Tag Archive for just the links

Morning Links: Vote for bikeways in South OC, how to deal with road rage, and punched out for not running a red

June 5, 2014 / / One comment
Local

A UCLA professor discovers that even after four or five decades, riding a bike is just like riding a bike.

Next weekend’s Santa Monica Festival features a bike rodeo and annual Bike Exposition.

Burbank’s US Representative Adam Shiff reports from the road on the AIDS LifeCycle ride. I’m starting to like this guy.

 

State

Voice your opinion on potential South OC bikeways.

A SoCal cyclist rides from San Diego to New York to raise money for starving children.

A 21-year old Moorpark park man struggles with a serious brain injury after the front wheel came off his bike in April; a reminder to always check your bike before you ride.

Chico hosts a Bicycle Music Festival this weekend. No, I don’t know what that is either, but it sounds like fun.

Nice to know there are few, if any, consequences for hitting a cyclist, fleeing the scene and threatening witnesses when you’re a homophobic pro football star.

 

National

Elly Blue offers advice on how to deal with your own road rage. My best advice is to focus on all the drivers who don’t piss you off, rather than the one who did.

The father of newly freed POW Bowe Bergdahl was an Olympic cyclist who lost his chance to compete when the US boycotted the Moscow Olympics over the Russian invasion of, yes, Afghanistan.

A Casper newspaper says it’s time to get serious about making changes in attitude and infrastructure to save cyclists’ lives, even in Wyoming.

Great idea. A cycling website in my home town gives a free crash kit to injured riders, including a new helmet, sunglasses, Road ID and comfort food, among other items. Almost makes it worth the wipeout.

A Wisconsin bike rider is called a hero for rescuing a 12-year old stabbing victim.

The Atlanta man caught on video attacking a cyclist and calling him anti-gay slurs turns himself in to police.

 

International

Mikael Colville-Andersen looks at the bikes of Brazil, which is quite different from the Boys from Brazil.

Edmonton CA moves forward with a new four-year bike plan.

Calgary bike gangs welcome new members; no word on whether you have to get a tattoo, wear leathers or go through a beat down initiation.

Caught on video: A Dublin bus driver threatens to run over a cyclist, even though he was in a bike lane.

How to leave the house on a bike in 13 very complicated but amusing steps.

Twenty-five-year old American Tejay van Garderen hopes to put a bad spring behind him and lead his team at the Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de France.

An Australian cyclist is killed after he was apparently deliberately run off the road by an “arrogant and aggressive” motorcycle rider.

 

Finally…

If you’re carrying oxycodone tablets you don’t have a prescription for, don’t force firefighters to evacuate an entire apartment building by parking your leaky gas-powered bicycle in a hallway.

And instead of complaining about cyclists running red lights, a Boston driver punches one out when he refuses to.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: Maybe you do need bike self-defense, two new bike jobs and a jewel-encrusted mountain bike

June 4, 2014 / / 7 comments

There seems to be a common theme today, as at least five bike riders are attacked or robbed in news stories from around the world.

Fortunately, there’s also a story on how to use your bike for self defense. Let’s hope it works.

……..

Just because paint goes on the street doesn’t it will stay there.

Boise prepares to remove bike lanes even though they don’t slow traffic and haven’t caused any wrecks, while San Antonio riders protest a vote to remove lanes there.

Meanwhile, bicycling explodes on streets with two-way cycle tracks, even though they may not be a good idea. And People for Bikes says intersections on protected bikeways are jaw-droppingly safe.

……..

Local

No surprise here, as Los Angeles commuters face the nation’s worst traffic. Or at least, the ones who don’t ride bikes or take transit do.

The BAC gives Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s rep a well-deserved earful on North Figueroa.

If you need a new job, CicLAvia needs a new Director of Community Engagement. And CalBike is looking for a Development and Communications Director, which would seem to require two distinct and unrelated job skills.

You’re invited to Ride Around Pomona this Saturday.

 

State

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about from motorists, a Fontana bike rider is robbed at gunpoint by occupants of a passing car.

This year’s San Francisco to LA AIDS LifeCycle ride raises $15 million for HIV/AIDS-related services.

