Tag Archive for just the links

Morning Links: Busting on Beverly Hills and its San Diego soulmates, and a Chitown writer busts on bikes

July 29, 2015 / / 3 comments

Just too much to catch up on after yesterday’s breaking news.

So hold on to your handlebars, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

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Looks like everyone is condemning Beverly Hills for their shortsighted, misguided and wrong-headed refusal to put bike lanes on the soon-to-be-rebuilt Santa Monica Blvd; even a realty website is getting in on the act.

And its a 70’s era traffic planning blast from the past from their like-minded contemporaries in Carlsbad, as the local Planning Commission says roads are for cars, and they’re tired of hearing about bikes. Thanks to The Editors for the heads-up.

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Evidently desperate for click bait, a bike-hating Chicago writer calls people on bikes “reckless terrorists,” and “rude, vulgar and violently intimidating” “imbecile muff monkeys.” And says bicyclists should be forced to carry a special ID at all times, and face fines up to $1000 and a year in jail just for riding on the sidewalk.

No, really, that’s what he said.

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VeloNews lists five winners and losers from the just completed Tour de France. And Bicycling finishes their long, long five-part story on who punched the great Eddy Merckx. Did I say it was long?

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Local

Hats off to Streetsblog guest writer Michael Fleming, who calls out Westside Councilmember Paul Koretz for his hypocritical support for fighting climate change while blocking bike lanes on Westwood Blvd.

The LACBC is hosting a feeder ride to the RevisitReseda Blvd celebration this Thursday.

Metro is holding a series of weekly contests asking people illustrate how you walk or bike instead.

The Pomona Valley Bicycle Club is hosting a Bicycle Photo Scavenger Hunt next week.

 

State

Our old friend Rick Bernardi looks at the problem of cyclists getting buzzed by CHP officers, and cops who don’t know bike laws. Or care.

An El Cajon cyclist was seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash; police are looking for an older, grey 3-Series BMW.

A Las Vegas writer rides San Diego’s coastal North County.

A day after a Hollister boy was killed by a bus while riding his bike, local restaurants pitch in to raise funds for the victim’s family, and a Hollister councilwoman bemoans kids riding and skating without helmets — even though she has no idea if the victim was wearing one.

Evidently, getting dragged from your home and beaten by San Francisco police for the crime of biking on the sidewalk while black is only worth a $20,000 settlement.

San Francisco police ticket bike riders for squeezing past a several-block queue of backed-up cars on the left, even though there’s no valid alternative for it, and even though lane splitting is legal in California. In a brilliant move, cyclists plan to protest the police crackdown by riding legally en masse.

No bias here. A Bay Area website says a cyclist riding downhill was injured when he crashed into the windshield of a car.

A 61-year old Sacramento cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run.

A Chico man confronts bike thieves with his own vigilante bait bike program.

 

National

It’s the 30th anniversary of many people’s favorite bike movie. So here are 20 things you didn’t know about Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

The National Law Review considers one of the burning questions of jurisprudence: How often should your bike helmet be replaced.

A Portland bike shop employee spots a stolen track bike, wrestles it from the thief and the thief into submission, all before the police arrive.

Caught on video: A Seattle bike rider captures the hit-and-run driver who left crossed him on his helmet cam; not only did the driver flee the scene, but he was caught looking at his phone as he turned. A Minnesota writer responds by questionng if a safe bike ride is too much to ask. Thanks to @BrianMScott for the heads-up.

A dump truck driver from my hometown faces a vehicular homicide charge for attempting to pass a bike rider despite a double yellow line, then cutting back because of oncoming traffic, trapping the victim under his truck.

Boulder CO says not so fast on right-sizing those streets to make room for separated bike lanes; they want to see how the first one works out first.

San Antonio TX wants more hikers and bikers, and less motor vehicle traffic. Well, who doesn’t? Aside from Beverly Hills and Carlsbad, of course.

A Chicago woman is suing another bike rider for causing a three-bike pileup on a bike path. Proof you’re not always safe even when you’re protected from cars.

Anyone can tell you how to keep from getting hurt on your bike; an Indiana TV station offers tips on avoiding injuries after a long bike ride.

An Albany NY website says a new protected bike lane is for all kinds of people, and that the city’s first one shouldn’t be the last. They’re preaching to the choir.

A New York advocate says bike lanes should be a default feature of street designs under the city’s Vision Zero Plan. The same goes for LA’s Vision Zero, which is supposed to be officially announced next month.

This is why you never lock your bike to a tree, as a Brooklyn bike thief chopped down a 25-foot tree to get the bike chained to it. Not only did the cyclist lose his bike, but the rat bastard killed the damn tree in the process.

A Pennsylvania cyclist is behind bars pending trial for the crime of obstructing traffic by riding in the lane, and getting pissed off when impatient drivers tried to pass him. Since when are traffic violations a criminal offense? And unless he threatened or attacked motorists, swearing was protected by the First Amendment, last I heard.

Philadelphia plans to sweep away abandoned bikes so they won’t besmirch the streets when bike-riding Pope Francis comes to call. Meanwhile, a Philly lawyer offers a detailed look at the problems faced by bicyclists and pedestrians in the city, and what can be done about it short of papal intervention.

A new policy passed by hard-hearted city officials in Durham NC requires ghost bikes to be removed after just 45 days, or even sooner if someone complains; not surprisingly, friends and relatives of bicycling victims object.

Thanks to a law change, it’s legal to ride without holding on to your handlebars in Florida. Shouting “Look ma, no hands!” remains optional.

 

International

A new Canadian study confirms that traffic lanes 10 to 10.5 feet wide improve safety at intersections, while still allowing traffic to move efficiently.

