My apologies once again for yesterday’s unexcused absence.
I’m still dealing with bouts of disabling dizziness and queasiness that can stop me in my tracks, as it did Wednesday night.
My doctors continue to assure me that it’s a form of migraine. Even if it hasn’t responded to diet, medication or any of the other treatments they were just darn sure would work.
Which means this probably won’t be the last time it happens.
And the next time won’t, either.
Photo by Harrison Haines from Pexels.
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He gets it.
Rick Cole has lead a handful of SoCal cities, including Ventura and Santa Monica, as well as serving as a deputy mayor in Los Angeles.
Which is to say, he knows what he’s talking about. And can spot a cheap political stunt a mile away.
Sorry, Paul Koretz.
The tweet may be hidden behind a sensitive content warning, for reasons that will forever escape me. Just click the View link to display it, or you can read it here.
https://twitter.com/urbanistcole/status/1547228947489775616
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More proof that the designers of the new 6th Street Viaduct put cars ahead of people.
Especially people on two wheels.
Confused by how the 6th St Bridge bike lane just ends at the 5 fwy. Luckily traffic was still moving slowly.. pic.twitter.com/KfwyngtOKr
— multimodalLA🚋🚌🚲🍃 (@multimodalLA) July 14, 2022
Speaking of which, the Bicycle Advisory Committee’s Planning and Bikeways Engineering Subcommittees will discuss the bridge’s “bikeway shortcomings” at Tuesday’s Virtual meeting.
The committees will also discuss the Northvale Gap on the Expo bike path, and bike safety in Griffith Park, among other issues.
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Someone tell LADOT it would help if they put a link to the survey in their tweets.
If you have used @BikeMetro bike share, this is for you! @BikeMetro wants to hear your feedback. Take their survey today, it takes just 15 minutes to complete and you can win a 365-Day Pass and some sweet Metro Bike Share gear just for completing it. pic.twitter.com/hQTXamW8rj
— LADOT Livable Streets (@LADOTlivable) July 14, 2022
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Metro is teaming with Active SGV to host a ride in Pomona tomorrow.
Join @ActiveSGV this Saturday, July 16th, for a community bike ride in Pomona! Learn about some of the local history, explore potential greenways, and find out more about the new bicycling infrastructure around Cal Poly Pomona. https://t.co/JS7bNsBMtr
— Metro Bike (@BikeMetro) July 14, 2022
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Gravel Bike California takes a ride through the redwoods of Santa Cruz.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A naked Scottish couple riding a tandem were attacked by a driver, who made a U-turn to come back and hurl abuse at them — calling them prostitutes — before swerving his car into the couple; they’re continuing on their 837-mile fundraising ride despite suffering minor injuries.
British bike riders were quick to point out to a local police department why urging people to Cycle Like You Drive is a very, very bad idea.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
Heartbreaking story from the UK, where a hit-and-run bicyclist will spend the next year behind bars for killing a 79-year old woman after rounding a corner while riding on the sidewalk.
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Local
A writer for the LA Times recommends exploring Griffith Park on your bike, particularly since Griffith Park Drive has been closed to cars through Monday. And hopefully longer.
CicLAvia is hosting a CivSalon panel discussion on Wednesday to discuss how innovation can make our streets safer and more equitable.
State
Calbike joins with 17 other agencies to call for and end to freeway expansion in the Golden State.
Streetsblog says Caltran’s Complete Streets Action plan is basically a list of specific actions the agency will take to encourage a shift towards equitable and safer transportation. Let’s hope so, anyway.
Call it a win-win. San Diego’s new 2.3-mile bike lane on Pershing Drive through Balboa Park will improve safety for bike riders and pedestrians, as well as including a project to replace aging stormwater lines to prevent flooding and reduce water pollution.
A 58-year Rancho Bernardo man completed a 3,300-mile ride across the US, raising over $20,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to fight type 1 diabetes.
Berkeley’s new 12-block parking and barrier protected bike lane connects the north and south sections of the city’s downtown.
Sonoma Magazine offers the ultimate guide to riding in the wine country county.
National
They get it. A retail business website says retailers usually fight new bike lanes, arguing they will hurt their business — but usually end up with higher sales after they’re built.
A British man completed his 4,000-mile bike ride across the US, raising nearly $30,000 for charity in the process — including the equivalent of over $2,300 from Dame Judy Dench.
