especially if the rider fell into the roadway.
A 19-year old British man is on trial for the horrific murder of a 17-year old Black man, after chasing the victim into a store to stab him repeatedly with a “Rambo-style knife,” apparently at random; the entire attack took just minutes, with the accused killer leaving home on his bicycle and returning just 18 minutes later.
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Streetsblog offers more information on the abrupt departure of Metro Senior Executive Officer for Construction and Engineering Abdollah Ansari, who apparently never met a freeway project he didn’t like; Ansari leaving Metro could mean less pressure to widen and extend freeways, and more emphasis on biking, walking and transit.
Gabe the Sasquatch could be making a post-pandemic comeback as the mascot of the San Gabriel Valley’s 626 Golden Streets, as the popular open streets event returns on May 1st with a five-mile Mission to Mission route stretching from San Gabriel through Alhambra to South Pasadena.
Bad news from San Jose, where a bike rider was in stable condition after suffering life-threatening injuries in a collision with a driver Saturday night.
Berkeley is considering permanently banning cars from Telegraph Avenue, converting the iconic street into a pedestrian, bike, and transit-only plaza.
A Bay Area website recommends four relatively short wine tours you can do by bike. Just remember it can be a lot harder to make the pedals go round after sampling a few vintages. Or maybe that’s just me.
Momentum Magazine talks with Black Girls Do Bike executive director Monica Garrison about the phenomenal growth of the the nationwide organization, which she founded as a Facebook page a decade ago looking for riding companions.
A bighearted Indianapolis coach driver is giving out free bike lights to passengers who need them, after seeing a bike rider struck and killed by a driver while getting off a bus.
A Cambridge, Massachusetts paper says local restaurants were already suffering long before the bike lanes went in that they blame for a slowdown in business. Similar to LA’s Venice Blvd, where protected bike lanes were blamed for every nearby business failure, regardless of whether the businesses were struggling before they were built.
A DC writer beat the cost and hassle of an Uber ride to the airport by investing all of $3.85 for a seven-mile bikeshare ride.
The Tampa, Florida state attorney is addressing the problem of Biking While Black by declining to prosecute bike riders arrested for non-violent acts.
An English town extends a ban on bikes in the city center during a contentious council meeting, despite a majority of the speakers wanting it removed.
Britain’s Chris Boardman says if you think bike helmets and hi-viz are the answer to bicycle safety, you’re asking the wrong question.
An Egyptian man rode over 700 miles across the country to encourage the return of tourism.
The racing season is off to a fast start, with Spain’s Alejandro Valverde and Canadian Michael Woods taking the top two podium spots at the four-stage Gran Camiño.
The International Olympic Committee, aka IOC, urges cycling’s governing body and other International sports federations to ban athletes from Russia and Belarus due to the invasion of Ukraine.
A writer for Outside recommends Black cycling legend Major Taylor’s 1928 autobiography, The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World.
How to get banned and unbanned for cheating on Zwift. Now you, too, can build your very own pedal-free prop-driven snow bike.
And of course the president of Ukraine is one of us.
Of course he does. Volodymyr Zelensky rides a bicycle. pic.twitter.com/CAPcDhDIzX
— Peter Flax (@Pflax1) February 27, 2022
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
A new study confirms what we already knew.
Bike lanes reduce congestion.
The Carnegie Mellon University study demonstrates how increasing bicycle and micromobility use can lead to a notable decrease in traffic congestion.
But only if there is sufficient infrastructure in place to support increased ridership.
Meanwhile, a study from the Urban Institute suggests that protected and buffered bike lanes, cycle tracks and offroad paths offer a far better solution than painted bike lanes, let alone sharrows.
Your move, Los Angeles.
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Caltrans has finally, semi-officially committed to Vision Zero, even if they very carefully avoided using the term.
And even if they gave themselves nearly 30 years to get there, which effective absolves the agency of the need to take immediate action, giving them every opportunity to kick the can down the road.
But it’s a start.
Maybe someday, someone will actually do more than just start.
SACRAMENTO —Building on the commitment to #safety, Caltrans today unveiled a new Director’s Policy on Road Safety committing to #SafeSystem approaches reaffirming the vision of reaching #zerofatalities & serious injuries on state highways by 2050. https://t.co/61mXlAdYfD pic.twitter.com/8e8TWkUMGm
— Caltrans HQ (@CaltransHQ) February 24, 2022
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No irony here.
KTown For All co-founder Jane Nguyen was struck by a driver as she was walking in a Koreatown crosswalk (scroll down), while on her way to gather signatures for the Healthy Streets LA ballot measure.