No bias here, either. A Calgary website calls the victim of a hit-and-run a “pedestrian,” but the driver who may have killed her is a “person.”

Caught on video: A Toronto pedestrian kicks a cyclist’s bike and punches him in the face after the rider collided with him on a shared waterfront pathway.

Three Ontario sisters are stopped by police for riding their bikes topless; after pointing out that it’s legal in the province, the cop says he was really just doing a light and bell check. Right.

Evidently, life is cheap in the UK, as a British driver who killed a cyclist on the Isle of Man walks away — literally, perhaps — with a suspended sentence and a three-year driving ban. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

A road raging Brit cop is accused of knocking a cyclist off his bike, then throwing him into a store window. Then again, it goes both ways, as London police are looking for the road raging bike rider who attacked a driver with a glass bottle; the victim appears to have survived getting whacked in the knee.

Caught on video: A motorcyclist catches a London woman somehow managing to drive while simultaneously talking on the phone and eating cereal.

The Dutch are riding further after getting a boost from their e-bikes.

New Zealand parents are rightfully upset after their six-year old son isn’t allowed to bring his bike onto an otherwise empty bus.

More proof cyclists are tough. An Aussie man rides his bike home after being stabbed by a woman.

 

Finally…

Let me see if I’ve got this straight. An Ohio man fled from the coppers on his bike after stealing two rolls of copper, and was caught after getting hit by a car making his escape. If you’re going to flee the scene on a bike you pulled out of the trunk of the stolen car you just crashed into a telephone pole, it helps if you’re sober enough to ride it.

And one last caught on video, as a Brazilian cyclist takes a car parked in a bike lane into his own hands. Literally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luNGjffDjCs

 

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

Morning Links: Bike lane riding in the Biking Black Hole; Caltrans looks at active trans; hero cop saves a cyclist

June 14, 2015 / / One comment

Update: Today is Mobility Monday. Call or email your councilmember to today to urge passage of the LA Mobility Plan — without removing streets like Westwood and North Figueroa from the plan.

Click here for more details and contact information.

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Local

Richard Risemberg rides Beverly Hills’ virtually useless bike lane and sharrow combo on Crescent Drive that doesn’t go anywhere most bike riders want to go. Unless you want to look over overly ornate over-sized housing for the over-privileged.

A tragic photo from the LA Sheriff’s Department captured cyclists riding past a fatal auto collision on PCH over the weekend.

Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson says Lance is basically hosed in his upcoming lawsuit. But hints that there may be more serious cheating going on that has nothing to do with bikes.

Been awhile since we checked in with CLR Effect; Michael wonders what a rider was thinking in attempting to make a dangerous left turn off the sidewalk and nearly getting flattened in the process.

 

State

Caltrans finally begins reporting on active transportation.

Cyclelicious rants — aptly, I might add — about bike riders who complain without getting involved.

Fresno police blame the victim of a fatal collision for drifting into the slow lane, even though the driver who hit him fled the scene. So basically, they don’t have statements from anyone involved, but somehow conclude it’s the victim’s fault.

 

National

Five priests and seminarians complete a 1,400 mile, 11 state bike tour to promote vocations in the priesthood.

A Boulder CO business leader questions plans to right size — or road diet — some of the city’s primary streets.

Cyclists from Lance’s hometown are concerned about a proposal from a Texas congressman to keep gas taxes from being used for anything that doesn’t directly benefit motor vehicles. Here’s a hint: try not to elect people like that in the first place. 

A Tulsa cop saves the life of a cyclist who collapsed during a criterium.

St. Paul MN business owners are worried about losing parking spots so bike lanes can be put in. Even though the city promised to replace them around the corner.

A Boston website says bike polo is the coolest, weirdest sport you’ve never heard of. Except you have, right?

A Staten Island writer says if cyclists want respect, we have to earn it. Never mind that scofflaw drivers break the law, too. And yes, the NYPD tickets bike riders on a regular basis, deserved and otherwise.

A bizarre quirk in NYPD policy means most drivers can’t be charged under the city’s new Right of Way law designed to protect cyclists and pedestrians, because they only send out detectives authorized to do it if the victim is likely to die.

David Letterman says he’s going to leave bicycling to younger men because he doesn’t want to be found in a ditch somewhere. Uh, Dave, women actually ride too these days. And most don’t end up in ditches.

 

International

The BBC looks at how Rapha became Rapha.

A new Brit study says bike riders suffer a frightening near-miss on the roads an average of every week. Sounds like we have a lot in common.

Yet another British bike rider has been injured by thugs who strung wire at neck height across a bike trail. Meanwhile, a Welsh bike ride is marred by tacks sprinkled in the roadway; one rider was injured after flatting at 35 mph.

Caught on video: Cyclists come the rescue of a London bike share rider who was pulled off his bike in a dispute with bystanders blocking his way.

A buzzard attacks a Northern Irish bike rider; no, not the carrion-eating scavengers we know and love.

Emirati women are encouraged to take up bicycling during Ramadan to stay in shape. But not during fasting hours.

A letter writer says mountain biking has become one of the most prominent sports in Swaziland.

Aussie police are trying to figure out what happened to a cyclist who was found unconscious, battered and broken on the side of the road; GPS data suggests he was cut off by a car.

Good idea. A car designer has developed a new bike light that illuminates the road on either side, as well as in front, of the bicycle; it’s still over $20,000 short of the $62,598 goal. That odd goal comes from converting $80,000 Australian dollars to US currency.

 

Finally…

There’s no need for your kids to learn how to balance on a bike when the bike will do it for them. Your next riding jacket could have built-in turn signals, lights and an anti-collision warning system.

