Tag Archive for bicycling

Calendar: A busy bike weekend with 11 events in two days — capped by Finish the Ride on Sunday

April 25, 2014 / / Comments Off on Calendar: A busy bike weekend with 11 events in two days — capped by Finish the Ride on Sunday

Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

Kidical Mass returns to Santa Monica on Saturday, April 26th at Memorial Park, in the north parking lot off 14th Street. The event starts at 9 am with check-in, bike safety checks and helmet decorating, ride and community garden visit from 10 am to noon, with Pizza Party, Raffle Drawing and Prizes to follow.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 26th, when the Pomona Police Department will host a Kid’s Bike Rodeo; details to follow.

Bike the Vote! to the Northeast LA Neighborhood Council elections on Saturday, April 26th. The ride departs from Flying Pigeon Bike Shop, 3404 N. Figueroa St, at 10 am.

Saturday, April 26th, the City of Monterey Park host an Earth Day Bike Ride and Festival from 8 to 11 am at the Bruggemeyer Library, 318 S. Ramona Ave.

Help design what North Figueroa Blvd will look like 36 years from now with the Interactive Modeling Workshop: North Figueroa 2050 at the Bike Oven, 3706 N. Figueroa. It takes place on Saturday, April 26th at 4 pm, with light dinner and drinks at 5:30 pm.

The first bike-in theater of the year will be held on Saturday, April 26th as part of the LA2050 Listens on the LA River at Reseda Park, 18411 Victory Boulevard.

The annual Tour de OC returns on Saturday, April 26th to raise funds for abused and neglected kids; great cause. Rides of 25, 55 and 100 depart from Newport Mesa Church, 55 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa, with registration starting at 6 am on the day of the ride.

Santa Monica’s Annenberg Beach House hosts a free celebration of their 5th Anniversary this weekend, including free bike valet; the best way to get there is on the beachfront Marvin Braude bike path.

The San Fernando Valley Bike Club offers a twice monthly Compagni Group Ride — Italian for companion — on the second and fourth Sunday of every month; the next ride takes place on Sunday, April 27th. Click here for details and other rides; lots of other great sounding rides on the list, too.

The American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure Ship to Shore ride takes place on Sunday, April 27th at the Queen Mary, 1126 Queen’s Highway in Long Beach. Rides range from eight to 100 miles, with a $200 fundraising minimum.

Finish the Ride logo1On February 17th of last year, Damian Kevitt was hit by a minivan while riding his bike in Griffith Park. The driver attempted to flee the scene with Kevitt trapped under the vehicle, dragging him nearly 600 feet onto the 5 Freeway and leaving him for dead; the resulting injuries cost him a leg, and nearly took his life. On Sunday, April 27th, Kevitt is planning to finish the ride to raise funds for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Join the SGV Bike Train on Sunday, April 27th to celebrate spring with the family friendly Pastel Ride. Meet at Santa Fe Dam at 8:30 am, departing on the Emerald Necklace loop at 10, with free healthy treats for BikeSGV members afterwards.

Also on Sunday the 27th, Brewcyclers visits the new Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim; ride meets at 7:30 am at 1072 North Armando Street in Anaheim, rolling at 8 for a 47 mile round trip ride with just 950 feet of elevation gain.

LACBC Empowerment WorkshopsThe Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is hosting a series of workshops aimed at empowering local advocates. The next workshop, focusing on increasing membership, is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29th from 6:30 to 8 pm at LACBC Headquarters, 634 S. Spring Street in DTLA; see poster at left for additional dates, times and topics.

The battle to preserve bicycling on Newport Beach’s Back Bay Drive continues with final review of the issues and recommendations that will appear in the sub-committee’s report to the Bicycle Master Plan Committee at 5 pm Wednesday, April 30th at the Civic Center.

Filmmaker and frequent contributor Danny Gamboa is curating the Bike Love Art Show at the Bell Arts Factory, 432 N Ventura Ave in Ventura. The theme of the show is Bike or the Love of the Bicycle, with the opening reception to take place during the First Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 2nd at 6 pm.

The Ride 2 Recovery to benefit wounded vets returns to Southern California on Saturday, May 3rd in Thousand Oaks. The ride departs from the Lost Hills Sheriff Station, 27050 Agoura Hills Road, starting at 8 am; no cost for injured vets.

Celebrate the free Bike Fest of Long Beach on Saturday, May 3rd from 2 pm to 11 pm, with a number of events and activities for everyone, including the Wolfpack Hustle Shorline Crit and Stylish by Bike and Vintage Bike competitions hosted by Pedal Love.

One of the highlights of the LA bike calendar used to be the annual Bike Expo at the Convention Center, which sadly died to to declining interest. Now Santa Monica is picking up the mantle with the free Santa Monica Bike Expo on Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th at the Santa Monica Pier.

The theme of the LACBC’s May Sunday Funday Ride is May the Forest Be With You, offering a delayed Earth Day celebration hosted by board member Kevin Hopps. The ride meets at LACBC headquarters in Downtown LA, 634 S. Spring Street at 9:30 am on Sunday, May 4th.

Inventor Eric F. has come up with what he describes as a “revolutionary bicycle safety device (US and international patent pending) that will save lives and visibly change the urban landscape.” He’s looking for volunteers to participate in a focus group at Helen’s Cycles’ Santa Monica location, 2501 Broadway, on Monday, May 5th from 7 – 8 pm.

Equestrians are fighting to have bikes banned from the Mairposa Bridge between Burbank and Griffith Park. The Burbank City Council will take up the matter on Tuesday, May 6th at pm, Burbank City Hall, 275 E. Olive.

The fully funded, approved and shovel ready bike lanes on North Figueroa are finally scheduled for a public hearing with council member Gil Cedillo, who has been dragging his feet for reasons know only to him. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 8th from 6 to 8 pm at Nightingale Middle School, 3311 North Figueroa Street.

Saturday, May 10th, marks the Grand Opening of the first protected bike lane in the San Gabriel Valley, on Rosemead Blvd between Las Tunas and Broadway in Temple City; ribbon cutting ceremony starts a 9 am, with a Community Festival from 10 am to 1 pm. CICLE, the Eastside Bike Club and Stan’s Bike Shop are leading a family-friendly community ride to visit the bike lanes and festival.

Sunday, May 11th marks the Cyclofemme LA Mother’s Day Bike Ride and Brunch, from 9 am to 1 pm at Grand Park, 200 North Grand Ave. Take a socially paced ride around Downtown LA to celebrate and honor women around the world, ending with brunch at the Angel City Brewery.

