Tag Archive for just the links

A long list of upcoming events — including the first ever Tour de Taste in just one week

February 24, 2012 / / Comments Off on A long list of upcoming events — including the first ever Tour de Taste in just one week

Next weekend marks the LACBC’s first ever Tour de Taste.

And even though I’ll be working the event as a volunteer, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. So I reached out to JJ Hoffman, the mastermind behind the growing popularity of the River Ride, as well as the planner behind Tour de Taste, for a little more information.

I’ll let her explain what we can expect to experience on Sunday, March 4th.

Tour de Taste is a biking and eating adventure unlike any other!

Participants will gather at 9300 Culver Blvd, which is adjacent to the Historic Culver Hotel, the official hotel of the Tour de Taste, at 9:00am. At 9:30am those who wish may enjoy a pre-ride stretch courtesy of Goda Yoga. A light breakfast will be served courtesy of the Culver Hotel.

Riders will then be guided down the beautiful and newly revitalized Ballona Creek path in small groups. At the halfway point, riders will enjoy a snack then head on back to downtown Culver City to really indulge!

Back at Culver City, LACBC will watch your bike at our bike valet and all participants will be given a passport to all the restaurants.

Some delights will be enjoyed at the site; our sponsors on site are some of the best in town and known for their fresh organic food and cozy atmosphere. They include Pace, an OpenTable Award winner, as well as Larchmont Grill, Pete’s Cafe and AMMO.

In Culver City, explore the local eateries such as Roccos Tavern, Sake House by Hikari, Rush Street, Chipotle and LaRoccos Pizza.

New Belgium beer and multiple Gold winning winery Rosenthal and Surfrider will be there — taste wine made from grapes grown here in Malibu!

There will be plenty of choices for vegetarians and vegans.  It really will be a great day of cycling and eating.

Space is limited.  Get your ticket now www.la-bike.org.

My understanding is only a few hundred tickets will be sold — and a lot of those are already gone.

So order your tickets today while there are still some left.

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

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

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition invites you for an easy ride with the city’s mayor at 8 am every Monday, starting at Syd Kronenthal Park, 3459 McManus Ave, at the east end of the Ballona Creek bike path.

Discover your local Bike Co-Op with an open house at Bici Libre this Saturday, February 25th, from 2 – 5 pm at 1205 W. 6th Street.

The City of Los Angeles will be hosting a series of four Mobility Think Lab Workshops to help solve the city’s mobility problems, on Saturday, February 25th and Saturday, March 3rd in Van Nuys, L.A. and Pacoima.

If you find yourself in San Diego this weekend, it sounds like you could do a lot worse than attending Bike the Boulevard starting at noon on Saturday, February 24th, with seven full hours of food and drink specials, games, art and music for cyclists on the city’s El Cajon Blvd.

The draft bike plan for the County of Los Angeles will face a hearing by the county Board of Supervisors in a public session at 9:30 am on February 28th, in Room 381B of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple Street Downtown.

Also on the 28th, The LA Chapter of Young Professionals in Transportation holds its kickoff event at 634 S. Spring Street, starting at 7 pm. Guest speaker Alexis Lantz of the LACBC will discuss bike and pedestrian advocacy in Los Angeles — and few know the topic better — followed by an informal reception at Spring Street Bar.

UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability invites you to participate in Creating a Bikeable UCLA: A Vision for a Healthy & Vibrant Future on Wednesday, February 29th from noon to 2:00 pm at the California NanoSystems Institute Auditorium on the UCLA campus. Registration is free, but limited to people affiliated with the University, and space is limited.

You’re invited to train with the Wonderful Pistachios Pro Cycling team at their official winter training camp March 2nd through 4th in Paso Robles; the cost is a mere $3,000.

Sunday, March 4th, the LACBC rolls out it’s first Tour de Taste, offering an easy, guided 12 mile bike ride along Ballona Creek, as well as food and drinks from some of the area’s best restaurants. The event kicks off at Media Park at the corner of Culver and Venice Blvds starting at 10 am, with rides departing every hour. Cost is $65 for LACBC members and $95 for non-members, with discounted membership and ticket available for $120 (pro tip — become an LACBC member before the 4th and save $20); all proceeds go to create a more bikable Los Angeles. But don’t wait to register, because only 200 tickets will be sold.

Also on the 4th, the OC to LA Dream Ride 2012 will roll from El Centro Cultural de Mexico in Santa Ana to Lincoln Heights, with a welcoming celebration at Solidarity Ink. The ride celebrates the passage of the California Dream Act while connecting the immigration rights movement with the cycling community.

Friday, March 9th, the recently reinvigorated C.I.C.L.E. sponsors its free ArtNight Ride, including visits to the Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Side Street Projects, Pasadena Museum of History and the Armory for the Arts. Meet at Memorial Park Pasadena at the intersection of Raymond Ave and Holly Street at 6:30 pm, with the ride leaving promptly at 7 pm.

Thursday, March 15th, support cycling on the Westside with Bikes – Ballads – Beers: A Benefit for the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition from 7 pm to midnight at the Little Bar, 757 S. La Brea.

The 28th Annual Redlands Bicycle Classic will take place on March 22nd through 25th in Redlands, offering one of the state’s most intense cycling competitions, as well as a joyful celebration of bicycling for cyclists of all ages.

If you’re looking for a serious challenge, consider the CORPScamp Death Valley, five days of biking in Death Valley National Park featuring 300 miles or more of riding, including the Hell’s Gate Hundred, March 27th through 31st.

If you enjoyed the last CicLAvia, you’ll love the next one on Tax Day, April 15th from 10 am to 3 pm; the route will follow the same expanded course as last October’s.

It might be worth the long drive to Davis CA for the first ever Legends Gran Fondo sponsored by the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame on May 6th, featuring America’s first Tour de France winner Greg LeMond — the man whose name is on my bike —  as well as former World Champion Ruthie Mathes, Olympic silver medalist Nelson Vails, and other members of the Hall of Fame.

May is Bike Month. The first National Bike to School Day is scheduled for May 9th, with National Bike to Work Week taking place on May 14th through 18th, and National Bike to Work Day on Friday the 18th.

L.A.’s favorite fundraising bike ride rolls out on Sunday, June 10th with the 12th Annual L.A. River Ride; this one just keeps getting bigger and better every year. Six different rides, from an easy family ride to a fast, flat century. Funds go to support the LACBC in building a better, more bikeable L.A. County; save $10 if you register by May 15th.

Bikes are normally banned from the famed San Diego – Coronado Bay Bridge, but you can ride it on Sunday, August 26th, during the 5th Annual Bike the Bay, to benefit the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. Get an early registration discount through April 30th.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , , , ,

Indiana cyclist wins in court, loses on the streets; a lavish load of midweek links

February 21, 2012 / / 2 comments

Simply heartbreaking.

Yesterday I mentioned that an Indiana cyclist had his ticket for passing a school bus reversed after a judge ruled the law doesn’t apply to bikes; today, we learned that the rider was killed over the weekend.

Sixty-two year old Steven Carey was hit from behind and killed while riding on Sunday morning; he was described as a gentle soul who rode 5,000 to 6,000 miles a year.

Thanks to Opus the Poet for the heads-up.

