Tag Archive for bikepacking

Cheating alleged in Lyft’s Metro Bike bid, questioning rescue of Georgia bikepacker, and PCH study comments extended

Day 143 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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My apologies to everyone who found an unfinished — or unstarted, for that matter — draft of today’s post in your inbox. 

And yes, spellcheck, unstarted is a real word.

But’s that’s what happens when have too many windows open on your screen, and inadvertently hit the “publish” button when you try to click on one.

Not for the first time, I might add. 

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Now that we have that out of the way —

Today is the unofficial start of the three-day holiday weekend. Which means lots of people leaving work early, and not paying attention to anything but where they wish they already were right now.

Like bikes, for instance.

And long weekends mean parties and barbecues — and a lot of drinking and other forms of imbibing.

So ride defensively all weekend, and assume every driver you see is under the influence of something. Because more than a few probably will be.

I just want to see you back here safe and sound on Tuesday.

And try to take a few moments to remember what this holiday is all about, anyway.

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Raise your hand if you’d be shocked to learn there may have been cheating in awarding the new Metro Bike contract.

Hello? Anyone?

Is this thing on?

Streetsblog reports Metro directors delayed what was expected to be a pro forma vote to award Lyft the contract to operate the city’s docked bikeshare program yesterday — despite a unanimous vote by the Metro Operations Committee to advance the contract.

And after two previous botched attempts at awarding the contract.

But according to LA Public Press, the vote was pulled after allegations were raised that Lyft had inside information giving them an unfair advantage, in violation of Los Angeles ethics rules.

And yes, we have ethics rules, as hard as it is to believe at times.

Anne Marie Drolet, a bike mechanic and shop steward with the bike share union Transportation Workers Union Local 320, told LA Public Press that the allegations, if proven, should disqualify Lyft from the bidding process.

“Lyft’s bid once again seems very unfair, like they’re getting a leg up,” Drolet said. “One of their subcontractors helped write the [request for proposals]. I think it’s ridiculous [Lyft is] still in the running.”

Alta Planning + Design, a transportation design company founded in 1996 with offices in the U.S. and Canada, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Metro has previously hired the company to do things like design transportation plans that capture the highest number of riders at transit stations.

LA Public Press also reports that Metro was on the cusp of making the change despite limited cost savings that amount to a rounding error in the massive Metro budget.

Lyft’s proposal claims it can cut costs, build new docking stations, add more e-bikes to the fleet, and develop a new bike share app.

But Metro documents show Lyft’s current proposal offers minimal cost savings. The company said it can operate bike share for $198 million, while BTS says it can operate the program for $202 million.

Opponents of the company’s bid have also pointed out current CEO David Risher’s comments that the company’s takeover of bike share programs is part of a push to get more people using Lyft for ride-hailing.

It’s possible — likely, in fact — that the allegations are an effort by current program operator BTS and unionized Metro Bike mechanics to derail the shift in management.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.

And even if it’s not, is it worth risking the bikeshare program as the city prepares to host the World Cup and ’28 Olympics by shifting to a company which has had a spotty record in other cities?

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It’s been a little more than a week since the “miraculous” rescue of Georgia bikepacker Tiffany Slaton after she got lost in the mountains above Fresno, surviving three weeks on wild leeks and melted snow.

But apparently, not everyone believe her story.

According to the Los Angeles Times,

(Fresno County Sheriff spokesperson Tony) Botti defended Slaton, saying that the woman didn’t report herself missing and “there is no evidence to show she knew we were searching for her.”

Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni called Slaton’s journey “an incredible story of perseverance, determination and survival” saying it is “something that you may see on TV that they would make movies about.”

On the other hand, a Redditor had this to say.

“I’m glad to see that other people don’t believe this story. So many things don’t add up, I hope this office investigates fully since resources were used,” a person wrote on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook. “It’s embarrassing to think people believe someone fell off a cliff, survived 2 hours unconscious (guess she was timing it), popped her knee back into place, and traveled 20 miles after splinting her leg.”

Even the experts had questions. Experienced Sierra mountain guide Howie Schwartz didn’t doubt Slaton was lost.

But,

“It doesn’t seem like a story you can really wrap your head around,” Schwartz told The Times. “Falling off a cliff, having to splint her leg. You don’t splint your leg unless your leg is broken and if your leg is broken, you’re not walking miles on it.”