The initiative would improve street safety and transportation by requiring the city to build out the mobility plan as streets are repaved, rather than the current policy of just pretending the plan doesn’t exist.
Nguyen was rushed to the ER by bike rider and corgi owner Kenneth Mejia, who’s running for city controller and has been endorsed by this site.
Fortunately, she wasn’t seriously injured.
And no, I didn’t endorse Mejia just because he rides a bike and has a couple corgis. But it didn’t hurt.
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If you know, or are, a Pasadena public school student, here’s your chance to learn how to fix a bike. And maybe even win a new one.
Attention all PUSD students! We have Free Bike Repair Workshops every Monday and Wednesday of February and March at La Pintoresca Teen Education Center (1415 N. Raymond Avenue) from 3:00 – 5:00PM.
Attend a workshop and you could win a bike! pic.twitter.com/wppGvtJjoN
— Day One (@Day1DO) February 28, 2022
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Today is the last day to apply for the inaugural Los Angeles City Youth Council. Because it wouldn’t hurt to ensure we have a bike-friendly voices on there.
This Monday 2/28 is the LAST day to apply for the first-ever LA City Youth Council!
Angelenos aged 16-25 are encouraged to apply for this exciting opportunity to impact the City and represent young voices. For more info and to apply, go to https://t.co/Id1p7JdQvH. pic.twitter.com/BtUaSgEO2p
— Councilmember Nithya Raman (@cd4losangeles) February 25, 2022
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But people on bicycles are entitled.
Right?
https://twitter.com/runolgarun/status/1498169046734295040
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Just in case anyone thinks you can’t defend your homeland with a bicycle.
Freedom fighters on a bicycle. Kiev today: pic.twitter.com/GUWikj1f6f
— Lior Steinberg (@LiorSteinberg) February 26, 2022
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A pair of homeless men face charges for beating a Kansas man to death with a metal pipe; at least one of the men was arrested as he rode away on a bicycle afterwards.
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No news it good news, right?
San Diego opened a pair of bikeways on Fourth and Fifth Avenues through the Bankers Hill and Hillcrest neighborhoods. Which would have allowed me to safely ride to work when I lived down there. But they only came about three decades too late.
A KPBS roundtable discussion considers what effect the debate over bike lanes will have on San Diego’s climate action plan.
Travel & Leisure recommends REI’s three-day, 113-mile supported bike tour through Joshua Tree National Park, for the low, low price of $1,099 for members. Or for the same price, just get your bike fixed-up, buy a tent and camping gear, and do it yourself.
A writer for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition calls for improving street safety before anyone else gets killed, after a San Francisco pastor was run down from behind while training for a bike ride to Long Beach.
Lodi considers converting an unused railway right-of-way to a rail-to-trail project.
Road Bike Action wants to talk about your varicose veins. Mine came courtesy of a road raging driver who intentionally slammed into my bike, driving the front cog into my calf.
A new reverse-tricycle ebike from an Oregon bikemaker offers pedal-by-wire, with no direct mechanical connection to the three independent electric motors that power each wheel; the bike also has as a tilting design that allows it to corner like a two-wheeled bike.
Seattle’s Rad Power Bikes considers lowering prices on its most popular models, just months after increasing them due in part to the international bike part shortage.
A Las Vegas bike rider was killed when a bus driver failed to notice the victim was riding to the right of the bus, forcing the rider to cling to the side of the moving bus until he or she lost their grip, and fell into it.
Business owners in Columbus, Ohio and Cambridge, Massachusetts insist on shooting themselves in the foot by fighting plans to remove parking spaces to install bike lanes, even though studies show bike riders spend more than drivers on a monthly basis, and that bike lanes encourage shopping while increasing local sales.
Streetsblog accuses New York officials of a literal coverup after the city did a “fast and shoddy repair” to caved-in pavement on a city street, following the death of a 77-year old man who fell from his bike after hitting the broken pavement; the city had ignored complaints about the problem for nearly three years. Which means the inevitable lawsuit should be a slam dunk.
Kindhearted cops in Coral Springs, Florida gave a young boy a new bicycle, replacing the one he was riding when he was struck by a driver and pinned under the car while on his way to school. Fortunately, he wasn’t badly injured.
Yet another Florida bike rider has been caught on an open draw bridge, as video came to light of a man clinging to the bridge for dear life last November; the news comes after a woman riding a bicycle was killed in a similar incident earlier this month.
Your next bike could be made from plants.
Brazen bike thieves attempted to use an axel grinder to steal a bicycle in broad daylight on a busy Edinburgh street; fortunately, they were interrupted by people passing by, who guarded it until the owner returned.
