Tag Archive for Kickstarter

Weekend Links: Bike crowdfunding, Bike Day at New Urbanism Film Fest, and a bike riding king of Bhutan

Let’s start by catching up with world of crowdfunding.

A new Kickstarter project promises to deliver a carbon frame, belt-driven urban bike with integrated LED lights and GPS tracking for as low as $950.

A San Francisco cyclist currently living in Brooklyn is looking for Kickstarter backers to help fund the new book Ghost Bike: A Photographic Journey.

And Denver attempts to crowdfund part of a protected bike lane.

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A ghost bike will be installed at 5 pm today to honor fallen Newport Beach cyclist Shaun Eagleson.

The New Urbanism Film Festival screens November 6th through the 9th at the ACME Comedy Theater, 135 N. La Brea, featuring a Bike Day on Saturday the 8th — including a live podcast of the Pedal Love show — followed by a group bike ride on Sunday to help promote a bike friendly streets proposal from the Mid City West Community Council.

North Long Beach is hosting a Kidical Mass Ride on Saturday, November 15th.

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Local

The Times talks with cyclist, nail polish heir and Pedalers Fork owner Robbie Schaeffer.

Marina del Rey is getting a much needed makeover, including new bike paths.

Santa Clarita cuts the ribbon on a new bridge and bike path.

Long Beach begins work on a new pedestrian path to move walkers off what is now a multi-use path, as well as a bike route and roundabouts through Bixby Knolls and Los Cerritos.

 

State

This is what they take away from the highly flawed Governors Highway Safety Administration report? A website on California government blames drunk, helmetless cyclists for the apparent rise in bicycling fatalities; evidently, the drivers who hit them are totally blameless.

Newport Beach gets a grant for a year-long traffic safety enforcement program — including bike and pedestrian enforcement efforts.

Chula Vista extends bike access to the bay.

Now that’s more like it. Riverside County prosecutors re-file a murder charge against William Donald Johnson for the death of Beaumont cyclist Phillip Richards in Calimesa last December. Jurors convicted Johnson of felony gross vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence and hit-and-run causing injury or death, but deadlocked on the murder charge.

This is just too sad. A San Luis Obispo cyclist is killed while riding with her fiancé, just three weeks before their wedding day.

A Vacaville letter writer urges cyclists to think of themselves as cars and stop for red lights; of course, when we do, drivers get mad because we’re in the lane in front of them.

 

National

Bicycling’s Bob Mionske notes that cyclist anti-harassment laws are spreading across the country, and the political will to change intimidating behavior by motorists may soon follow.

Caught on video: An anti-bike motorist is challenged to bike to work for a full week.

Bike the Vote seems to be spreading, as the Denver city clerk declared Saturday “Bike in Your Ballot” day.

Dallas proves it is in fact possible to indict a cop for killing a bike rider while on duty. Maybe we can trade DA’s with them.

Grist looks at Mary Burke, who could become the next, bike-loving governor of Wisconsin.

Bike lanes are blamed for deepening inequality in Memphis; evidently, only the wealthier creative class benefits from bike riding in Tennessee.

A New York cop crashes his patrol car into a truck; needless to say, a bike rider gets the blame.

A New Orleans judge blocks a road diet and bike lanes on behalf of a church school that evidently doesn’t want to improve safety for its students.

 

International

So much for LA’s status as the hit-and-run capital of the world, as nearly 80 Londoners are injured or killed in hit-and-runs each week.

Now that’s a jerk. A British cyclist breaks both arms and a foot in a crash with another rider who just rode away without a word; an Aussie cyclist is awarded $1.7 million for another bike-on-bike collision.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. A Brit teenager is stabbed in the back in an argument over bike brakes.

The Netherlands institutes a bike safety exam for seniors; we can’t even get safety exams to get dangerous older motorists off the road.

In Bhutan, even the king rides a bike in a country that has become the latest improbable bastion of bicycling.

An Aussie state considers fining motorists who violate a proposed 1-meter law, the equivalent of California’s three-foot passing law.

There’s a new hour record holder already, as Australian Matthias Brandle breaks the record Jens Voigt set just a few weeks ago. No disrespect, but am I the only one who’s disappointed Jensie’s record is already off the books?

 

Finally…

No, seriously. If you’re carrying illegal drugs on your bike, don’t crash into the back of police cruiser while texting — and don’t rack your nuts in the process. A British inventor creates an ice bike; no, not a bike designed to ride on ice, one with tires made of it.

And now you, too, can have a two-wheeled Ferrari of your very own, with walnut wood coating and woven leather for a cool $7,500 — or $11,300 with electric assist.

 

Light bike weekend on tap, with a long list of bike events coming soon — and CicLAvia just a week away

Before we get to this week’s events, here’s your chance to enter the world big time Hollywood film finance.

Or maybe not so big.