Never mind the Redditors who said she was probably crazy, embellished her story, or looking for a book deal or crowdfunding cash.

Which probably explains why her parents shut their crowdfunding page down. But not until it had raised over $23,000.

Then again, those same doubts also popped up in my own Twitter/X feed.

So what’s the answer? Don’t ask me.

Her story does seem kind of incredible. But the best stories usually are.

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Caltrans uses a lot more words than necessary to say they’re giving you more time to comment on the PCH Master Plan Feasibility Study.

Maybe they had to use them all before the weekend.

ADDENDUM ADDED TO THE PCH MASTER PLAN FEASIBILITY STUDY AND EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is pleased to announce that an addendum has been added to the PCH Master Plan Feasibility Study. The addendum, described in Section 7, Project Prioritization/Phasing of the Draft Study, consists of a qualitative evaluation matrix assessing the Study’s recommendations for alignment with the Study’s goals as well as statutory mandates and guidelines related to long-range corridor planning. By demonstrating alignment with mandates and guidelines related to corridor management, the Study is better positioned for additional funding opportunities to support the implementation of its recommendations. The results of the evaluation matrix can be found in Appendix E: Evaluation Matrix.

To ensure the public and stakeholders have time to review the update, the comment period has been extended from June 9, 2025, to June 16, 2025. The updated Draft Study can be viewed here.

Caltrans invites members of the public, stakeholders, and any interested individuals to review the Draft Study and leave your thoughts in the comment box provided here or via email to 07-pchmpfs@publicinput.com. When providing comments via email, please include the relevant section title, page number, figure, or table number when applicable to help us accurately locate the part of the document you’re commenting on.

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Streets For All shares video of their virtual happy hour with LA City Attorney candidate Marissa Roy.

I never know how much to tip my virtual bartender. Or a Waymo driver, for that matter.

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Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, posts video of the recent die-in on the steps of City Hall.

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Active SGV hosts free two-hour ebike rentals this weekend.

https://twitter.com/ActiveSGV/status/1925644608425410632

Here’s the link if Elon is still screwing up proper embedding of Twitter/X posts.

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Of course a bicyclist who used to be a driver would have no idea what a traffic light is. Especially when it comes to right turns.

Or left.

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

Tres shock! New York’s police commissioner says her cops are only targeting reckless ebike riders for six offenses along 14 key corridors; Streetsblog says it ain’t necessarily so.

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Local 

Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman reports on the celebratory grand opening of the “transformative” Rail-to-Rail bike/walk path in South LA.

Long Beach is launching a 12-month pilot program allowing both private and shared e-scooters along the shoreline bike and pedestrian path.

 

State

Palm Springs bike riders demanded action on safety improvements while honoring fallen bicyclists at Wednesday’s Ride of Silence.

The Santa Barbara Independent says the city’s bicycling rates are inching up while bicycling injuries climb, making both bike and Vision Zero goals “distant.”

 

National

A magazine for lawyers examines the legal challenges facing bike riders injured by distracted and/or reckless drivers. Best advice, document everything and find a good lawyer to walk through your options. Like one of those guys over there on the right. 

The Independent lists eight American cities that are surprising great for bicycling. Seven of which actually are. And yes, I’m looking at you, Houston.

The Today Show highlights a dad going viral for his daily bike rides with his seven-year old daughter.

Nice. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed the nation’s first law permitting shared streets, with a 10 mph speed limit and strict rules requiring people on bicycles to yield to pedestrians, and drivers to yield to bike riders. Which is how it should be, anyway. 

Salt Lake City is pulling the plug on its ebike incentive program after funding nearly 300 vouchers last year, citing a flat budget for the coming year. But wouldn’t a flat budget mean they could fund everything they did the previous year?

An Idaho dancer says ballet is just like riding a bike. And he should know, since he rides a bike to stay in shape for ballet, mentally and physically.

Damn. A Texas jury gave the parents of an eight-year old bike-riding boy killed by a young man driving a family business truck just at tad more than the $1.1 million they were asking for, awarding them a whopping $80 million. Let’s hope that’s a very valuable family business they’ve got there.  

Your next bike parts could come from a Topeka vending machine. Which wouldn’t be the first thing I’ve bought from a vending machine in Topeka.