The CHP is searching for a truck driver who fled the scene after hitting a Sonoma cyclist.

 

National

Yahoo Finance says if you want to save money, buy a bike or transit pass.

A new gyroscope-equipped bike takes the falls out of learning to ride, but will kids who learn that way be able to balance a regular bike on their own later?

Seriously, if Anchorage can be one of the nation’s top cities for bike commuting, what the hell is our problem? I mean, besides elected officials who single-handedly block much needed bike lanes?

A Tucson cyclist is used for target practice by a thankfully aim-challenged gunman.

Denver’s mayor calls attention to the hit-and-run epidemic, which clearly knows no boundaries.

Dallas police use the city’s misguided helmet law to target poor and minority riders, rather than enforce safety.

An Ohio man is riding cross-country on an ebike. At age 80, I think we can cut him some slack.

Stylish New Yorkers pose with their bikes; clearly, they have a different definition of stylish than I do.

An Atlanta runner attacks a bike rider after shouting anti-gay slurs.

 

International

I now qualify for Team Novo Nordisk, which is competing in Canada this week. Or I would if I was a lot faster these days.

An English writer does his best to suck all the joy out of riding with his 17 rules to not be a “fish and chips” cyclist, whatever the hell that means.

A UK driver gets away with killing a cyclist while speeding because authorities used the wrong kind of speed limit sign.

An Oxford, England rider is dragged off his bike by a scissor-wielding attacker.

Caught on video: A South African cyclist is bike jacked at gunpoint, and catches the theft — and thief — on his GoPro. Note to would-be thieves: always take the camera.

A different kind of bicycling injury, as a Singapore woman is in a coma after being hit by a bike wheel thrown from an apartment.

 

Finally…

How to use your bike for self-defense; yes, a similar piece ran last year, but this one has cool animated GIFs. A news columnist admits to parking — and driving a race car — in Toronto bike lanes, but insists the riders who complain about it are the real problem.

But would he still try to block you if you were riding a solid gold, jewel encrusted mountain bike?

Probably.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: Better Biking on SM Blvd, an East Coast view of West Coast bike paths, and busted for bike sex

June 3, 2014 / / 3 comments
Local

Mayor Garcetti officially unveils LA’s first Great Streets.

However, Streetsblog’s Joe Linton questions whether just $800,000 worth of improvements on 15 streets will really make a difference.

Better Bike offers suggestions on what can be done right now to improve safety for bike riders on Santa Monica Blvd through Beverly Hills, which could be a great street if officials in the Biking Black Hole cared enough to do anything about it.

 

State

Former LADOT Bike Blogger Christopher Kidd looks at the murky truth behind California sidewalk riding laws, which only serve to confuse virtually everyone, everywhere.

Meet champion cyclist and coach Connie Paraskevin in Corona del Mar next Tuesday.

An Ontario cyclist is in critical but stable condition after being dragged 1,000 feet under a car when the driver failed to stop. The 70-year old motorist thought he hit something, but didn’t know what — so naturally, he just kept going. He was not cited at the scene, since there appears to be no obligation to stop if you only think you hit something.

Three women riders are honored with Santa Barbara’s Velo Wing awards.

The Bike Hut offers a refuge for Bay Area cyclists riding south of Half Moon Bay. Do we have anything like that here in SoCal? If not, maybe we should.

 

National

Seriously? Bicycling magazine offers a very East Coast-centric look at the best boardwalks for bicycling; only the misnamed Marvin Braude bike trail and San Diego’s Mission Beach to PB path make the cut here on the Left Coast.

More on the protected bike lane study we discussed yesterday, as they appear to increase ridership wherever they go in.

A Minnesota writer says if Vehicular Cycling actually succeeded, it wouldn’t. Some things I might quibble with there, but an interesting read.

The sad thing is that a new law is even necessary to force New York police to prosecute drivers who hit pedestrians or cyclists that have the right-of-way.

 

International

A new study shows caffeinated carb gels really do improve performance.

Want. A British artist crafts die-cast bicycling figurines, including Breaking Away’s Cutter Dave Stoller.

A UK student develops the world’s most cut-proof bike lock.