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Flying Pigeon documents a cargo bike move from Highland Park to Echo Park. The L.A. chapter of Young Professionals in Transportation is kicking off their inaugural meeting on Tuesday the 28th with a talk by LACBC’s Alexis Lantz. The March edition of Los Angeles Magazine features the best rides in the city, although the story doesn’t seem to be online. L.A. City Council discovers they don’t have authority to ban cell phone use by drivers, handheld or otherwise; I could have told them that. Bike-friendly Santa Monica Assemblywoman Julia Brownley throws her hat in the ring for a congressional seat. Baldwin Park youths advocate for safer streets. The Claremont Cyclist offers another of his typically great ride reviews, this time off-road to Frankish Peak. Streetsblog is raising funds on Kickstarter to document the protest ride against Governor Jerry Brown’s veto of the three-foot passing law; meanwhile, NBC-4 interviews Streetsblog’s Damien Newton about transit use.

Laguna Beach punts on their commitment to Complete Streets, forming yet another committee to study it — and maybe buy lunch for City Council. A Laguna Beach firm offers the nation’s first insurance program for bike riders. Early registration opens for San Diego’s 5th Annual Bike the Bay; the Bike the Boulevard sounds like fun, too. San Diego bank robber makes his getaway by mountain bike. I can’t really tell if the Daily Californian likes Berkeley’s new cyclist anti-harassment ordinance or not. San Francisco bike advocates dispute claims they ride recklessly. South Lake Tahoe residents fight plans to maximize speed limits through town. The Sacramento Bee hates the House anti-bike transportation bill; Car Talk hates it too.

Bicycling updates their blogroll; sadly, I didn’t make the cut. A Honolulu petition gathers over 1000 signatures for bike lanes on a popular street. An Oregon cyclist has his conviction on a drug charge upheld following a stop for not having a headlight. Is Boulder CO the nation’s epicenter of cycling? Maybe my hometown doesn’t need a bike coordinator after all; no seriously, I’ll take the job anyway. Meanwhile, my hometown university anticipates a good year for their college cycling team. Once again, Commute by Bike challenges Oscar attendees to arrive by bike; I wouldn’t hold my breath. New York’s City Council takes the NYPD to task for failing to take bike fatalities seriously. That New Jersey man charged with attempted murder for running down a cyclist evidently targeted his victim, using his car instead of a gun; oddly, he didn’t get away with it. A Florida man says three feet, please; so does a Miami rider after getting run down and seriously injured. A Gainesville city commissioner says he’s really not anti-bike. Fuji recalls their women’s Saratoga cruiser bikes because the downtube can snap in half; Shimano recalls their Pro Atherton stem.

Oxford cyclists say a redesigned junction will almost certainly lead to fatalities. French designer Philippe Stark teams with Peugeot to create a hybrid bike/scooter; can we say enough with all the concept bikes from car makers, already? Are helmets really necessary if Aussie cyclists have to ride an hour a day for over 3,500 years before they could expect to be killed on a bike? A New Zealand woman buys her way out of responsibility for a cyclist’s death for $37,000, while a Kiwi cyclist is run off the road just one week after taking up cycling to work; the Smithsonian asks if New Zealand is too dangerous to ride. Not all Japanese bike thefts are intentional. In an usual case, a cyclist is banned from operating any kind of vehicle for five years after causing the death of a motorcyclist.

Finally, a Texas man gets what he deserves after he honks and tries to force a couple of cyclists off the road, only to discover they’re bike cops. And a Philadelphia hit-and-run driver turns herself in — again — after she was turned away by police the first time.

Category: General, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

A jerk driver nearly takes off a cyclist’s arm, and shows the need to change the law

February 20, 2012 / / 6 comments

The other night, I watched from behind as a cyclist did everything right. And still was nearly run down by an impatient driver.

I’d already watched as the driver of a Porsche run a red light at Ohio and Veteran, making his right turn without stopping — or barely slowing down for that matter — to end up heading north on Veteran directly in front of me.

He also ended up directly behind another cyclist on the narrow, parking-choked two-lane street.

The rider had already taken the lane, since there was no room for a car and a bike to safely share a lane. Then he put out his left hand to indicate a turn into a driveway — only to find the Porsche already whipping past on his left, on the wrong side of the road, nearly taking his arm off in the process.

Not surprisingly, that hand quickly moved up from its leftward extension into a single-fingered wave in the rapidly disappearing car’s rearview mirror. And couldn’t blame him in the slightest; in fact, it seemed like a rather restrained gesture under the circumstances.

As usual, there was nothing that could be done about it. The driver was long gone before there was any possibility of getting a license number.

And even if either of us had managed to, there would have been absolutely nothing the police could have done. State law bans them from writing tickets or making an arrest for a misdemeanor — which this would have been, given the lack of injury — unless they actually witness the infraction.

Even though they likely would have had at least two witnesses willing to testify.

Like the 85th percentile speed law, which forces cities to raise speed limits to the level dictated by speeding drivers, it’s a bad law. One originally intended to protect motorists from police abuse, but which actually serves to keep dangerous drivers on the street.

And jeopardize everyone else around them.

Then again, jerks like that sometimes get what they deserve; thanks to Rex Reese for the link.

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I had to miss Will Campbell’s Watts Happening Ride last weekend.

I’ve found the key to a happy marriage is spending my weekends home with my wife and dog, even when there are other things I’d like to be doing. Like riding my bike while I learned about one of L.A.’s most fascinating and sadly neglected neighborhoods.

Fortunately, Will offers a timelapse recap for those of us who couldn’t be there.

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It shouldn’t surprise anyone that L.A. has lessons to learn from cities near and far. Work has started on the new Sunset Triangle Plaza at the former intersection of Sunset and Griffith Park Blvds. Riverside police shoot a bike riding fugitive. Frank Peters offers a very nice look at his son getting a driver’s license and demonstrating his skills by safely passing a cyclist; definitely worth reading. Family and friends remember the 17-year old cyclist killed last week after riding through a red light. A San Diego professor argues that federal transportation policy can affect public health. A San Diego mayoral candidate wants to make it the nation’s most innovative city — and yes, he supports cycling, even if he is a Republican, Traffic fatalities in Ventura County nearly doubled last year, while cycling fatalities went from zero in 2010 to four in 2011. Lake Tahoe may soon be ringed with bike paths. The author of Boston’s Lovely Bicycle will be riding through Death Valley this March.

Lots of presidents have ridden bikes, dating all the way back to Lincoln, sort of. An interview with bike lawyer and former competitive cyclist Bob Mionske. The rate of Seattle bike crashes hold steady even as ridership rises. The makers of Fat Tire beer team with a local bike trailer maker to help a Boulder food rescue feed the hungry. The rich get richer, as Colorado is building a 63-mile off-road bikeway from Glenwood Canyon to Vail Pass. A Wyoming man is facing three to seven years after pleading No Contest to killing a cyclist while under the influence. Does building a bike culture in Chicago mean things have to get worse before they get better? A Minneapolis bike and pedestrian bridge is out of commission after a cable breaks. Evidently, life is cheap in Wisconsin as a college hockey player gets just 90 days for killing a cyclist by pushing him off his bike, resulting in his death. An Indiana judge reverses a ticket after discovering that bikes aren’t legally considered vehicles in the Hoosier state. A New Jersey driver is under arrest on a charge of attempted murder after hitting a cyclist; no reasons given for the charges yet. Pennsylvania drivers now have to give cyclists a four-foot passing margin — one foot more than the law CA Governor Jerry Brown vetoed. Philadelphia police actually justify putting cyclists at risk by double parking in bike lanes. A look at newly bike-friendly New Orleans; it certainly wasn’t friendly spot to ride when I lived in Louisiana. A Georgia man sues over a dangerous bike path after his mother is killed in a head-on collision with two other riders.