And when a gang makes fun of your hi-viz cycling attire, just keep riding. Seriously.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: Ride SaMo’s Breeze bikes, Seth says thumbs down to PCH bike lanes, & an 8 y.o. hit-and-run perp

May 5, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Ride SaMo’s Breeze bikes, Seth says thumbs down to PCH bike lanes, & an 8 y.o. hit-and-run perp

Local

The rich get richer as bike lanes are scheduled to go in on Westwood Plaza this month on the already bike-friendly UCLA campus.

Nine more bikes have been stolen in Downtown LA, including one where the owner left the key resting on the seat. Seriously, let that be your reminder to register your bike now, before anything happens.

The Santa Monica Public Library wants your advice on what kind of programs they should offer, including possible bicycle-related programming. Meanwhile, visitors to Saturday’s Santa Monica Festival can try out one of the bikes from the city’s coming Breeze bike share.

Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson says Malibu’s new door zone bike lanes on PCH are complete rubbish, and the equivalent of the city giving the finger to cyclists who ride the highway.

Flying Pigeon hosts the monthly Spoke(n) Art Ride this Saturday.

LADOT Bike Blog lays out the full schedule for next week’s LA Bike Week, while CICLE hosts Women’s Bike Night next Wednesday as part of Pasadena Bike Week.

 

State

Someone with a San Clemente address has scammed two bike manufactures out of high-end bikes by posing as a magazine editor asking to do a review. Note to bike makers: I will gladly review your bikes, and probably even return them afterwards.

The ninth annual Grand Prix of Cycling rolled through Dana Point on Sunday.

Apple Valley police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who ran down a cyclist from behind; the victim was airlifted to a hospital with unknown injuries.

San Jose becomes the latest California city to adopt a Vision Zero plan. Now it’s time for the state to step up.

 

National

Drivers often complain that bike riders don’t pay enough for the roads we ride on. Actually, it’s the other way around.

Denver is missing an opportunity to create a network of protected bike lanes.

An Illinois woman is being investigated by child services for riding her bike while holding the hand of her small son as he ran alongside, apparently struggling to keep up.

Maybe it’s just me, but 9 am seems just a tad early to use heroin before getting behind the wheel; the allegedly stoned driver hit a parked car, then drove onto the sidewalk and ran down a parked bicycle. But what the hell is an “unoccupied” bike?

New York introduces a new Vision Zero TV ad designed to get drivers to actually slow down and pay attention. As if.

A New York street could go from having a 10-foot shared lane to a six-foot parking-protected bike lane with a five-foot buffer. As Yoda would say, jealous I am. Except a Jedi master probably wouldn’t be jealous.

A heftier Jonah Hill is captured by paparazzi pedaling a Citi Bike through the streets of New York.

 

International

How to tell if you’re watching too much cycling on television. I only wish that was a problem on American TV, especially when it comes to women’s racing.

Ottawa votes to spend nearly $5 million to not install protected bike lanes.

The Guardian looks at how Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world, including the Stop de Kindermoord movement to end the deaths of children on their streets. Something we desperately need the equivalent of right here in the US.

Thai authorities are on the lookout for a driver who fled the scene after plowing into a group of Bangkok bike riders, killing one and injuring two others. This follows just days after a drunken, speeding driver killed three riders elsewhere in the country.

 

Finally…

The Feds want to ask Lance’s girlfriend if his pants are on fire, while Astana goes on double secret probation. A New York cyclist unexpectedly beats a well-deserved ticket for running a red light.

And Mad City police are on the lookout for a hit-and-run cyclist who broke the leg of a two-year old boy; the perp is described as an eight or nine year old girl.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: Photographic proof of bikes in Hollywood, ride LA with Phil Gaimon, and transvestites on bikes

May 3, 2015 / / One comment

We took the Corgi on a long and pleasant walk through our new Hollywood neighborhood on Sunday, on our way to the Ride On! Bike Day at Amoeba Records.

And I was not only pleased to see that people ride their bikes to the city’s largest farmer’s market…

SAMSUNG

…but that Amoeba has their very own bike corral. Which doesn’t look a bit like the ones the city installs.

Amoeba Bike Corral

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Local

Caught on video: Ride the streets of LA with pro cyclist Phil Gaimon.

Pasadena mountain biker survives a 75-foot fall off a trail in the Angeles National Forest with only minor injuries.

Redondo Beach will host a ribbon cutting for their new and improved bike path and cycle track on June 13th.

The last link in a 21-mile bike and walking trail connecting communities in LA and San Bernardino Counties opens.

The annual Santa Monica Festival kicks off Bike Week this Saturday.

 

State

Women cyclists seek parity with the men; female racers will get a three-stage race as part of next week’s Amgen Tour of California, but only one hour of long-delayed TV coverage.

Orange County firefighters use a helicopter to rescue an injured mountain biker who went over his handlebars.

A San Diego cyclist was seriously injured when a wrong-way driver turned into an exit lane at a shopping mall.

San Jose plans to achieve Vision Zero by cutting the number of solo drivers on the road by half in the next 25 years.

 

National

A new study says putting lights on your hips, knees and ankles does the most to increase visibility.

After being told he had just 18 months to live, an Oregon man with pancreatic cancer spends three years riding through 41 states and three countries. Meanwhile, a cyclist who’s been riding for 71 years says it’s the key to aging gracefully.

Seriously? A Nebraska prosecutor concludes that drivers can’t be expected to see a three-wheeled ‘bent, even with an eight-foot flag attached. Thanks to Warren for the heads-up.

Illinois bike riders develop a free online quiz on the rights and rules governing bicyclists.

After Lansing MI officials remove a ghost bike honoring a 69-year old hit-and-run victim, local cyclists put a new one in its place.

When a DUI driver hits a man riding a bike, it may be many things, but it’s not an accident. Despite what a Kentucky TV station says.

