Tag Archive for bicycling injuries

Another bike rider critically injured on PCH in Orange County, and Caltrans proposes bike lanes on PCH in Long Beach

October 29, 2025 / / No comments
Day 302 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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At least the driver stuck around this time.

City News Service is reporting that yet another person was critically injured riding a bicycle on PCH in Orange County Tuesday morning.

The crash occurred around 8:30 am yesterday on northbound PCH near Fernleaf Ave in Newport Beach. Unfortunately, there’s no word on the identity or current condition of the victim, or how the crash occurred.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

This comes just eight days after an allegedly stoned driver killed a popular pastor on PCH in Huntington Beach, and seriously injured two other people riding bikes with him.

Let’s hope the victim recovers quickly.

Photo by Artyom Kulakov from Pexels.

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SoCal’s killer highway may finally be getting a little safer.

At least in Long Beach.

Caltrans is proposing a lane reduction on PCH, from the city’s traffic circle to the Los Angeles River, reducing it from the current seven lanes to five, while installing protected bike lanes.

There are two designs on the table to improve safety on the city’s most dangerous roadway.

A public workshop will be held this evening to discuss the options. There is also an online survey for the next month, or you can email 99335@publicinput.com. Or the chronically offline can call 855/925-2801, Project Code: 11835.

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Lime is offering free ebike and e-scooter rides to the polls for Election Day next Tuesday, matching Metro’s free Election Day rides.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

A New York funeral home is calling on the city to rip out new protected bike lanes it says interferes with their hearses, in an apparent attempt to drum up new business.

No bias here. An English council supplied a newspaper with a quote saying bicyclists were disrupting funerals and riding through mourners to save 30 seconds using an unofficial shortcut, even though the initial press release simply said the cut-through was being used by bicyclists, pedestrians and scooter riders.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

A 50-year old British man pled guilty to manslaughter for killing 91-year old man in a crash while riding an ebike on the sidewalk, as the man was putting out his garbage cans. Although once again, there’s no word on whether he was on a ped-assist bike, or an electric motorbike. 

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Local 

The Culver City council approved a proposal to move forward with research and design work for new bike lanes on Sepulveda Blvd, despite one councilmember arguing for saving parking since he owns a market on the corridor; the city hopes to finish the work before the 2028 Olympics.

Nearly 900 people turned out for the 8th annual Halloween-themed Finish the Ride and Finish the Run in Santa Clarita over the weekend.

Harrison Ford may be 83, but he still looks like he could drop most of us, as he rides on the beach bike path. Okay, maybe just me, but still. 

 

State

San Francisco Streetsblog examines new first & last mile bicycle connections for a North Berkeley transit station, calling it great bike infrastructure that needs more concrete.

The new shuttle service that replaced the bike lane on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge on weekdays began operations on Monday, with riders loading their bicycles into a cheap-ass open air industrial trailer before climbing into a van to get to the other side; operators expect to carry just a few people and bikes at a time. Proving once again that making bicycling exceptionally inconvenient somehow reduces ridership.

 

National

No surprise here, as People For Bikes says a study of 500 cities shows that more people buy bicycles in areas with safe and accessible places to ride. But they also want to know why people aren’t buying more bikes if they’re riding more.

Bloomberg City Lab says US companies are refurbishing secondhand ebikes in an effort to create a market for used ebikes and lower the barriers to ebike ownership.

A Las Vegas TV station says police are investigating e-scooter and ebike deaths, citing a rise in fatality rates with four and two, respectively. Even though they only started tracking them this year, and have no idea how many people were killed on them in any previous year.

Chicago bike riders are combating ICE raids by riding around the city buying out tamale stands so the workers can go home, then distributing the food to people in need.

A 25-year old New York man was killed when he was doored by a driver while riding a bikeshare bike — yet the driver hasn’t been charged due to an “ongoing investigation,” despite a state law requiring motor vehicle occupants to only open their doors when it’s safe to do so. We have the same law here in California, which should mean drivers are automatically at fault in virtually any dooring, but too often doesn’t.

In yet another example of authorities keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it’s too late, a 19-year old man pled guilty to killing a popular New Orleans bartender, by slamming into his bike without braking, then fleeing without stopping or slowing down — and still had a .7 BAC and coke in his system when he was finally tested 12 hours later; a TV station later found multiple alleged reckless driving crashes on his record, including allegedly crashing his car while doing 100 mph with a car full of teens.

 

International

What took so long? Look has finally introduced the first mass-produced clipless pedals with built-in lights that are visible up to 1 kilometer away, or slightly less than 2/3 of a mile.

To the shock of absolutely no one, a new London study finds near misses of bicyclists happen most often at rush hour and on streets without safe infrastructure. Because that’s when streets are busiest, and where they’re most dangerous.

Multi-modal bike commuters are afraid to lockup their bikes at a South London train station, in a neighborhood — excuse me, neighbourhood — termed a “hotbed of thieves.” Which makes sense, since the cops said they won’t investigate if people leave their bikes parked at a train station more than two hours.

Eleven British bicyclists have now been attacked by axe-wielding, mo-ped riding bike thieves.

Two-thirds of the bike lanes in Thessaloniki, Greece are considered high or very high risk due to a lack of protective barriers.

In a bizarre case, a Kenyan cop was fatally electrocuted while using the department’s electric car wash machine to clean his personal bicycle.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you ride over 3,500 miles a year, and still fall off your bike at red lights. Or when you end up in the hospital after going over your handlebars — but your lipstick is still perfect.

And repurposing one bicycling meme to reference another.

Thanks to Taco the Cat for the heads-up. 

— Kevin (@kevinsteinley.bsky.social) 2025-10-26T16:53:32.327Z

 

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

86-year old San Diego bike rider critically injured, La Quinta hit-and-run driver injures 2 teens, and check your bone health

October 20, 2025 / / No comments
Day 293 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Bad news from San Diego’s Barrio Logan, where an 86-year old man suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a driver while riding his bike.

The victim reportedly suffered multiple broken bones, as well as a blood clot around the brain.

Anyone with information is urged to call the San Diego Police Department’s Traffic Division, or Crime Stoppers at 888/580-8477.

Let’s hope he makes a full and fast recovery. 

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A driver faces multiple felony charges after he was arrested for the hit-and-run crash that left two teenage bike riders with serious injuries in La Quinta.

One of the boys, 14-year old Liam Cantu, remains in critical condition after life-saving brain surgery.

Unfortunately, I can’t get the page to load; hopefully it’s just a weekend server problem and the links will work when you try them. 

And let’s hope for a full and fast recovery for this kid, too. 

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Good advice.

A longtime competitive cyclist in San Diego warns that bicyclists are prone to osteoporosis, which can lead to hip fractures and other broken bones.

Point Loma’s Greg Bowerman adds that “good bone health demands solid weight-bearing activity, such as pumping weights or practicing yoga” to prevent fractures as we age.

I’m dealing with the same problem myself after a lifetime of riding, on top of all my other health issues brought on by diabetes, despite weight training. Although I’ve been lucky that I haven’t broken anything yet.

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Streets For All is hosting the hosts of the popular War on Cars podcast as they promote their new book next month.

Streets For All is excited to host The War on Cars podcast’s Sarah Goodyear & Doug Gordon as they celebrate the publication of their new book, Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile.

Speakers include Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez (District 13), Alissa Walker (Torched.la), Bill Wolkoff (co-executive producer, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), with more to be announced!

When: Monday, November 17th at 7:30pm
Where: Dynasty Typewriter, 2511 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Lots of transit options!

Optional VIP reception begins at 6pm (free if you are part of our Members Club with the purchase of a general admission ticket).

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Local 

LA’s Critical Mass, described as “the nation’s largest and longest-running community bicycle ride,” will ride to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles on Halloween night, bringing “costumed joy and solidarity” to young patients and their families.

The state approved $700 million in funding to repair and refurbish the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the Port of Los Angeles. Although it doesn’t say whether the work will include bicycle access, which is currently banned on the 60-year old bridge.

A Santa Clarita man says he feels like a broken record after repeated complaints about kids on ebikes. Although as we’ve repeatedly pointed out, the problems stem primarily from teens on electric dirt bikes and motorbikes, many of them illegal, rather than ped-assist ebikes. But almost no one seems to make that distinction. 

 

State

A La Jolla paper examines the roots of ebikes, which it says are “loved by riders and loathed by many who share the streets with them.” Although you may have to get past the paper’s paywall to read it. 

Sad news from Palo Alto, where a man in his 80s died over a week after he was struck by a driver in his 90s while riding his bicycle. Once again raising the question of how old is too old to drive safety. And like the man in Barrio Logan, anyone still riding a bike at that age deserves better. 