A new northern terminus for the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route tracing the path taken to freedom by escaped slaves during the dark days of American history, now ends in Ontario. Nine cyclists set out from the UK on an unsupported race around the world. Britain’s Prime Minister will hear “radical” ideas for making the country’s streets safer for cyclists; the question is, will he listen? Meanwhile, more than half of all UK residents think the county’s urban areas are too dangerous for cyclists. It certainly was for a former aide-de-camp to the Queen, who was run down by a driver blinded by the sun. A UK driver gets just 18 months for deliberately running into a cyclist and fleeing the scene, leaving the rider in a coma for over six months with two broken legs, a broken arm, cracked ribs, a temporary loss of sight in one eye, and permanent brain damage; call me crazy, but the punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime. A driver escapes jail for killing a cyclist by barely brushing him; a reminder that any contact by a careless driver can be dangerous. A look at Liverpool’s Ten Minutes of Hell underground time trial. The Belfast Telegraph says it time we learned to love the bike; some of us are already ahead of the curve. The first no-emission vehicle from Porsche has just two wheels. An Indian cyclist is probably paralyzed after a Lamborghini driver loses control at high speed, killing himself and seriously injuring the rider. Chances are your bike wasn’t actually made by the company whose name is on it.

Finally, bike haters have always suspected the bicycle was a tool of the devil; maybe they were right. Or maybe early cyclists only seemed possessed because they suffered from bicycle face. But maybe this is how we really look.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, Bicycle Safety, Car vs Bike / Tags: , , ,

It’s our first ever Presidential Weekend bike link clearance — all links must go!

February 18, 2012 / / 5 comments

Haven’t been able to keep up with this week’s massive amount of bike news. So here’s a hot, steaming mound of delicious bike links to see you through the weekend.

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Let’s start with today’s most popular item.

A French cyclist set a new age-group record for one hour cycling. No big deal, except it came 86 years after he lied about his age to enter his first cycling event — at the tender age of 14.

That makes Robert Marchand 100 years old when he rode 15.1 miles in 60 minutes on a track in Aigle, Switzerland recently.

As Velonews points out, it does not threaten the record of 30.1 miles set by Ondrej Sosenka in 2005. But it did motivate the UCI to establish a new 100-plus age category.

And yes, I want to be just like him when I grow up.

Thanks to Evan G. for the heads-up.

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Satnam Singh, the driver charged with the murder of Ventura cyclist Nick Haverland, entered a plea of not guilty to second-degree murder, felony drunken driving, felony hit and run, and misdemeanor hit and run, as well as two counts of inflicting great bodily injury.

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A British bus driver is sentenced to 17 months in jail for using his bus as a weapon when he deliberately ran down a cyclist he’d argued with moments earlier, in a horrifying wreck captured on a nearby security camera; his victim credits his helmet for saving his life. Thanks to Erik Griswald, Richard Risemberg and Stanley E. Goldich for the tip.

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A couple of noteworthy CHP reports today courtesy of Cyclelicious, as a bike rider reported a car stuck in the trees after seeing it come off the 405 near Carson — not off the exit ramp, but over the side of the freeway.

And a classic definition of a SWSS (Single Witness Suicide Swerve), as a Riverside cyclist is accused of intentionally turning into a vehicle in order to get hit.

Yes, they’re finally on to our evil plan to get ourselves killed in order to collect the insurance money.

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An Occupy 90210 rider is hit by a car in Beverly Hills; the aftermath is caught on video as fellow protesters press for information and flirt with the police. Downtown’s Spring Street green bike lane gets extended to Venice Blvd, but may lose it’s hue, which turns out to be not so Hollywood friendly; the LA Weekly never misses a chance to unfairly bash bicyclists. Here’s your chance to influence the city’s new Transportation Master Plan. LAist looks at the LACBC’s upcoming Tour de Taste; if you’re thinking about going, move fast because only 200 lucky ticket holders will get to attend — and once it’s sold out, you’re SOL. Santa Monica may roll out new bikeways sooner than planned. If you’re hit by a car while riding drunk, don’t try to fight with the paramedics who are trying to help you. Rolling Hills Estates considers a 1.3 mile bike lane along Palos Verdes Drive, as residents rail about the risks posed by out-of-town bicyclists; thanks to Jim Lyle for the link. A recent Long Beach transplant offers a video love letter to her new bike-friendly hometown. Alhambra’s proposed bike plan moves forward. SF Gate reviews the new book Hollywood Rides a Bike by Steven Rea; you can meet the author in Pasadena on Saturday.

Bicycling offers their take on the 100+ best rides in California. Frank Peters predicts the future in Newport Beach. A former Orange County postman and Klan member once held a bike speed record; maybe that robe and pointy hat were surprisingly aero. OC residents prematurely protest a planned expansion of the Santiago Creek Bike Trial. The 13-year old cyclist seriously injured in a Santa Ana hit-and-run has forgiven the driver who hit her; at 13 she’s already a better person than I will ever be. A bad week for San Diego cyclists continues with a Thursday hit-and-run that left a rider severely injured. Bicyclists in San Diego can Ride the Boulevard on Saturday. A 73-year old cyclist rear-ends a CHP patrol car in Cambria. Berkeley bicyclists are now part of the second city protected by an L.A.-style cyclist anti-harassment ordinance; we’re still waiting for that first test case here.

War vets plan a nearly 4,200 mile cross country bike ride to draw attention to veterans issues. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposes requiring automakers to stop electronic distractions from working while the car is moving; with a platform like that. why isn’t he running for President instead of those other guys? Did a federal prosecutor whitewash the Lance Armstrong case, or is Lance just too big to fail? Fat Cyclist features a guest writer who lost a whopping 364 pounds on his bike. Maybe it’s time to rebrand bikes and buses. A car site offers drivers 10 rules for coexisting with bicycles. Is big oil afraid of bikes?

Someone tries to nail Oregon bikes, literally. If you already have two outstanding warrants, maybe you shouldn’t ride your bike with meth in your sock. A world-class women’s bike race will be revived in Idaho. If you’re riding with drug paraphernalia, maybe you should replace your burned out headlight after the first six times you get stopped. Your next bike could have an automatic transmission, courtesy of students at my hometown university. Chicago’s WGN claims more than 1,000 people died in Illinois in the last year as a result of distracted driving; a little odd, since only 927 people died as a result of traffic collisions in that state in 2010. A New York driver who fatally doored a cyclist, then left the scene, will face charges — for driving with a suspended license, with a maximum sentence of 30 days; this is what passes for justice in Gotham? Then again, there’s no justice for pedestrians in NYC, either; what the hell is wrong with the NYPD? Maybe the reason is New York police will only investigate collisions if someone is killed or likely to die — and issues more summonses to cyclists than truck drivers. Ex-framebuilder Dave Moulton suggests killing someone shouldn’t be just a whoops-a-daisy. Writing for The Atlantic Cities, Sarah Goodyear says the city needs a version of their famed “Broken Windows” approach for traffic crimes. A 70-year old cyclist looks back on a lifetime of riding; thanks to George Wolfberg for the heads-up. When you’re riding with cocaine in your wallet, make sure you have a light on your bike — and don’t fight the cop who stops you.

Vancouver vigilantes battle bike theft with GPS-enabled bait bikes. A writer for London’s Independent writes about ghost bikes, but clearly doesn’t get it. Cyclists will be riding ‘round Parliament in protest on Wednesday. How cycling went mainstream in today’s London. Do bike safety campaigns do more harm than good? Uh, no. Make that hell no. A road raging driver head-butts a bicyclist in Bristol. Edinburgh cyclists get on-street bike lockers. Biking is just a little different in the Scottish countryside. An Indian court rules that dangerous drivers should see no mercy in case involving a bus driver who ran down a cyclist; is it too late to move to Delhi? The bike movement continues to spread as Jakarta plans 50 kilometers of new bike lanes.