 

International

Seriously? London emergency rooms are supposedly buckling because of a surge in demand due to “Lime bike leg,” caused by people trapped by the weight of collapsing ebikes that are “around four times heavier than regular cycles,” while a surgeon warns of “life-threatening injuries.” Call it the modern equivalent of bicycle face.

We know a guy on a bike can beat a someone in a car, but can a London bike rider beat another guy riding the Tube across one of the world’s busiest cities? Would I be writing this if he couldn’t?

A 2,000-mile circular relay ride will connect all 42 Anglican cathedrals in the UK. Or as they call them over there, cathedrals.

A British bike club is proving that age is no barrier to learning how to ride a bike.

 

Competitive Cycling

Your new US national time trial champs are Emily Ehrlich and Artem Schmidt.

Mexico’s Isaac del Torro continues to lead the Giro, as Olav Kooij of the Netherlands won a mass sprint Thursday with a leadout from Wout van Aert. Meanwhile, a reader named Steven points out that del Torro’s name translates to “laughter of the bull,” which seems oddly appropriate.

A Utah newspaper profiles 23-year old Utah native Natalie Quinn as she fights to rise in women’s cycling — without getting paid, after joining American team Cynisca Cycling midseason when the British team she was on folded. Which pretty much sums up the problems with the current state of women’s cycling.

Kenyan cycling coach Evan Wangai discusses his journey from boda boda driver to pro cyclist.

 

Finally…

Why line the bike lane with ugly yellow posts when you can have recycled red plastic tulips? Always use a bicycle as a getaway vehicle for your baby gator heists.

And who needs lube when you’ve got…sand.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Missing bikepacker found safe, guilty verdict in meth-fueled death of 12-year old OC boy, and letter demands action on HLA

Day 140 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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My apologies for the extended absence. 

The problems I was having with low blood pressure last week cascaded into a crisis over the weekend I was lucky to weather without ending up in the ER.

Although I probably should have, according to my wife, anyway. 

I have no problem accepting my mortality, given that, as a diabetic in my late 60s, I have a life expectancy somewhere between a fruit fly and a green banana. 

And I accept that I may never ride my road bike again. Or maybe any bike, for that matter. 

But I worry about what happens to this site when the day finally comes that I can’t do it anymore. 

In the meantime, I’ll do my best to keep things going on a regular basis. Or often as my aging body lets me, anyway.

So let’s get back to it. 

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Let’s start with some good news.

The Georgia woman who had been missing in the rugged California mountains for three weeks was found safe.

Twenty-two-year old Tiffany Slaton disappeared while on an bikepacking trip above Fresno, after she was last seen stopping at a general store.

She was found when the owner of a mountain resort that had been closed for the winter went to get it ready to open, and found her hunkered down inside surviving on wild leeks and boiled snow.

She had lost most of her belongings, abandoning her ebike at a trailhead, and surviving 13 snowstorms in the process.

She had also lost ten pounds.

But she was safe and alive, and soon reunited with her parents, who were stunned and overjoyed by the news.

Photo by Gantas Vaičiulėnas from Pexels.

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Guilty.

An Orange County jury found 64-year old Richard David Lavalle guilty of 2nd degree murder for the meth-fueled death of a 12-year old bike rider.

The Long Beach man was convicted of killing Noel Bascomb as he was riding a bicycle with his father in a Costa Mesa crosswalk in December, 2020.

The boy’s father was forced to watch the crash that killed his son, screaming for Lavalle to stop his pickup before crushing Noel’s bicycle, and catapulting the boy roughly 120 feet through the air.

Police founds drugs in Lavalle’s truck, and he was unable to stand on one foot for a field sobriety test following the crash; a blood test found meth in his blood hours after the crash.

Although his wife, who was riding in the passenger seat, tried to claim the drugs were hers.

Lavalle had previously been convicted driving under the influence in San Diego County, which allowed prosecutors to upgrade the charge from manslaughter to murder.

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No surprise here.

Streets For All, the original sponsor of Measure HLA, took a look at the the status of HLA projects that the city reports on the official HLA website, and find it, well, lacking.

Tres shock!

They responded with a letter calling the city out for its failure, and urging it to work with them going forward.