 

National

NPR examines why more parents are riding ebikes, and skipping the minivan.

Vox takes a look at the traffic revolution that’s making cities cleaner — and happier — as more cities are finally choosing bikes over cars. Unlike, say, a certain SoCal megalopolis we could name. And once again, you may have to find a way around their paywall. 

Nice. Lime rolled out a mobile bike bodega stocked with free snacks, everyday essentials and Lime merchandise that Denver riders could pick up throughout the day.

Denver business owners complain about bullying after they opposed bikeways in front of their stores, including doxxing, negative Yelp reviews and harassing phone calls. Seriously, don’t do that. We’re far better off in the long run winning the day with better arguments, not harassment.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that more than 87% of people who received one of the state’s ebike rebates ended up buying one. And many people who didn’t get one bought an ebike anyway.

They get it. A pair of Ohio teenagers are fighting for more bikeways and safer streets after a 13-year old boy was killed riding his bike, describing “too many close calls” riding their own bikes.

A volunteer group in Burlington, Vermont has recovered nearly 900 stolen bicycles in just three years.

 

International

A writer for Cycling Weekly finds herself surprisingly transformed after years as a solo rider when she joins the magazine’s lunchtime group ride.

An Anglican bishop in the UK raised funds for churches in South Africa by riding his bike 80 miles across his diocese.

A former English pastor was remembered as a “keen cyclist” known for riding around town delivering a basket full of food he had grown or cooked to local families, after he passed away at 90. Which is about as nice an epitaph as anyone could hope for. 

A man in the UK will spend the next 22 months behind bars for brandishing a knife during an argument to get his stolen bicycle back.

Adding tragedy to tragedy, a man sentenced to eight months behind bars for killing a woman riding a bicycle took his own life in a British prison as he awaited deportation to Poland, after guards didn’t bother to check on his welfare for the last six months.

This is what happens when you prioritize cars over people on the streets. A new report shows car traffic in the city center of Galway, Ireland, is up 6%, while bicycling is down an equal amount, and walking is down 22%. But at least transit use is up, too.

Velo looks at “the coolest bikes around” from across the world at this year’s Bespoked Show Dresden.

 

Competitive Cycling

A writer for the BBC learns the hard way what happens when you ride against Tadej Pogačar, even with a head start.

Despite his name, British rider Paul Double soloed to victory on the fifth stage of China’s Tour of Guangxi, taking his first WorldTour win at the ripe old age of 29.

After seven full months of racing, New Zealand’s Cam Jones and Argentine Sofía Gómez Villafañe captured the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix, following the rain and tornado shortened Big Sugar Gravel race.

Velo says pro cycling’s soccer-inspired relegation system is just a hot mess that solves nothing, as the richest teams keep winning and the smaller teams pay the price. Although one thing that might help is limiting the size of pro rosters or capping payrolls, so they have to spread the talent around a little.

 

Finally…

Your next e-foldie could come with a half-kilo of high-grade caviar. That feeling when bike crashes return with the fashions.

And now the feds are even shelling the CHP.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,

WeHo Council considers Fountain Ave on Monday, 19-year old man critically injured in Orange, and swrve rises from the dead

September 11, 2025 / / One comment
Day 254 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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WeHo Times offers a reminder that plans to remake Fountain Ave will come before the West Hollywood City Council at 6 pm Monday.

Correction: I originally said the meeting was on Tuesday, rather than Monday. I’m not sure where I got the wrong date, but I take full ownership of the fuckup, and not checking the meeting agenda to get it right.

The project is designed to slow traffic on the deadly corridor by removing one lane in each direction, widening sidewalks and installing curb-protected bike lanes.

Although it comes too late for Blake Ackerman, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver at Fountain and Gardner while riding his bike home from work, and far too many others.

Local residents and pass-through drivers have been fighting this project, and will undoubtedly turn out in force to object to it because it will remove curbside parking on the street, and eliminate what for decades has been a faster alternative to busier boulevards nearby.

Which means we have to respond in kind to demand better safety and a more livable street for everyone.

The paper reports residents who can’t attend the meeting in person can watch live on WeHoTV via Spectrum Channel 10 or YouTube; although I’m not sure if that works for non-residents, as well.

However, public comments can submitted online from September 10th to the 15th.

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Bad news from Orange, where a 19-year old man suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a driver while riding an ebike on Tuesday morning.

The crash occurred at Lewis Street and El Prado Ave; the driver remained at the scene, and police don’t suspect they were under the influence.

The story notes that the victim wasn’t wearing a helmet, which is not required for anyone over 18, and only matters if he suffered a serious head injury, which isn’t mentioned in the article.

Let’s just hope and pray he makes a full and fast recovery.

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Just in time for Halloween, iconic Los Angeles-based bikewear brand swrve is rising from the dead, reopening under new ownership nearly a year after the company, which invented the first bicycling-specific jeans, shut down operations.

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Santa Monica Spoke reports more curb protected bike lanes are going in on Stewart Street.

And doing it quickly, unlike a certain nearby megalopolis we could mention.

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Oceanside bike lawyer and BikinginLA sponsor Richard Duquette forwards an article about the difficulty of demonstrating brain injuries, and how he worked with legal graphics firm Focus Graphcs to work up illustrations that helped result in a six-figure settlement for a triathlete on the eve of trial.

They’d sure as hell convince me. And evidently, had the same effect on the driver’s insurance company.

Illustrations by Focus Graphics

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We’ve often mentioned that the East Side Riders are far more than just a bike club.

The nonprofit group operates a Watts bicycle co-op, host weekly bike rides, provide a safe, gang-free hangout for local kids, and works as community organizers to help strengthen the community and feed and clothe those in need.

Now they’ve made it even easier for you to throw a few bucks their way. Money that will do more good than most things you could do with it.

So what are you waiting for?

“The happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

You’ve got to be kidding. A Bend, Oregon driver is somehow considering claiming self-defense after getting out of his work truck, and walking back to assault a 16-year old kid — a boy with a cumulative 4.326 grade point average, no less — for the crime of riding two abreast with a friend, which is legal in the state, leaving the kid with $11,000 in medical bills and over $3,700 in damage to his bike; the attack ended after the driver’s young daughter yelled from the truck “Daddy, stop. Don’t do it.” LAPD officers have told me that in California, drivers are considered to have committed assault the moment they get out of their cars to confront someone. 

No bias here. A London magazine says the bicyclist may be a “kindly spirit in the countryside,” but in in the city, “this peaceable phantom has become a bloodthirsty wraith, terrorizing unsuspecting pedestrians, and refusing to follow the laws of man or motorcar.” Just wait until someone tells him about cars, and the careless and aggressively bloodthirsty people who drive them.

An Aussie hit-and-run driver denied deliberately injuring a bike rider, even though dashcam video from a trailing car showed her braking until the victim passed her, then turning her car to crash into him — something her lawyer said was somehow proof she tried to avoid him; meanwhile, she’s awaiting sentencing for intentionally injuring someone else.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Sad news from Massachusetts, where a 64-year old man died over a month after he was struck by a rider on a ped-assist ebike in Boston’s Copley Square.

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Local 

Streets For All reminds you to take LADOT’s survey about the new concrete “Toronto barriers” installed on a trial basis on 3rd Street in DTLA.

The LA County Sheriff’s Department is conducting another bicycle and pedestrian safety operation from 5 am to 3 pm on Friday; a press release says they’re focusing on dangerous driver behavior, however, they are legally obligated to enforce the law equally whether you’re on foot, on a bike or in a car. So once again, ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limits. Thanks to David for the heads-up. 

Police in Hermosa Beach used a drone to find a bike theft suspect accused of stealing a bicycle outside a cafe. Thanks to Jim for the link.

 

State

State Senator Scot Wiener’s SB 71 passed both houses of the legislature with just one no vote and moves on to the governor’s desk for his signature; the bill extends provisions of a 2020 bill to streamline the CEQA permitting process for public transit, and bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects to 2040.

Calbike talks with a representative of Upway about what the California Ebike Incentive program got right, and what it got wrong. Although they could have spoken with at least a couple local bike shops participating in the program. Or even a few who didn’t, and ask them what it got wrong. Thanks to Ellectrek for the article. 

Over 200 people are riding 525 miles down the coast of California from San Francisco to Los Angeles for the 25th Arthritis Foundation’s California Coast Classic Bike Tour.

A writer for San Diego’s KPBS considers whether ebikes can make kids more mobile and still keep them safe, and whether the streets are ready for them. Although a lot depends on whether they’re using ped-assist bicycles, or non-street legal electric dirt bikes. 