Good idea. An Edinburg bike advocacy group has issued an election manifesto calling for creation of a comprehensive network of protected bike lanes and a 30 percent reduction in motor vehicle traffic.
Brompton wants to build a new $134 million factory on an English wetlands, which the company says it will convert to a nature preserve; the factory would employ 1,500 people within five years.
More on the 80-year old British truck driver who killed a 66-year old man who was riding an ebike; court testimony shows he didn’t even brake or take evasive action before slamming into the victim. Once again raising the question of how old is too old to drive, let alone operate a work truck.
A journalist describes his usual bike route as a “Russian Death Valley” after Ukrainian forces beat back an attack by invading forces.
A Turkish paper describes bicycling as a way of life in the country’s central province of Konya, which is home to 351 miles of bike paths.
Around 400 bike riders hit the streets of Hyderabad, India armed with placards calling on drivers to pay more attentions around people on bicycles.
He gets it. After winning the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne race on Sunday, Dutch cyclist Fabio Jacobsen notes that while young men were fighting to win a bike race, other young men were fighting for their country and their lives against overwhelming odds in Ukraine.
Italian pro Matteo Trentin rejected Chris Froome’s call to ban time trial bikes, saying the problem isn’t the type of bicycle being ridden, but the amount of people in cars.
Spanish motorcycle racer Aleix Espargaró says he nearly joined a pro cycling team after taking up the sport following a bad motorbike crash, calling bicycling the worst drug in the world because “the more you go, the more you want.” Although some of us would say that’s why it’s the best drug.
Two-time IRONMAN World Champion Patrick Lange will be out of commission for awhile, after the German triathlete suffered a joint injury in a training fall.
Now you, too, can have your very own Wu-Tang Clan fixie. If you’re riding your bike with a half gram of fentanyl hidden in your bra, put a damn light on it — the bike that is, not the bra.
And evidently, there’s more than one way to ride around the world — and without breaking a sweat. Thanks to Steven Hallett for the heads-up.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Somehow, we missed this one earlier this month.
According to CycleNews, former motorcycle champ Jason Aguilar died following a fall while mountain biking with friends in Laguna Beach on Saturday, February 5th.
He was just 25 years old.
Aguilar, the 2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, was rushed into surgery to relieve bleeding on the brain, but suffered catastrophic brain damage due to a lack of oxygen.
He was kept on life support until February 8th so his organs could be harvested for transplantation to others.
Close to a hundred mountain bikers later turned out for a ride in Aguilar’s honor.
This is at least the 19th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 5th that I’m aware of in Orange County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jason Aguilar and his loved ones.
Thanks to Bill Sellin for the heads-up.
A man has been killed in a collision after falling off his ebike in Solana Beach Saturday afternoon.
According to multiple, nearly identical sources, the victim was riding north in the bike lane on Highway 101, above Lomas Santa Fe, when he somehow lost control of his ebike.
He fell into the traffic lane, and was struck by the driver of a slow-moving truck.
He did after being transported to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla.
The victim, publicly identified only as a 65-year old man, was reportedly attempting to pass a slower bike rider when his bike began to wobble. Fox-5 suggests it may have been his first ride on the newly purchased ebike.
There’s no word on why he may have struggled to control his bike. However, Phillip Young reports that the pavement has been pushed up by tree roots in some sections of the narrow painted bike lane, which could have destabilized his bike.
It’s also possible that he may have bumped or swerved to avoid the rider he was passing. Or could have simply lost control due to unfamiliarity with the new ebike.
The reports also don’t mention whether it a ped-assist or throttle controlled ebike, or his speed at the time of the crash, which also could have played a role.
Anyone with information is urged to call the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department at 858/565-5200.
This is at least the 18th bicycling fatality in Southern California already this year. Remarkably, though, it appears to be the first in San Diego County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
Thanks to Phillip Young for the heads-up.
Once again, the CHP gets basic bike law completely wrong.
After a 13-year old Temecula boy was right hooked by a driver while riding his bike on the sidewalk on his way to school, a CHP officer blamed the victim, stressing that he was riding against traffic.
Except there is no right or wrong way on a sidewalk.
As any pedestrian can tell you, sidewalks are bidirectional, with no requirement to walk one way or the other.
The same holds true for riding a bike — assuming sidewalk riding is legal there. The requirement to ride with traffic only applies if you’re riding in the street.
If the CHP can’t manage to teach their officers that, maybe they shouldn’t be investigating bike crashes.
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Phil Gaimon gets it.
His latest video calls for everyone who rides a bike in LA to sign the Healthy Streets LA ballot petition, which would require the city to build out the mobility plan whenever a street on it is repaved.