Join cyclists in 130 cities around the world in riding with CycloFemme on Sunday, May 11th. The California edition takes place in Ojai, with mountain bike and road rides starting at 11 am, with an after ride festival to follow.

The Amgen Tour of California runs from Sunday, May 11th to Sunday, May 18th, starting in Sacramento. Three SoCal stages are planned, Friday May 16th, Santa Clarita to Mountain High; Saturday May 16th, Santa Clarita to Pasadena, and the final stage on Sunday the 18th in Thousand Oaks. There are also two women’s races scheduled, in Sacramento on May 11th and on the 12th in Folsom. Santa Clarita plans a series of events around their two stages.

Blessing of the Bicycles 2014Bike Week 2014 is set to unfold the week of May 12th, with preview events on Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th.

  • May 10th: Get Ready and Fix Your Bike!
  • May 11th: Bicycling is for Everyone Celebration!
  • May 12th: Kick-off Bike Week LA
  • May 13th: Blessing of the Bicycles; Ghost Bikes LA will be honored this year
  • May 14th: Guided Ride Day: Bike Lanes and More!
  • May 15th: Bike to Work Day
  • May 12th-18th: Bike Local Discounts

Metro wraps up Bike Week with the first Metro Bike Night @ Union Station from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on Friday, May 16th at — you got it — Union Station, 800 North Alameda St. in DTLA. The free event will feature special guests, live music, food trucks, outdoor booths, free bike valet, bike short films, trivia, bike portraits, fashion show and a raffle.

Pasadena starts off their own Bike Week celebration on Monday, May 12th as CICLE hosts a Taste of Pasadena Ride from 6:30 to 9:30 pm; Memorial Park Pasadena at Raymond Ave and Holly Street for a tour of local eateries. And they finish Bike Week off with a mini-ciclovia from 11 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday, May 18th with Ride, Roll and Stroll, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, RSVP here. CICLE offers the full schedule of Bike Week Pasadena events here.

Mark your calendar for Glendale’s 2nd Annual Jewel City Fun & Fitness Ride on Sunday, May 18th, with rides ranging from seven to 45 miles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Calbike is hosting the inaugural California by Bike Surf ’N Turf Tour. The multi-stage ride travels from Santa Barbara to San Diego, starting on Halloween and ending November 5th; registration opens May 1st.

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

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

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: An inspiring and horrifying interview, outrageous bike news, and send a guy on Climate Ride.

April 24, 2014 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: An inspiring and horrifying interview, outrageous bike news, and send a guy on Climate Ride.
Send this boy to camp. Or rather, Climate Ride.

Send this boy to camp. Or rather, Climate Ride.

Lots of news to catch up on before the weekend. So let’s jump right in.

……..

Sweet Ride USA’s Steve Isaacs offers an amazing, horrifying and ultimately inspiring interview with hit-and-run survivor Damian Kevitt in advance of Sunday’s Finish the Ride. Choose between the short 4:15 minute version and the full 16 minute one.

Unfortunately, it looks like illness is going to keep me from attending on Sunday, despite my best intentions. So if you’re planning to attend and would like to share your thoughts or photos, let me know.

……..

Here’s an intriguing invitation.

Inventor Eric F. has come up with what he describes as a “revolutionary bicycle safety device (US and international patent pending) that will save lives and visibly change the urban landscape.”

He’s looking for volunteers to participate in a focus group at Helen’s Cycles’ Santa Monica location, 2501 Broadway, on Monday, May 5th from 7 – 8 pm.

You can start your Cinco de Mayo celebration a little later. And it’s a good chance to check out the new green bike lanes in front of the shop.

Just watch out for drunks on your ride home.

……..

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition’s Team LACBC on exceeding their fundraising goal for this year’s California Climate Ride.

But several of the team members are still short of the money they need to raise to participate in the ride.

I can personally vouch for everyone on the list, all of whom deserve to go on the bike adventure of a lifetime. And each of whom deserves your support for all they do to support your right to ride safely and enjoyably in the City and County of Angels.

In fact, I have never known a more committed and hardworking group of staff and volunteers, and as a board member for the past five years, I’m honored for the small part I play in supporting their work. Which is something I don’t say nearly enough.

But I’d like to call your attention to just one of those potential riders, and ask you to help him get from the California Wine Country to Sacramento next month.

Alex Amerri, President of the LACBC Board of Directors, has done an incredible job of guiding the organization through some turbulent times — often at the expense of his own career and personal life.

I’ve watched as he’s often put in more than full-time work in an unpaid, volunteer position. When he leaves the board — which hopefully won’t be anytime soon — he’ll leave the LACBC a far stronger, more stable and successful organization than he found it, positioned for even greater growth and influence in the years to come.

And you can’t ask any more than that of anyone.

However, the time he’s put in solving problems and creating opportunities for the coalition lately has meant he hasn’t had time to raise the funds he needs to participate in the Climate Ride. In fact, he’s less than a third of the way to his $3,500 goal.

So let’s send a boy to camp.

Or rather, a man to ride.

If you’ve got a little extra money laying around, make a donation to a good cause to support sustainability and improve our environment. And do it in the name of someone who truly deserves a few uninterrupted days on his bike.

And if not Alex, then help one of the other team members who do so much to help you.

Note: Alex has no idea I’m writing this. So let’s not tell him. Just let him be surprised when the donations start coming in, with no idea where they’re coming from or why.

……..

Prepare to be outraged.

It’s not unusual to find a story or two that makes a mockery of justice, and reminds us all that cyclists are still second-class citizens on our streets.

But today’s news carried three examples of just how far we have to go. And how self-centered, heartless and cruel some people can be.

First up, a Massachusetts woman is convicted of a reduced charge in a fatal hit-and-run when the judge rules that a second vehicle that hit the victim afterwards could have caused the fatal injuries. Never mind that the trailing vehicle would never have hit the rider in the first place if the hit-and-run driver hadn’t plowed into her and left her lying in the street.

Or there’s this, as Pennsylvania authorities refuse to file charges against a driver who killed a teenage cyclist — even though she was under the influence of cocaine and prescription drugs at the time. Nice to see them taking DUI so seriously.

And in a truly disgusting demonstration of genuine overly entitled, self-absorbed heartlessness, an Ontario — Canada, not California — driver sues the family of the teenage cyclist she killed for the emotional turmoil that taking his life has caused her. Evidently, she’s the real victim here, not the kid who lost his life, the parents who lost a child or the brother who OD’d because he couldn’t deal with the loss.

