Just get out and ride. You’ll thank me later.
Sometimes, I don’t even know what to say.
It seems like the news has been nothing but bad for the last few weeks. Topped off by yet another of cycling’s most popular riders pulled from the Tour de France after failing a drug test — and yes, I’m looking at you, Frank Schleck.
It’s gotten to the point that I’m almost afraid to read the news for fear of what I’m going to find. And who’s going to disappoint us next.
Fortunately, there’s a solution.
Just get out and ride your bike.
Now.
No, seriously. If you can get away even for a few minutes, stop what you’re doing and get out on your bike. And just forget about everything for awhile.
And yes, I do mean everything.
Just take a few minutes, or a few dozen miles, to remember why you fell in love with riding in the first place.
If you can’t get out now, find time to get a ride in before the day is over.
Trust me, you’ll feel better when you’re done.
And the news will keep until you get back.
………
We’re still dealing with the aftermath of last week’s extreme rash of cycling deaths, as witnesses identify the suspect vehicle in the hit-and-run death of Fontana cyclist Alex Silva.
Authorities ask you to be on the lookout for dark red early 2000s model Chevy Corvette convertible with damage to a left front bumper and fender, as well as damage to the convertible top, windshield and driver’s side window.
And Kevin M reveals that services have been announced for popular cyclist Willis Veluz-Abraham, who was killed in a solo cycling fall in the hills above Calabasas on Saturday — possibly as a result of recently installed rumble strips.
VIEWING-Tuesday, July 24th, 5pm-9pm, Mission Hills Mortuary, 11160 Stranwood Avenue, Mission Hills, CA 91345
VIGIL/MEMORIAL-Wednesday, July 25th, 6:30pm-9pm, Our Lady of Peace Church, 15444 Nordoff Street, North Hills, CA 91343
FUNERAL MASS & BURIAL-Thursday, July 26th, 10am, Our Lady of Peace Church, 15444 Nordoff Street, North Hills, CA 91343 (the procession from the church back to Mission Hills mortuary/cemetery will be escorted by members of Willis’ Bicycle Club)
………
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to bike racing, Frank Schleck becomes the latest to fail a drug test, this time for a banned diuretic, and is pulled from the Tour de France by his team. He says if the B sample also tests positive, he’ll charge someone with poisoning him.
No, seriously.
Maybe he was force-fed some Spanish beef.
In light of Sunday’s tack attack in the TdF, Dave Moulton considers the Dick Head factor. A 49ers fan site looks at notable cheaters over the years — including the rider who briefly won the 1904 Tour.
And Lance takes his fight against doping charges to a higher forum.
………
Clif Bar is giving the LACBC a second chance to raise $10,000 by logging your rides for the rest of the month. A new LA startup connects people with shared interests, like bike riding, for instance. Santa Monica’s Bike Center proves successful as it moves into a busy summer season. SaMo’s new police chief wants to ensure traffic does not impede bicycle and pedestrian safety; I think I like her already. Matt LeBlanc and Ali Larter ride a tandem on camera. Examined Spoke says he wants a lane of his own just like pedestrians enjoy. More on the ghost bike installed for Larry Schellhase in Redondo Beach. Long Beach begins a series of monthly community meetings to discuss bike issues next Monday.
Locations have been selected for Anaheim’s new bike share program, operated by the same company that will run L.A.’s upcoming program. Riverside police are looking for volunteers, including a citizen bike patrol. A 16-year old Oxnard cyclist is found unconscious after an apparent solo fall, two days after another rider was critically injured in a collision with a suspected drunk driver. Sunnyvale becomes the third city to pass an L.A. style anti-harassment ordinance. How long do drivers park in San Francisco bike lanes? Nearly a dozen fixies bite the dust as a San Francisco driver plows through a bike coral.
Ten things to know about the new federal transportation bill. Rather than covering women’s sports, Outside magazine asks why the media doesn’t. An Oregon prison inmate makes a brief escape by bike. An Illinois cyclist charges racial discrimination after getting a ticket for riding his bike through a construction zone, bizarrely comparing his case to Trayvon Martin. New York’s bike share program is delayed another month. Virginia’s Cookie Lady, famous for providing fresh cookies or lodging for passing cyclists, has passed away at age 91. The Orlando Sentinel says keep bikes off freeways.
A UK cop is charged with writing at least 350 fake tickets for cycling offenses — including one to a man who hasn’t been able to ride a bike for 15 years. Seven people have been arrested for sabotaging the famed Paris Vélib’ bike share program. A noted Mossad spy and former head of their assassination unit is killed when he’s hit by a truck while riding his bike; anyone want to lay odds on whether that was an accident?
Finally, forget carbon or titanium, your next bike could be made almost entirely from cardboard. But with a manufacturing cost of less than $12, it might make a practical spare. Or provide practical transportation for impoverished regions.
And there’s nothing funny about that.