And it doesn’t hurt that he features a recent story from this site, even if it was bad news.
Although you may have to suffer through an ad or two first.
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Gravel Bikes California offers what they describe as bulls, bees and buffoonery, and the madness that’s the pure joy of gravel.
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Proof that a separated bike lane is no guarantee against being the victim of a hit-and-run.
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Now that’s a close pass.
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A Florida driver will apparently get away with killing a man riding his bike on the shoulder of a highway, despite veering all the way off the roadway to strike the victim, who police say did nothing wrong. And despite the driver’s long record of traffic violations and license suspensions. Just one more example of authorities keeping a dangerous driver on the road until they kill someone.
A 71-year old Welsh driver was convicted of backing into a group of bicyclists following a punishment pass, while calling them “English bastards.” The joke’s on him though, since one of the riders was Dutch.
Someone is stealing the protective iron barriers from the world’s longest continuous bike lane in Turkey.
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A Metro board motion once again reaffirms that funding for the now cancelled 710 Freeway extension will go for multi-modal and safety enhancement projects, rather than the auto-centric projects the head of Metro’s Highways Program keeps insisting on.
A San Diego woman beats the odds by taking to her bike after nearly dying from an infected heart valve, with her husband of 40 years riding by her side.
San Mateo proves that it is possible to build out a bike plan while overcoming objections from residents over a loss of street parking; the city approved a plan to install bike lanes on three streets, as well as building three separate bike boulevards, while removing 170 parking spaces to make room for the project.
Berkeley approves plans to install a bus lane on Telegraph Ave, while building protected bike lanes on three nearby streets.
A Berkeley bike advocate reflects on her brush with death when she was struck by a driver while riding bikes with her son last year.
Bicycling recommends the best bike tubes for all types of bicyclists, including one that’s pretty in pink. As usual, read it on Yahoo if the magazine blocks you.
A couple in their 60s shares what they learned riding a tandem 3,800 miles across the US. Although the first lesson should be how to get past the Wall Street Journal’s draconian paywall.
VeloNews examines how Black style is transforming cycling culture.
A Portland website tells the tale of the city’s 1890s bike factory, which was originally opened to build an ether-powered bicycle, which was dropped when they couldn’t keep up with demand for pedal-powered bikes.
Clearly, a sidewalk is no protection from a drunk driver, as Tucson AZ bike rider was killed when a reckless DUI driver veered onto the sidewalk he was riding on; in an unusual development, the driver was also hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
The body of a Colorado man was just recently discovered and identified, after he went missing on a. bike ride last September.
Houston moves forward with plans for a road diet and bike lanes, despite last minute opposition to the project after three years of public meetings.
A New York op-ed says the city must commit public funding to expand the Citi Bike bikeshare system, noting it’s the city’s only transit network that doesn’t receive financial support.
DC considers adopting the full Idaho Stop Law, allowing bike riders to treat stop signs as yields, and red lights like stop signs, while also banning right turns on red.
Bighearted residents of Biloxi, Mississippi pitched in to crowdfund a new bike for a 76-year old man who relies on a bike for transportation, after his was stolen.
Kindhearted Florida cops bought a new bike for a young girl after hers was stolen, and they couldn’t recover it.
Another bike rider was caught dangling from a Florida draw bridge, but fortunately, this one survived.
No surprise here. A new review of 170 studies from around the world confirms that cities where where walking and bicycling are safe and convenient have a lower rate of diabetes and obesity. Although you’ll have to sacrifice your privacy and sign up to view the story.
Despite adopting a constitutional amendment enshrining the right to safe mobility, Mexico’s car-centric infrastructure continues to put bike riders and pedestrians at risk.
Road.cc offers advice on how to stop the dreaded speed wobbles, which can be scary as hell when they come for you.
A British man was finally able to overcome his fears and get back on his bike, three years after he was injured by a driver in a 2018 terrorist attack.
The war in Ukraine hits home for the bicycling community, as video posted to social media appears to show a bike rider hit by a missile strike. Although there are a lot of fakes circulating now, so take anything you see, read or hear with a big grain of salt.
Despite drawing over 300,000 spectators, hosting the Grand Depart of the 2014 Tour de France in Yorkshire, England has shown no lasting financial benefit.
Your next bike lock could be your bike. That feeling when your cat becomes a star for riding around town with you.
And why you’ll never beat Peter Sagan if you have periods.
No, really.
https://twitter.com/amylaurenjones/status/1496863263858073614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1496863263858073614%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Froad.cc%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Fcycling-live-blog-24-february-2022-290577
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