For once, justice delayed is not justice denied, as a 28-year old San Francisco man was sentenced to 15 years to life for the hit-and-run death of a woman riding a bicycle, with nine years — yes, 9 years — credited for time served as he awaited trial for the 2016 crash; he reportedly brought both sides of the courtroom to tears by taking responsibility for taking the victim’s life.

San Francisco looks at what comes next after the city’s failed Vision Zero program.

 

National

Bicycling lists 12 mistakes to avoid when shopping for a used bike. But you’ll have to subscribe to read it, since it’s only available to people who pay, and it doesn’t seem to be available anywhere else. 

Good Morning America recommends the “best” bikes for every member of the family. None of which actually are, of course, even if some aren’t bad. 

For the thousandth time, no, bicycling does not affect fertility for most men.

Oops. Hawaii’s governor vetoed a bill intended to rein in high-speed electric bikes, after concluding that its prohibition against “high-speed electric devices” could apply to electric motor vehicles, as well.

As many as 2,000 people who participated in, or attended, an Utah high school bike race may have been exposed to measles, and at least four have contracted the disease. Which seems like a good time to mention that vaccination offers near full protection from the disease, which was nearly eradicated until the anti-vax movement took hold. 

A Denver TV station examines why local bike shops won’t service bicycles purchased online, with shops citing safety, parts and liability.

Chicago bike riders are making like Paul Revere to warn the public about ICE agents and inform immigrants of their legal rights.

Boston bicyclists say new speed bumps installed in a local state park are increasing danger on the roadway, rather than lessening it, as unsuspecting bike riders risk getting knocked cold. Apparently, Massachusetts has never heard of cutting channels into speed bumps to give people on bicycles a safe path to ride through, while still slowing motor vehicles.

Where to stay when you’re in need of dog, beer and bike friendly lodgings in Delaware.

A Philadelphia public radio station examines whether the city is still safe for traditional bicyclists and pedestrians, and what can be done to make it safer.

 

International

Life is cheap in London, where a distracted truck driver walked without a day behind bars for killing a woman on a bicycle, after the judge ruled that the victim had contributed to her own death by attempting to pass the truck on the inside — even though the driver forgot to check his mirror because he was distracted by his truck’s center console and was on a hands-free call.

London bikeshare use is spiking as commuters turn to rental ebikes to cope with a subway strike, although the weather isn’t exactly cooperating and some riders say it’s turning bike lanes into mosh pits on wheels.

A writer for The Spectator takes the contrary view to the common complaints against bikeshare ebikes, calling them “unquestionably, the best thing that has happened to London in my lifetime;” and adding that if you think they’re dangerous, cars are worse.

Here’s a warning from an English nurse and father of three, who thought his persistent back pain was due to bicycling, until he finally saw a doctor and discovered he was suffering from stage 4 prostate cancer.

Two 26-year old men rode their bikes over 4,500 miles from their home in Ireland to Singapore, to help one of them cope with the death of his father from a brain tumor; not only were they inexperienced, but one of the men didn’t even own a bike before they set off.

 

Competitive Cycling

Once again, Tuesday’s stage 16 of the Vuelta was shortened when pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the race with 3 km, or 1.8 miles, to go; Spain will take “extraordinary measures” to prevent further protest disruptions on the final two stages in the Madrid region.

Wednesday’s stage 17 went off without disruptions, as Jonas Vingegaard maintained a 50-second lead over second place João Almeida.

Dutch cyclist Puck Pieterse says bike racing may be serious business, but you can still have fun, as Cycling Weekly calls her the sport’s “most exciting multi-discipline talent.”

 

Finally…

Your next non-folding e-foldie could fold anyway. The Mounties always get their man — even if he’s just riding without a helmet.

And nothing like riding the length of the UK on a homemade wooden bike as a protest “against a world made of plastic and steel.”

And yes, that includes DIY wooden wheels.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ventura woman carrying bike loses arm in train collision, and alleged red light-running Escondido bike rider injured in crash

July 8, 2025 / / Comments Off on Ventura woman carrying bike loses arm in train collision, and alleged red light-running Escondido bike rider injured in crash
Day 189 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Bad news from Ventura, where a 24-year old woman lost an arm when she was struck by a train.

The victim was reportedly carrying her bike in one arm as she crossed the railroad tracks near Seward Ave when her bicycle somehow got caught in the tracks, and was struck by a southbound Amtrak train as she was still holding it.

Her arm was located near the crash site, and was taken with her to the hospital; however, there’s no word on whether doctors were able to reattach it.

Anyone is urged to call the Ventura Police Department at 805/650-8010.

This is yet another tragic reminder to never attempt to cross railroad tracks when a train it approaching, or once a crossing gate closes and the warning lights start flashing.

Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels. 

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More bad news, this time from Escondido, where someone riding a bicycle suffered “significant injuries” when they were struck by a driver.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was reportedly riding against a red light while crossing North Centre City Parkway at Mission Ave Friday evening.

And yes, the driver stuck around afterwards this time.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. A San Diego letter writer calls on police to ticket lawbreaking bicyclists who ride through stop signs and red lights, while complaining about bicyclists riding two and three abreast in the traffic lane on the coast highway. Yet somehow fails to also call for ticketing all the speeding and/or distracted drivers who pose a far greater danger to the public.

An Irish city counselor who claims he was a “keen cyclist” before a recent injury now opposes a planned bike lane, claiming his opposition is evidence based, and he will defend it even if “cycling zealots bombard” him with emails. Proving once again that it’s always the ones who claim to be cyclists that you have to worry about. 

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Local 

People for Mobility Justice will host a a solidarity ride in East LA this Saturday in “response to the ongoing attacks on immigrants and communities of color.”

Culver City will host a community input meeting for the Better Overland project this evening, which includes plans for protected bike lanes on the dangerous street.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is planning another bicycle and pedestrian safety operation in West Hollywood this Thursday. The standard protocol applies, ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limit line, so you’re not the one who gets ticketed. Thanks to David for the heads-up. 

 

State

Calbike is calling for more people to join the 1,256 people who have already written to support AB 954, the Bike Highways Bill currently before the state Senate.

I want to be like him when I grow up. Eighty-two-year old Bonita resident Jacobo Melcer is planning to attempt a new age group hour record, aiming to ride 32 kilometers — 19.88 miles — in 60 minutes at the San Diego Velodrome in Balboa Park.

San Francisco Streetsblog celebrates the completion of the first segment of a sidewalk-level bike lane on a one-block section Market Street, in an attempt to tame the previously car-choked street.

 

National

Calbike shares a guest post from the National Youth Bike Council recounting the recent three-day Youth Bike Summit.

A Portland, Oregon TV station examines why the city dropped in the recent City Rankings from People For Bikes.

A Las Vegas man faces a murder charge for fatally shooting a 27-year old man in a dispute over a stolen bicycle; he was just released from prison in 2023 after serving a year behind bars for another alleged attempted murder, after pleading to a reduced charge for participating a double shooting.

In a poignant moment after the recent flash floods that have killed over 100 people, a Texas police chief spots a little boy’s bicycle atop a pile of rubble, and hopes that whoever it belonged to is safe now. Amen.

A Milwaukee man who spent his honeymoon riding around Ireland with his wife now questions whether he will ever ride a bike again after surviving a hit-and-run in his home city.

A Chicago area hit-and-run turned doubly tragic when the suspected driver was found dead in his home on the 4th of July, two days after the crash that killed a 15-year old boy as he rode his bike with a friend.

A suspect was arrested in an Orlando, Florida hit-and-run where a 43-year old man riding a bicycle was killed, and the truck set on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy the evidence.

 

International

A Nova Scotia woman wants answers about her father’s death days after hitting a culvert on his bicycle while possibly being chased by a pack of dogs; he managed to walk home, but no one realized how badly he was injured until hours later. A tragic reminder to always get checked out by a doctor after any hard crash, especially if you hit your head. And keep your damn dogs under control and on your property. 

Once again, a bike rider is a hero, this time for loaning his bicycle to a Yorkshire, England cop chasing an attempted murder suspect, who was quickly caught and taken into custody.

A 16-year old English girl set a new 24-hour record by biking 294.3 miles in 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds,

A pair of British men are attempting to set new records for the first father and son to ride around the world, and the longest distance ever ridden by a father and son.

 

Competitive Cycling

Belgian cyclist Tim Merlier won a crash-filled third stage of the Tour de France yesterday, beating Jonathan Milan and Phil Bauhaus in a photo finish as they lunged for the line, while Mathieu Van der Poel held onto the yellow jersey.