Speaking of HLA, Streets For All urges you to support a version of the law in LA County tomorrow at the virtual meeting of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Community Services Cluster.

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Nice to see Los Angeles recognized for something good for a change, as CNN makes the case for why Griffith Park may be the country’s greatest city park.

At 4,210 acres, Griffith outshines other extraordinary city parks of the US, such as San Francisco’s Golden Gate, which barely tops 1,000 acres, and New York’s Central Park, a mere 843 acres. Griffith’s peaks tower above those flat competitors too, with nearly 1,500 feet in elevation gain, making it practically vertical in orientation. And LA’s crown jewel of a park is still largely uncut, much of it remaining a wilderness area preserved more than 100 years ago, and barely developed, unlike the pre-planned “wild” designs of Golden Gate and Central Park.

Add its history, views, recreation opportunities, unique and hidden spaces, a free Art Deco observatory and museum, the most famous sign in America and the park’s overall star-power, and you have a compelling case that Griffith is not just epic in scope but the greatest city park in the nation.

There’s something for everyone there: a zoo, playgrounds and an old-timey trainyard for the kids; challenging and steep trails for hikers; dirt paths for equestrians; paved roads for bikers; diverse flora and fauna for nature enthusiasts; and museums for the science and history learners.

Take that, New York.

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Gravel Bike California makes a run for the border by riding the Taco Bell Century with Grizzly Cycles.

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Cate Blanchett is one of us.

Seriously. What could beat Blanchett on a bike?

Cate Blanchett having the time of her life, as captured by photographer Annie Leibovitz.#BicycleBirthday Cate BlanchettBorn May 14, 1969

Cool Bike Art (@coolbikeart1.bsky.social) 2025-05-14T20:01:24.143Z

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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 British paper says the only surprising thing about a London pedestrian being killed by an ebike rider earlier this year is that there aren’t more cases like it. Which is a pretty good indication that it’s not as big a problem as they’re trying to make it out to be. 

An 18-year old New Zealand man was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after throwing a bottle at from the SUV he was riding in, striking participants in a local bike race — including an 11-year old cyclist.

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

The notoriously anti-bike New York Post writes that the city must stop treating bicyclists like a special class, for everyone’s safety. Because it’s not treating bike riders like a special class at all when the cops give scofflaw bicyclists criminal summonses that drivers aren’t subject to, apparently (see National news below).

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Local 

Speed cams are finally coming to Los Angeles, with operations scheduled to begin by the middle of next year — if they can survive the usual public comment period.

LA officials officially unveiled the first 5.5-mile segment of the Rail-to-Rail Active Transportation Corridor multiuse path linking three Metro train lines through South LA.

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers photos and an open thread from Sunday’s Pico-Union CicLAmini.

Metro is holding a series of meetings to gather feedback on the Sepulveda Transit Corridor project, starting with a virtual meeting this Wednesday.

The West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition will host their annual WeHo Pride Ride on Sunday, June 1st.

The Pasadena Ride of Silence will roll at the Rose Bowl Wednesday evening to remember fallen bike riders; Palm Springs will hold one on Wednesday, too.

Caltrans unveiled their draft feasibility study for safety changes on the 21 miles of PCH through the ‘Bu; needless to say, commenters immediately complained about plans for protected bike lanes.

A Venice man relates his attack by a ranting man who shouted that “all bikes must be destroyed” while he was walking his bicycle on the Santa Monica Pomenade recently.

 

State

Streetsblog says “here we go again,” as the California Ebike Incentive Program gears-up for their next attempt at a second round of ebike incentives, after failing so badly at two previous attempts.

No surprise here, either. Calbike says the state has got its transportation spending priorities wrong, as Newsom’s revised budget calls for continued highway spending, but fails to restore funding for active transportation that was cut last year.

Streets Are For Everyone says red light cams work and calls for support for SB 720, which would update California’s red light camera programs and allow cities and counties to opt in. 

Encinitas held an open streets event this weekend, too.

No bias here, either. After the La Mesa council voted to build eight bike lane and sidewalk projects near the city’s schools, a San Diego TV station can only manage frame the story through the lens of the single councilmember who voted against it — then somehow says the city is divided.