The winner of the Giro, Columbia’s Nairo Quintana, receives a pink jersey blessed by the pope.

 

Finally…

A dog rides an invisible inverse bicycle.

Which makes far more sense than this story about a Scotsman convicted of having sex with his bicycle, which presumably was incapable of giving consent. And no, I don’t even know how you’d do that — and don’t want to. Thanks to John McBrearty for the heads-up.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: Stunning Phinney crash photo, Better Bike examines the candidates for county supervisor

June 1, 2014 / / One comment

Let’s start with a brief bit of racing news.

A stunning photograph captures the moment Taylor Phinney crashed and broke his leg in two places during last week’s national road championships in Chattanooga. You can see him still falling after hitting the guard rail, while the rider behind struggles to stay upright and the moto rider who caused the crash puts a foot down to steady himself.

Meanwhile, 1984 Olympic gold medalist Connie Carpenter Phinney — Taylor’s mom — discusses the aftermath of his collision.

Nairo Quintana becomes the first Columbian to win the Giro d’Italia, while Bicycling magazine profiles Marianne Vos, who may just be the best cyclist of our generation.

And Jaguar redesigns Team Sky’s Pinarello Dogma for the Tour de France.

………

Local

Better Bike digests the responses supervisor to the LACBC’s candidate questionnaires for District 3 county supervisor with a side-by-side comparison of their stands on the issues. Take a look at the responses, and go Bike the Vote on Tuesday.

 

State

San Diego celebrated Bike to Work Day on Friday after a two-week delay due to the recent fires.

Four Riverside County cities team up to create a 12-mile bike and walking trail.

The Wild West Charity Bike Ride rolls in Banning this coming weekend.

 

National

The quality of bike lanes — how many riders actually use them — matters more than quantity.

Portland prosecutors decline to file charges in an alleged road rage case, saying they don’t think they the case is winnable.

After an urban terrorist attempts to injure New York cyclists by stringing a rope across a park roadway, the NYPD struggles to give a rat’s ass.

A North Carolina Ironman competitor is injured when an SUV driver slams on her brakes in front of competitors.

Members of the Cherokee Nation begin their annual 950 mile Remember the Removal ride in honor of the 1839 Trail of Tears, one of the most shameful moments in American history.

New Orleans launches new bike trains patterned after our own LA Bike Trains.

Caught on video: Ft. Lauderdale police take down a Critical Mass rider; thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

 

International

A British Columbian randonneur is shot from a passing pickup during the Cache Creek 600 an apparent random attack; fortunately, he wasn’t seriously injured.

It’s not really a bike lane if everyone else in Toronto is parking in it, is it?

 

Finally…

Portland police offer advice on how not to be offended by the upcoming World Naked Bike Ride, like pull the shades down and turn up the TV. No, really. And Cyclelicious says bike handling skills could save your life.

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Check back later today for some good news in the fight against hit-and-run, as I get to meet one — or make that two — of my heroes.

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: A massive list of post-holiday bike news; San Marino dreads outsiders on bikes

May 28, 2014 / / One comment

After San Marino rises up against the great unwashed masses on bikes, a writer for the Pasadena Star-News takes offense at residents taking offense.

Actually, we should all take offense at that.

Unlike the mad rantings of the Wicked Witch of Wall Street, who feared New York’s blue hued Citi Bikes would besmirch her fair city, at least some San Marino residents fear the mere presence of less-entitled outsiders on bikes.

What, exactly, they think we’re going to do there is beyond me. Though the story suggests at least one anonymous fear-monger implies we’re going to molest, or at least annoy, their children and shower in their schools.

Okay.

To the best of my knowledge, the city’s proposed bike plan merely makes it more convenient for residents and outsiders alike to ride in and through the city.

Hopefully city officials will discard the mad rantings of xenophobic anti-bike residents, and opt for better safety for everyone, instead.

Thanks to Wesley Reutimann and Day One for the heads-up.

………

Speaking of Citi Bike, the popular New York bike share program celebrated it’s first birthday on Monday.

Surprisingly — for critics, at least — the city did not grind to a halt. Nor did it see a bloodbath of helmetless tourists run down on the streets.

Although it did get hit with a $1 million parking fine.