Sprinter Jasper Philipsen is out of the Tour after breaking his collarbone when he hit the pavement after several riders bounced off one another during the intermediate sprint on Monday’s third stage.

Sports Bible remembers former British world champ Tom Simpson, who died climbing Mount Ventoux after dosing himself with amphetamines in the 1967 Tour de France.

Conservative media sources are up in arms after a veteran women’s cyclist refused to share the podium with a trans woman who took gold at the Lyons Masters National Championships in Wisconsin last week.

An HBCU sport site celebrates the success of the Bowie State University Cycling Club, which went from a brand-new team to finishing in the top 10 of the Atlantic Conference of USA Cycling.

 

Finally…

That feeling when Marshmallow is protecting your new bike, after the local cops replaced the last one. Or when you and your uncle ride cross-country in opposite directions eight years apart to honor the same woman.

And 20 comic reasons to love bicycling.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Passive aggressive Paris bikelash screed, cops blame San Diego ebike victim, and four years for Magnus White killer

June 16, 2025 / / Comments Off on Passive aggressive Paris bikelash screed, cops blame San Diego ebike victim, and four years for Magnus White killer
Day 167 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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No bias here.

London’s Sunday Times has apparently dropped its paywall once again so more people can read a passive aggressive post on the reputed Parisian bikelash.

Where, by their telling, people on bicycles in Paris are entitled hipsters who endanger old people, while the humble bicycle itself is seen as “a symbol of aggression, every-man-for-himself and urban chaos.”

Of course it is.

And of course, it’s all part of the proverbial war on cars.

But it is the behaviour of the cyclists themselves and their apparent disdain for the code de la route that appears to be provoking many Parisians.

Many drivers, already resentful at losing precious road space to dedicated cycle lanes, dismiss those on two wheels as bobos, a catch-all term for privileged hipsters. Matters have been worsened by the proliferation of delivery riders, usually under time pressure and often astride heavy electric machines that can go at 30 mph or more.

Never mind that the European Union limits ebikes to just 15.5 mph.

Then there’s this.

Nine out of ten cyclists (88 per cent) admitted to having broken traffic rules in a survey in Paris and nine other French cities last October. Some 75 per cent confessed to riding on pavements, 55 per cent to turning without signalling and the same number to running red lights.

Young riders appeared the most reckless: three quarters said they did not wear helmets or reflective clothing, and a quarter admitted pedalling without lights.

Because as everyone knows, French drivers are the most courteous, respectful and law-abiding motorists on the Continent.

Right?

But at least they get this part right.

But is an unequal battle: cars and other motor vehicles were responsible for the overwhelming majority of the 451 pedestrians and 222 cyclists killed in France last year, according to provisional official figures from the French Road Safety Observatory.

By contrast, three pedestrians were killed by bicycles and six by electric scooters. Though tiny in comparison, this was higher than in previous years.

Although maybe the fact that bicycle and e-scooter ridership has boomed in Paris since the mayor began reconstructing the streets to build a bike and pedestrian friendly 15-minute city.

So an increase in injuries and fatalities is to be expected — especially when electric motorbikes continue to be misidentified as bicycles.

But maybe, with traditional British disdain for their Gallic neighbors, the problem isn’t the bicycles.

It’s that the riders on them are, yes, French.

Perhaps, though, it is not the town planning that is the main problem.

Chantal from Nancy said that the cyclists were just as bad in her home city. “They’re all French,” she said. “The French mentality is that even if something is banned, you still do it and it doesn’t matter.”

Then again, it always helps when you get find someone from France to complain about the French.

Kind of like a self-identified cyclist complaining about bicyclists.

Photo from Pexels. 

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San Diego police were quick to blame the victim after a 54-year old woman suffered serious injuries in a collision while riding an ebike early Saturday afternoon.

Investigators said she left a bike lane too soon while on northbound on Fairmount Ave, where it merges with Montezuma Road, and hit the side mirror of a car in the next lane.

Although another way to look at it is the driver was likely passing closer than the three-foot distance required to pass a bike rider under California law, or they probably wouldn’t have made contact.

Chances are, blame could also be placed on a poorly designed roadway that required her to leave the bike lane in the first place.

Maybe someone from San Diego could tell us more. But at first glance, this one doesn’t seem to pass the smell test.

………

There’s justice, finally, for Magnus White.

The 24-year old Ukrainian immigrant who killed the 17-year old rising US Cycling Team member on a Colorado roadway after drinking and staying up all night was sentenced to four years in state prison, after she was convicted of felony vehicular homicide – reckless driving.

Yeva Smilianska will be required to spend at least three years of that sentence behind bars.

She could have been sentenced to anywhere from two to six years — or could have walked with probation.

………

There’s a new bike path steering bicyclists around the tennis courts at Griffith Park.

………

Who needs a tour bus when you’ve got a bicycle?

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

Embattled New York Mayor Eric Adams panders to Brooklyn voters by vowing to remove three blocks of a protected bike lane after local residents raised safety concerns. Although he may find there are more bike lane supporters than critics in the city.

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Local 

Today is the last day to submit comments on the Draft PCH Master Plan Feasibility Study to improve safety on SoCal’s killer highway.

 

State

A writer for the San Francisco Standard reports on what it was like to be a 44-year old, chubby trans woman taking part in the final AIDS/LifeCycle ride, although organizers announced they will hold two three-day rides next year.

 

National

People For Bikes says the 16-year old federal Bicycle Commuter Benefit is on the chopping block, as House Republicans voted to eliminate the meagre $20 a month tax rebate meant to encourage bike commuting.

Five Colorado bicyclists were injured, and three hospitalized, when they crashed while riding in a group of 12 riders outside of Sterling in the northeastern part of the state on Saturday; the good news is there was no car or driver involved.

 

International

Momentum writes in praise of spandex-free slow bicycling.

Tom’s Guide explains six essential checks to get your bike ready for the summer. They pretty much get it right, although most of us here in SoCal probably started months ago — if we ever stopped.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura shared photos of his visit to Havana, playing basketball with local kids and riding in one of Cuba’s bicitaxis, aka pedicabs.

A CBC reporter explains that Toronto’s bikeshare system has become a victim of its own success, and is looking to New York’s Citi Bike for solutions to meet its high demand.

People in Montreal and Quebec City are being discouraged from riding their bicycles by garbage bins, semis, cars and other obstacles on bike paths. In other words, kind of like pretty much everywhere else. 

Britain’s Aston Martin teamed with titanium hand-built bikemaker J.Laverackit to create “the most bespoke, advanced and meticulously engineered road bicycle ever made,” employing state-of-the-art design processes and manufacturing techniques more commonly found on Formula 1 cars.

Smithsonian examines how Sweden’s 60-year old Vätternrundan became the biggest recreational ride on the planet, offering 196 miles around the country’s Lake Vättern.

A writer for Travel + Leisure recommends a luxury bicycle tour as the best way to see Romania’s medieval villages, castles and vineyards, as well as the ghosts of its communist past.

That’s more like it. After a Singaporean man was killed in a collision after falling off his bicycle, Malaysian officials took responsibility for the poor condition of the roadway, blaming “crocodile cracking” caused by heavy vehicles, and ordered immediate road repairs.

 

Competitive Cycling

No surprise here. Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar dominated the Critérium du Dauphiné, winning nine of the 21 stages — including the Queen stage — even as rival Jonas Vingegaard put up a fight.

Ouch. Legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx chats with his old rival Roger De Vlaeminck, as the two men trash the current generation of riders, arguing that they don’t race often enough or hard enough, and get dropped too easily.

A 50-year old Iowa math teacher is tacking the 2,745-mile, Canada to Mexico Tour Divide for the second time.

French cyclist Romain Bardet called it a career after 14 years, including two podium finishes in the Tour de France, as the pro peloton showed its respect.

https://twitter.com/picnicpostnl/status/1934303154063171852

 

Finally…

If you’re going to preach the gospel, it might as well be from a bicycle on a cross-country ride. Who needs a touring bike to ride across the country when you’ve got a BMX?

And when life gives you an attempted murder charge, just go for a bike ride.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

It was World Bicycle Day — but not in LA, OC Bike Coalition says no to Class IV bike lanes, and Metro rides Rail-To-Rail

June 4, 2025 / / 2 comments
Day 155 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

Happy International Corgi Day to all who celebrate.

And seriously, why wouldn’t you?

Photo from 6th Street Bridge during 2023 Heart of LA CicLAvia.

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Yesterday was World Bicycle Day.

Or as it was known here in Los Angeles, Tuesday.