Sad news from Santa Barbara, where a 36-year old woman faces multiple charges for killing an ebike rider — including gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI and driving without a license — yet somehow, police still managed to blame the victim for causing the crash.

 

National

A reporter for NPR says bike riding helps with long-term knee and health problems, even if like life, it doesn’t always make sense. True enough. Riding a bike helped keep my failing knee going for a couple decades after a surgeon told me it needed to be replaced. And hid my diabetes for at least that long.

Nevada’s attempt at a Stop As Yield bill died in the state legislature, victim of an arbitrary cutoff date.

Colorado authorities are asking for the public’s help finding a hit-and-run driver who killed a 41-year old man riding a bicycle in Boulder County on Sunday. Note that they asked for help right away, rather than waiting until the trail has run cold and people have forgotten key details, like the LAPD does.

In a story that hits a little too close to home, police still haven’t solved the fatal shooting of a 47-year old man riding a bicycle just 17 miles from my bike-friendly Colorado hometown.

A Manhattan Criminal Court judge gave scofflaw bike riders a good darn talking to on the first day of court for bicyclists given a criminal complaint by the NYPD, rather than a standard ticket for traffic violations; however, not everyone thinks that’s a good idea.

 

International

Bike Radar asks if the latest crop of ebikes have become too powerful, and could be harming the reputation of mountain biking.

You’ve got to be kidding. A British coroner ruled that the crash that killed a bicyclist was “unavoidable,” following testimony from the driver that the dark-clad victim “suddenly” appeared in front of her car after she “momentarily” looked down at her gear shift. Because a) bike riders don’t “suddenly” appear out of nowhere, and b) no crash is “unavoidable.”

An Irish writer says most of the complaints about Dublin bicyclists are actually people on bicycle-shaped objects, aka illegally modified mo-peds and electric motorbikes. Which is probably the case in California’s beach cities, too. 

How Paris became Europe’s best city for young bike riders.

Horrible news from Japan, where a 70-year old Osaka man jumped or fell from a high-rise condo, and landed on a man riding a bicycle in the street below; the victim was believed to be a 59-year old man from a city over 300 miles away.

Sad news from Australia, where 63-year old former pro wrestler Mike Raybeck, aka Maxx Justin and Mike Diamond, was killed in a collision while riding his bike home from work.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cycling Weekly looks at 21-year old Mexican cyclist Isaac del Toro, after the Baja California native became the first Mexican cyclist to wear the pink leader’s jersey in the Giro.

Nineteen-year old British cyclist Matthew Brennan is making waves on the WorldTour with seven wins in just 23 days.

Good question. A Colorado public radio station asks why bike racing has struggled to succeed in the state when it has such a strong bicycling culture. Although it’s not just Colorado; pro cycling has struggled everywhere in the US, as former fans of the Tour of California can attest.

Cycling Weekly looks at this week’s 2025 USA Cycling Road Nationals — starting with 15 paracycling titles awarded on day one.

 

Finally…

You know your locked bike was stripped when thieves even take your handlebar grips. How do you celebrate a Spanish soccer championship? With a bike ride, of course.

And are you at risk for kyphosis bicyclistarum, or bicyclist’s stoop?

Thanks to Steven Hallet for that last one.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

Morning Links: San Jose driver slams two bike riders, former musher’s epic bike journey, and new human bike record

Let’s start with this understated quote from a San Jose cop.

“Well, you can imagine, she hit two bicyclists. She’s obviously very shaken up and distraught,” said Tepoorten.

As well she should be.

Considering the woman killed one bike rider and left the other critically injured and clinging to life.

Although something tells me the families and loved ones of the victims are pretty damn distraught, too.

The victims were riding in a marked bike lane when the driver pulled out of a San Jose strip mall parking lot and slammed into them yesterday morning; somehow going fast enough to cause life-threatening injuries to two people, despite just leaving the lot.

“Any time you’re exiting a parking lot, you have yield to pedestrian, vehicle traffic, as well as bicycles. So, the bicyclists would have the right of way because they were already in the roadway traveling southbound on Vistapark,” said Gena Tepoorten of the San Jose Police Department. “She was exiting a parking lot, we know, when this happened.”

Particularly since parking lots are usually controlled with either a stop sign or stop light, suggesting she had to speed through one or the other to cause that much harm.

Thanks to John McBrearty for the heads-up.