Finally, a Gainesville City Commissioner evidently fears the local police will be threatened by Spandex-clad cyclists with plastic tire levers. And courtesy of frequent contributor George Wolfberg, why drivers may not see you; George was also — quite deservedly — named Pacific Palisades Citizen of the Year for 2011, and should be every other year, as well.

And in non-bike news, my dogsled racing brother and his team get stomped by an angry moose; fortunately, neither man no beast was seriously injured.

Category: General / Tags: , ,

A fresh new batch of hot bike links to start your week

February 12, 2012 / / One comment

Grab a cup of joe, limber up your link-clicking finger and settle in for a little Monday morning reading.

The petition drive to get SCAG to increase funding for SoCal bike projects is nearing the deadline; have you signed yet? The Slauson Avenue Public Improvements Taskforce will meet on Wednesday, February 22nd; this is your chance to argue for bike lanes and a more human scale for one of our city’s great boulevards. Cynergy is offering a bike commuting clinic in conjunction with the Santa Monica Bicycle Center. There’s less than six weeks until the 28th Annual Redlands Bicycle Classic. Get ready for 300 miles of epic Death Valley cycling. Family members sue UC Santa Cruz as a killer bike path goes unrepaired. A 64-year old San Simeon man is killed near Cambria; police say he was hit at 60 mph as he stood next to his bike on the side of the highway. Mark your calendar for the first ever Legends Gran Fondo sponsored by the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis. The SF Gate says the U.S. House was wrong to eliminate funding for Safe Routes to Schools, and that the House Transportation Bill was hijacked by Republicans “locked in a pave-and-drill mentality of the 1950s.” Well said.

Drivers work about two hours a day to pay for their cars; cyclists work about 3.5 minutes a day to pay for their bikes. Seattle man gets off a bus, hails a cyclist, punches him in the face and rides off on the other man’s bike. A bike thief is busted by a little cooperative effort by Moots bikes and bike shops in Golden CO and Pittsburgh PA. My old hometown has come full circle in supporting cyclists; I’m still waiting for their call offering me the bike coordinator’s job. A Michigan cyclist is cited for not getting across the intersection before the light changes, even though the driver who hit him admits not seeing the bike directly in front of her. Little 500 teams compete to convert pedal power to electricity. A Texas cyclist argues against bike lanes, citing the dangers posed by cars, doorings & buses; aren’t those the exact reasons to build them? Preserving a historic bridge while making it more fit for humans. The death of his cyclist brother turned a Charleston lawyer into an advocate for bike riders. A South Carolina cyclist is killed as he’s turning his life around.

Cerebral Palsy doesn’t stop this UK man from riding, so what’s your excuse? The head of Scotland Yard’s Road Death Investigation Unit says current penalties for dangerous drivers are too lenient — and killer motorists should face up to life in prison. Advice on avoiding the door zone. A British MP warns about the dangers of Lycra Louts. After breaking our hearts with allegations of doping, tarnished legend Jeannie Longo is set to retire, a few years too late. An Australian Parliament Member wants to triple the fine for dooring. A New Zealand man wants to form a human chain to force participants in the annual World Naked Bike Ride off the road and into the ocean. A New Zealand bike safety advocate says bike helmets aren’t fit for the purpose they’re intended. Tokyo police have issued 10,000 warnings for violating the city’s new cycling regulations.

Finally, Bicycling reminds us about Wham-O’s long lost Wheelie Bar; when I was a kid, everyone had one of these, or wanted one. And the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain offers another of their typically great blog roundups, authored by my favorite London expat Scottish bike blogger.

Category: General / Tags: , ,

Your weekend bike links, and a jam-packed calendar of events

February 11, 2012 / / 2 comments

First up, let’s get a little business out of the way, since it’s time to take action on the Senate and House transportation bills

The former needs improvement, while the latter must die like the vile Satan-spawned Rosemary’s Baby of transportation bills that it is.

And don’t forget to sign the petition to increase bike and pedestrian funding in Southern California.

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This is why no one f***ing bikes in L.A. Results are in for the BPIT survey to prioritize L.A. bike projects. L.A. City Council holds the line on speed limit increases, at least for now. That planned paint test on the Spring Street green bike lane has been put off for now due to predicted bad weather. L.A. has been invited to apply for Bikes Belong’s Green Lane Project; Rick Risemberg asks if we’ve said yes yet, and if not, why? Streetsblog opens a branch in Boyle Heights. L.A. is holding a series of mobility Think Labs around the city starting in two weeks. Residents discuss planned bike lanes on Aviation in Redondo Beach. Long Beach offers free bike safety clinics. Women on Bikes SoCal kicks off a campaign to double the number of women on, yes, bikes.

Theresa Pham, the 13-year old sixth grader seriously injured in a Santa Ana hit-and-run while riding her bike is showing improvement. A gathering of OC bike luminaries to support the Orange County Bicycle Coalition. Cyclist and attorney David Huntsman considers the anti-bike bias that creeps into our conversations. The San Diego Bicycle Coalition is holding a workshop on best practices for bike advocacy. Advice on biking Santa Barbara. The SF Weekly calls for jail time for the cyclist who hit and killed a woman walking in the crosswalk with her husband. A San Jose man tackles a bike thief being chased by police. A pair of cyclists rescue a UPS driver who went off the road outside Saratoga CA. Lawyer please — a Saratoga attorney claims the victims of a hit-and-run merely fell off their bikes, then conspired to frame his client; this is exactly why some people hate lawyers.

I grew up around Denver’s Gates automotive belt factory; now they’re a leader in carbon fiber belt drives for bikes. A Michigan Congresswoman directs half-a-million dollars for a bike lane on a bridge near her home; should we be happy she supports cycling or angry about the earmark? Bicycling looks at the tragic death of Pennsylvania bike advocate Patrick Ytsma, while Bob Mionske asks if justice was served. Boston’s Bikeyface takes a typically amusing look at how to have a bike date. The only thing that can unite some New Yorkers is their shared hatred of bike lanes. Florida makes it legal to ride with no hands.

Maybe it’s time for a worldwide bike hour. Vancouver starts a new campaign to promote bike and pedestrian safety but continues to blame the victims, while a writer says helmets aren’t the answer. A man in pajamas rescues his own bike from a thief. Blaming cyclists won’t stop us from getting killed, even though it can be safer to break the law sometimes. Then again, why point the finger at cyclists when our streets are full of lawbreakers? A road raging driver deliberately runs down a UK cyclist, while another rider is nearly decapitated by a rope strung across a mountain bike trail. More on the Parisian decision to let cyclists jump red lights. Jan Ullrich is the latest pro cyclist to be found guilty of doping, while French cycling legend Jeannie Longo’s husband made 15 purchases of EPO, supposedly for his personal use. A writer says sport’s war on doping is pointless and ridiculous. Italy’s biggest newspaper backs the Times of London’s bike safety campaign; maybe the Times of Los Angeles should get behind it as well. A New Zealand study suggests the country’s mandatory helmet law has resulted in a 51% reduction in ridership and 53 premature deaths a year; others say bunk.

Finally, when their newly hired head coach took a header over his handlebars in ’79, it paved the way for the Lakers legendary Showtime era.

And Share the Road is nothing new; Shell Oil used it in the 1930’s to tell pedestrians and traffic delaying road users to get the hell out of the way — in other words, the same way many drivers continue to interpret it.

……..

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

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

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition invites you for an easy ride with the city’s mayor at 8 am every Monday, starting at Syd Kronenthal Park, 3459 McManus Ave, at the east end of the Ballona Creek bike path.

Los Angeles hosts the 2012 Para-Cycling World Track Championships this weekend at the L.A Velodrome at the Home Depot Center, 18400 Avalon Blvd in Carson. Events take place all day Saturday and Sunday starting at 9 am; thanks to the Claremont Cyclist for the heads-up.

