Tag Archive for LACBC

Busy bike weekend with Tour de Taste, CXLA and the Grand Opening of Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia

December 1, 2012 / / Comments Off on Busy bike weekend with Tour de Taste, CXLA and the Grand Opening of Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia

One thing I love about bicycling is the people I get to meet.

Granted, there are some jerks on two wheels, just like there are on four. But since I’ve been active in the cycling community, I’ve been privileged to meet some of the most friendly, caring and committed people Southern California has to offer.

And Carlos Morales, founder of the Eastside Bike Club, certainly fits that description.

If it wasn’t for this blog, and our mutual involvement in the LAPD bike task force, I probably never would have met Carlos. We live and ride in different parts of town, and it’s unlikely our paths would have crossed.

Which means I never would have discovered just how big a heart he has. Or heard his story of how taking up bicycling helped him lose 200 pounds, saving his own life and making him a respected leader in the cycling community.

And not just on the Eastside.

Today, he’s a Committee Member of the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure, the annual bike ride that raises funds for diabetes research.

And the proud new owner, along with his friend of over 20 years, Leonids “Leo” Jurkevics, of Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia, founded by Stan Pitts, a fellow Tour de Cure Committee Member, in 2000.

According to a press release issued by the new owners,

Morales and Jurkevics plan to continue what Pitts has started in Monrovia, and evolve “Stan’s Bike Shop” to the next level, by not only providing quality service to this community, but also provide educational seminars and training on safe riding.  Other changes include; a larger variety of bikes, including City Cruisers, BMX, Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, Single Speed Bikes, Hybrid Bikes and Trikes.  The repair shop has been moved and provides easier accessibility to our clients bringing in their bikes in for repairs.  A Pro Shop will be established within the store, that will be separate from the family cruiser and kids bikes.  Other plans include, building a Women’s Cycling Apparel section.  Morales stated, “There are more female cyclist taking on this sport and until now they have had very limited choices for cycling apparel.  Our shop will offer women an alternative to unisex clothing, women want to look good while riding, and we will provide attractive and affordable choices.”

The shop will host its Grand Opening today at 880 S. Myrtle Ave in Monrovia, with a ribbon cutting at 11 am, and a visit from Santa Clause from 11 am to 1 pm. In addition, raffles will be held throughout the day, along with sales on bikes, jerseys and shorts 30% off, and helmets on sale for 25% off.

I definitely recommend checking it out if you’re in the area. And it’s worth a trip if you’re not.

After all, we can’t have too many good bike shops, or good people running them.

And knowing Carlos, I have a feeling this will be one of the best.

………

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.

A new support group is forming for people who have been involved in a bicycle collision. Everyone is welcome to share your experiences, gain insight and understanding into your emotional state and develop new coping strategies. The group will meet Saturdays from 11:30 am to 1 pm at 6310 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 401. Current LACBC members receive a discount. To learn more, contact Aurisha Smolarski at 323/203-1526 or email aurisha.smolarski@gmail.com.

When’s the last time a cycling world championship came to Los Angeles? That’s what you’ll find when the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships unfolds this Saturday and Sunday, December 1st and 2nd, at the Los Angeles Historic State Park. The championship unfolds in conjunction with the SoCal Cross UCI CXLA Weekend: Cross After Dark Finale.

Flying Pigeon hosts their monthly Brewery Ride on Saturday, December 1st. Riders meet at the Flying Pigeon LA Bike Shop, 3404 N. Figueroa St, at 3 pm, ride to a local brewery or beer-centric pub and back by 5:45. That will be followed by the Spoke(n) Art Ride on Saturday, December 8th, and the Get Sum Dim Sum Ride on Sunday, December 16th.

Few things go together better than bikes and beer, which is what you’ll get with the Stone Brewing Company Brewcyclers Ride on Saturday, December 1st. Riders will meet at Stone Brewing, 1999 Citracado Parkway in Escondido at 8:30 am, departing at 9 am sharp on a 20 mile roundtrip loop.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Tour de Taste: Holiday Edition is scheduled for Sunday, December 2nd, offering a unique combination of bikes and great food. The day starts with a guided bike ride from Culver City to Marina del Rey on the Ballona Creek bike path, followed by some of the best food Culver City has to offer. Registration begins at 9 am at Culver Town Center near the Culver Hotel; just $20 for LACBC members and $30 for non-members, with a discounted membership and registration for $55. This is one you don’t want to miss; the event will go on rain or shine.

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Civic Engagement Committee meets at 6:45 pm on Wednesday, December 5th at Johnnie’s Pizza at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd. This month’s meeting will focus on finalizing questionnaires for L.A. Mayor and City Council candidates in the March election, as well as a possible debate for Mayor and candidate forums for City Council candidates. Email bikinginla at hotmail dot com with questions or to be added to the email list.