Actor Patrick Dempsey is hosting Maine cyclists on the two day, 130 mile Dempsey Challenge.

The Boston Red Sox are offering a bike valet service all this summer at Fenway Park. Are you listening, Magic?

Roughly 32,000 bike riders take part in New York’s annual Five Boro Bike Tour. But why does the story refer to spandex-clad bicyclists when the photo shows nary a Lycra in sight?

Tampa’s bike share program has logged 40,000 miles with just eight flats and no thefts. And more importantly, no reported injuries.

 

International

Two Canadian cyclists plan to ride 5,000 miles from Poland to Iran to recreate the 75th anniversary of Polish exiles escaping to Iran in WWII.

A road raging Brit driver is on trial for swerving at a bike rider, throwing a water bottle at him and then threatening the rider with a knife; he claims he merely pulled over because his grandmother — who wasn’t actually in the car — had a cramp and dropped her water bottle when the door opened.

Bicycling gains popularity in Yorkshire. But how the hell does that threaten soccer and rugby, as the headline suggests?

Scotland plans to invest the equivalent of $30 million to fund 150 bicycling projects.

A new documentary by a Swedish filmmaker says it really is a battle between bikes and cars on streets around the world.

Two Indian boys kill their friend in a dispute over a rental bike.

Aussie bicyclists are demanding action to catch whoever has been sabotaging bike lanes with tacks for the last 16 months.

An Australian cyclist wants to thank the anonymous bike riding stranger who saved his life.

A Kiwi columnist says there’s no good or evil in the conflict between those in cars or on bikes; just people trying to get their “fat arses” to work. Or sometimes, riding next door to report a house fire when the phones don’t work.

Horrible news from Thailand, as a speeding driver plowed into a group of cyclists from behind, killing three riders and injuring six.

 

Finally…

Judging by the headline in an Alameda newspaper, an apparently sentient and driverless SUV attacked a bike rider. The New York Post reports Entourage actress Emmanuelle Chriqui rode a $799 bike out the door of a Rag and Bone boutique party in Venice, before bringing it back; there’s a story here because…?

And it turns out bicycling is the perfect form of sport and transportation for transvestites.

 

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

Morning Links: LAPD ordered to turn over video of bike rider beating, and Redlands riders do the right thing

April 27, 2015 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: LAPD ordered to turn over video of bike rider beating, and Redlands riders do the right thing

Local

A judge orders the LAPD to turn over video of the beating their officers allegedly gave South LA bike rider Clinton Alford.

An artist working on a bicycle-themed interactive art installation for the Los Angeles State Historic Park wants your bike story for the project.

Nice idea. A custom-made book bike operating out of the San Pedro branch of the Los Angeles Public Library can carry and display 200 pounds of books to encourage reading.

Gizmodo looks at LA’s fabled elevated bike highway and why it failed, blazing the trail for what would eventually become the Pasadena Freeway.

For a change, a Malibu motorist actually admires the bike riders making their way up Latigo Canyon.

A Metro panel discussion asks if bicycling is in your future on Monday, May 11th at Caltrans HQ in DTLA.

The same Caltrans HQ location will be the site of Color Wheels: A Bicycle Community Art Show featuring art works from LA bike riders on Bike to Work Day night on Thursday the 14th.

 

State

After a compromise agreement, a single e-bike bill moves forward in the state legislature.

Bike riders attending Sunday’s Orange County Transportation Authority Bike Festival say streets behind the Orange Curtain aren’t as safe as they should be. Sort of like streets everywhere, in other words.

No bias here. According to the local paper, a Riverside bike rider wasn’t hit by a police car, but rather, he collided with it.

Female cyclists don’t earn enough as it is. Yet the women competing in the recent Redlands Classic agreed to donate 15% of their prize money to the family of Erica Grief, who was killed in a car crash on the way to compete in the race.

San Luis Obispo County leads the state in per capita bicycling deaths.

Bad news from Sunnyvale, as bike rider was killed during the morning commute.

 

National

Consumer Reports rates bike helmets, with recommended models starting at just $12.

Here’s your chance to buy a rare bike from a Portland collection. Or maybe all 203 if the mood strikes.

Evidently, winter is officially over in Jackson, Wyoming when the bike racks come back.

Wisconsin drivers can’t seem to figure out how to use roundabouts without endangering bike riders and pedestrians.

A 70-year old Minnesota woman plans a two year journey by bike across the US. If you can call a fully enclosed, solar powered e-assist tricycle a bike, that is.

Vermont cyclists are mourning a leading local rider and bike shop employee killed in a collision with a 17-year old driver, who also died after going over an embankment.

Crain’s talks with the new boss of New York’s Citi Bike about how to turn around the financially troubled bike share program.

CBS News discovers last weekend’s Red Hook Criterium, which brought over 300 riders from 29 countries to compete on the streets of Brooklyn. Here on the Left Coast, it was all about the Waffle Ride.

The NYPD is cracking down on bike riders, making New York’s most bike friendly neighborhood significantly less so.

 

International

The leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats promises to turn Britain into a cycling nation.

A British jury finds a dangerous junction guilty, along with the driver who killed a cyclist; the 70-year old motorist said the victim somehow blended in with the background, despite his hi-viz.

Ed Ryder sends word that sometimes diabetes can be beat, as bicycling helps save the life of an overweight Brit man after his sons intervene. Which almost makes me wish I was overweight.

Scottish officials promise to increase spending on bicycling, while cyclists call for presumed liability in bike collisions, which would require motorists to prove they’re not at fault.

Dubai police seize 11,000 bikes from law-breaking riders in just two months. Imagine how many cars they could seize if they applied the same standards to scofflaw drivers.

 

Finally…

In a world where advertising has become inescapable, bike lanes have become the latest marketing medium. Jared Leto takes his new Joker green hair for a ride around Toronto.

