It’s been a strange weekend for bike news
Take the bizarre story of a Wyoming bicyclist who used bear spray to take down a road raging driver.
According the Jackson Hole News & Guide, a drunk driver rear-ended another car. Then instead of confronting the other driver, he stumbled to a bike path and mistakenly threatened the bike rider, who responded by pulling a gun.
A witness tried to de-escalate the situation by tossing the rider a can of bear spray; when the driver came at him again, he used it.
First responders had to cut off all the driver’s clothes and rush him to the hospital, where he was booked on multiple charges.
Although now that I think about it, there are a lot of bears here in LA…
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Second place goes to the wife of the Canadian driver who was caught on video sitting on a 74-year old bicyclist and beating him with a club, as she insists it wasn’t what it looks like.
At this point, we have no way of knowing how the dispute started.
But unless that club was some sort of Nerf stick, it was exactly what it looks like.
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The California Transportation Commission takes the bronze with their strange questioning of a Calbike representative.
According to Streetsblog, Jared Sanchez of the California Bicycle Coalition was attempting to discuss a recent letter outlining ten principles for transportation justice that should be considered for funding under the state’s new gas tax.
But instead of responding to any of that, all the members of the commission wanted to talk about was Calbike’s stand on a bicycle license fee. Even though no one at the state level had even proposed one, for very good reasons.
And even though anyone can already register their bicycles for free.
Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.
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The Vuelta is taking today off for the race’s first rest day; catch up on the ninth stage here.
Former world champ Lizzie Deignan, better known as Lizzie Armistead before her marriage, won the one-day GP de Plouay race in France on Saturday; the top American was Lauren Stephens at seventh.
The American-based Cannondale-Drapac team is in danger of folding after losing a sponsor for next year.
A business website talks with the Irish women’s tandem duo that’s been dominating nearly every race in the paracycling road world cup, in advance of the world championships at the end of this month.
Keep your eyes on this 13-year old women’s racer, who finished second in a Tennessee juniors race, then came back three hours later and won the women’s Cat 4-5 race.
And our own former pro Phil Gaimon answers questions you never dared to ask a pro cyclist.
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Local
Metro bikeshare will officially come to Venice on September 7th. Meanwhile, Pasadena’s new Metro Bike system is already nearly matching the usage of the year-old system in DTLA.
Bighearted Arcadia firefighters bought a new bicycle for a teenager after his was destroyed in a crash; credit Helen’s Cycles in Arcadia for helping, as well.
A Santa Clarita writer calls for Vision Zero in the Santa Clarita Valley, saying current efforts don’t go far enough.
A physician from north of Los Angeles describes how her Pedego ebike has allowed her to commute to work without fear or pain.
A Malibu letter writer says something has to be done to slow drivers and motorcyclists who turn Latigo Canyon into a speedway every weekend, putting residents, dogs and bicycle riders at risk.
Long Beach isn’t just bike-friendly; it’s been named the tenth most walkable city in the US for the second time in a row.
Winning the 1995 Junior National Downhill Mountain Bike Championships, followed by a stint in beach volleyball, helped Long Beach’s Jon Mesko develop the competitiveness he needed to succeed in business.
Long Beachize explains that a new roundabout at 6th and Park is part of the 6th Street bike boulevard. And it’s actually a good thing, even if drivers don’t get it.
State
San Diego bicyclists enjoy their one chance all year to ride across the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge.
A Rancho Mirage woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI after injuring two bike riders in a Friday night crash.
A Berkeley bike rider was killed in Guerneville as he stood checking his phone on the shoulder of the roadway; the driver abandoned his blacked-out BMW several miles away.
Stanford will donate $5 million to build a new bicycle and pedestrian overpass or underpass over Caltrain tracks.
National
People for Bikes looks at the new generation of bike lane separators that are starting to arrive on the market.
Portland police recover several stolen bicycles when they bust bike chop shop in a homeless camp.
When a Portland man was hit by a car while he was riding his bike to view last week’s eclipse, hospital workers took him outside to view it once they stabilized him.
An Arizona man has been sentenced to ten and a half years behind bars for killing two bicyclists and injuring three others while on meth; a lawsuit against the driver and his former employer settled for $11 million.
No bias here. A Wisconsin paper says cycling becomes more dangerous when cars and cyclists don’t pay attention. Maybe they don’t get that self driving cars aren’t a thing yet.
An Illinois couple open their home to bike tourists as part of the Warm Showers program.
An Ohio man swears off fixing neighborhood kids bikes after unwittingly abetting a teenage crime wave.
A group of stunt-riding kids accompanying a candidate for mayor are ordered out of a Boston Caribbean Carnival Parade mid-route, because parade rules bans bikes, dogs and snakes.
An upstate New York engineer used bicycling to lose weight and beat diabetes.
David Beckham’s college student son is one of us, as the former soccer star rides to pick him up from school in New York.
Louisiana’s West Baton Rouge Parish is putting the final touches on a network of bikeways, including a five-mile bike path on top of the west levee on the Mississippi River.
International
A writer for the Guardian says she’s proud to ride an ebike and whiz past outdated macho attitudes to cycling.
Protesters are furious that bicyclists will now be allowed to ride through a 115-year old pedestrian tunnel under the Thames River.
Just a slight overreaction. A British newspaper columnist calls for prison terms for repeat sidewalk cyclists.
No, seriously. Don’t try riding across the third rail on an electrified English rail line.
Ireland’s Road Safety Authority will distribute 80,000 hi-viz vests to school children this year. It’s a sad commentary when you have to dress kids up like glow-in-the-dark clowns just to keep them safe on the way to and from school.
An Aussie bike commuter calls distracted pedestrians the scourge of those who ride.
Seriously? After an Australian woman was assaulted by three men while riding her bike home from work, police tell her she shouldn’t be riding at that time of night.
Finally…
When you already have an outstanding warrant, probably not the best idea to carry a replica rifle on your handlebars. There are probably better place to ride your bike than the middle of a busy freeway.
And yes, experts recommend having a flasher on your bike; no, this is not what they had in mind.