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with 34th Annual Chinatown Firecracker Ride and Run on Saturday, February 11th (Ride) and Sunday, February 12 (Run). Say you were referred by the LACBC (go ahead, I won’t tell) and they’ll donate $7 to the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition, which will provide a bike valet for the event.

The monthly Spoke(n)Art Ride will take place at 6 pm on Saturday, February 11th, departing from the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop at 3714 N. Figueroa ST in Highland Park. Single speed beach cruisers are available to rent for $20.

Out of the Box Events is sponsoring a bicycle-based Venice Valentines Hunt on Saturday the 11th, Sunday the 12th and Tuesday the 14th; cost is $25 per person with some of the funds to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Venice.

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition will host a fundraiser the day after Valentines Day, February 15th, from 4 to 7 pm at Joxer Daly’s, 11168 Washington Blvd.

The Watts Towers will be a popular destination in February as one of L.A.’s favorite cyclists leads a ride to the iconic artworks. Will Campbell’s Watts Happening Ride 2012 will start at 9 am on February 18th at the Happy Foot/Sad Foot at the northwest corner of Sunset Boulevard & Benton Way in Silver Lake, and explore landmark people, places and events in, to and from South L.A. If you don’t know Will, few people know more unofficial L.A. bikeways or fascinating tidbits and trivia about unexplored corners of the City of Angeles. Highly recommended.

Flying Pigeon will host a reception for Stephen Rea, author of Hollywood Rides a Bike: Cycling With the Stars on Saturday, February 18th from 7 to 10 pm at 3714 N. Figueroa ST in Highland Park. Vegetarian-friendly food and drink will be available.

The City of Los Angeles will be hosting a series of four Mobility Think Lab Workshops to help solve the city’s mobility problems, on Saturday, February 25th and Saturday, March 3rd in Van Nuys, L.A. and Pacoima.

Saturday, February 25th the Fortune 700 fixed gear stage race will take place at the Rose Bowl, with a team time trial at noon followed by a circuit race at 2 pm; link courtesy of the Claremont Cyclist.

C.I.C.L.E. is hosting a Tweed, Moxie and Mustache Ride — no jokes, please — on Saturday, February 25, from 1 to 4 pm; meet at Burns Park at Van Ness and Beverly Blvd.

The draft bike plan for the County of Los Angeles will face a hearing by the county Board of Supervisors in a public session at 9:30 am on February 28th, in Room 381B of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple Street Downtown.

You’re invited to train with the Wonderful Pistachios Pro Cycling team at their official winter training camp March 2nd through 4th in Paso Robles; the cost is a mere $3,000.

Sunday, March 4th, there will be a memorial for Carol Schreder, the Hollywood writer/producer killed while riding on Mulholland Highway last December. It will be held at the Aero Theater, 1328 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, starting at noon.

The OC to LA Dream Ride takes place on Sunday, March 4th, riding from El Centro Cultural de Mexico in Santa Ana to Solidarity Ink in Lincoln Heights to celebrate the passage of the California Dream Act and link the cycling community with the immigrant rights movement.

Also on Sunday the 4th, the LACBC rolls out it’s first Tour de Taste, offering an easy, guided 12 mile bike ride along Ballona Creek, as well as food and drinks from some of the area’s best restaurants. The event kicks off at Media Park at the corner of Culver and Venice Blvds starting at 10 am, with rides departing every hour. Cost is $65 for LACBC members and $95 for non-members, with discounted membership and ticket available for $120 (pro tip — become an LACBC member before the 4th and save $20); all proceeds go to create a more bikable Los Angeles.

If you enjoyed the last CicLAvia, you’ll love the next one on Tax Day, April 15th from 10 am to 3 pm; the route will follow the same expanded course as last October’s.

The first National Bike to School Day is scheduled for May 9th.

Tour de Cure is coming to San Diego on April 21st; or maybe you’d prefer riding in Napa on May 6th. All proceeds go to support the American Diabetes Association.

The Amgen Tour of California brings world-class professional bike racing to the L.A. area on Friday, May 18th from Palmdale to Big Bear Lake; Ontario to Mt. Baldy on Saturday, May 19th; and the final stage from Beverly Hills to L.A. Live in Downtown L.A. on Sunday, May 20th.

L.A.’S favorite fundraising bike ride rolls out on Sunday, June 10th with the 12th Annual L.A. River Ride; this one just keeps getting bigger and better every year. Six different rides, from an easy family ride to a fast, flat century; more details to come.

Category: Bike Events, General / Tags: , , ,

The “cyclists don’t pay their fair share” debate rears its ugly head again, and lots of Monday links

January 9, 2012 / / 10 comments

Once again, a sadly misinformed motorist assumes all drivers obey traffic laws while all cyclists ignore them. And so we should be forced to pay for our “extravagantly generous” bike lanes ourselves.

We’ll ignore the fact that virtually every driver breaks the law on a regular basis. Like cheating the posted speed limit by an extra five to 10 mph. Seldom, if ever, signaling. Or failing to come to a full stop at stop signs, while feeling not the least bit hypocritical in pointing the finger — yes, that one — at cyclists who do the same.

But I have to question how many drivers would willingly trade their publicly financed 12-foot travel lanes for the pothole-ridden, gutter-clinging door zone lanes we have to fight for. Even though they cost pennies on the dollar compared to motor vehicle lanes.

Meanwhile, a Santa Cruz writer offers the best response to the “cyclists don’t pay for the road” myth I’ve yet seen. And in just two paragraphs, no less.

I’d suggest copying this one and saving it for the next time you’re confronted by one of these motor meatheads.

Maybe the solution is to stop all forms of street and highway funding that aren’t paid directly by road users, so drivers will finally understand how little they actually pay for the roads they use. And how much they’d have to pay to continue rolling in the relative roadway luxury to which they’ve long been accustomed.

We might even manage to actually balance the budget while we watch the streets crumble around us.

Not like they’re not doing that already.

Crumbling, not balancing.

……..

Great set of historical L.A. bike photos from the Los Angeles Library archives. Sometimes a complaint works, as an illegal newsbox blocking a bike rack disappears. Evidently, car parking is preferable to bike parking at bars, so that imbibers will drive home drunk instead of biking. Studio City Patch examines the anatomy of a recent bike hit-and-run. A Chicago bike blogger visits the first Bike Center in Long Beach. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune says bike thefts are soaring. A look at the inaugural Cycling Claremont ride. Planning safe routes to the beach in Corona del Mar. A 19-year old Newbury Park mountain biker was killed in a fall while riding in Kern County on New Years Eve. A new bill introduced in the state assembly could allow more innovative California bikeway designs; not surprisingly, it’s supported by CalBike and opposed by vehicular cycling-oriented CABO. A Modesto grandfather was killed in a hit-and-run while riding his bike on Friday. In a killing reminiscent of L.A.’s recent gang past, a Modesto-area cyclist is shot for wearing the wrong color shorts. An April ride from San Diego to Sacramento is planned to protest Governor Brown’s vetoes that endanger cyclists, such as the proposed three-foot passing law and increased penalties for distracted driving..

The amazing Katie Compton wins her eighth national cyclocross title. Considering his opposition to funding bike projects, is House Majority Leader Eric Cantor really a cyclist? Another great read from Kent’s Bike Blog on whether it’s better to buy a cheap bike and fix it up, or an expensive bike that needs little or no maintenance. An Austin cyclist asks if blowing through red lights is worth it. Cyclists around the country have been pleading for this ad campaign to come to America. A New York study shows bike lanes don’t endanger pedestrians, or anyone else, for that matter. Boston bicyclists get more bike lanes. Another reason to adopt a dog — a Virginia pooch rescued by the Humane Society tracks down his owner’s stolen bike.