Just one more example of the city not treating us as second-class citizens, because they don’t even give us a passing thought.

Case in point, last month’s Bike to Work Day, which Los Angeles officials observed by ignoring it. And us.

Meanwhile, Zag Daily says it’s a pivotal time for bicycling, which is why World Bicycle Day matters.

Think Global Health says regular bicycling is good for physical, mental and yes, planetary health, but more sustainable urban planning is needed.

An Indian writer penned an ode to the humble bicycle.

In a purely performative move, New York renamed a bicycle tunnel as the “World Bicycle Day Bike Underpass” for one whole day. But at least that was better than LA did. 

The Coachella Valley marked World Bicycle Day by reminding drivers to use caution around people on bicycles.

Then there was this —

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The Orange County Bike Coalition has come out against Class IV protected bike lanes, calling out the “known hazards (they) cause to the riders that use them.”

Like other bicyclists we’ve heard from in San Diego, the OCBC expressed concerns about riders risking injuries by colliding with the raised barriers separating them from traffic.

Although it’s hard to reconcile anecdotal reports of hazards with studies showing they dramatically increase ridership and improve safety for everyone using the roadway.

Let’s hope that’s something researchers will take a look at.

And find a way to both protect riders from drivers, and from the bike lanes themselves.

………

Metro is hosting a relaxed, family friendly ride to explore the newly opened segment of the Rail to Rail Active Transportation Corridor in South LA this Sunday.

The three-mile round-trip ride even includes a scheduled snack stop at Granny’s Kitchen Southern Style Soul Food along the way.

Although maybe someone should tell KTLA-5 that it helps to mention what day the ride is in their news reports. 

………

Who needs new tires when you’ve got duct tape?

Duct tape fixes everything
byu/Visible-Grass-8805 inJustridingalong

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

Streetsblog takes a look at that off-the-rails Kern County Grand Jury report that criticized spending on Bakersfield bike lanes, concluding, in effect, that it’s too hot and smoggy to ride a bicycle in the summer, so everyone should just stay in their cars.

Sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

When you’re carrying meth and magic mushrooms, and trying to hide an $1,100 bike behind a bush outside Cheyenne, Wyoming, make sure it’s yours — and doesn’t have an AirTag on it.

Police in Northern Ireland are investigating after a viral video captured an adult riding a bicycle with a child draped over their back, and narrowly avoiding a collision.

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Local 

Los Angeles is narrowing the sidewalk on a 500-foot stretch of Balboa Blvd to make room for more cars — specifically left turn lanes — in a process Streetsblog’s Joe Linton describes as “harmful to city budgets, pedestrians, cyclists, climate, air quality, historic preservation, etc.” After all, who needs sidewalks anyway, right?

Metro’s Adopt-A-bike program is bringing mobility to families impacted by the January firestorms by providing them with free donated bicycles.

Culver City Crossroads offers more information on the CC city council’s unanimous support for extending the Ballona Creek Bike Path.

Santa Monica continues to improve the former quick-build MANGo greenway, and plans to build another on Washington Ave.

 

State

MSN reposted the San Diego Union-Tribune article we linked to yesterday about the California Ebike Incentive Program’s apparently successful third attempt at managing the 128,000 people who attempted to apply for a voucher last week, for everyone who couldn’t see it, like me. And I was even quoted in it.

The AIDS/LifeCycle ride passes through Monterey County on its way to the Central Coast for the last time, with 2,500 people taking part in the final tour.

Palo Alto councilmembers are pushing back against the city’s new bike plan, which calls for bike lanes on major traffic corridors.

This is the cost of traffic violence. Sad news from Stanford, where the president of the campus Democrats was killed when he was struck by a driver while riding an ebike on campus — raising the question of why a university campus even allows drivers to go fast enough to kill someone.

 

National

Sorry not sorry. A writer for Bicycling makes a concerted effort to stop apologizing for the “otherwise self-assured” way she rides. But maybe they should be apologizing for reposting the same damn story that originally appeared in 2017. 

This is the cost of traffic violence, part two. An off-duty Harris County, Texas police sergeant riding a bicycle was killed by a 63-year old man driving a U-Haul truck, in an allegedly drunken hit-and-run.

A Michigan man is building prosthetic limbs from readily available bicycle parts in an effort to help the nine out of ten people worldwide who don’t have access to artificial limbs.

A new campaign ad targets Boston Mayor Michelle Wu over her support for bike lanes, even after she ripped out the protective barriers.

 

International

A European website says bicycle tourism is changing how we see and spend on the continent.

Cyclist recommends the best road bikes — as long as you have a somewhere between the equivalent of $6,700 to $17,300 to spend.

Apparently, crappy bikes aren’t allowed to have great brakes worth more than the bike itself.

A writer for Cycling Weekly says bicyclists have a right to be angry about infrastructure, but it’s not worth fueling a culture war by haranguing people online. I’ve learned through long and painful experience that it’s just not worth engaging with the haters on social media, because it’s an argument no one ever wins.

In what may be the understatement of the year, the owner of Germany’s Canyon Bikes says “it was another challenging year,” after losing the equivalent of more than $43 million last year.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cycling Weekly says Simon Yates proved he’s one of Britain’s best-ever cyclists by winning the Giro, after riding “undercover” until the final weekend.

Mexican media continues to celebrate the success of Isaac del Toro’s second place finish in the Giro, calling it the best ever performance by a cyclist from the country. And marking the 21-year old as someone to watch going forward.

British cycling legend Sir Mark Cavendish will be honored by renaming a raceway in his honor on my ancestral home, where my great-great-great-great grandfather helped bankrupt the local bank.

LA28 announced venues for an accessible 2028 Paralympic Games, with most of the events located in Downtown LA and Exposition Park. Although it’s questionable how competitors and spectators will get to the games when the city isn’t building the bus and bike lanes they promised to make them car free.

 

Finally…

Your new wheels could pay homage to Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstrat guitar. It’s about damn time a bicycle was portrayed as an upscale, laidback status symbol on TV.

And that feeling when you have to bunnyhop a feline at the finish line.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

PCH Workshop next Wednesday, trial in Magnus White death continues, and pediatric e-micro mobility injuries climb

April 3, 2025 / / Comments Off on PCH Workshop next Wednesday, trial in Magnus White death continues, and pediatric e-micro mobility injuries climb
Day 93 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Caltrans forwards word that the upcoming PCH Master Plan Feasibility Study Workshop will take place a little earlier than planned.

Please be advised that the upcoming April 9th meeting at the Malibu City Hall will now start at 5:30 PM instead of 6:00 PM. This extra time is an open house period to provide more opportunities for attendees to review project information displays and ask Caltrans staff questions.

Thank you for your time, and we’re excited to have you at the event!

PCH photo from Caltrans press release.

………

More heartbreaking testimony in the death of US National Team junior cyclist Magnus White.

Day three in the reckless driving trial of Yeva Smilianska featured more descriptions of the crash that killed the 17-year old White, as a forensic investigator estimated that White went from 25 mph to 55 in “milliseconds” when Smilianska rear-ended him.

Another bicyclist who was following White on that “perfect” Boulder, Colorado day two years ago reported seeing the recent Ukrainian immigrant’s car strike White’s bicycle so quickly he would have had no chance to react.

He also said he gave up bicycling after what he saw that day.

The other notable piece of news came from a police investigator who said the woman Smilianska was with the night before the crash told him neither of the women drank because she wouldn’t allow alcohol in her house, and both got six hours of sleep the morning of the crash.

Yet examination of Smilianska’s phone showed video of her taking a drink out of a tumbler, as her friend asks if that’s whiskey. Smilianska said yes, nodding, and the friend took a drink herself, contradicting her earlier comments to the police.

And yes, once again prosecutors showed photos depicting the crash, this time White’s bloodied bike helmet. So make sure that’s something you really want to see before you click on the link.

………

A new report in the medical journal JAMA shows ebike injuries among children and teens jumped from 751 in 2017 to 23,493 in 2022, while e-scooter injuries climbed from 8,566 in 2017 to 56,847 in 2022 — likely more reflective of the climb in ridership rather than an increase in risk.

That was demonstrated by a crash in Orange Tuesday night, when two teens riding an e-scooter were critically injured when they slammed into the side of a Tesla while riding upstream on the wrong side of the road.

A tragic reminder that it’s not what you ride, but how that matters.

Thanks to Arthur W Bauer for the Orange heads-up.

………

Doris Day was one of us.