And beware doping drivers. A pair of Ohio grad students have developed a roadside test to determine just how high they really are; apparently, counting the number of empty Twinkie wrappers in the vehicle is not a legally valid standard. Thanks to Geri Wilson for the heads-up.

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Come back later Tuesday morning for a guest post from LA Bicycling Advisory Vice Chair Glenn Bailey reporting on efforts to remove the bike lanes from Chase Street in the SFV.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: LA Times picks Ramsay, LA bike plan site pushes rug padding, and how to pass a bike respectfully

April 26, 2015 / / One comment

Local

The LA Times endorses Carolyn Ramsay in LA’s 4th district. Without ever mentioning the word bicycle.

Evidently LADOT’s website got hacked. Or maybe someone forget to renew the domain registration for the 2010 LA bike plan, which now links to a spam site for rug padding. Thanks to Jonathan Fertig and Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

Speaking of LA’s DOT, they are currently reinstalling the bronze plaques honoring the late Alex Baum, which had been stolen from the bridge named after him. That would have provided a good opportunity to hold along-delayed public memorial for LA’s leading, long-time and much revered bike advocate if the city cared to, which they evidently don’t.

Rick Risemberg writes that you’ll now find bikes in every corner of LA, as the City of Angels slowly becomes a city for people.

Looks like even bike-challenged USC will get a bike share program before LA.

LA Magazine looks at the new seven-mile long bike lanes on PCH, which should be just the first of many in the ‘Bu. Let’s hope they help tame what has long been one of the area’s most dangerous roads.

Kick off National Bike Month with Ride On! Bike Day at Amoeba Records on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood this Sunday; the afternoon event benefits the LACBC.

 

State

The new California Streetsblog updates a couple of the proposed bills in the state legislature affecting bicycling, which are starting to look a lot better; Cyclelicious looks at some of the other nearly 40 bills currently before the legislature affecting bikes.

SoCal agencies gather to fight the rising tide of drugged driving. Although I’m told the OC crime lab doesn’t even bother to test for some common prescription drugs that can seriously impair driving.

As expected, the two men convicted of killing a developmentally disabled San Diego bike rider just for the hell of it have been sentenced to a well-deserved life with parole.

An Antioch boy was injured when a motorist drove into the bike lane he and a friend were riding in to get around traffic; the driver was arrested when he collided with another car after fleeing the scene.

 

National

Bicycling explains the problem behind the massive Trek recall, which could affect other bicycle manufacturers.

Triathlete site Slowtwitch examines the dreaded speed wobble.

Garmin sets out to challenge GoPro with an updated line of action cams. However, affordability doesn’t appear to have been high on their feature list.

Denver police are using GPS enabled bait bikes to battle bike theft.

A Wisconsin professor has written an academic history of the battle to give bikes a piece of the road.

Life is cheap in Ohio, where fleeing the scene of a collision — leaving a critically injured cyclist lying in the street — and tampering with evidence to cover up the crime isn’t worth a single day behind bars.

The New York Daily News says there is virtually no enforcement for bike riders who break the city’s law against riding on the sidewalk — except for the 10,000 people who were ticketed for doing it last year. The article also cites the 1,000 pedestrians injured in collisions with bicycles throughout the state each year, but fails to consider that maybe not all of the collisions were the bike riders’ fault.

A Philly columnist takes the city’s new bike share program out for a ride.

A video from Mobile AL demonstrates how to pass a bicyclist properly and respectfully.

 

International

A Toronto writer says cycling is synonymous to socialism, and compares bike riders to smelt. Seriously?

The owner of a Brit trucking company says cyclists are the worst users of the road, and truck drivers are the best. Sure, let’s go with that.

A Scottish writer suggests balancing the country’s books by taxing “odious” middle-class activities like bicycling and jogging. Never mind that that taxing cyclists would be self-defeating, and many poor people bike. In fact, some people even use them to transport trees.

Thousands of Scot riders Pedal on Parliament to encourage politicians to make the country more bike-friendly.

Alejandro Valverde wins Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the third time, just days after winning his third La Flèche Wallonne.

Smart idea. Finland fines law-breaking motorists more the more money they have.

Tens of thousands of people turn out on two wheels to promote bicycling in Budapest.

Japanese anime goes bicycling.

 

Finally…

Now you can do your laundry while you pedal, as long as you don’t want to actually go anywhere. Brits are urged to be on the lookout for the “evil” bike rider who ran over the royal-in-law Chihuahua.

And as every parent knows, it’s important to share bonding experiences with your kids. Like stealing bikes, for instance.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , ,

Morning Links: Turns out running a red light is no big deal, and you really can ride with your kid to Dodger Stadium

April 22, 2015 / / One comment

No major stories today, so let’s get right to the links.

………

Local

Unbelievable. A driver runs a red light and slams into three teenage girls in a North Hollywood crosswalk, and walks away without charges. Evidently, traffic laws really are merely suggestions for California motorists.

Caught on video: Flying Pigeon owner Josef Bray-Ali and his daughter ride a cargo bike to Dodger Stadium. Proving it is possible to ride a bike when you have children, even if it entails climbing a (small) mountain.

Smart marketing. When tourists stay at the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel on Fairfax, they not only get free use of a bicycle to tour the area, but a free pair of sneakers to encourage walking, as well.

More proof that bike riders aren’t always the good guys, as a Pasadena woman has her purse stolen by a passing cyclist; thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

Something we left off yesterday’s long list of bike events — Malibu officially cuts the ribbon on the newly installed two-mile long PCH bike lanes at 10 am on Thursday, April 29th at the Zuma Beach Parking lot, PCH and Morning View Drive.