………

The Giro d’Italia moves on towards this weekend’s conclusion, as Columbian rider Nairo Quitana stole the leader’s jersey on a snowy climb; officials may or may not have caused mass confusion in the peloton by neutralizing the descent.

Apparently, Taylor Phinney’s violent crash in the national road race championships on Monday was caused by a race motorcycle that suddenly appeared in his path after he rounded a blind curve. He’s expected to miss this year’s Tour de France — if not the entire season — after surgery for a compound fracture of both bones of the left lower leg.

Velonews profiles the Scottsdale chiropractor who unexpectedly became the new national road champ.

And British TdF champ Chris Froome insists he doesn’t use anything stronger than espresso. Then again, didn’t that guy from Texas who insists he won seven Tours say the same thing?

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Local

Former Talking Head and noted bike rider David Byrne falls in love with DTLA, and proclaims it the perfect place to start a bike program. Maybe he missed all those bike lanes spreading throughout Downtown.

Steetsblog is in the final days of a month-long fund-raising drive .

The Bike League profiles John Jones III of the Eastside Riders Bike Club.

Ovarian Psychos is sponsoring a three-part DIY Road Bike Mechanics Class next month.

Volunteers are needed to conduct bike counts in the San Gabriel Valley.

Unless he somehow rear-ended a stopped car, it’s highly unlikely a cyclist was responsible for colliding with a car in Saugus since they were both travelling in the same direction, despite what the story in the SGV Signal suggests.

A Long Beach bike rider is shot and killed after fleeing police.

 

State

A new Newport Beach bike lane could have been better.

San Diego combines bike lanes, sharrows and quiet streets to form a downtown bike loop.

Two Menlo Park residents set national age group cycling records.

The NY Times says San Francisco police are going high tech to catch bike thieves.

State Assemblywoman Christina Garcia receives a petition in support of Andy’s Law to stiffen penalties for hit-and-run — and take away the driver’s license for up to 10 years.

 

National

Bike and pedestrian advocates and urbanists need to work together if either are going to succeed.

Ten rules to build better bike parking.

A nationwide summer camp program mentors girls through bicycling.

New York police bravely crack down on scofflaw cyclists; evidently they’re the ones whose behavior must be tamed before the city can reach its Vision Zero goals.

No license, no problem. An unlicensed New York driver faces a whopping $500 fine for killing a cyclist. Good thing the NYPD has its priorities straight.

 

International

A new Canadian smart bike evidently does everything but turn the pedals for you.

Not surprisingly, Vancouver merchants discover bikes are good for business.

New survey says 82% of Brits think bicycle education should be part of the basic curriculum for school children.

Endurance cycling can help you live longer.

A Russian fat cat loses weight by bicycling, even though its owner does all the work.

Queensland cyclists will still be required to wear helmets, but registration is off the table.

File this one under duh, as a New Zealand study shows demand for safer bicycling routes.

 

Finally…

A camera-clad biking superhero fights for truth, justice and the British roadway, while another rider films himself hurling abuse at scofflaw pedestrians. And a real estate agent plans a bike ride to promote Boyle Heights to prospective clients, but cancels after a blowup over a tone-deaf approach to gentrification.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: The dawn of a new LA Bike Week, men’s & women’s racing news, and bike riders under fire

May 11, 2014 / / 2 comments

Blessing of the Bicycles 2014It’s finally Bike Week in LA!

You can find links to dozens of local events throughout the LA area in this week’s Calendar.

And don’t miss tomorrow’s decidedly non-sectarian Blessing of the Bicycles honoring Ghost Bikes LA at Good Samaritan Hospital.

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Mark Cavendish ekes out a victory in the first stage of the Amgen tour of California, while Carmen Small wins the women’s circuit race.

Marcel Kittel wins the third stage of the Giro d’Italia on his 26th birthday, edging out Ben Swift at the last second; Dublin comes out to show its support despite the rough roads local cyclists have to ride.

Marianne Vos captures the inaugural Tour of Britain, while a man in a mobility scooter just avoids colliding with the peloton.

Meanwhile, Capital Public Radio says the appeal of bike racing is the interaction of between the riders and the fans; on the other hand, KCET says it’s because it’s exhilarating. I vote for the latter, myself.