The Pro’s Closet and The Radavist’s John Watson have teamed up on a special-edition gravel bike inspired by a Toyota Land Cruiser; only eight will be made, selling for just under nine grand.
Walmart is recalling a bike helmet that was a replacement for a recalled bike helmet.
It’s the 125th anniversary of the legendary Buffalo Soldier’s 41-day, 1,900 mile bike ride, proving bicycles could efficiently move troops. Until those damn cars and trucks took their place.
Pay full freight for a bike from Colorado bikemaker Alchemy Bikes, and they’ll put you up in a Golden CO hotel, and spring for beer and a breakfast burrito.
Tragic news from Colorado, whee a six-year old boy died days after he was bitten by a rattlesnake while riding bikes with his family.
Cars are still banned from the Northern entrances to Yellowstone due to flooding damage, but bikes are being allowed in for short rides; bicyclists call the carefree carfree experience “magical.”
It’s illegal to stand on the pedals while you ride your bike in Indiana.
Sad news from Missouri, where a 44-year old man was killed when a sheriff’s deputy rear-ended his bicycle; no word on why the deputy couldn’t see a grown man on a bike directly in front of him.
The alleged DUI driver who hit three pedestrians standing on an Illinois bike path, killing two young men, saw half the charges against her dismissed, but will face trial on the seven remaining counts.
A self-described “avid cyclist” says there has to be a better use for St. Paul, Minnesota’s money than removing parking spaces to build a two-way bikeway. There are no more chilling words than those that begin with “I’m an avid cyclist, but…”
There’s a special place in hell for whoever attacked a popular New York restaurant worker to steal his ebike as the man ride home from work, putting him in a coma he never recovered from.
Once again, a driver ran down a bike rider, then got out of his car to remove the victim’s bicycle from underneath before fleeing the scene, this time in North Carolina. Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.
A Florida woman was lucky to survive after a driver hit her and a friend as they were riding their bikes, dragging the woman 50 feet beneath the car as the driver fled the scene; her friend escaped with just minor injuries.
International
London’s Evening Standard takes a look at the city’s bikeshare tribes, with tongue placed firmly in cheek.
Police in Britain’s New Forest urge drivers to slow down so they don’t crash into the donkeys. Or the people on bicycles .
That feeling when you fly to London, but your $16,500 bike and luggage fly to Naples.
Former pro cyclist and Rwandan genocide survivor Adrien Niyonshuti beat the pro peloton to the top of France’s legendary Alpe d’Huez, despite riding a 40 pound, single speed Qhubeka bike built for use in Africa.
Bike Radar looks at the best “weird and wonderful” tech from Germany’s Eurobike trade show.
The head of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency reportedly is in intensive care after suffering multiple injuries falling off his bicycle; as usual, the country denies anything even happened. Although his injuries suggest something more serious than a simple fall off a bike.
A 36-year old Indian man has been riding throughout the country for the past three years to call attention to organic farming and the problem of single-use plastics.
CNN looks at how Abu Dhabi became the world’s hottest bicycling city. No, literally.
Hong Kong is considering requiring a helmet for anyone riding a bicycle, tricycle or multi-wheeled bike. Evidently, they have a lot of five, six and seven wheeled bikes.
Competitive Cycling
Yellow jersey bearer Tadej Pogačar cracked on Wednesday’s 11th stage of the Tour de France, allowing Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard to slip into the lead.
He wasn’t the only Slovenian to crack. Primož Roglič followed suit the next day after a series of attacks by his Jumbo-Visma team, in an effort to widen Vingegaard’s lead; Vingegaard ended the day 2:22 ahead of Pogačar, who was unable to successfully attack on Thursday’s ride up Alpe d’Huez.
Twenty-two-year old Brit Tom Piddock won Thursday’s stage, besting veteran Chris Froome on the mountain top finish.
The top American is now Sepp Kuss, nearly 25 minutes behind the leader in 17th place, and one notch above Nielson Powless in 18th. Meanwhile, 21-year old Tour rookie Quinn Simmons vows to keep attacking.
Atlas Obscura dives into the chaos of the Tour’s Fast and Furious Feed Zone.
Finally…
Your next ebike could be good for 125 miles. Why stop riding at the water’s edge?
And let your bike be your tent pole on your next bikepacking trip.
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin, too.