I never to wish ill on anyone. But I’m sorely tempted to make an exception in her case.

……..

Local

UCLA’s Herbie Huff and Madeline Brozen offer a rebuttal to the recent report showing bike lanes don’t cause traffic congestion if they’re put in the right place.

Cultural Weekly explains why CicLAvia has struck a chord with Angelenos. Although I’m not really sure that’s it.

Variety promotes this weekend’s first-of-the-year bike-in movie in Reseda Park.

KCRW’s DnA will host Reinventing the Wheel, a discussion on the future of mobility at the Helms Bakery complex on May 18.

Santa Monica police use a bait bike to get two bike thieves off the streets.

Long Beach offers a bike map of six downtown routes.

Santa Clarita plans a number of events around hosting a pair of stages in next month’s Amgen Tour of California.

 

State

The Idyllwild man who created the Stagecoach 400 mountain bike race finally finishes the route he designed after three failed attempts.

Streetsblog looks at last week’s California Transportation Choices Summit.

VeloNews rides the Amgen Tour of California route in reverse with the Rapha Women’s Ambassadors.

 

National

A new Strava map offers a detailed look at where people who use Strava run and ride bikes, which seems to be pretty much where people live. Then again, people who don’t use Strava ride everywhere.

A proposed MiniBrake promises to let parents stop their children’s bikes by remote control. Seems a little dangerous to stop a kid’s bike without warning, but it could keep them from riding into danger.

Treehugger lists five ways bicycling is getting better in the US. And one way it’s not.

A severely auto-focused Texas jerk letter writer says “You ‘need’ a car for business, shopping and taking your kids to Burger King. You only ‘want’ to ride your bike…” which places “an unreasonable safety burden on drivers of other vehicles.” Right. And maybe if those kids walked or rode to Burger King they might be healthier now, and as adults.

 

International

After a Brit thief steals a $4,200 e-bike, he calls the local dealer for advice on how to charge it. Which turns out to be the same guy he stole it from.

Lance says he’s still the winner of all those Tours de France, regardless of what anyone else says, while former Armstrong lieutenant George Hincapie promises an unvarnished look at pro cycling’s doping era in a new book.

Osaka police crack down on reckless cyclists — or any, for that matter — at the urging of local merchants.

 

Finally…

A cute 30-second video suggests the more you ride, the more calories you can take in. Not necessarily true, though, as I’ve learned the hard way.

 

Category: Bike Events, Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Born in West LA — LABAC member traces the beginnings of BMX to a Westside park

April 23, 2014 / / 10 comments
The Palms neighborhood has a long bike history dating back to the 1890s; click and zoom in to read. Thanks to Jonathan Weiss for the image.

The Palms neighborhood has a long bike history dating back to the 1890s; click and zoom in to read. Thanks to Jonathan Weiss for the image.

Let’s give notoriously auto-centric Los Angeles the credit it deserves.

Santa Monica’s Z-Boys have long been credited as the fathers modern skateboarding, and the city’s self-proclaimed Dogtown neighborhood its birthplace.

But who knew BMX — aka Bicycle Motocross — racing was born right here in the City of Angels? And that a city employee gets credit for turning a kid’s pastime into one of the most exciting events in the X Games and Summer Olympics.

At least, that’s what a new history from Jonathan Weiss, chair of the LA Bicycle Advisory Committee’s Advocacy & Education subcommittee asserts.

The official history of BMX racing dates the beginning of the sport to the late 1960s or early ‘70s when kids took to their Schwinn Stingrays on a vacant lot somewhere in Southern California. But according to Weiss, the first organized race took place right here in 1969 at the Westside’s Palms Park before evolving to a full-fledged racing season a few years later.

By 1973, BMX racing was thriving. Los Angeles Recreation and Parks youth counselor Ronald (Ron) Mackler, who had planted the seeds for its success with the initial race in ’69, organized a full 10-week Thursday-night racing season. Mackler, who passed away in 2010, is remembered as someone whose “main thing was getting kids on the right track.” Palms Park was the “right track” for pioneering BMX champion Perry Kramer, who had been racing around the park’s sandbox and trees and up a hill on his own modified Stingray. Perry became one of BMX racing’s earliest stars. His namesake PK Ripper bike is still in production, and Perry’s now a Giant Bicycle sales representative and mountain biker.

Meanwhile, racing continued on what Perry described as the ‘prehistoric’ Palms Park track through the ‘70s and into the 1980s.

When Weiss found a nugget about BMX racing and Palms Park, he contacted Kramer to get a first-hand history from one of the sports founders, and started a Palms Park BMXers Facebook Page, which now connects BMX fans from around the world.

Some of what he put together on BMX racing’s birth can be found the History section of the ExpoGreeway.org website. He started that website to support the new water-cleaning, sustainability-demonstrating, open-space preserving Westwood Neighborhood Greenway about a quarter mile west of Palms Park and adjacent to Expo’s Westwood/Rancho Park station, expected to open in 2015/16.

And of course, there’s a Facebook page for the Greenway, too.

According to Weiss, Palms is already one of the most bike and pedestrian friendly neighborhoods in the City, and he sees it being even more so when the Expo bike path opens.

Once it does, he plans to bring BMX royalty and fans together to mark the birthplace of BMX where the bike path connects to Palms Park. And hopes publicity from the BMX connection will encourage school kids to take the new bike path to Hamilton High, Palms Elementary and Overland Avenue Elementary schools.

In addition, Weiss wants to help Angelenos appreciate their city’s history – something that can be missed by those speeding past Palms Park at the northeast corner of the Santa Monica Freeway at Overland Avenue.

Then again, that’s not the area’s only page in LA bike history.

Weiss also notes that “The Palms,” which was subdivided in unincorporated Los Angeles County in 1886 and annexed to the City of Los Angeles in 1915, played an important part in late-Nineteenth Century bike racing.

Palms was the midpoint of the Los Angeles to Santa Monica bicycle races, and its depot — now relocated to Heritage Square — provided convenient access to those who wanted to watch early racers barreling down Palms Hill.

That, too, can and should be marked on the Expo Bike path, though there are currently no plans in place.

Thanks to Jonathan Weiss for sharing his research with us, and his help in putting this together.

Look for the red arrow marking reference to Palms; image courtesy of Jonathan Weiss.

Look for the red arrow marking reference to Palms; image courtesy of Jonathan Weiss.

Ditto.

Ditto.

.

Category: General / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: BOLO alert for Brentwood hit-and-run driver

April 23, 2014 / / 5 comments

The LAPD wants your help in tracking down the hit-and-run driver who seriously injured a bike rider in Brentwood last November.