………

Local

Councilmember Gil Cedillo is now suggesting sharrows on North Figueroa in place of the previously approved road diet and bike lanes, despite being captured on video saying just the opposite when he needed our votes.

A 25-year old man was shot in the back while riding in Pasadena early Saturday morning; thanks to Complete Streets Pas for the heads-up.

San Marino Rides looks at the draft San Marino bike and pedestrian plan; there will be a meeting of the San Marino Traffic Advisory Commission to discuss the plan on Monday, May 19th at 7 pm at the San Marino Center, 1890 Huntington Drive.

Bicycle advocacy group Pedal Movement offers free bike valet and tune-ups at the Long Beach farmer’s market.

 

State

A man in his 40s was found shot to death next to a bicycle in a Huntington Beach alley, though police aren’t sure if the bike was his.

Why would a Bay Area bike thief steal 26 bikes, only to leave them behind when he moved?

A new book profiles the artistry of 88 bike makers from around the world, including seven from Northern California.

When Mountain View balks on building a bike undercrossing, Google offers to over take the project. I wonder if they’d be willing to take over the North Figueroa road diet from Gil Cedillo?

 

National

Bicycling offers up the 10 best guided bike tours in the US, including the LA Taco Tour.

Nice Bike to Work video from Denver’s Regional Council of Governments.

In a nice gesture, a Texas college awards a posthumous degree to a bike rider killed by a drunk driver just shy of his graduation.

This is why you don’t chase after the guy who just stole your bike, as a New Orleans teenager is robbed at gunpoint by the thief.

Continuing a disturbing weekend trend, an eight-year old bike rider was accidently shot in the leg when a Pennsylvania man fires his gun off his deck.

Once again, a study shows women resist riding out of safety concerns; this time in New York, as over 76% of Citi Bike riders are men.

 

International

Most Alberta, Canada residents support separated bike lanes. As long as they don’t have to pay for them.

There seems to be an epidemic of road raging Brit cyclists these days.

London Cyclist explains why many bike riders wear jerseys.

Bike riding is cool again, even in India.

Riding a bike in rural Nigeria is a part of life; in urban Lagos, it can mean risking yours.

 

Finally…

If you’re going to flee the scene of a Massachusetts hit-and-run with your teenage victim’s bike still trapped under your car, don’t speed through an apartment complex parking lot.

And Russell Brand — yes, that Russell Brand — gets out of his car to hug an angry cyclist after the rider is clipped by a passing van.

 

Category: Bike Events, Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Morning Links: Pro cycling tours kickoff, the Bieb take a pedacab and six-year old cyclists come to blows

May 6, 2014 / / One comment

Lots of pro cycling news today.

Once again, cycling fans’ attention will be divided as this weekend’s kickoff to the Amgen Tour of California goes head-to-head against the Irish start of the legendary Giro d’Italia; always disappointing that these two great tours have to run at the same time.

The inaugural Women’s Tour of Britain starts today; meanwhile, one of Canada’s biggest bike events offers equal prize money for men and women. Nice to finally see women cyclists finally get the attention and support they deserve.

And Colorado’s USA Pro Challenge announces the routes for this summer’s race, including its first-ever mountaintop finish.

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Nice video for today’s Culver City’s Bike to School Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbzMszGbNWA&feature=youtu.be

………

Local

A writer for KCET calls for transportation equity and just growth.

Just Ride LA hosts a free Street Cycling Skills Workshop next Wednesday.

After showing off his pantsless posterior, the Bieb takes a pedacab on Venice Beach as his bodyguard is forced to run along behind.

Metro teams with CICLE and the Eastside Bike Club to host the Old Roots, New Routes ride to visit the new Rosemead Blvd cycle tracks.

Pasadena’s Colorado Blvd goes car-free for two hours on Saturday the 17th in advance of the finish of Stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California at Pasadena City Hall.

 

State

A Laguna Beach mountain bike rider is airlifted out of El Moro Canyon with a broken leg; a reminder to ride with a companion and always carry a cell phone and water when you go off road.

A minor miracle in Rancho Cordova, as a bike rider survives a collision with a train.