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Earlier this year, my former Iditrod sled dog-mushing brother Eric — former musher and particle physicist, that is, not former brother — wrote a guest post on here describing last year’s epic bike ride from the Pacific Northwest back to his home in western Colorado.

Now he’s off on his latest adventure, a three and a half month bikepacking journey that will take him up to Seattle, down the left coast to Tijuana, and back up to Colorado, hitting a number of national and state parks along the way.

Not to mention a brief layover at BikinginLA world headquarters in Hollywood.

I’m not active on Facebook these days, but you can follow along on his journey there if you want to vicariously take part in the adventure.

And who knows? Maybe we can all talk him into giving a talk once he gets to LA.

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There’s a new world record for the largest human-formed bicycle, beating the effort to promote the Amgen Tour of California at the Rose Bowl earlier this year.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes goes on.

A road raging Cincinnati, Ohio man is being held on a charge of felonious assault for intentionally swerving in front of a bike rider and dooring him from his moving truck, leaving the victim with serious injuries.

F. Lehnerz forwards video of a road raging driver who brake checked a group of bike riders, then got out of his car to scream at them for the crime of not riding their bikes the way he thought they should. Unfortunately, no word on where this took place.

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Local

Bike the Vote LA has endorsed environmentalist and professor Loraine Lundquist in the special election for the San Fernando Valley’s 12th Council District.

Visions of Venice Blvd. Seventy-five people turned out to protest the road diet and bike lanes on the Broadway corridor in Long Beach, arguing that they make the street more dangerous. The bike lanes, not the people. Though they probably do, too.

 

State

San Diego drivers are confused by the new parking protected bike lanes in the downtown area.

No bias here. A San Diego weekly says the city’s mayor and a councilmember effectively told local civic groups to drop dead because they didn’t adopt the groups plans for preserving parking in the Mid City area; instead opting to remove 420 mostly unused curbside parking spaces to install protected bike lanes.

The Bay Area’s BART trains will now include straps to secure bicycles in the car’s bike section, allowing bike riders to ride more safely and comfortably, without having to stand and hold their bikes. Let’s hope LA Metro and Metrolink are paying attention.

Only a third of San Francisco’s fatal hit-and-runs result in charges, while a full 40% of the cases go unsolved, leading to heartbreak and frustration for those left behind. On the other hand, only 8% of LA’s hit-and-runs, fatal or otherwise, ever get solved. Thanks to Robert Leone for the link. 

There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole two adaptive bicycles from a Sacramental special needs boy who suffers from verbal, physical and intellectual disabilities.

 

National

Bicycling examines the futuristic Fuell Fluid-1 ped-assist ebike designed by engineer and motorcycle racer Erik Buell and Formula 1 designer Frédéric Vasseur. The magazine also lists what they consider the best bike buys on Amazon Prime Day. But check with your favorite local bike shop first before you click the buy button.

No one is using Aspen, Colorado’s new $20,000 bike lockers, even though they rent for just $40 a season and have been moved to other locations to draw more interest. For 40 bucks, I’ll take one if they’ll move it to Los Angeles. Or move me to Aspen. 

An older Boulder CO bike rider wants to know what happened to the formerly common bike courtesy of calling out “On your left!” when passing another rider or pedestrian. Good question, although I’ve found “Passing on your left” to be more effective. But whether you use your voice or a bell, some sort of audible warning should be given.

There’s also a special place in hell for whoever stole a 15-year old Idaho BMX champ’s bike, preventing him from competing this year.

Three bike riders were injured riding over rough railroad tracks on a tune-up ride for Iowa’s popular RAGBRAI, at least one after being directed across by a police officer, despite fire trucks apparently responding to earlier injuries.

A New York website says inadequate traffic enforcement is undermining Vision Zero, as killer drivers too often walk with little or no consequences for taking the life of another human being.

How to tell when an intersection is too dangerous. A bike rider in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood was injured when she was hit by a cab less than a block from where another woman was killed in a crash last month.

A Long Island doctor wants to know if anyone conducted an environmental impact report to determine how many people ride bikes before painting a new bike lane in front of the post office. Maybe someone could explain to the good doctor how bicycling could benefit his patients. Or he could just ask this Albuquerque physician. Then again, he could just be a PhD with no patients, or patience.