Brentwood BOLO

Then again, they might have better luck if they didn’t wait five months to ask for help next time.

Just a suggestion.

……..

Local

The LA Times offers the latest reminder about this weekend’s Finish the Ride to call attention to the problem of hit-and-run.

Wrap up next month’s Bike Week with the first Bike Night at Union Station.

KCRW’s beginning LA bike rider takes a Confident City Cycling course and concludes that drivers need bike education, too.

The Bike League looks at the Santa Monica Bike Center, now a Platinum-level Bike Friendly Business. And managed by the instructor of the afore mentioned CCC course.

Long Beach police are on the lookout for a bike riding groper.

 

State

Mark your calendar for the Honor Ride Irvine this August.

San Francisco motorists demand the restoration of balance in the city’s transportation planning; in other words, a return to all cars all the time.

I like it. San Francisco police virtually dare thieves to steal a bait bike. And pass out “Is this a bait bike?” stickers to post on your bike to make thieves think twice.

San Francisco’s bike share program expands to the East Bay despite the Bixi bankruptcy.

California’s proposed bike tax becomes a potential $5 fee on cars to repair and maintain bike paths in regional parks. Although I wonder how many voters, aka drivers, will be willing to tax themselves to fund bikes — especially when it requires a two-thirds majority.

 

National

This should be fun, as recently retired pro Dave Zabriskie commits to riding this year’s RAAM to promote Yield to Life as part of the Legends of the Road team.

A petition asks online fences websites Craigslist and EBay to require serial numbers on all bike ads. Of course, sellers could just lie about them, but still.

USA Today names Davis CA the best cycling town in America; my hometown comes in at number two.

Portland teens injure two people by throwing bricks at passing bike riders; one victim nearly loses an eye.

Ottumwa, Iowa Shriners are expecting 70 – 80 riders for a 30-mile Ride With the Clowns. Something like that could draw hundreds here; just don’t sniff any flowers.

Submitted without comment. North Carolina’s 21-time national champ admits to doping with amphetamines, synthetic testosterone and EPO. At age 62.

 

International

A Vancouver company plans bicycling sunglasses with a heads-up display.

A new World Health Organization report says if London achieved Copenhagen-like riding levels, it could save 500 lives a year and create 8,000 jobs.

David Hembrow looks at the good, the bad and the ugly of on-road bike lanes.

This time the tainted meat excuse actually works, as former Aussie world time trial champ Michael Rogers is cleared of doping charges after blaming Chinese meat.

 

Finally…

For the English-challenged members of the media, there is a big difference between “watch out for bike riders” and “beware of bicyclist.”

Seriously.

 

Category: Hit-and-Run, Law Enforcement, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Wrist slap for drunken hit-and-run killer; Breaking Away’s Dave Stoller was sort-of real

April 22, 2014 / / One comment

As expected, Wendy Villegas was sentenced to three years and eight months in an overly generous plea deal for the drunken hit-and-run death of Andy Garcia that left two other riders seriously injured, and robbed his fiancé of both her heart and future.

Yes, justice may have been served. But the time does not begin to suit the crime.

Especially for a driver who left Garcia laying in the road to be run over by a second vehicle, and was reportedly still drunk when she was arrested the next morning.

Had she stopped after the collision, it’s likely that the van that followed might have seen her and her victims, and managed to stop in time to avoid them. And Andy Garcia might — might — still be alive today.

We’ll never know.

Meanwhile, the judge made it clear that if Villegas did it again after she’s released, she’d face a minimum 15-years for murder.

So let’s get this clear.

You have to get drunk and kill a second person before the legal system takes it seriously. But you get a virtual pass on the first one.

Even if you don’t show any sign of giving a rat’s ass that you took the life of another human being, and shattered countless others.

Good to know.

If that pisses you off as much as it does me, join Damian Kevitt on Sunday as he finishes the ride interrupted by a hit-and-run driver last year.

……..

A preliminary hearing reveals 18-year old Sommer Gonzales had failed two drug tests while on probation for undisclosed crimes. And yet somehow, she was still allowed on the road to kill 21-year old cyclist Joe Robinson while driving under the influence.

Nice.

Gonzales has additional court hearings scheduled for May 19th and June 6th.

……..

Who knew?

Turns out there was a real Italian-obsessed, bike prodigy, Little 500-winning inspiration for the Dave Stoller character in Breaking Away, the movie that inspired my own lifelong obsession with bicycling. And Steve Tesich, who won an Academy Award for the screenplay, was his teammate in the winning race.

On the other hand, it looks like the hometown Cutters team was fictional, dammit. Although in a case of life imitating art, one was formed in response to the movie.

……..

Local

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton looks at the city’s Second Year bike lane implementation list, offering the kind of detailed analysis only he can. And says there’s more low-hanging fruit out there, despite official denials.

Flying Pigeon looks at the real victims of Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s inaction on Figueroa bike lanes, and calls on riders to Bike the Vote for Saturday’s Neighborhood Council elections.

A new petition calls for passage of AB 1922 to promote California greenways, particularly along the LA River.

Another reminder that Kidical Mass is coming to Santa Monica on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Annenberg Community Beach House along SaMo’s beachfront bike path celebrates its fifth anniversary this weekend; bike valet will be provided.

 

State

The Daily Pilot says don’t force OC cyclists onto dangerous Jamboree Road — ban cars from the Back Bay Drive, instead. I like the way they think.

Orange County cities are urged to compete for new funding for bike and pedestrian projects, while OCTA officials argue that bikes aren’t just for recreation. Thanks to Nick Gerda for the heads-up.

An HIV positive hemophiliac cyclist is setting of from Newport Beach on his third cross-country ride to raise funds for people with bleeding disorders.

A Sacramento man uses his bike to bypass heavy traffic from a major highway repair project.

 

National

Train for your next — or first — century in just seven weeks. Probably a better approach than my first century, which came when I misread a map and rode about 60 miles further than I intended.

The Alliance for Biking and Walking looks back at the National Open Streets Summit held recently in Los Angeles. And check out their great GIF from the Wilshire CicLAvia.

A Las Vegas cyclist learns the hard way that bike riders have to stop for emergency vehicles, too.

Detroit isn’t the exclusively auto-centric hellhole it used to be.

The body of an upstate New York man has been found nearly four years after he disappeared while riding his bike.

The NYPD says screw you to owners of impounded bikes, including the family of a fallen cyclist.

 

International

One of two surviving ex-Beatles rides a rental bike. The cute one. The Beatle, not the bike.