Actress, singer, and bike lover Doris Day riding her bicycle around Beverly Hills. The license plate reads, "This vehicle is smog free."Happy #BicycleBirthday, Doris!April 3 (1922-2019)

— Cool Bike Art (@coolbikeart1.bsky.social) 2025-04-03T04:00:08.526Z

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Norm Bradwell forwards the clearest view yet of the remarkable changes underway in Paris, with the transformation of the iconic and formerly car-clogged Rue de Rivoli.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps going on.   

No bias here. ESPN sportscaster Randy Scott posted video of a group of “sad” bicyclists riding single file while politely hugging the shoulder, saying “These monsters must be stopped” because they made him slow down a little bit. Never mind that he’s the one who could be breaking the law by using a handheld cellphone to record the video, or that he crashed his own car into a concrete barrier last year, without the help of anyone on two wheels.

https://twitter.com/RandyScottESPN/status/1906831097108762886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1906831097108762886%7Ctwgr%5Eee4ec0c5d73c91ca378853d9db2f087c2eb86de5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Froad.cc%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Fcycling-live-blog-2-april-2025-313321

Click here for the video if Elon is still screwing with embedded X/Twitter posts.

………

Local 

Culver City will host the final walking tour this Saturday to help develop the city’s new Complete Streets Design Standards. Actually, all they have to do is go back to the MOVE Culver City Complete Streets project. You know, before they ripped it out. 

So, am I the only one who thinks the Long Beach Grand Prix should include a bike race on the closed circuit course for us two-wheeled racing fans?

 

State

San Diego authorities are offering a $1,000 reward for the driver of a gray Mercedes E-Class sedan who fled the scene after killing an ebike rider in the city’s Clairemont neighborhood last week.

Chula Vista opened a new 39-acre bay front park, compete with two-and-a-half miles of walking and biking trails.

This is who we share the road with. A road-raging Riverside driver knocked a motorcyclist off his bike and dragged him with his car following an argument, in a crash captured on helmet cam.

They get it. The Planning Commission in the Sonoma County town of Windsor says walking and biking should be as easy, pleasant and natural as driving. Although driving may be the norm in the US, but there’s nothing natural about it.

 

National

No surprise here, as a new study of 14 small to mid-sized U.S. cities shows that bicycle-friendly cities are safer for everyone. Yes, even the people in the big, dangerous machines.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation and People For Bikes are launching the eBike eCourse to help improve safety and riding skills for people on ebikes, presumably with or without pedals.

Escape drops their paywall to consider what Rad Power and VanMoof got wrong, and what can be learned from the fall of the two iconic ebike brands.

Momentum suggests taking advantage of Trump’s “Liberation Day” to liberate yourself from driving by riding a bicycle.

Bicycling posts their favorite bikes of the year. But you’ll need a subscription to click on the links.

This is who we share the bike path with. A Portland man was forced off a bike path, and narrowly avoided getting hit head-on, by a driver in a massive SUV blithely cruising down the biking and walking path, taking the concept of a multi-use path just a little too far.

Tragic news from St. Louis, where a man riding a bicycle was killed when he was struck by not one, not two, not even three, but four drivers, only two of whom bothered to stick around afterwards.

A South Carolina woman charged with killing a bike-riding father of three while allegedly driving drunk with an open bottle of vodka in her car has been arrested once again, on charges of “unlawful conduct toward a child, with the risk of abuse or willful abandonment,” as well as possession of meth and coke.

 

International

Road.cc says Trump’s tariffs could be the final blow for the bike industry, which is already in the toilet.

An iconic South London bike shop is throwing in the towel after 43 years due to “rising costs, a brutal economic climate, and a million other small battles.”

Here’s another one for your bike bucket list, with the village of Saint-Rémy-la-Varenne along France’s 500-mile Loire à Vélo bicycling route, home to ancient megalithic sites and a 1,000-year old priory.

A new Dutch study contradicts the usual perception in this country by showing that delivery bike riders are safer and more law-abiding than casual bicyclists in the Netherlands.

A 38-year old Indian man is riding over 3,700 miles in 35 days, from Bengaluru to Tamil Nadu and back, despite losing one hand in a machining accident when he was 18.

 

Competitive Cycling

A major upset in Belgium, where American Neilson Powless stunned Wout van Aert and his Visma-Lease a Bike teammates by outsprinting them at the finish to win the men’s Dwars door Vlaanderen on Sunday; Italian champ Elisa Longo Borghini won the women’s race in a solo breakaway.

Sorry, folks. Life Time Grand Prix has banned cyclists from drafting riders outside their own category in any of their races, such as Unbound Gravel.

A writer for Outside says skip the Tour de France, and go to Europe to watch the Tour of Flanders, instead.

 

Finally….

Recharge your next ebike with your phone charger. We may have to worry about feral LA drivers, but at least we don’t have to contend with a loose bull moose.

And nothing like that feeling when you order a new bicycle on Temu, and this is what you get.

@cloud9ceo

Temu gave me the biggest April Fool

♬ original sound – cloud9CEO

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

$2000 e-cargo bike voucher for San Gabriel Valley residents, and San Diego man seriously injured in hit-and-run

March 10, 2025 / / Comments Off on $2000 e-cargo bike voucher for San Gabriel Valley residents, and San Diego man seriously injured in hit-and-run
Day 69 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Forget California’s semi-moribund, scandal-plagued ebike rebate program.

At least if you live in the San Gabriel Valley, anyway, where you can apply now for a $2,000 voucher to buy an e-cargo bike.

But hurry, because applications have already been received for half of the 300 available vouchers.

Photo by Kaboompics.com from Pexels. 

………

Police in San Diego are looking for the asshole hit-and-run driver left a man riding a bicycle lying in the street with serious injuries.

The 46-year old victim was hospitalized with spine, collarbone and rib fractures following the Friday night crash in the city’s Clairemont Mesa West neighborhood.

Police are looking for a red 2015 to 2017 Volkswagen Jetta, with damage to the front bumper. Anyone with information is urged to call Traffic Division of the San Diego Police Department at 858/495- 7823 or call CrimeStoppers anonymously at 888/580-8477; there’s $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

………

This is who we share the road with.

A disgruntled customer drove his cars into a Carmax showroom in Inglewood, injuring at least eight people.

Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

Seriously? Santa Clarita residents lit up the phones at the sheriff’s station to report “a caravan” of juveniles riding a mix of bicycles, ebikes and dirt bikes, despite a complete lack of reports indicating the kids were doing anything wrong.

An Italian pro cyclist suffered a dislocated shoulder and broken ribs in a pair of back-to-back attacks when he was threatened, pushed off his bike, punched in face and hit with rock in what appeared to be completely unprovoked assaults by motorbike riders, as he finished a training ride with his brother.

………

Local  

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton digs into the numbers, and finds that highway widening conducted by Metro and Caltrans in Los Angeles County were responsible for 96% of California’s home demolitions for freeway expansions in recent years.

 

State

Irvine’s second annual CicloIrvine open streets event will roll on May 3rd.

A San Diego nonprofit is encouraging homeless people to ride a bike, and will give them a refurbished bicycle, along with a helmet, lock, lights, saddlebag and some maintenance items after they’ve completed 100 miles on a bike; 76 people have completed the program to earn one in the last five years.

In a Santa Barbara op-ed, a man makes the case for changing the city’s ordinance prohibiting sidewalk riding, arguing that bike riders shouldn’t have to contend with high-speed traffic on the streets. Bicyclists should have the option, even though studies have shown the apparent safety of sidewalks in an illusion, as reduced sight lines actually increase the danger for people riding on the sidewalk.

The question isn’t why Cupertino’s city council voted to approve new protected bike lanes on one of the city’s most dangerous corridors, but why two of the five council members voted against it.

A want to be like him when I grow up. A Turlock paper remember a former octogenarian fitness role model, who didn’t let diabetes and neuropathy interfere with his love of bicycling; Ray Houlihan was 93 when he died following a brief illness.

 

National

Escape Collective drops their usual paywall to discuss why most bikemakers are hiding a key indicator of how their bikes handle.

In a story only for their subscribers, Bicycling makes the case that high-end bicycling gear probably isn’t worth the cost. So much for their high-end ad accounts. 

Seattle could be on the road to Vision Zero, as preliminary data shows the city cut pedestrian deaths in half last year — and had no bicycling deaths. Which shows what can happen when city leaders actually give a damn and do something. 

Speaking of Seattle, the city opened a new two-mile bike path along the waterfront as part of an $805 million project to revamp the Puget Sound shoreline, starting with removal of a highway that used to block access to the coast.

Life is cheap in Colorado, where a teacher got one lousy year behind bars for killing a ten-year old boy riding a bicycle while driving distracted, just minutes from my bike-friendly hometown; the boy’s parents are fighting for tougher penalties for killer drivers. And if you ever wonder why people keep dying on our streets, this is a good place to start.