A group of Philadelphia seminarians will ride 150 miles in five days, crisscrossing the city to promote religious vocations.

Shreveport police are looking for a car that fled the scene after striking a kid on a bicycle, since it apparently didn’t have a driver. Thanks again to F. Lehnerz for the tip.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana residents are outraged over the murder of a 75-year old community leader who founded the city’s African American history museum; she’d been suffocated and stuffed in the trunk of a car. Sadie Roberts-Joseph was known for coordinating bike giveaways through the museum.

Naples FL is installing bike turn boxes to guide riders through a simple L-turn.

 

International

Not only have the new Vancouver, British Columbia bike lanes not led to the feared traffic Armageddon, after ten years they’ve proven to be even more successful than city leaders originally predicted.

There’s not a hole deep enough for someone heartless enough to flee the scene after killing a 10-year old Ontario, Canada girl as she rode her bike.

The UK considers whether to legalize e-scooters, though it would be kind of hard to shove the genie back into the bottle at this point.

A British neurosurgeon says skip the helmet, arguing that bike helmets are too flimsy and ineffective to do any good, and may encourage risky behavior. He also says people look at him like he’s mad when he rides in his cowboy hat and boots. Which is understandable, considering the relative lack of actual cowboys in the UK.

No bias here. A 60-year old Irish woman says she automatically rules out any man who includes a photo of himself wearing Lycra on a bicycle in his online dating profile.

Tragic news from Kolkata — formerly Calcutta — India, where a seven-year old boy was electrocuted when he went to pick up his bicycle after live wires fell on it overnight.

Inspired by the ciclovia of Bogota, Columbia, the mayor of Seoul, Korea is planning to build a network of uninterrupted bike trails in every direction through the densely populated city.

He gets it. A Vietnamese writer says humanity dies when drivers flee the scene, leaving their victims to die on the street without help.

 

Finally…

Bike sharing for people who don’t want to share their bikes. Apparently, a car’s ragtop roof matters more than whether it had a driver.

And it’s not a good idea to spank a mooning cycling fan if you want to stay in the race.

Guest Post: There and back again — a former Iditarod sled dog racer takes the long way home

It wasn’t that long ago that my oldest brother was chasing his childhood dreams through the frozen tundra.

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, Eric Rogers dreamed of one day moving to Alaska and driving his own dog team through the wilderness.

Then made it come true, leaving behind a successful career as a particle physicist to compete four times in the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

But that was before Eric discovered bicycling. And his dreams shifted from sled dogs to RAAM.

After moving down to the lower 48 a few years ago, he started bikepacking along local trails and backroads, before moving on to short bike touring trips.

This past fall, he set out on an epic solo bike tour from the Pacific Northwest back to his western Colorado home.

And took the scenic route.

Here’s his story, followed by photos from his tour.

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Why would anyone want to ride their bicycle 2,500 miles?  The answer is I didn’t.  

What I did do was get up in the morning, ride for 50 to 60 miles, stop to set up camp, have dinner and relax before going to bed.  The next morning I repeated the process.  Add some rest days, lather, rinse, and repeat until you get back home and then look at your odometer and by golly I guess maybe I did do it after all.  

So why this route?  I like the Oregon Coast, North Cascades, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks, have family in Portland and Idaho Falls and have always wanted to explore the Olympic Peninsula.  Connect the dots and there you have it.  

From Grand Junction you can take the train to Sacramento and change trains to Portland.  Large comfortable seats, friendly staff, no TSA, and for $20 / train you can get roll on / roll off service for your bike.  The staff are not cyclists and don’t know drive side from non-drive side so they ask you to take the bike to the baggage car where they put it in a rack, and pick it up there at the end of the ride (or to change trains) but it is a simple process.  Much easier than boxing your bike to fly or take the bus.  The fires in Northern California did complicate things some, but it all worked out.

So why do it by bicycle?  Besides the fact that I enjoy riding, on a bicycle you are an interesting, and non-threating, person.  People come up to say “hi” and ask what you are doing.  You can meet some of the best folks this way.  