London’s transport authority apologizes after a driver cuts off a cyclist and calls him a knob; I know a lot of cyclists who’ve complained to LA’s Metro, but none who ever got a mea culpa in return.

A road raging UK motorist is given 10 months in jail and called a danger to cyclists after knocking a rider off his bike because they were riding two abreast. He also loses his license for three years.

Behavioral Science could help motorists drive more safely around bike riders. Maybe it could help them decide if this is a pill or a 90 mph bicycle.

Even Abu Dhabi is getting a new walking and cycling master plan.

A Sydney paper lists the world’s top 10 bicycling cities. Shocked! Shocked! I am that not a single US city made the list.

 

Finally…

Chicago doctor declares fast cyclists unfit for military service due to “bicycle heart.” In 1898.

And repeat after me. If you’re riding your bike at 5 am with five outstanding warrants while carrying meth and a Billy club, put a damn light on it already. The bike that is, not the Billy club.

 

Category: Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , ,

Calendar: Long list of bike events — NB Back Bay Ride, USC Venice Beach Ride and Eastside Taco Night

April 18, 2014 / / 2 comments

Please accept my best wishes for a blessed Pesach and a happy Easter. Whatever you celebrate — even if it’s just another beautiful LA weekend — I hope it’s filled with love, joy and bikes.

……..

Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

The battle to preserve bicycling on Newport Beach’s Back Bay Drive continues with three meetings this month:

  • 11am Sat April 19th, the day before Easter will likely be a very busy day on the Back Bay loop, so let’s go and observe. Meet at Bayside Drive North at PCH.
  • 5pm Wed April 30th meet at the Civic Center for a final review of the issues and recommendations that will appear in the sub-committee’s report to the Bicycle Master Plan Committee

The MOM Ridaz are volunteering to feed the homeless at the 3rd annual Sweet Home Sundae Bar sponsored by the Fred Jordan Missions and Rowe Cuisine on Saturday, April 19th from 10 am to 2 pm; two or possibly three feeder rides will lead to the event.

The USC Bicycle Coalition rides to Venice Beach on Saturday, April 19th. Meet at the intersection of Trousdale and Exposition, departing at 10 am and returning around 3:30 pm, 28 miles roundtrip.

The annual Taco Night sponsored by the Eastside Bike Club, Monrovia Cyclist and Stan’s Bike Shop takes place at 5 pm on Saturday, April 19th as a fund raiser for Tour de Cure. The event takes place at Stan’s Bike Shop, 800 Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia.

LA’s Bicycle District presents LA Culture Collide on Saturday, April 19th from 6 to 10 pm at Heliotrope and Melrose.

If you’re down in San Diego on Sunday, April 20th, the San Diego Bicycle Club hosts a ride in honor of local cycling legend and bike advocate Gordy Shields, who passed away last year. The conversationally paced 50 mile ride meets at 7:45 am at the Flagpole turnabout in front of Grossmont College, 8800 Grossmont College Drive, rolling at 8 am.

Kidical Mass returns to Santa Monica on Saturday, April 26th at Memorial Park, in the north parking lot off 14th Street. The event starts at 9 am with check-in, bike safety checks and helmet decorating, ride and community garden visit from 10 am to noon, with Pizza Party, Raffle Drawing and Prizes to follow.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 26th, when the Pomona Police Department will host a Kid’s Bike Rodeo; details to follow.

Saturday, April 26th, the City of Monterey Park host an Earth Day Bike Ride and Festival from 8 to 11 am at the Bruggemeyer Library, 318 S. Ramona Ave.

Help design what North Figueroa Blvd will look like 36 years from now with the Interactive Modeling Workshop: North Figueroa 2050 at the Bike Oven, 3706 N. Figueroa. It takes place on Saturday, April 26th at 4 pm, with light dinner and drinks at 5:30 pm.

The first bike-in theater of the year will be held on Saturday, April 26th as part of the LA2050 Listens on the LA River at Reseda Park, 18411 Victory Boulevard.

The annual Tour de OC returns on Saturday, April 26th to raise funds for abused and neglected kids; great cause. Rides of 25, 55 and 100 depart from Newport Mesa Church, 55 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa, with registration starting at 6 am on the day of the ride.

The San Fernando Valley Bike Club offers a twice monthly Compagni Group Ride — Italian for companion — on the second and fourth Sunday of every month; the next ride takes place on Sunday, April 27th. Click here for details and other rides; lots of other great sounding rides on the list, too.

The American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure Ship to Shore ride takes place on Sunday, April 27th at the Queen Mary, 1126 Queen’s Highway in Long Beach. Rides range from eight to 100 miles, with a $200 fundraising minimum.

On February 17th of last year, Damian Kevitt was hit by a minivan while riding his bike in Griffith Park. The driver attempted to flee the scene with Kevitt trapped under the vehicle, dragging him nearly 600 feet onto the 5 Freeway and leaving him for dead; the resulting injuries cost him a leg, and nearly took his life. On Sunday, April 27th, Kevitt is planning to finish the ride to raise funds for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Also on Sunday the 27th, Brewcyclers visits the new Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim; ride meets at 7:30 am at 1072 North Armando Street in Anaheim, rolling at 8 for a 47 mile round trip ride with just 950 feet of elevation gain.

LACBC Empowerment WorkshopsThe Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is hosting a series of workshops aimed at empowering local advocates. The next workshop, focusing on increasing membership, is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29th from 6:30 to 8 pm at LACBC Headquarters, 634 S. Spring Street in DTLA; click on the poster at left for additional dates, times and topics.

Filmmaker and frequent contributor Danny Gamboa is curating the Bike Love Art Show at the Bell Arts Factory, 432 N Ventura Ave in Ventura. The theme of the show is Bike or the Love of the Bicycle, with the opening reception to take place during the First Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 2nd at 6 pm.

The Ride 2 Recovery to benefit wounded vets returns to Southern California on Saturday, May 3rd in Thousand Oaks. The ride departs from the Lost Hills Sheriff Station, 27050 Agoura Hills Road, starting at 8 am; no cost for injured vets.

Celebrate the free Bike Fest of Long Beach on Saturday, May 3rd from 2 pm to 11 pm, with a number of events and activities for everyone, including the Wolfpack Hustle Shorline Crit and Stylish by Bike and Vintage Bike competitions hosted by Pedal Love.

One of the highlights of the LA bike calendar used to be the annual Bike Expo at the Convention Center, which sadly died to to declining interest. Now Santa Monica is picking up the mantle with the free Santa Monica Bike Expo on Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th at the Santa Monica Pier.