It’s deer versus cyclists in Victoria BC. London’s vaunted Cycle Superhighways cost ten times as much per mile as Chicago bikeways, with far worse results. Londoners plan to blockade a dangerous intersection Monday to protest the city’s lack of action in response to rising cyclist death rates. The new shared road space in London doesn’t seem to be shared at all, as designs appear inadequate, while drivers insist on maintaining dominance. Another day, another doping scandal, this time involving the world sprint champ. A Dutch cyclist loses his drivers license after a possible drunk biking collision.

An Aussie cyclist successfully circumnavigates the entire country. Apparently, no one is responsible for a Down Under dooring death but the victim himself. The Path Less Pedaled looks at a biking Kiwi nomad. A South African restaurant chain bans helmets and sweaty spandex. Can cyclists co-exist with pedestrians in Singapore? A hilarious Japanese look at bike bells for pedestrians, via the Claremont Cyclist.

Finally, a couple of non-bike related pieces.

First up, L.A. expat Amanda Lipsey, now roaming the wilds of Montana with the Adventure Cycling Association, forwards the story of a hero Corgi who not only survived an avalanche, but walked four miles back to the hotel room his owners had stayed in. And, I might mention, is a dead ringer for mine.

Second, my dogsled racing brother — and newfound adventure cyclist — writes about his recent efforts in the Sheep Mountain 150, as he prepares his team for next month’s Yukon Quest — a race that makes the famed Iditarod look easy.

Or less horrendously difficult, anyway.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, General, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , ,

Amine Britel killer faces 10 years; lots of links and a crowded weekend bike calendar

December 3, 2011 / / Comments Off on Amine Britel killer faces 10 years; lots of links and a crowded weekend bike calendar

Danae Miller faces up to 10 year in prison for the death of world-class triathlete Amine Britel last February.

Miller is charged with a single felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, and was allegedly texting when she plowed into the rear of Britel’s bike as he road in a Newport Beach bike lane.

The question is why she was even on the road after receiving 16 tickets in just 6 years, including six tickets for speeding or driving too fast for conditions in just a three-year period.

Now Britel is dead and Miller faces serious prison time simply because, as Traffic author Tom Vanderbilt put it, a driver’s license is too easy to get, too hard to lose.

……..

Sgt. Krumer sends word that after speaking to the driver in the most recent Mandeville Canyon case, it wasn’t a case of road rage, as it seemed, but merely another driver who didn’t understand that cyclists have a right to ride in the roadway. And don’t have to move over when an expensive, high-performance Italian luxury car comes up from behind.

I don’t know what’s worse. A single road raging driver, or a state full of motorists who don’t know the law.

Fortunately, Sgt. Krumer says the driver now understands his mistake, and it’s not likely to happen again.

Now if we could just get him to speak with every other driver on the road.

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A minor Santa Clarita hit-and-run brings out the usual comments, ranging from apparent gutter bunnies who criticize other riders to drivers who think bikes don’t belong on the road — and even a few informed comments.

Note to Santa Clarita Signal — once a motorist drives off after hitting a someone, you can stop referring to it as a “possible” hit-and-run.

Thanks to John for the heads-up.

……..

Good advice: if you really care about the people who care about you, you’ll take the burden of making life’s most difficult medical decisions off their shoulders; I’ve put off completing my own advance healthcare directive far too long.

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Artists are invited to submit their bike-related work for Bikers Rule, an exhibition of bicycle art opening on December 8th. The deadline to deliver artworks for the exhibition has been extended, artwork may be delivered through December 6th; Submit a letter of intent and or a low res jpg to JohnnyMilwaukee@earthlink.net.

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Chances are, you’ve come across the famous Mark Twain quote “Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live.” But you’ve probably never read the full piece it came from.

Maybe you should.

It might just be the best smile you have all day.

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LADOT plans to redo the already damaged Spring Street green bike lane, and asks your help in staying off it until it’s ready. Streetsblog reports on Santa Monica’s bike signal detectors that have been popping up all over town the last few weeks. New solar lights now adorn the L.A. River bike path. Rethinking York and Colorado Blvds in NELA. After being sent back to the drawing board, the county promises a creative, visionary bike plan; then again, they could have done that the first time around. Remarkably, Malibu considers becoming bike friendly; thanks to the LACBC’s Alexis Lantz for forwarding the story. Riding in Riverside writes why he loves riding his bike. An interview with Sam Ollinger, a San Diego bike advocate and an author of one of SoCal’s best bike sites. A bike riding bank robber gets 14 years.

They seem to confuse the hell out of American drivers, but roundabouts reduce all crashes 37% and injury crashes by 75%, though poorly designed ones can put cyclists and drivers on a collision course. Bicycling offers advice on how to avoid eight common road hazards. Biking to break the cycle of obesity and bad finances. Regrettably, the always excellent Eco Velo will be calling it quits at the end of the year. People for Bikes says give other cyclists a smile or a wave when you pass; if you’ve encountered me on the road, chances are you’ve gotten at least a nod, anyway. Lovely Bicycle asks why women cyclists can’t discuss their bodies the way the guys do. A fascinating chart showing the muscles used when cycling. Seize the moment and live better through bicycling.

Tucson Velo reports on the sad non-cycling death of a popular local rider and bike shop owner; he sounds like someone we all would liked to have known. University of Oregon cyclists are surprised by the first bike traffic signal on campus. Olympic gold medalist Alexi Grewal abandons his improbable comeback attempt at age 50. When I linked to the absurdly anti-bike op-ed piece from Chicago columnist John McCarron the other day, I neglected to include a link to Steve Vance’s excellent point-by-point smackdown. A New Jersey cyclist is killed in a physically impossible crash, as the local paper reports he crossed on the wrong side of the road at high speed and hit the rear of an oncoming truck before caroming off into a tree.

The most popular and successful Critical Mass rides are the ones that avoid confrontation. Does it matter what you wear when you ride a bike? Uh, no. Attention Kiwis, Long Beach’s biking expats — aka Russ and Laura of the Path Less Pedaled — are headed your way. A 66-year old Borneo cyclist is killed just meters from her home. South African cyclists demand justice. And speaking of South Africa, I recently received the following email from Stan Englebrecht of Day One Publishing in South Africa:

I thought you might enjoy a project myself and a good friend have been working on for the last 2 years, called ‘Bicycle Portraits’. Our 6000 kilometer journey aimed to be a photographic study of South African commuter culture (something that is nearly non-existent here), but it’s turned into a portrait of a nation through the bicycles that they own and ride every day, revealing all manner of social, historical, class and cultural nuances never imagined. We are about to publish the best 165 portraits (from over 500 photographed) in book form, accompanied by 6 essays and beautiful watercolor maps for each portrait indicating where it was photographed. We are currently in the last phase of fundraising through pre-sales of the books (plus great extras like prints and special editions) on the wonderful Kickstarter platform.

Please have a look at www.bicycleportraits.co.za/kickstarter for our Kickstarter page, or visit www.bicycleportraits.co.za to see the project online – and please spread the word!

Finally, Rex Reese sends word of a mind-reading bike; if my bike could read my mind, it would probably refuse to carry me anymore. And a Chico CHP officer is injured just days from retirement in one of the strangest bike collisions I’ve read about, as he stops to aid a drunken rider.

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

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

Flying Pigeon’s popular Brewery Ride is on tap for Saturday, December 3rd. Riders meet at the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop at 3714 N. Figueroa ST in Highland Park at 3 pm, and depart at 3:30; this month’s ride will go to the Eagle Rock Brewery in Glassel Park.