Freakonomics says what so many cyclists have said before — if you want to get away with killing someone, use a car.

 

National

Esquire offers advice on how men can ride to work in style. Or you could try this $730 bike commuter suit.

Bazaar captures 10 women celebrities who bike in style. And yes, they do.

Evidently America’s bike paradise still has some work to do. Is bike-friendly Portland resting on its laurels?

Connecticut passes a bill calling for a $1,000 fine for motorists who fail to operate their vehicles and cause injury or death. It may help hold dangerous drivers accountable after the fact, but will the threat of a fine really make people drive more safely?

A North Carolina bike lawyer says bicycle crashes aren’t accidents.

 

International

British Olympic and Paralympic stars call on the country to make the roads safer for cyclists.

Less than bike-friendly Madrid is about to get an e-bike share program. Electric bikes make a lot of sense for a bike share system due to users widely varied skills and fitness levels.

Buy an apartment in Melbourne, get a $1,000 bike and a place to fix it. Not that the price of the free bike hasn’t already been added in to the cost of the apartment, of course.

 

Finally…

Caught on camera — road raging Brit six-year olds come to blows after colliding on their bikes. And when you’re carrying an ounce of dope, it’s probably a good idea to listen to the cops when they tell you to stop popping wheelies.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Weekend Links: More on MyFig, Dana Point Crit Sunday, and how to change a bike tire in three minutes — in a dress

May 2, 2014 / / One comment

 

Local

Streetsblog reports on the consensus agreement for the MyFigueroa project; work may start next January and take about a year. And says there’s a rising tide for biking and walking in California.

KPPC finishes the ride with Damien Kevitt.

Santa Monica Spoke calls your attention Bike Month this month.

 

State

Dana Point hosts one of the largest single-day crits in the US this Sunday.

An OC mountain bike rider is airlifted out of a Laguna Beach trail after breaking his leg.

A San Diego writer says the recent Belgium Waffle Ride was one hell of a ride.

How to get your stolen bike back in San Francisco.

 

National

Cool looking new sensor-laden smart bike is built with safety in mind; the Kickstarter project is just $3,000 short of their $100,000 goal with four weeks to go.

Somehow, I can’t imagine the LAPD painting a bike safety message directly on their patrol cars like this one from Boise, Idaho.

A new study shows more helmet use hasn’t resulted in a decrease in injuries.

 

International

A new short video looks at bicycle culture in Cuba.

A Brit cyclist says there’s no point in obeying the rules because riding in London is always Death Race 2000. On the other hand, Olympic champ Chris Hoy is really angry at scofflaw cyclists.

Almost caught on video: A UK bike rider narrowly avoids injury when a construction crew drops a lamppost on him.

NPR looks at the risks and obstacles facing women cyclists in Afghanistan. And the drive to overcome them.

Australia’s New South Wales traffic minister says bike riders should be licensed and banned from certain roads for their own good, while a Sydney writer says not so fast.

Meanwhile, a new study shows separated bike lanes in Sydney resulted in a doubling in ridership and a reduction in overall injuries — and carry as many people on bikes as the traffic lanes next to them do in cars.

Aussie pro cyclist Travis Meyer has been released from the hospital following an April 12th training collision in Andorra that left him with a fractured skull, broken jaw, broken arm and bruised lung; surprisingly, the driver stepped-up and admitted responsibility. Thanks to Bobby Close for the heads-up.

 

Finally…

Sure, Lance and LeMond can change a tire in less than three minutes. But can they do it in a dress? A very cool new Italian bike has no spokes, hubless direct drive and folds down to the size of an umbrella. And apparently, the Queen is no fan of cyclists.

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Thanks to Mark Goodley for the very generous donation to help support this site.

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,

Morning Links: Turns out most bike riders don’t run red lights after all, and TdF winner LeMond fixes le flat

April 29, 2014 / / One comment

The next time someone tells you all bike riders run red lights, show them this.

According to a new study from Portland State University, an overwhelming 94% of bicyclists in four Oregon cities — not just bike-friendly Portland — stopped for red lights. And 89% were observed obeying the rules perfectly, while 4% jumped the light just before it changed.