The theme of the LACBC’s May Sunday Funday Ride is May the Forest Be With You, offering a delayed Earth Day celebration hosted by board member Kevin Hopps. The ride meets at LACBC headquarters in Downtown LA, 634 S. Spring Street at 9:30 am on Sunday, May 4th.

Equestrians are fighting to have bikes banned from the Mairposa Bridge between Burbank and Griffith Park. The Burbank City Council will take up the matter on Tuesday, May 6th at pm, Burbank City Hall, 275 E. Olive.

The fully funded, approved and shovel ready bike lanes on North Figueroa are finally scheduled for a public hearing with council member Gil Cedillo, who has been dragging his feet for reasons know only to him. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 8th from 6 to 8 pm at Nightingale Middle School, 3311 North Figueroa Street.

Saturday, May 10th, marks the Grand Opening of the first protected bike lane in the San Gabriel Valley, on Rosemead Blvd between Las Tunas and Broadway in Temple City; ribbon cutting ceremony starts a 9 am, with a Community Festival from 10 am to 1 pm. CICLE, the Eastside Bike Club and Stan’s Bike Shop are leading a family-friendly community ride to the festival.

Sunday, May 11th marks the Cyclofemme LA Mother’s Day Bike Ride and Brunch, from 9 am to 1 pm at Grand Park, 200 North Grand Ave. Take a socially paced ride around Downtown LA to celebrate and honor women around the world, ending with brunch at the Angel City Brewery.

Join cyclists in 130 cities around the world in riding with CycloFemme on Sunday, May 11th. The California edition takes place in Ojai, with mountain bike and road rides starting at 11 am, with an after ride festival to follow.

The Amgen Tour of California runs from Sunday, May 11th to Sunday, May 18th, starting in Sacramento. Three SoCal stages are planned, Friday May 16th, Santa Clarita to Mountain High; Saturday May 16th, Santa Clarita to Pasadena, and the final stage on Sunday the 18th in Thousand Oaks. There are also two women’s races scheduled, in Sacramento on May 11th and on the 12th in Folsom.

Bike Week 2014 is set to unfold the week of May 12th, with preview events on Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th.

  • May 10th: Get Ready and Fix Your Bike!
  • May 11th: Bicycling is for Everyone Celebration!
  • May 12th: Kick-off Bike Week LA
  • May 13th: Blessing of the Bicycles; Ghost Bikes LA will be honored this year
  • May 14th: Guided Ride Day: Bike Lanes and More!
  • May 15th: Bike to Work Day
  • May 12th-18th: Bike Local Discounts

Pasadena starts off Bike Week on Monday, May 12th as CICLE hosts a Taste of Pasadena Ride from 6:30 to 9:30 pm; Memorial Park Pasadena at Raymond Ave and Holly Street for a tour of local eateries. And they finish Bike Week off with a mini-ciclovia from 11 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday, May 18th with Ride, Roll and Stroll, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, RSVP here.

Mark your calendar for Glendale’s 2nd Annual Jewel City Fun & Fitness Ride on Sunday, May 18th, with rides ranging from seven to 45 miles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Calbike is hosting the inaugural California by Bike Surf ’N Turf Tour. The multi-stage ride travels from Santa Barbara to San Diego, starting on Halloween and ending November 5th; registration opens May 1st.

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

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

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: A long list of good and bad Good Friday bike news

April 17, 2014 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: A long list of good and bad Good Friday bike news
Apropos of absolutely nothing, I kind of like this shadow shot from the recent Wilshire CicLAvia.

Apropos of absolutely nothing, I kind of like this shadow shot from the recent Wilshire CicLAvia.

It’s Friday. It’s Passover. It’s Good Friday. It’s spring break. It’s nice out. And no one is in the mood to work anyway.

So grab an extra cuppa joe and waste invest a few minutes — or maybe hours — catching up on all the latest bike news.

Or at least, everything that was interesting enough to include here.

………

Local

KPCC interviews Stan’s Bike Shop owner and Eastside Bike Club founder Carlos Morales. Carlos may have lost a few hundred pounds riding his bike, but you won’t find a bigger heart anywhere.

The LACBC updates their Bike Smart Rules of the Road for cyclists, with just about everything you need to know to ride safely and legally, in English and Spanish.

LA rider Johnny Lam chucks it all for a new career in bicycle touring. Nice work if you can get it.

LA’s Bicycle District hosts the LA Culture Collide block party this Saturday.

Get an early start to Bike Week with the Long Beach Bike Fest on May 3rd.

 

State

Turns out that bike stolen from an injured Santa Barbara cyclist wasn’t.

A Fresno hit-and-run leaves a father of four paralyzed; the coward who left him lying in the street still on the loose.

Nine years in jail for the Dublin teenager who bragged on Twitter about speeding before he killed a cyclist at 80 mph.

San Francisco encourages children to bike, roll or walk to school next week. If they wait a few weeks, they could do it on a shiny new contraflow bike lane.

Maybe they really have changed. Caltrans announces $360 million in new funding for healthy living projects.

 

National

Elly Blue asks you to pledge to never combine texting and driving in any way, while Boing Boing interviews her in a new podcast.

Enhanced visibility may not always be a good thing if it encourages target fixation. And if this jacket doesn’t do it, nothing will.

A Seattle cyclist is the victim of road raging driver in a hurry.

An ill-conceived Dallas helmet law stands in the way of the city’s planned bike share program.

Once again, a single misguided business owner attempts to block a protected bike lane, this time in Cincinnati.

A Minnesota salmon cyclist collides with car while riding under the influence — while on his way to work, no less.

A PA cyclist suffers a broken neck and ribs in a T-bone collision. With a deer.

New York bike commuting increased an average of 11% a year from 2006 to 2012.

Auto-centric Jefferson Parrish — the area surrounding New Orleans — proposes 460 miles of new bikeways in a new draft bike plan. Which is 460 miles more than they had two years ago.

 

International

Famed writer and Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote about scofflaw Columbian cyclists back in the 1950s.

Oops. A vial of pills that fell out of a rider’s kit during the Paris-Robaix classic has been passed on to UK anti-doping authorities. And yes, they know who dropped it.

American pro Chris Horner is officially out of the Giro after suffering a punctured lung and four broken ribs when he was hit with a mirror from a Range Rover; the 70-year old driver claims he didn’t know he hit anyone.

Road raging Aussie driver intentionally bumps a cyclist following an argument, then drives off dragging the victim’s bike underneath his car.