The Claremont/Pomona area hosts its own toy ride on Saturday, December 3rd, sponsored by the Kevin Unck Foundation, with support from Coates Cyclery and the Back Abbey. Thanks to Michael at the Claremont Cyclist for the heads-up.

Walk Bike Glendale invites riders to join them in the Montrose Christmas Parade on Saturday the 3rd. Meet at 6 pm between La Crescenta and Rosemont Ave. on Honolulu in Montrose; contact Rye Baerg (rbaerg (at) gmail (dot) com) to RSVP.

The CXLA cyclocross takes place this weekend at the Los Angeles State Historic Park, with events rolling from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on Saturday the 3rd, and continuing through the same times on Sunday the 4th.

Sunday, December 4th, the LACBC is hosting its first ever evening Sunday Funday ride to celebrate the holidays. Meet at the Rotary Club Christmas Tree Lot, 568 N. Larchmont Blvd, at 4:30 pm. The easy two-mile family-friendly ride will stop to admire decorations, sing some carols and enjoy cocoa and cookies afterwards.

Join the Bike Oven in riding in the 67th NELA Holiday Parade on Sunday, December 4th. Wear festive clothing and meet at the Bike Oven, 3706 N. Figueroa St, at 11:30 to decorate your bike for the parade.

Monday, December 5th join the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition for a ride and rally before the WeHo City Council meeting in support of the recommendations by city’s Bicycle Task Force for a more bikable West Hollywood. Meet in front of the community center at Plummer Park at 4:30 pm, rolling at 5 pm sharp.

December 6th through 10th, Antenna Magazine’s Re:mix Lab will hit L.A. after a semi-national tour, featuring two urban Bad Boy bikes designed by Cannondale in cooperation with Junk Food Clothing. The art, music, fashion and cultural festival will unfold at 401 S. Main Street.

The West Hollywood Bicycle Task Force presents An Evening of Moving Beyond the Automobile: West Hollywood’s Commitment to Active Transportation (scroll to bottom) on Wednesday, December 7 from 7 to 9 pm in the Community Room of the West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.

LA Streetsblog is hosting an End of the Year Party on Thursday, December 8 from 7 pm to 10 pm at St. Andrews West Los Angeles, 11555 National Blvd. Streetsblog parties are always a good time, and well worth the suggested $25 donation; however, head Streetsblogger Damien Newton promises no one will be turned away if you can’t afford it. Chances are, you’ll see me there.

Friday, December 9th, the Midnight Ridazz host what may be the most important ride of the year, when they ensure that thousands of L.A. children will have a happy holiday with the 6th Annual All-City Toy Ride. Routes will begin from points throughout the city, converging on Downtown L.A. to collect the toys and celebrate the season. If you can’t make it, try to donate a few toys somewhere; every child deserves a toy for the holidays.

Santa Monica Spoke invites you to ride some of the streets included in the city’s new Bike Action Plan on Sunday, December 11th starting at 9:30 am; details to follow.

Tuesday, December 15th, Women on Bikes SoCal will host an Evening with Mia Birk, national bike advocate and head of Alta Planning. The evening begins with a bike ride starting at the downtown Bikestation in Long Beach at 5 pm, followed by appetizers, mingling and Birk’s talk at Open Bookstore, 2226 E. 4th Street.

Tuesday, December 27th, the LACBC returns to Santa Monica’s Library Alehouse for the 3rd Annual Mid-Winter Merriment, 2911 Main Street. Good beer, good friends, bike valet and a portion of all sales goes to support cycling in the great L.A. area. What’s not to like?

Category: General, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , ,

Catching up on the latest bike news — fighting for an Expo Bike Center, and a new Dutch bike site

December 1, 2011 / / 6 comments

After a linkless beginning to the week, here’s your chance to catch up before I batten down the hatches on a very blustery day.

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The Expo Line Authority has made a very misguided decision to delete a planned bike center from the new Culver City Expo station, saving a relative few pennies now while creating untold costs down the line.

The whole point of the Expo line is to provide an alternative to driving. Yet omitting the bike station will only encourage more people to drive — whether to the station or their destination — while discouraging people from biking to the train. And it will undoubtedly cost a lot less to build it now as part of the station than to add it on later.

The Santa Monica Spoke says it’s time to hold them to their earlier promises, whether in person at Thursday’s Expo Line board meeting or by emailing key officials. And Better Bike’s Mark Elliot shares his letter (pdf), and dissects Expo’s last mile problem.

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I got a press release yesterday from And Dutch, a UK-based website now intent on bringing authentic Dutch bikes and gear to the US and Canada through their new North American site.

With exclusive & award winning gents, ladies and children designs, www.anddutch.com, offers amongst its large product range —

  • Original Dutch Town bicycles for gents, ladies and children by BURGERS (The Netherlands oldest and first bicycle brand since 1868!)
  • Unique chainless & folding bikes by Dutch BEIXO
  • Colourful children’s balance bikes by KIDDIMOTO
  • Fixed / Free wheel bikes by FOFFA (+ free launch gift: front & rear KNOG lights worth $40)
  • Beautiful bicycle helmet designs by SAWAKO and HARDNUTZ
  • Saddles by world oldest independent Dutch saddle maker LEPPER
  • Stunning bags and panniers by Dutch NEW LOOXS
  • More (exclusive Dutch) brands to follow soon!

And also supplies other award winning brands by —

  • Dutch BASIL – with a  large array (over 70 different products!) of beautiful & high quality accessories
  • Elegant and renowned English saddle maker BROOKS
  • Must have  AXA locks
  • …and many more!

This could be a good resource for those hard to find Ditch bikes and accessories. However, you can already find some of those items right here in L.A.

Personally, I’d start your search at Flying Pigeon LA, where you’ll find a wide selection of Dutch bikes, some of which have even been road tested uphill.

If anyone knows of another local bike shop in the SoCal area that’s a good source for Dutch bikes and accessories, let me know.

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A great read from a Chicago cyclist refuting the absurd concept that supporting bikes means a war on cars. Definitely word reading.

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The county Board of Supervisors votes unanimously to request a more progressive bike plan; maybe it’s just me, but I’m starting to like these guys. The Times’ Hector Tobar takes a ride down Downtown’s new green bike lanes on Spring Street. Those quickly faded green lanes will soon be repainted; the damage occurred because the paint didn’t have time to set before the recent rains. Streetsblog names L.A. Planning intern Rye Baerg Government Worker of the Year. An overnight biking trip to Leo Carrillo State Beach. L.A. cyclist Alex de Cordoba writes for HuffPo on why more driver’s license checkpoints are needed. Two roundabout projects are moving forward on 4th Street. Practical bikes call for more practical racks; I’m just happy to find any usable rack when I get to my destination. Flying Pigeon’s next brewery ride takes place this Saturday. As if cars aren’t enough to worry about, a Burbank mountain biker encounters a black bear. Long Beach gets a new bike shop. Outside magazine names local bike scribe Patrick Brady’s Red Kite Prayer as the best of the nation’s top 10 biking blogs; can’t argue with that choice.