Talented fixie riders are invited to skid, track stand and put a foot down at the DTLB Bike Fest in Long Beach starting

 

State

Calbike offers their monthly report; turns out that Caltrans shares, or maybe stole, their goal of tripling bicycling in the next five years. Does that mean I get to buy two more bikes?

Laguna Beach police are cracking down on distracted driving. Let’s hope every other department follows their example.

Nice story from Newbury Park, as a bike shop owner gives a homeless man a hand up by promoting the business.

The San Francisco school district becomes the latest city agency to adopt Vision Zero.

 

National

Trek recalls over one million bikes equipped with front disc brakes; three people have been injured when the quick release interfered with the brakes, including one who was left a quadriplegic.

Turns out you can use a hands-free device and still drive dangerously distracted.

Despite what you may have read, Millennials are 36% less likely to buy a car than GenXers, while AARP says transit, bicycles and feet are moving us to a brighter future.

USA Today suggests planning your next vacation around the nation’s top 10 bike share cities. Needless to say, LA is not on the list.

A Seattle cyclist files suit against a former city councilwoman who seriously injured him in a left cross crash.

No bias here, as a Tucson paper blames the victim of a right hook for crashing into the car. But at least he was wearing a helmet, right?

Caught on video: A Texas father tackles a man trying to ride off on his daughter’s bike after seeing the thief grab the bike on a security camera.

New York’s mayor says everyone has to yield to pedestrians and bike riders — even bus drivers, who apparently feel they have the right to run over either with impunity.

A Brit blogger provides his perspective on bicycling in New York, potholes and SUVs included; he says riding here explains why only .5% of American journeys are taken by bike. Thanks to Brian Myers for the link.

 

International

A stationary exercise bike developed in LA is helping paralyzed Calgary residents ride by stimulating the muscles in their legs.

Edmonton business owners demand the removal of a bike lane, saying it killed their business when it was installed two years ago.

A Montreal paper says no one should have to die before safe, adequate cycling infrastructure is pushed up the city’s priority list.

A bike tour through the French wine country goes flat. Five times.

The great anti-bike conspiracy? Vested automotive interests are working to suppress cycling, according to a Swedish filmmaker.

 

Finally…

As usual, Bikeyface nails it, saying we don’t need glow in the dark spray for bike riders, we need attention boosting mist for motorists. Caught on video: Stunt cyclist Danny McAskill fixes a flat. And jumps a pair of cows, too.

And the founder of Rapha says bicycling is the most important thing in many customers lives. Which is silly, of course, because that implies there’s something in life other than riding a bike.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Weekend Links: Protected bike lanes, election recaps, send a girl to bike camp, and more on the CA helmet law

March 7, 2015 / / 2 comments

This is what happens when life interferes before a post gets finished.

It grows.

And grows.

And grows some more, as the bike news keeps coming faster than I can keep up. Until we get a massive list of links long enough to keep you entertained for the rest of the weekend.

Or at least, the part you don’t spend on your bike.

………

People for Bikes releases their new report on Race, Ethnicity, Class and Protected Bike Lanes, while Fast Company makes the case for protected lanes — including boosting ridership up to 171%.

And investing in bike infrastructure is an investment in local business.

………

CiclaValley offers a recap of Tuesday’s elections and what the results mean for LA bicyclists. Not that 90% of Angelenos seem to care.

If this sort of apathy continues into the June general election, any motivated group that cared enough to actually vote en masse could totally own this city.

Meanwhile, Streetsblog’s Damien Newton offers his insights, including an examination of Jose Huizar’s win in CD14, which was the city’s first race that hinged on progressive urban planning.

………

One of the area’s most active and influential bike advocates, Santa Monica Spoke’s Cynthia Rose, is raising funds to attend next week’s National Bike Summit and National Forum on Women and Bicycling.

And yes, your donation is tax deductible.

………

Are we tired of the debate over mandating bike helmets yet?

A Napa Valley cyclist and attorney says we should require helmets, but do more to make our streets safer.

On the other hand, the publishers of Cycle California! says a helmet law tosses out all the benefits of bicycling for the mere illusion of safety.

The Mission Bicycle Company the proposed law sends the wrong message, while placing the burden of safety on the most vulnerable social group, rather than the one most likely to cause harm.

And KCRW traffic maven Kajon Cermak asks if bike helmets discourage cycling.

………

Local

The Westside Urban Forum holds their first bike-focused panel in 15 years to discus the potential for increased bicycling in West LA and Santa Monica.

Better Bike updates the latest news from the Biking Black Hole of Beverly Hills, including the city’s lack of response to bike rack requests.

A South LA bike advocate hopes to open a bike co-op in Leimert Park; you can contribute to the project here.

Bike theft is up in Hermosa Beach, as Hermosa Cyclery lost as many as 20 of their rental bikes last year alone.

Plans proceed for a bridge connecting the Glendale Narrows with Griffith Park.

The LACBC and the LA River Revitalization Corp host a free ride through Cudahy Saturday morning.

In advance of Wednesday’s Zócalo/Metro panel discussion, Zócalo Public Square asks if cars are driving off into the sunset.

Long Beach will host its first ciclovía — CicLoBia? — on June 6th.

 

State

A 64-year old New York man is busted for stealing a bait bike in Palm Springs.

A 30-year old triathlete suffers a broken neck, back, leg and shoulder when she was rear-ended by a driver in Buellton; needless to say, the person surrounded by a couple tons of steel, seat belts and air bags was uninjured. Thanks to Jeffrey Fylling for the link.

Sometimes you just can’t win, as San Francisco police ticket bike riders failing to properly navigate a badly designed intersection.

Alameda will cut the ribbon on the Bay Area’s longest buffered bike lane on Saturday. Note to the Contra Costa Times: a buffered bikeway is not the same as a protected bike lane, which features some sort of physical barrier.