 

Finally…

Un-effing-believable. Two Texas men faces charges when they’re caught trying to dump the body of a cyclist they killed in a hit-and-run, after the victim landed in the bed of their pickup. Hopefully, a lot of charges with very long prison terms.

And if you’re a convicted felon carrying meth and burglary tools on your bike, you probably shouldn’t ride with a stolen shotgun poking out of your backpack.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: LACBC wants to empower local advocates, and a passel of mid-Passover/pre-Easter links

April 16, 2014 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: LACBC wants to empower local advocates, and a passel of mid-Passover/pre-Easter links

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is holding a series of workshops designed to empower local advocates.

We’ve already missed the first one; the next in the series takes place in the Edison Room of LACBC headquarters, 634 S. Spring Street, on Tuesday, April 29th.

LACBC Empowerment Workshops

……….

Local

LA County spends $1.3 a week in healthcare costs. Spending one week’s healthcare costs to revitalize the LA River for biking and walking would be an investment in prevention.

Malibu letter writer complains about cyclists on PCH not riding single file. But doesn’t bother to vote in the city election.

Streetsblog explains to Metro’s CEO that those interesting treatments he saw in Portland are called Bicycle Boulevards. Except when they’re not.

Formerly bike unfriendly Cal Poly Pomona is slowly adapting to alternative transportation, including bicycling, though funding remains an issue. They could start by changing the mindset that biking and walking are alternatives to anything.

 

State

Orange County transportation officials are finally taking bike safety seriously; thanks to Nick Gerda for the heads-up.

CycloFemme hosts a series of worldwide bike rides on May 11th, including a ride and festival in Ojai.

Pismo Beach could get its own bike share before we do.

Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious fame shows you can ride down a flight of stairs with a bike trailer. A small flight, anyway.

Once again, “I didn’t see her” is the universal Get Out of Jail Free card for a killer driver; nice to know there’s still no expectation for motorists to be aware of others on the road before they kill them.

Bike commuters are healthier, no matter what standard you use; when a bike wholesaler encouraged workers to ride, their healthcare premiums dropped 4.4% compared to an average increase of 24.6%.

 

National

Streetsblog offers a five point summary of the Alliance for Biking and Walking’s 200 page biannual benchmark report; things appear to be slowly trending in the right direction.

Eight depressing bike theft statistics. About half of all active cyclists have had their bikes stolen; only 2.4% of stolen bikes are ever recovered.

Sarah Goodyear asks if there is such a thing as a feminine way to ride a bike, while Elly Blue offers her take on the subject. I’m staying out of this one.

The problem with taxing cyclists in Seattle. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

My hometown is voted the second best bike friendly town in the US; Davis CA claims the crown as number one.

A Dallas bike task force promises to build out the city’s bike plan. And get rid of the helmet law.

A Baltimore bicyclist catches a frightening attack from a group of strangers on his helmet cam.

A South Carolina lawmaker backs off a proposed bill to license and insure bike riders, but still pretends it was intended to protects cyclists. Right.

 

International

In a shocking development, a British driver is actually sentenced to serious jail time for killing two cyclists while nearly two-and-a-half-times the legal blood alcohol limit.

A new study shows 28% of Brits haven’t been on a bike since childhood; another 35% haven’t ridden in the past decade.

The widow of a fallen UK cyclist pledges to finish the charity ride he couldn’t complete.

Scottish cyclists prepare to Pedal on Parliament again; the first time it was a flash mob, today it’s a movement.

Lovely Bicycle says the right bike for you is the one you’ll ride.

Veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars ride through Vietnam to raise funds for veterans of that war who’d like to return but can’t afford it.

Kiwi parents are too afraid to let their kids bike to school.

Hong Kong’s competitive cyclists say rules restricting them to cycle paths hurt their training and are killing their sport.

 

Finally…

There’s a special place in hell for someone who’d steal a Santa Barbara cyclist’s bike while emergency personnel are tending to him after he’s hit by a car.

And it turns out Kim Kardashian can’t ride a bike after all.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: BOLO for dangerous San Fernando Valley driver and disappearing Bike Plan bikeways

April 14, 2014 / / One comment

An impatient Ford truck driver allegedly ran over a cyclist at Winnetka and Roscoe last Saturday morning, after honking and telling the rider to get out of his way so he could make a right. He then backed up and fled the scene.

A photo included in the report clearly shows the license number of the truck; no word on whether the rider was injured or if incident has been reported to the police.

If not, it should be.

Update: Frequent contributor Micheal Eisenberg reports seeing two apparently uninjured riders talking to a police officer at Roscoe and Winnetka as he rode by Saturday morning.

……..

LA’s city council-approved 2010 bike plan has been incorporated into the draft Mobility Plan 2035. Except, apparently, the parts that haven’t. Could this mark the return of the much maligned — and deservedly so — “Currently Infeasible” category from the original draft bike plan?

Meanwhile, City Planning is hosting a webinar Thursday evening to discuss year two of the bike plan; maybe you can ask them where the missing miles went.

……..

Local

The rebranded Gran Fondo Italia has dumped the Beverly Hills edition.

Joe Anthony captures a hyper drive nighttime ride through the streets of LA on his bike cam.

Make your plans for Thursday night, when a Treats and Beats ride will be held to celebrate the opening of a new Huntington Park bike parklet.

Monterey Park and BikeSGV host a free, family friendly community bike ride for Earth Day. Meanwhile, the very busy BikeSGV hosts an Open House Bike Social to kickoff Bike Month.

Five Azusa Pacific students are biking from Seattle to New York to raise funds for clean water.

 

State

Streetsblog updates transportation bills before the state legislature, including a proposed vulnerable user law and a rapidly sinking bike tax.

Orange County officials host a workshop on bike safety following recent bicycling deaths; that should be the response to every bike and pedestrian fatality, anywhere.

Cross champion Tim Johnson bridges the gap between racing and advocacy.

In advance of Bike to Work Day, the no sweat way to bike to work.

San Francisco commits to 24 Vision Zero projects to eliminate bike and pedestrian deaths.

A Chico State student sees the thief ride by as she’s reporting her stolen bike to the police.

 

National

A new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center looks at the whack jobs people and groups behind the anti-Agenda 21 conspiracy theories and the damage they do.

Bob Mionske discusses what to do when you’re not the slowest vehicle on the road; California also allows cyclists to pass on the right.

Is the Internet threatening the iconic bike-riding Mormon missionaries?

A Seattle bike shop owner is charged with running a chop shop to fence stolen bikes. Schmuck.