Only a paltry 6% actually blew the lights.

The study was based on a review of over 2,000 videos from intersection crossing cameras. Which means there was no observational bias from researchers at the scene, or riders acting on their best behavior because they knew they were being watched.

As Bike Portland’s Michael Anderson notes, that compares to an estimated 36% to 77% of drivers who break the speed limit.

Which makes you wonder just who the real scofflaws are.

Interestingly, the study also notes that nearly four times as many helmetless riders ran their lights than helmet-clad riders.

Make of that what you will.

……..

America’s only remaining Tour de France winner responds to that recent video of Lance Armstrong fixing a flat with one of his own. And proves he’s a real blowhard in the best possible sense.

And speaking of TdF winners, the first women’s winner in recent years will be crowned with one-day circuit race before the men arrive on the Champs-Elysees on the final day.

……..

Local

Looks like there will be 10 of those new LA bike repair stations in the initial rollout.

NELA’s anti-bike Boulevard Sentinel accuses bicyclists of successfully hijacking this past weekend’s Neighborhood Council elections; a better description might be democracy in action.

BikeSGV is looking for bike count volunteers starting this weekend.

Long Beach ranks third on a list of the country’s 20 most bicycle-friendly cities behind San Francisco and Austin; Portland ranks a surprisingly low 15th.

The Long Beach Post looks at Stylish by Bike, part of the city’s annual Bike Fest this Saturday.

 

State

Bicycling suggests a few classic rides to create your own tour of California.

A Newport Beach city council member says improve safety on the Back Bay, rather than restricting usage as some have called for.

Bike share is coming to La Jolla and the rest of the San Diego area this June. Meanwhile, LA’s bike share program is scheduled to open a week from who the hell knows.

Riverside cyclists can look forward to a Cinco de Mayo ride next Monday.

The Times offers more details on that 17-year old Sacramento County driver who deliberately chased down a 10-year old boy after someone threw a water bottle at her SUV. The victim was riding bikes with his brother when the girl attacked him, dragging him 10 feet beneath her vehicle; according to a CHP spokesperson, she was non-remorseful and didn’t seem to care that she’d just committed assault with a deadly weapon.

 

National

Forget hockey — if you really want organized violence, try bike polo. But do we need yet another story saying cycling is the new golf?

Utah police can’t explain how a collision that took the life of two bike riders happened, but somehow conclude the driver wasn’t at fault.

Denver cyclist with early-onset Alzheimer’s plans to ride 100 miles to fight the disease.

Dallas considers repealing its rarely enforced helmet law to encourage bicycling and allow a successful bike share program.

America’s most famous college bike race — and the setting for Breaking Away — took place with another successful Little 500 last weekend.

The NYPD cracks down on Critical Mass while ignoring speeding drivers. So which one poses the greater threat to the public, I wonder?

 

International

Sadly, a British adventurer on a round-the-world bike tour is killed in a Bolivian collision.

People for Bikes offers three lessons from Calgary’s great bike leap forward.

Bike racing’s governing body establishes a commission to promote non-competitive events. Despite what the article suggests, there is no governing body for riding your bike down the street.

Caught on video: A Brit driver deliberately runs down a bike rider from behind, then backs up and flees the scene.

Evidently, Aussie women go out of their way not to commute by bike.

 

Finally…

There’s a new poster child for drunk driving, as an intoxicated motorist drove onto an off-road trail — and plowed into a marathon raising funds to fight drug and alcohol abuse.

And I don’t even know what to say about this one, as a Santa Rosa woman assaults customers and staff in a Dollar Store, steals not one but two bikes, and is finally arrested with Vicodin, a meth pipe and some things she stole from the store.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Morning Links, Roadway Courtesy / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: A disgustingly auto-centric driver, and the rest of the story on that biking tech exec beating

April 29, 2014 / / 11 comments

They drive among us.

Commenting on the Facebook page Look! Save A Life / Arizona, a gigantic motorhead asshole driver makes it clear he could care less about the lives on any cyclists who happen to ride — legally — on the road.

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Thankfully, jerks like this are a very small minority of drivers, most of whom do their best to drive safely and accommodate everyone.