Jaziel Ocampo is looking for just $669 on Kickstarter to finance a short film about bike commuting in Los Angeles.

For most L.A. film productions, that wouldn’t even cover the cost of breakfast.

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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 monthly Brewery Ride rolls on Saturday, April 7h; riders meet at the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop, 3714 North Figueroa Street, at 3 pm. Single speed beach cruisers are available to rent for $20. The Spoke(n) Art Ride takes place on Saturday the 14th; Sunday the 15th will feature a ride to CicLAvia.

Beverly Hills hosts a series of public outreach meetings to gauge support for the city’s proposed bike pilot bicycle routes. The first two meetings will take place at 7 pm on Wednesday, April 11th and Wednesday, April 25th at the Public Works Building, 345 Foothill Blvd, with the final hearing scheduled for a special meeting of the city’s Traffic & Parking Commission at 7 pm on Wednesday, May 9th in the Beverly Hills City Hall, 455 N. Rexford Drive, Room 280A.

Celebrate Earth Day a little early as C.I.C.L.E. presents the third annual Lorax Ride on Saturday, April 14th as part of Pasadena’s Earth & Arts Festival. The free ride assembles at 11 am at Pasadena Memorial Park, East Holly Street and North Raymond Avenue, with an 11:30 am departure.

The High Desert Cyclists are starting a series of comfortably paced 15 – 20 mile monthly Brunch Rides starting at Marie Keer Park, Avenue P and 3oth Street West in Palmdale. The first ride takes place on Saturday, April 14 at 8 am; bring money for brunch at a local restaurant or coffee shop.

The 10th Annual Laurel Foundation’s Ride for AIDS will take place with a two-day century ride from San Diego to Santa Monica on April 14th and 15th, and a one day ride from Santa Monica to Redondo Beach and back on April 15th.

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. While you’re there, stop by Orange 20 Bikes at the west end of the route, at the intersection of Heliotrope and Melrose, for a book signing with Eben Weiss, aka BikeSnobNYC, starting at 10:30 am. And be sure to visit Chinatown’s first annual Springfest from noon to 8 pm, making it the perfect spot for your CicLAvia afterparty.

Update: The first meeting of the newly formed LACBC Civics Committee scheduled Wednesday, April 18th at the Downtown Pitfire Pizza has been postponed yet again, date to be determined. The committee will serve to give the LACBC a voice in the local political process to help ensure the election of bike-friendly candidates; Efren Moreno Jr and yours truly will serve as Co-Chairs.

The University of Southern California presents an update to their draft campus bike plan at 1p on Thursday, April 19th at Tommy’s Place in the USC Ronald Tutor Campus Center, 3607 Trousdale Parkway.

Here’s an event for the bipedalists among us, as Los Angeles Walks is hosting a karaoke fundraiser from 7 to 11 pm on Saturday, April 21st  at Atwater Crossing, 3245 Casitas Ave.

Shifting Gears Cycling sponsors the 17th (or possibly 16th) Annual Santa Barbara Double Century on Saturday, April 28th and Sunday, April 29th. The two-day supported ride will travel 100 miles from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara, returning the next day.

Here’s your chance to ride with the USC Cycling Team on Sunday, April 29th, with your choice of three rides of increasing speed and difficulty starting at 9:30 am at Bike Effect, 910 W. Broadway in Santa Monica. Suggested $20 donation supports the 2012 USC Cycling race program.

The BikeFest Tour of Long Beach rolls on Saturday, May 5th, with rides of 31 and 62 miles, as well as a Gran Fondo, and day-long bike festival; proceeds support pediatric cancer research at Miller Children’s Hospital of Long Beach.

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.

The Amgen Tour of California will kick off with the first of eight stages on Sunday, May 13th in Santa Rosa, with Southern California stages from Palmdale to Big Bear on Friday, May 15th, Ontario to Mt. Baldy on Saturday the 19th, and the final stage from Beverly Hills to L.A. Live on Sunday, May 20th.

Good Samaritan Hospital’s annual Blessing of the Bicycles will take place on Tuesday, May 15th from 8 am to 9:30 am in front of the hospital at 1225 Wilshire Blvd. Expect a great breakfast and bike swag, with non-sectarian bike blessings from virtually every faith found in L.A.

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.

Sunday, July 1st, Shuntain Thomas, the Real Rydaz and We Are Responsible People (WARP) will host a ride through the streets of South Los Angeles to raise attention to the problem of childhood obesity and streets as recreational space. The ride starts at 10 am at Exposition Park, and ends at a street festival at 86th Street and Vermont Avenue.

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.

Early registration has opened for the national Pro Walk/Pro Bike® conference to be held September 10th through 13th in Long Beach. The 17th annual conference is sponsored by the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, and Project for Public Spaces.

This year’s Tour de Fat will take place on Saturday, September 15th at Los Angeles State Historic Park — and this time, it’s not scheduled on the Jewish high holidays, so everyone can attend.