Yes, says a writer from my hometown, drivers have a responsibility to keep cyclists safe.

American bicycling may have been born in Newton Mass.

Needless to say, the alleged jackass who killed a triathlete in New Orleans over the weekend blames the victims for swerving into his path; physical evidence and witness testimony suggest he plowed into them instead of changing lanes to go around — while driving with a suspended license, no less.

 

International

London will cut speed limits to 20 mph in the central city in a bid to save lives.

Anti-bike saboteurs have struck once again, strewing nails in the path of riders participating in a UK sportive. Crap like this is a crime, not at prank; a sudden flat could cause a rider to fall, leading to potentially catastrophic injuries.

A bike-centric service was held for the world’s fastest bike-riding police officer, killed in a British velodrome accident last month.

While Brit bike commuting is on the upswing, it’s dropped over a quarter in the Cotswolds.

Velonews wraps up Sunday’s unpredictable Paris-Roubaix.

After running down a bike rider while texting, an Aussie driver complains to police about the damage the rider caused to her car, and says she doesn’t believe texting while driving could cause a collision with a cyclist, even though she swears she wasn’t. Nice.

 

Finally…

Your next text could be from your bike. Telling you it’s been stolen.

And Major Taylor’s 101-year old track bike could be yours for just $20,000; why isn’t this in a museum already? Seriously, if you don’t know who Major Taylor was by now, you should.

A happy and blessed Pesach to all who observe it!

Category: Car vs Bike, Hit-and-Run, Morning Links, Road Rage, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: LA County candidate questionnaires, and insights and smiles from Cycling in the South Bay

April 13, 2014 / / One comment

Believe it or not, there’s yet another local election on the horizon.

And like last year’s race for LA mayor and city council, this one could have a long-lasting effect on your ability to ride safely and comfortably in the County of Angels.

As well as whether you’ll get a ticket for things like taking the lane or riding two or more abreast.

Two of LA County’s longtime supervisors are termed out, and the battle is on to replace them. District 1’s Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky in District 3 are both leaving office this year. And while they’ve both been bike supporters, this election provides an opportunity to ensure that we vote in bicycle friendly candidates to replace them.

Because whoever replaces them will play a big role in ensuring the roll-out of the new county bike plan, as well as ensuring bikes are considered in county spending and any new laws that get passed.

Like adopting a bicyclist anti-harassment ordinance on a countywide basis, for instance.

Perhaps even more important to your daily ride, at least in the short term, the county is also electing a new sheriff who will determine how laws affecting bicycling are interpreted by sheriff’s deputies patrolling the streets. And how seriously crimes affecting cyclists — from bike theft to hit-and-run — will be taken in the county and cities patrolled by the department, including West Hollywood and Malibu.

Working with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Planning and Policy Director Eric Bruins, the LACBC’s Civic Engagement Committee has developed a list of questions for the candidates in all three races to measure their support for cycling, and how they would address the issues facing bicyclists once they’re elected.

You can read the questionnaires for County Supervisor and LA County Sheriff by clicking on the links here.

And you can help by reaching out to the candidates for District 1, District 2, and County Sheriff and urging them to complete the questionnaires, and asking about them at any meet-the-candidate events.

Because you have a right to know where they stand on the issues that matter to you before you cast your ballot.

……….

It’s been awhile since we’ve checked in with the always entertaining Cycling in the South Bay.

Today’s offerings include a great remembrance of chasing down a rude roadie on a 30 pound bike. In flip flops. With a kindergartener on the back.

Along with a look at the “long term stress caused by being taken within an inch of your life, every day, multiple times a day, for the simple act of riding a bicycle on a public road,” which Seth aptly terms Post Traumatic Jackass Syndrome.

You know, I think I suffer from that one myself.

……….

Local

It’s been a busy bike weekend for LADOT and the Bureau of Street Services, with the first hint of new bike lanes installed in Highland Park and the York Blvd bridge.

Arch rivals USC and UCLA come together over bicycling, as the two school’s bike coalitions join together to host Bike Talk.

LADOT Bike Blog explains why this month’s Finish the Ride matters. And yes, it does.

Kidical Mass returns to Santa Monica April 26th.

CLR Effect looks at Sunday’s LA-Roubaix ride; the ride looks incredible, and as usual, Michael offers some amazing photos.

Downey’s Firestone Bridge is undergoing reconstruction and widening, with bike lanes to be added to connect with existing lanes on either side.

 

State

Two public meetings and a bike ride have been scheduled to consider a request to limit bike use on Newport Beach’s Back Bay Drive.

Roughly 150 San Diego cyclists turn out to remember fallen cyclist David Voigt.

A former Marine who lost his legs in Afghanistan finishes a 5,200 mile cross-country bike ride at Camp Pendleton. He may not have legs anymore, but that guy’s got some serious huevos.

Pedal Love talks with the director of People Power of Santa Cruz County.

Actually, you can ride with diabetes, as these competitive cyclists prove.

 

National

Sometimes it’s okay to create congestion if it leads to a seamless network of bikeways.

A DIY lighting project can turn your bicycle into something from TRON.

Even Topeka KS is investing in bikeways, leading to more respectful drivers and fewer scofflaw riders; just imagine what Illinois can accomplish with $52 million.

After raising $61 million to fight cancer through an Ohio bike ride, a cancer survivor starts a new company to stage similar rides across the country.

Speaking of which, you can raise money to fight childhood cancer by riding from Austin to New Orleans. Best part is, at the end of a great bike ride through the bayou country, you’re in the Big Easy.

Although that’s not always a good thing, as a firefighter from Atlanta is killed and another rider critically injured in a rear-end collision while training for a New Orleans triathlon.

We’ve mentioned this one before, but it’s worth repeating as a 10 year old boy celebrates his birthday — and devotes his spring break — to riding his bike across South Carolina to raise funds for safe drinking water.

 

International

Egypt’s likely next president sets off a firestorm by riding a bicycle; debate seems to center on the price of his bike.

A Philippine writer calls for an end to the language of neglect and denial, and urges everyone to stop calling collisions accidents. Couldn’t agree more, and I hope the LA press is listening.

Another day, another pro rider seriously injured in a car collision while training.

 

Finally…

Repeat after me. If you’re going to ride a bike at 3 am carrying burglary tools, dope and someone else’s ID and credit cards, put a damn light on it.

And a San Diego area man deliberately runs down a bike rider and gets away with it. Then again, the rider was attempting to flee after robbing a convenience store and attacking the clerk with a hatchet.

 

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,
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