A man in San Antonio, Texas was sentenced to 50 years behind bars for whacking a man with a beer bottle to steal his bicycle, leaving the victim blind. Which is 12.5 times more than you’d get for killing someone with a car in California. 

Boston Magazine explores the fallout from the Boston bikelash, as surprisingly fierce opposition has risen to the city’s new bike lanes, with one pizza shop owner asking who would ever take a pizza home on a bicycle. Funny he should ask.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has told DC Mayor Muriel Bowser that the city’s street murals are dangerous, and gave them 30 days to identify “roadway noncompliance” and develop a plan to deal with them — even though they’ve caused zero crashes, and studies show street art makes roads safer. A Republican lawmaker also threatened the city’s transportation funding if they didn’t paint over a “Black Lives Matter” mural.

 

International

Bike Radar ranks the best British islands to add to your bike bucket list.

A pro mountain biker, bike journalist and a mountain bike coach discuss gender equality in mountain biking for International Women’s Day.

Life is cheap in Canada, where a dump truck driver got a lousy $1,000 fine for killing a woman riding a bicycle in a right hook.

Life is almost as cheap in the UK, where a woman will spend a lousy one-year behind bars for killing a 57-year old father as he was riding a bicycle, while she was texting and reading Facebook behind the wheel, in what prosecutors termed a “prolonged episode of bad driving.”

After 484 days in Hamas captivity, an Israeli ex-hostage says riding his bike feels like freedom. Which is probably something we all can relate to.

 

Competitive Cycling

Three-time Tours de France, Giro and World’s champ Tadej Pogačar showed he’s human by crashing at Strade Bianchi, saying he “actually showed I’m pretty shit” — then made the case for why he’s not by coming back to win, turning his previous seven one-day Monuments to eight.

Britain’s Tom Pidcock said it was bittersweet finishing second to Pogačar, after waiting for Pog to recover from his crash, then being unable to hold his wheel at the finish.

The eight-stage Paris-Nice got off to a tense start, with Belgium’s Tim Merlier taking the first stage in an all-out sprint; meanwhile, Jonas Vingegaard started the race with his very own personalized helmet.

An 18-year old Aussie man won a spot on the Canyon–SRAM zondacrypto development team by taking first place in the Zwift Academy’s virtual competition, calling the opportunity “life-changing.”

Despite a well-earned reputation for bullying people when he was competing, America’s only seven-time ex-Tour de France has been there for British eight-time Olympic medalist Bradley Wiggins since he retired nearly a decade ago, helping him recover from a drug problem and deep debt.

 

Finally….

Fixing a bike for the toddler WorldTour development squad. And we may have to deal with LA’s feral drivers, but at least we don’t have to ride between wild bobcats.

@lookitsblackdynamite

#bobcat #lynx #fyp #animals #nature #foryou #cat #explore #trending #viral

♬ Love You So – The King Khan & BBQ Show

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Overregulating ebikes with nonexistent regulations, and neurodivergent Glendale boy now missing after bike ride

February 18, 2025 / / Comments Off on Overregulating ebikes with nonexistent regulations, and neurodivergent Glendale boy now missing after bike ride
Day 49 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Is the late, great Golden State going too far when it comes to ebikes?

A writer for CleanTechnica makes exactly that case, arguing that California is overregulating ebikes by prohibiting riders from using the sidewalk and banning throttles.

Instead she suggests the real solution is to improve safety by building protected bike lanes and dedicated bike highways, while improving infrastructure to keep cars, fast bikes and pedestrians apart.

In this case, banning e-bikes from sidewalks while not making safe space for riders somewhere else is the thing being pushed. Children who died because an inattentive driver ran them over aren’t going to be made more safe by banning them from having electric assist, and if anything, this punishes victims. Banning throttles doesn’t stop the practice of “ghost pedaling,” and doesn’t stop people from being able to go fast by pedaling at bit in a high assist mode. These “feel good” policies just don’t make much sense.

But, let’s assume for the sake of argument that these policies make any sense. If we want to save that one life, we have to think about all of the lives lost to emissions. If emissions could be reduced, thousands of people could be saved every year from heart disease, respiratory problems, and cancer. Saving a handful of lives that could be saved in some other more narrowly-tailored way at the cost of keeping the emissions murder machine going by discouraging e-bike ownership simply doesn’t make sense!

Where to even begin.

I’m all for better bike infrastructure and improving safety for everyone on our streets.

But there is no statewide effort to ban ebikes from sidewalks. Even if I agree that a bike that can do 20 mph or more with little or no effort shouldn’t be mixing it up with pedestrians, though stopping short of a total ban.

Instead, numerous municipalities have prohibited ebikes from being ridden on sidewalks, which is their privilege under state law, just like they have the option to ban or allow other bikes.

However, they don’t have the legal right to prohibit them from local streets or bike lanes, where they are allowed under state law.

I also haven’t seen any attempt to ban throttles, though I would like to see higher speed, throttle-controlled ebikes reclassified as something between an ebike and an electric motorcycle, akin to a mo-ped.

Cities in California also have the ability to ban ebikes for children under 12, which seems prudent, since many lack the judgement and motor skills to control something that can go up to 20 mph, or often higher.

But so far, the state has been remarkably hands-off in regulating ebikes, for the most part appearing to take a wait-and-see approach to permitting their use.

For better or worse.

Meanwhile, Dutch researchers have concluded that “The debate over the conflicts between fatbikes, mopeds, and bicycles overshadows the real problem: cars get too much space.”

Which is probably something most of us can agree on.

Photo by Max J from Pexels. 

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Police in Glendale are looking for a 12-year old boy with autism and ADHD who went missing on a bicycle ride on Sunday, after he was last seen in the 1600 block of Rock Glen Avenue, near Eagle Rock Plaza.

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Bad news from unincorporated Del Rio, north of Oxnard, California, where a young kid described as just 10 to 13-years old suffered major injuries when he was cut off by a driver while riding his bicycle at an uncontrolled three-way intersection.

He was not wearing a helmet, even though a bike helmet is required for anyone 17 or younger under California law. Which for once actually matters, since he suffered injuries to his head and eye.

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Metro will host a virtual public meeting this Sunday to consider first mile/last mile connections to the upcoming NoHo to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit line, or BRT.

Although you’d think they’d know enough not to schedule it during Sunday’s CicLAvia, which they also sponsor.

Here’s how Walk Bike Glendale describes it.

Metro is improving transit across LA County, and we need your help! The North Hollywood to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will connect Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena, improving access to jobs, schools, and other key destinations. As part of this effort, Metro is developing a North Hollywood to Pasadena BRT First/Last Mile Plan, to help connect transit riders to the future BRT stations.

“First/Last Mile” refers to the first and last part of a rider’s journey where riders walk, bike, or roll to or from their nearest transit station or bus stop. Whether you walk, bike, or roll, we want your thoughts on improving safety and convenience around four selected stations.

Your input can shape enhancements like:

  • Street trees and landscaping
  • Sidewalk and crosswalk improvements
  • Lighting, seating, and other amenities
  • Bike lanes and bike parking

What’s Happening?

LA Metro will present draft First/Last Mile recommendations for the streets surrounding the future BRT station at Central Ave/Lexington Dr. We want to hear your feedback!

Date: Sunday, February 23rd, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Location: Zoom

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

No bias here. The New York Post says complaints over drivers blocking fire hydrants have skyrocketed — and somehow finds a way to blame bike lanes for “gobbling up” parking spaces. Rather than blaming scofflaw drivers for, you know, breaking the law. 

No bias here, either. A Welsh city has pulled the plug on plans for a “vital” segregated bike lane after residents complained the $1.8 million project would be the “biggest waste of money.” Because evidently, protecting human lives just isn’t worth what amounts to a piddling sum in most roadway budgets. 

British bike riders lashed out at the “vitriol and lies” being spread about active transportation advocates, after drivers accused the local council of forcing bicycling on communities.

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Local  

LAist remembers iconic UCLA parking meister Donald Shoup, who died last week at 86, although the parking reforms he fostered will live on in cities and towns around the world.

 

State

This is who we share the road with. Encinitas wants to harden a traffic circle on the Coast Highway near an elementary school to keep speeding drivers off the sidewalk, after averaging over one crash a month for the last 18 months — most involving drunk drivers.

 

National

Mountain bikers in Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument could be required to stick to designated trails and off-road vehicle routes under a new proposal from the Bureau of Land Management. Although with the current federal staff reductions and budget freezes, there may be no one to stop you.