Ready to ride, with kitty litter panniers

In the Olympic National Forest I put a 3 inch nail through the rear tire.  I didn’t think much about it at the time, but riding up Rainy Pass in North Cascades National Park several days later, the bike just didn’t feel right.  I could see ripples in the shoulder pavement and convinced myself that was what I was feeling.  I finally stopped to check the bike, and the rear tire was worn completely through an area the size of a quarter and riding on the Rhino Liner and the nearest bike shop was over 30 miles away.

Luckily Rainy Pass is where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses WA Hwy 20 and a gentleman was doing trail magic there.  Another gentleman going west who had stopped there took me 37 miles east to Winthrop to get a new tire and then 37 miles back to Rainy Pass so I didn’t miss riding through any of the scenery.  Those are the kind of folks I met on the whole trip.

Then how many time have you been driving and seen some incredible sight, but there is nowhere to stop and enjoy it?  On a bicycle you can move to the side, put your foot down and stay as long as you would like.

And there are the hiker / biker campsites.  Oregon State Parks are $8 / person, Washington State Parks are $10 / campsite, Glacier and Yellowstone are $5 (and an Old Fart Pass makes that $2.50!) with no turn away policies.  What a deal!

It was an incredible trip, but if I did it again I’d like to go 2 weeks earlier.  I was leaving Bozeman and intending to ride Hwy 191 through Big Sky to West Yellowstone when I checked the Weather Forecast just for grins – Big Sky (the night’s destination) was supposed to hit 6 degrees for a low. OOPS! Changed plans and took MT 84 to HWY 287. Good Choice. I fought headwinds to the point I really wanted relief. I found a three sided shelter with its back to the wind in the only campground enroute and spent the whole next day waiting out a snowstorm :-).  Luckily the second morning dawned clear and a little warmer and the trip continued.

Then riding home from Idaho Falls at about 7,000 feet elevation in late October got more than a little cold sometimes.  I was riding south 20 miles north of Vernal Utah looking for a place to camp on public land when I spotted a roadside rest area on a ridge in the National Forest overlooking private land in the valley below.  Pretty much exposed to traffic, but having an outhouse is a plus.  I set up camp and called my wife to check in.  Sunset comes early in late October and as the sun went down the temperature dropped dramatically.  The breeze picked up and I sat beside my tent shivering while trying to eat.  Dang!  Right beside me sat a windproof brick outhouse, still a little warm from the setting sun.  Culture be danged, into the outhouse, out of the wind, and ignore any odors!  Luckily it had recently been cleaned and wasn’t near as bad as it could have been – it was supposed to be an adventure, right?  The next morning it was still cold and windy and breakfast was in my unique shelter too.

Then there was Wyoming.  I was going to resupply in Sage WY, but Sage only exists on the map ☺.  There was a train siding there, but nothing else was left.  Not a problem, I always have a day’s food with me.  I wild camped in Fossil Butte National Monument and intended to resupply (now only lunch left) in Kemmerer, but it was 3 miles out of the way and downhill – not a problem I would go right through Carter WY – except Carter was another town that was not there.  The railroad doesn’t stop anymore and there are only 3 house and a couple abandoned buildings left.  OK I’ll resupply in Urie just after I cross I-80.  Urie had a restaurant, but no store.  Luckily Mountain View had a Family Dollar, but I was getting a little concerned.  I learned that in Wyoming, just because the town is on the map doesn’t mean it exists! ☺

There is much more to tell, but space is limited.  Great people, fabulous scenery, doing things I never thought I would do, and burning enough calories to eat anything I wanted.  Life just doesn’t get much better than that!

Eric O Rogers

Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
Rain Forest
Rain Forest
Rain Forest
North Cascades
Coming into Winthrop WA
Eastern WA
Western Montana
Whitefish MT
Whitefish MT
Hiker Biker Site Glacier NP
Swan River Valley MT
Coming into Helena MT
Coming into Helena MT
Before snow – after Bozeman
Before snow – after Bozeman
Madison River – Yellowstone
Madison River – Yellowstone.
Yellowstone
Yellowstone
Lewis River Yellowstone
Grand Teton NP
Grand Teton NP
Grand Teton NP
Western WY
Western WY
Western WY – the town that was not there
Western WY
Flaming Gorge
Local Politicians (Turkeys)
Almost Home
Classy Colorado Motel – the Best Western it is not
Classy Colorado Motel – the Best Western it is not
The Last Camp outside Rangely CO