As for the others, comments like this live forever on the internet. And can be used as evidence if he ever does hit someone.

Thanks to Cyclelicious and Brendan Lyons for the heads-up.

……..

Speaking of Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious, trust him to get the whole story on that bike riding Silicon Valley tech exec arrested for beating the crap out of a driver.

Turns out the driver did hit the cyclist, as the exec had claimed. And both people in the truck — including the guy behind the wheel — were reportedly drunk, and got out to throw the first punches.

Which makes it a case of self defense against a drunken idiot, rather than the vicious assault the local press implied.

……..

And it turns out there’s a lot more to that story of the sick, twisted Ontario, Canada driver who sued the parents of the teenage bike rider she killed for her pain and suffering in having to live with what she did — including the incredible pain of the boy’s parents and allegations of police misconduct.

There’s a special place in hell for people like that.

Thanks to Stanley E. Goldich for the links.

……..

More on Sunday’s Finish the Ride from KNBC-4, as well as KCBC-2 and USC’s Annenberg TV. Maybe the word is finally getting out about hit-and-runs. As usual, though, it takes Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman to offer real insight and put it all in perspective.

And an LA mom says f*** you to speeding drivers and actually rides her bike on the streets of LA.

………

Local

CicLAvia co-founder Aaron Paley says we need to get rid of the us vs. them attitude on our streets.

New bike lanes appear next to LA’s Eco-Village, and vandal-resistant bike repair stations pop up on LA’s not-quite Eastside.

Naomi Watts rides a bike in Brentwood.

Repeat after me. If you’re carrying a stolen Glock and a high-capacity magazine on your bike in Pasadena after dark, put a damn light on it. The bike, not the gun.

I love this one. Three bike-riding Palos Verdes financial advisors dig into their own pockets to donate 100 bikes to underprivileged kids. Seriously, hats off to these guys.

 

State

Huh? HuPo offers seven spots in California you can only reach by bike. Like auto, transit and pedestrian-accessible Downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Venice Boardwalk, where bikes aren’t even allowed.

Oakland is racing to meet the demand for bike lanes for non-racing riders.

In a move that could improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians, Google promises their self-driving cars can now recognize objects better than a human driver can — including gestures made by bike riders. Yeah, but can they recognize this one? Thanks to Ed Cable for the heads-up.

A teenage Sacramento driver deliberately chases down and pins a 7th grader to a tree after someone throws a water bottle at her SUV. Yeah, that’s equivalent force.

 

National

Grist sort of answers whether it’s safer to ride a bike or drive a car; thanks to Kevin Hopps for the link.

A new wearable bike light promises to be fashionable, but doesn’t look very noticeable.

Kansas residents pitch in when a man suffering from arthritis has his three-wheeled bike stolen.

An aggressive Austin driver intentionally targets — and fortunately misses — pedestrians and cyclists.

An LSU football player is arrested for bike theft, and says he’s very sorry. Well, okay then.

Two women take off on a bike tour of the East Coast. In 1944. Thanks to Chris K for the tip.

Shockingly, the father of a hit-and-run driver who killed a Florida cyclist says it wasn’t his son’s fault, he wasn’t intoxicated, he didn’t flee and it was all that damn bike rider’s fault. For a change, the police disagree.

 

International

Calgary’s city council votes to defy the bike haters and build three separated bike lanes as a pilot project.

A new bike lock promises to be unpickable. But does anyone actually bother to pick bike locks these days?

Caught on video. A bike riding Dutch woman breaks up a fight the hard way.

This might not be the best time for a politician to ride a bike in the Ukraine, as the mayor of the country’s second largest city is shot while riding his.

Aussie streets are designed to tolerate minor “bingles” but bicyclists aren’t. Is it just me, or does bingle sound like the name of an elf?

 

Finally…

Letters reveal the great feminist author Simone de Beauvior and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre rode bikes to help organize the French resistance in World War II.

It was de Beauvior who brilliantly wrote “There are two kinds of people in the world: human beings and women. And when women try to act like human beings, they’re accused of trying to be men.”

Which I learned from a Doonesbury cartoon.

 

Category: Car vs Bike, Morning Links, Road Rage / Tags: , , ,
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