Huh? Police in McKinney, Texas ruled that there was no criminality in the hit-and-run crash that killed a 14-year old boy, after deciding that the driver did stick around, after all. So either the driver was there or wasn’t, which doesn’t seem that hard to figure out.

Bike riders in Jersey City NJ fear a state grant intended to improve bike safety will instead be watered down to favor people in the big, dangerous machines.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A 94-year old man in an Atlanta suburb has earned the name “Bicycle Man” by refurbishing and giving away bicycles for the past 13 years, while riding a bike himself up to his 92nd birthday; his father rode one into his 90s.

 

International

Momentum considers just what cities give up by surrendering to car culture by removing bike lanes.

A British website billing itself as “the ethical choice” says making pedestrians and bike riders wear beacons to alert inattentive drivers to their presence is just driving us to dystopia while threatening both.

This is who we share the road with, too. A 21-year old English man was convicted of murder for intentionally running down an ebike rider, chasing the victim after becoming enraged by his wheelie-popping showboating, just to teach him a lesson. All while appointing himself judge, juror and executioner — literally. 

The rich get richer, as newly bike-friendly Paris is installing “grands feux vélos,” aka traffic lights specifically designed for bicycles, on a major bike route through the heart of the city. It’s also worth remembering that the dramatic transformation of Paris to a 15-minute city promoting bicycling and walking began little more than a decade ago. 

Cops in Spain’s Canary Islands are trying to figure out what happened to a British tourist who was found dead on the side of the road where he had been riding his bicycle, with no evidence he’d been struck by a driver.

More sad news from Spain, where authorities appear to have found the body of American expat Matt Opperman, who disappeared while mountain biking last month; searchers found his van near Castillo de Segura de La Sierra shortly after he vanished, but no sign of Opperman until this week.

A writer for Electrek returns to China’s Bafang factory for the first time in five years, and is surprised to find a massive, modern R&D and manufacturing site that now makes the entire drivetrain for many of the world’s ebikes.

 

Competitive Cycling

Former Tour de France champ Egan Bernal’s hard-fought comeback from a near-fatal training crash is on hold for now, after breaking his collarbone in Andalusia, Spain’s Jaén Paraíso Interior Classic.

Britain’s Geraint Thomas decides to call it a career after this season; the former Tour de France winner and Olympic gold medalist has been racing for nearly two decades.

Finally…

Riding outside trumps indoor cycling, even in winter. That feeling when mountain biking down a volcano is enough to end your thrill-seeking days for good.

And a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it slap at New York ebike riders.

Thanks to Megan Lynch for forwarding the clip. 

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bike-riding man suffers life-threatening injuries in Encinitas crash, and die-in next week to mark LA’s Vision Zero fail

January 3, 2025 / / Comments Off on Bike-riding man suffers life-threatening injuries in Encinitas crash, and die-in next week to mark LA’s Vision Zero fail

This year is already off to a bad start.

Less than eight hours after a bike rider was killed by a driver in Rancho Mirage to inaugurate the new year, a 45-year old man was left fighting for his life when he was run down by a 79-year old woman in Encinitas while riding a bicycle.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly named, was riding in the area of Encinitas Boulevard and Cerro Street just before 6 pm Wednesday.

Investigators say drugs or alcohol weren’t factors in the crash. But the age of the driver once again raises the question of how old is too old to drive safely.

Or at all, for that matter.

Anyone with information or video of the crash is urged to call San Diego County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jeremy Collis at 760/966-3555, or email jeremy.collis@SDSheriff.org.

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Meanwhile, it’s Day 3 of the Vision Zero failure here in Los Angeles.

Instead of eliminating traffic deaths by 2025, as former Mayor Eric Garcetti committed to ten years earlier, Los Angeles drivers continue to kill bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists at near record levels.

That’s why a coalition of nonprofits and road safety advocates will once again host a die-in on the steps of LA City Hall next weekend to raise awareness of the need for safe streets.

Here’s how Streets Are For Everyone announced the event.

As of this writing, traffic fatalities in the City of Los Angeles are expected to once again be above 300 for the third year in a row.

And yet, 2025 will be the 10th anniversary of the start of the Vision Zero program, a program aimed at reducing traffic fatalities to zero by 2025.

However, the core components of this program were watered down, removed, or underfunded within a few years of its start. The result is that in the last 10 years, there has been an 80% increase in traffic fatalities, primarily affecting pedestrians in underserved communities.

We again need to raise our voices and let the Mayor and our City Council know that the issue of traffic violence needs to be treated as the public health crisis that it is.

*A die-in is “a protest or demonstration in which a group of people gather and lie down as if dead.” (Oxford Dictionary) In our case, to represent the lives lost to traffic violence and protest the lack of effective action by our City and state leaders, as demonstrated by rising fatalities.

We aim to have 300 people in attendance, representing each life lost. Help us make this happen!

  • Date: Saturday, January 11th 2024
  • Location: Steps of Los Angeles City Hall 232 N Spring Street
  • Set-up Time: 8:30-10 AM
  • Press Conference & Die-In protest: 10 AM to 11 AM
  • Breakdown Time: 11 AM to 12 PM

Volunteers and Activists needed:

  • 10 volunteers are needed for setup and breakdown.
  • 300+ volunteer activists are needed to lay on the steps of City Hall during the press conference. White roses will be laid on top of those participating in the die-in to represent the over 300 lives lost in 2024.

What to Bring: We will have signs and poster boards to make signs. However, we also encourage you to bring signs emphasizing the importance of road safety, responsible driving, and the need for change.

Parking: Parking is limited and pricey around LA City Hall. It is recommended that you ride, walk, or take Metro Line B (exit Civic Center/Grand Park Station) to City Hall.

I’ll be There!

And yes, I plan to be there.

Because our elected leaders and other city officials need to be reminded of their commitment to end traffic deaths, and start taking it seriously.

Before we lose one more Angeleno to traffic violence.

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British singer James Blunt is one of us, interrupting his Christmas festivities to call for more peace and patience on the roads.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going. 

Birmingham, England continues its efforts to ban “dangerous, careless, or inconsiderate” bicycling in the city center, while bicyclists condemned the watered down proposal as a “waste of paper” and the “single stupidest thing” city officials have ever done.

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Local  

Streetsblog says the short bike lane extension on Reseda Blvd is the first LA project clearly forced by Measure HLA, adding a little more than the length of a football field to the existing bike lanes after the street was resurfaced.

Urbanize highlights ten Los Angeles projects to watch in 2025, none of which are bikeways.

 

State

California finally clarifies that if it goes too fast or doesn’t have pedals, it’s not an ebike.

We could have new supporters in Sacramento, as several newly elected California legislators have called for improving safety for bicyclists and pedestrians improvements.

CBS news explains why drivers can now expect a ticket for violating the state’s new daylighting law, which prohibits parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk. And every intersection has a crosswalk, painted or not, unless it’s clearly marked otherwise.

A San Diego letter writer says bike lane critics are wrong, and that bike lanes “are definitely a major factor to get people out of their cars.”

 

National

Smart Cities Dive talks with urban experts to get their predictions for the coming year, including the rise of “playground cities,” and neighborhood decarbonization.

A father shares the lessons he learned trying to teach his young daughter to ride a bicycle, even though she’s already lost interest at the advanced age of four.

That’s more like it. A 23-year old Las Vegas woman will spend the next 11 years behind bars for the hit-and-run death of a 32-year old man who was riding a bicycle; she was sentenced to 15 years for vehicular homicide with four years suspended, along with a concurrent term of three years for tampering with evidence, and 90 days for driving under the influence.

 

International

Road.cc suggests that if those deals on what appears to be Rapha’s website seem too good to be true, it’s only because they are

Bike Radar says the secret to every New Year’s resolution is to buy a bicycle.

Momentum highlights five bucket bikes that could replace your car right now.

British foldie maker Brompton suffers the post-Covid bike boom blues, as its profits drop by 99%, or over 10 million Euros.

An Irish news site explains how to make this the year you start riding a bicycle, adding that you won’t regret it; London’s Independent also tries to get in on the act.

Czech carmaker Škoda’s We Love Cycling website looks forward to this year’s bike trends and predictions.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cyclist looks forward to the upcoming Monuments and spring classics that will start the year’s racing calendar.

A YouTuber crashed Jonas Vingegaard’s Spanish training ride, clinging to his wheel to ask burning questions like “Why don’t you shave your legs in the winter.”

 

Finally…

That feeling when your analog bicycle odometer is more secure than some of America’s most critical infrastructure. Just call it Still Life with Bike Computer.

And no, you can’t pump up your bike tires with a syringe.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,
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