Mountain View’s proposed bike plan features 170 potential projects to improve safety.

 

National

Momentum Magazine remembers three early bike riding women who changed to course of history.

Bicycling looks at bikes built for heavier riders, while Men’s Journal discusses how to get the best deal on a road bike. Here’s a hint: develop a relationship with your local bike shop instead of your web browser.

Bike culture is thriving at Arizona State University.

A new biker bar opens in Austin TX; no, not that kind of biker. And Baltimore’s planned bicycle-themed café sounds a lot like our own Pedaler’s Fork.

The Washington Post accuses bike shop workers of joining a radical socialist union.

A North Carolina man plans to ride 15,000 miles alone on a tandem bike to visit 48 state capitals; his wife had dreamed of doing the trip with him before she died of breast cancer. Note to Cosmo: At last count, there were more than 48 state capitals.

Caught on video: A road raging Florida driver intentionally runs into a cyclist, then repeatedly punches and kicks him before driving away.

Speaking of Florida, a Fort Meyers paper offers up seven surprising things about bike crashes, including the fact that red light-running bike riders don’t cause most crashes, it’s drivers who fail to yield that do.

 

International

A Vancouver driving instructor decries the appearance of “hobby cyclists” as the weather warms up; transportation and recreational riders are okay, though.

Ottawa residents call for limiting the size and duration of public memorials such as ghost bikes.

A Montreal non-profit specializes in rebuilding vintage bikes.

British authorities have no idea if drivers who kill bike riders are being prosecuted fairly because they forgot to collect any data on the subject.

It takes a major jerk to steal a purse from an unconscious Brit bike rider. Or any other incapacitated victim, for that matter.

A UK researcher questions the fairness of doping cases, including why Lance received a lifetime ban from bike racing when Floyd Landis and all the others who confessed only got a six-month ban.

An Edinburgh driver avoids jail for seriously injuring a young bike rider; he was checking an address instead of watching the road.

The first African team in the Tour de France aims for a podium finish within the next five years.

Over 1,000 Aussie riders turn out in memory of a cyclist killed as a result of a dooring.

 

Finally…

Even an Aussie child can grasp the concept that cars are convenient, but dangerous; so why can’t most adults, here or there? An 18-year old Portland man busted for bike theft apparently dealt in purloined goats named Penelope, as well.

And cycling embrocation somehow becomes the hottest new winter fashion accessory.

………

Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead on Sunday. I’m turning mine to 2045, when LA’s 2010 bike plan is finally scheduled be completed.

And thanks to Margaret for her generous donation to help support this site.

 

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

Weekend Links: Better safety means more riders or vice versa, caught on video 3x, and a hit-and-run AZ cyclist

March 1, 2015 / / Comments Off on Weekend Links: Better safety means more riders or vice versa, caught on video 3x, and a hit-and-run AZ cyclist

A new report raises kind of a chicken and egg question, finding cycling is safer in nations with the most people on bikes.

So is it safer because more people ride or do more people ride because it’s safer?

……..

Caught on video:

After a San Francisco cyclist slaps the back of a minivan when he gets cut off, the driver gets out and goes ballistic. With his kid in the car, no less.

Chilling security cam video catches an Australian rider getting doored seconds before he’s killed by a passing truck.

And pro cyclist Peter Sagan pulls yet another bike trick by playing bicycle golf with a teammate.

……..

I think most of us would agree that hit-and-run drivers are heartless assholes.

So what does that make hit-and-run bike riders like the Arizona cyclist who left an 81-year old man fighting for his life?

……..

Local

Better Bike questions whether the Biking Black Hole will ever update the 1977 Beverly Hills bike master plan, the one that called for routing bike riders through the city’s downtown alleys.

The very busy and prolific CiclaValley reports on the recent San Fernando Valley Transit Summit.

A Malibu entrepreneur with Asbergers raises $3.6 million on Indiegogo to build a more affordable e-bike.

It looks like Harrison Ford is one of us. And he flies a pretty nifty plane, too.

 

State

A coalition of advocacy groups calls for California to nearly double funding for active transportation.

Retired pro Jens Voigt has been selected as ambassador for this year’s Amgen Tour of California.

A survey asks if Santa Ana cyclists feel invisible while riding in the city. The correct answer is probably yes.

A Fresno bike rider is lucky to escape with minor injuries after he’s rear-ended when a pickup driver took his eyes off the road for an undisclosed reason.

San Francisco police shoot and kill a bike thief who was using a knife to jack a rider’s ride.

A Marin Eagle Scout’s plan to put out emergency supplies for mountain bikers comes under attack from conservationists, evidently because patching a flat is worse for the environment than walking your bike out.

A Sausalito bike thief armed with a remote steals a $15,000 Cervelo from inside a parked car.

Someone should give him a time out. A Vacaville editor says cyclists who oppose California’s proposed mandatory helmet law are acting like children and should be treated that way.

 

National

Sports Illustrated discovers America’s first black world champion and one of the greatest bike racers of all time.

Bike riders report more errors on Google Maps than anyone else. Maybe because Google makes more mistakes routing riders.

The Apple watch isn’t even out yet, and already there’s a handlebar mount for it.

A Seattle cyclist reclaims his stolen bike after spotting it for sale online.

A Provo UT writer gets it, explaining why car lovers should embrace the city’s coming bike lanes.

A Chicago advice columnist applauds a woman for threatening to divorce her husband for not wearing a bike helmet if he ever gets hurt.

Minneapolis will get ten new protected bike lanes this year, which is nine or ten more than LA has, depending on your definition of protected.

A St. Petersburg writer says if you don’t want your bike stolen, don’t be like her.