A memorial will be held Thursday for Anthony Martinez, the 6-year old Oxnard bike rider killed on Thanksgiving Day; nice to see a ghost bike has been installed in his honor and heartbreaking that it was necessary. A 10-year old San Diego bike rider is injured in a left cross, while another cyclist is seriously injured after getting Jerry Browned when a car tries to pass at far less than three feet. San Diego’s People’s Photographer takes a look at a bike commuting family. Take a short drive — or long ride — south to meet and ride with Mia Birk, president of Alta Planning + Design and former Portland Bicycle Program Manager. Or you can just wait until the 15th and meet her in Long Beach. A left cross is caught on camera; fortunately, the rider wasn’t seriously hurt. A San Francisco bus driver could face charges in the death of a cyclist last August. A Santa Rosa cyclist is killed after being hit by two cars. Palo Alto could get a bike bridge over Hwy 101. A bike novel by a Mill Valley writer is headed for the big screen. This is nothing to be thankful for, as California saw 27 traffic fatalities and 1475 arrests for DUI over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Biking could be beneficial to your brain. Congress may be trying to kill TIGER funding for bikes and pedestrians; can someone please tell me when and why the GOP became anti-anything but cars? New Federal regulations require consideration of cyclists when rumble strips are installed on highways. Bicycling explains how to quiet a noisy bike. A Tucson Trader Joe’s listens to complaints and installs better bike parking. Nevada is working on statewide bike plan; now there’s a concept worth exporting from the Silver State. A Salt Lake City columnist says it’s bad enough when vehicle to vehicle collisions occur, and worse when one party is totally vulnerable; amen to that. Fifty-six percent of cyclists run red lights in a new Portland State study. A Seattle driver is under arrest after running down a cyclist who refused to buy him a beer. My hometown is partnering with Colorado State University to study the economic impacts of cycling; that’s one study I’ll look forward to reading. Can a city that bans ebikes from paved trails be considered bike friendly? The city of Detroit offers great biking; some of the suburbs not so much. NYPD prepares for their latest crackdown on bicyclists, this time on the killer bikers of Prospect Park, while transportation advocates more rationally demand the city crack down on dangerous drivers. Maybe the solution is haiku traffic safety signs. Performance Bicycle has joined Bikes Belong. The right bra makes all the difference for winter riding. A long list of don’ts for women wheelers. Using your bike wheel to create animation, or using animation to explain cycling.

Canadian cyclists need more protection, and think side guards on trucks could help. Yet the country has a serious disconnect when it comes to biking, as 73% think cyclists deserve more respect from motorists, while four out of five Canadians think they won’t get it until they respect the rules of the road. British onlookers rush to the rescue when a cyclist is trapped beneath the car that hit him. The UK’s Department for Transport says slowing motorists is the best way to increase safety for cycling, yet London cyclists oddly object to being used as human speed bumps. Four people are under arrest for a hit-and-run collision that left a Brit bike cop injured. Call him Mark Cavendish, MBE. Bike journalist Carlton Reid discusses his upcoming book, Roads Were Not Built for Cars. Don’t criticize anyone until you’ve cycled in their shoes. Bicycling is vilified in Australia, despite being a nation of bike riders, but it’s getting big in Bangalore.

Finally, I haven’t always agreed with the OC Register’s David Whiting, but his latest column is dead on, noting that recent cycling deaths point out the importance of truly sharing the road. And a Santa Monica cyclist is behind bars after running two red lights with an outstanding warrant for DUI — and someone else’s wallet.

Seriously, if you’re wanted by the authorities and carrying stolen property, stop for red lights already.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, General, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Bike plans for SaMo and South Bay, miraculous recovery leads to pro cycling contract & lots of links

November 23, 2011 / / One comment

Tuesday night marked a big step forward for cyclists along the coast, as comprehensive new bike plans were adopted in both Santa Monica and the seven cities of the South Bay.

Update: Santa Monica Spoke reports on the bike plan’s passage last night, noting that several last minute improvements from the city’s Planning Commission were adopted by the council: 

  • Add to the 20 year vision the opportunity for a recreational cycle track at Santa Monica Airport – with connections to the remaining and proposed bike networks.
  • Pursue implementation of Bike Share prior to the Metro-funded project in 2016
  • Establish criteria to measure bicycle mode share to inform on-going investments and activities
  • Include at least one “central” east-west and north-south separated bike facility in the 5-year instead of the 20-year vision.
  • Establish a much greater priority for working with schools and Safe Routes to Schools programs
  • Provide annual reporting on the plan implementation
  • Highlight language about the potential for “open” street events like CicLAvia

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Maybe someone can explain to me how an 88-year old man can be run down in a crosswalk — while being helped across the street by his rabbi, no less — and it’s just an accident.

When elderly people aren’t even safe using while using a crosswalk, something is seriously f’ed up.

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A truly amazing story, as former Paralympic handcycling competitor Monique van der Vorst regains the use of her legs following a collision with a cyclist, after 13 years in a wheelchair — and will now compete on the pro cycling circuit with the Rabobank women’s team.

The only thing that could make this story even better will be when she records her first stage victory.

And if there’s anyone from Hollywood reading this blog today, what the hell are you waiting for? This is one story that was made for the big screen.

……..

Rethinking the mismeasure of L.A.’s broken streets. The L.A. City Council votes to re-examine the legality of sidewalk riding in the City of Angels, which is currently permitted as long as your not a dick about it. Riding a bike on Downtown’s newly green-laned Spring Street is clearly nothing new; LACBC recaps yesterday’s press conference. Will Campbell takes a picture of famed L.A. photographer Gary Leonard while riding them. Jose from Tijuana inaugurates Boyle Heights’ new semi-green bike lane. L.A. may be getting better, but we won’t be truly bike-friendly until we have our own bike jersey. Instead of spending $100,000 to educate Burbank cyclists, a writer suggests spending it on education for the city’s dangerous drivers instead.

Bike San Diego interviews new S.D. bike coordinator Tom Landre. The time is right to build a foundation for youth cycling. A cyclist gets hit in a left cross and police bend over backwards to blame the victim, and the press shows its bias by calling the adult 20-something victim a young girl; thanks to Cyclelicious for the link. Cyclists are the victims of strong arm robberies in Santa Barbara and Clovis. Teaching bike safety and service in Santa Barbara.

Bob Mionske associate Rick Bernardi examines when police invent imaginary laws in order to blame the victim. An ugly, stomach churning map of the nearly 370,000 fatalities in the U.S. over the last decade; if you can spend much time digging through the data, you’re stronger than I am. Hybrid electric vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in a bike or pedestrian collision as a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. A Phoenix father is shot and killed while riding to work. A Scottish skiing champion is killed by a drunk driver while biking in Oregon. Serial bike raging truck driver Christopher Loven will face charges in the death of a 73-year old Colorado cyclist. A Cleveland truck driver is headed for prison after right hooking a cyclist; thanks to Dave Moulton for the link. Why cyclists ignore bike racks; then again, too many bikes is a good problem to have. A Florida detective kills a cyclist who was somehow riding with a case of beer in each hand.

Great read from the UK — getting rid of the car may not be possible, but we don’t need to deliberately place cyclists and pedestrians in harms way. Separate but equal may not be the safest choice for road design after all. More on the Confused.com PR campaign that’s gone horribly off the rails. How to cycle in a skirt, or maybe just look like a grownup while biking to work. Yes, Dutch bike paths have speed bumps, but not to slow cyclists. The formerly amazing Jeannie Longo was acquitted of doping charges on a technicality, just months after her husband similarly escaped being held responsible for buying EPO; her reputation — and the respect and admiration I’ve long had for her — are another matter. Disgraced cyclist Riccardo Ricco receives a two-month suspended sentence for using EPO in the 2008 Tour de France. A New Zealand driver confesses to not seeing a cyclist before she hit and killed him; that should always be a confession, not an excuse.

Finally, in case you can’t decide whether to ask for a bike or a pony for Christmas — or a unicorn, for that matter. And it turns out that post-ride beer is actually good for you.

Be careful riding today. Many people will be getting off work early, and the streets are likely to be jammed with stressed drivers rushing to finish their errands and get home for the holiday — and they won’t be looking for you.

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