 

International

Cycling Weekly offers up 13 things your friends don’t understand about cycling; actually, they really mean pro bike racing.

That supposedly unstealable bike developed by Chilean college students goes from concept to Indiegogo campaign this week.

Despite the bike boom, Brit riders are still disproportionately young and male, maybe in part because London cyclists aren’t getting the separated bike lanes they were promised. Then again, who is?

Israel opens a 186 mile mountain bike path through the southern part of the country.

 

Finally…

This is not the proper use of a bicycle wheel, as a reckless driver in the Netherlands jumps out and uses one to beat the pedestrian he nearly ran over. Proof that crime doesn’t pay —  a Brit bike thief is fined £1,800 for making off with the titanium mountain bike he sold for just £20.

And evidently, they have bike riding dogs in Santa Cruz. But they don’t seem to be any safer on the streets than the rest of us.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Weekend Links: More helmets and hi-viz, setting the record straight on Colorado Blvd & clearing out the inbox

February 21, 2015 / / Comments Off on Weekend Links: More helmets and hi-viz, setting the record straight on Colorado Blvd & clearing out the inbox

Still more on helmets and hi-viz.

You know you’ve been waiting for Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson to check in with a typically tongue-in-cheek take on SB 192, the proposed mandatory helmet and hi-viz law.

Well, I have, anyway.

Meanwhile, Chicago’s Bike Advocate weighs in with why the law would be a bad idea. But the Contra Costa Times says cycling is dangerous, and the answer is to force riders to wear helmets, rather than attempt to tame dangerous traffic.

You did sign the petition to oppose it, right?

……..

Great turnout for last weekend’s Love Ride through South LA; the photos make it look like a mini-CicLAvia.

Aside from all those cars, of course.

……..

The candidates opposing incumbent councilmember Jose Huizar in LA’s 14th council district — particularly termed-out County Supervisor Gloria Molina — have attacked Huizar over a perceived lack of outreach, especially regarding bike lanes on Colorado Blvd in Eagle Rock.

So the president of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council has responded by detailing the lengthy process and numerous meetings that led to approval of the project.

As usual, it looks like if anyone wasn’t informed in advance it’s because they didn’t care enough to get involved.

……..

Let’s clear out the latest press releases clogging my inbox.

First up, LA’s Pure Fix Cycles has unveiled the upgraded Wallace single speed/fixie.

You’ve got one week left to sign up for a new membership or renew an existing membership with Gold’s Gym, and maybe win a special edition gold bike from Martone Cycling Co. Martone is also providing the consolation prizes for Academy Award nominees; I think I deserve one just for listening to the endless news helicopters filming installation of the red carpet this week.

And for anyone who dreams of riding in a genuine Italian gran fondo, here’s your chance with the 45th annual Granfondo Milan-San Remo Cicloturistica.

……..

Local

The Source is looking for nominations for Metro’s Golden Pedal Award, for “individuals who take the bicycle, deny perceived limitations and demonstrate the true potential of riders and their machine.” Or how about those who just write about it?

Work begins on the new 6th Street bridge as the old viaduct prepares for demolition, forcing bike riders onto less-than-bike-friendly alternatives during construction.

The Venice Neighborhood Council calls on the county to widen and illuminate the excessively popular beachfront bike path.

Santa Monica’s Main Street is quickly becoming e-bike central.

CiclaValley somehow manages to attend two Valley CicLAvia meetings being held at the same time; somehow, there always seems to be at least one business owner who fails to grasp the opportunity.

StreetsblogLA looks back on seven stupid things that might have happened if they hadn’t been here; then again, if they hadn’t been here, I wouldn’t have my name on an LA Press Club Award. And there’s still time to sign up for their 7th birthday party tonight.

The man behind London’s newly bikeable future will be speaking at a Monday conference on shared mobility.

 

State

LA-based Bike Shield promises to help prevent bike collisions, if the driver has the app installed and if the riders do, too. Or people could, you know, just pay attention when they drive.

An Eastvale hit-and-run driver leaves a 15-year old bike rider lying in the street.

Good news from Caltrans on finally completing the high desert gap in the Bike Route 66.

A 16-year old Fresno driver plays the universal Get Out of Jail Free card after killing a cyclist while driving up to 70 mph, as police say he just didn’t see the victim due to minimal lighting. Oh, well okay then. Thanks to John McBrearty for the heads-up.

A multi-millionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneur says cycling is the sport of choice for young professionals. Seems to be pretty popular with the older ones, too.

A red light-running San Francisco driver sends a bike riding mother and toddler daughter to the hospital, thankfully with non-life threatening injuries. But bikes are the problem, right?

 

National

The Times talks with America’s only remaining Tour de France winner.

Seattle becomes the latest major US city to adopt a Vision Zero plan; LA is also on that list, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at our streets.

A Utah driver faces trial for intentionally running down a man on a bike following a dispute, then ramming him again when the victim tried to run away.

The Wall Street Journal goes fat biking through the Colorado ski country.

Wisconsin’s governor kills funding for bicycling and pedestrian projects in an apparent attempt to maintain automotive hegemony in the state.

A Virginia writer says improving safety for bikes is good for drivers, too.

 

International

Grist offers six reasons why cargo bikes are the next big thing.

Caught on video: A Brit driver repeatedly tells a bike rider to F-off after a dangerous pass.

New Zealand can’t seem to keep a killer driver off the roads, license or not.

 

Finally…

I don’t care how rude or unwilling to share the road he might be, don’t punch a 78-year old driver in nose. Looks like you can forget bike-through fast food service in Utah.

And a drunk Yuba County man carrying a loaded shotgun on his e-bike shoots himself in the ass when he falls off his bike.

But hopefully, he was wearing a helmet.

 

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