The LACBC is hosting Ride Lankershim for a people-friendly North Hollywood on Saturday, December 8th to support bike improvements on Lankershim Blvd called for in the 2010 L.A. bike plan. Riders meet at Metropolis Bikes, 4660 Lankershim Blvd at 10 am.

The first Santa Monica Family Bike Fest will be held from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, December 8th at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street. The free event will feature a bike swap, skills training, test rides, route planning, information and food.

The international ARTCRANK exhibition comes to Los Angeles from 6 to 11 pm on Saturday, July 8th, at Orange 20 Bikes, 4351 Melrose. The free exhibition will feature bike-inspired posters hand-made by 31 SoCal artists, with signed copies available for sale for just $40 each. In addition, craft beers by Widmer Brothers Brewing will be available, with the proceeds going to benefit LA Streetsblog.

The first phase of the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk opens to the public with a special ceremony at 10:30 am on Wednesday, December 12th

CORBA (the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association) invites riders to meet at the Hub in Topanga State Park on Saturday, December 15th (postponed from November 17th due to rain) to celebrate their 25th anniversary and show that mountain bikers can co-exist with others on off-road trails. Riders will meet at 10 am, with a group photo and cash prizes starting at 10:30.

You’re invited to celebrate the engagement, and sadly, the impending departure of long-time L.A. bike advocate, creek freak and artist Joe Linton on Sunday, December 16th at Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Place. The party to honor Joe and fiancé Carrie Lincourt will start with a 1:30 pm with a bike ride to the L.A. River, followed by a party from 4 to 7 pm; the suggested $5 donation will benefit LA Streetsblog.

Also on the 16th, Brewcyclers will host their Bruery Holiday Lights Ride from 7:30 to 10:30 pm. The ride begins at the Bruery, 715 Dunn Way in Placentia, followed by a 10-mile route to take in the holiday lights, and returns to the Bruery for a little holiday cheer.

The High Desert Cyclists will hold their Christmas party on Monday, December 17th at the Texas Cattle Company, 44206 10th Street West in Lancaster. You can buy a $40 raffle ticket for a chance to win a $600 Bicycle John’s gift certificate; the raffle ticket includes a free one year family membership to the HDC.

Registration is now open for a six-day ride through San Diego and Riverside Counties between the holidays. The HI-USA Christmas Trip, which has rolled every year since the mid-1950s, starts in San Diego on December 26th and returns on December 31st, with five overnights in between. Total mileage runs between 360 and 400 miles, with terrain ranging from urban to rural, mountains to desert. Thanks to Marvin Davis for the heads-up.

Brewcyclers is planning a post New Years Ride at L.A.’s Golden Road Brewing on Saturday, January 5th; the 30 – 40 mile ride assembles at Golden Road Brewing, 5430 San Fernando Road West, starting at 8 am, with a 9 am departure, and returning to Golden Road around 3 pm.

C.I.C.L.E. is hosting a Tweed, Moxie and Moustaches Ride on Saturday, January 19th. The ride departs from 200 Westpark Drive in North Hollywood at 10 am, returning at 1:30 pm, with stops at SPARC’s Great Wall of Los Angeles and KPFK.

Make your plans for the Malibu 7-Canyon Ride on Saturday, March 23rd with rides of 100 mile, 100 kilometers and 50 miles. The fully supported ride will begin at Zuma Beach, and pass through Latigo, Encinal, Decker, Mulholland, Little Sycamore, Yerba Buena and Deer Creek Canyons, with over 9,000 feet of climbing on the century ride. The first 200 people to register before November 15th will get a 15% discount; enter the code First200 on the registration page.

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

PCH fatality may have resulted from bad roadway; LACBC issues call for safety; and former UCLA neurologist killed in AZ hit-and-run

October 15, 2012 / / 10 comments

Maybe I was wrong.

Multiple press reports quoted L.A. County Sheriff’s Sgt. Phillip Brooks as saying the victim, identified by friends as 36-year old architect and triathlete Marisela Echeveria of Cypress Park, lost control of her bike when she was passed by one or more trucks.

As a result, she reportedly clipped a parked car with her handlebars, which caused her to veer left into the side of the bus, falling under its rear wheels.

But remarkably, only one report — from the not always bike-friendly L.A. Weekly — noted that the above scenario was based on the observations of the bus driver, and subject to change as the investigation developed.

Now word is that video evidence has been found showing the collision was not the result of a close pass after all.

The video reportedly shows Echevaria moving left to go around a group of cars parked on the shoulder. As she does, her wheel apparently got caught in a seam in the asphalt between the shoulder and the right traffic lane, causing her to lose balance and fall under the bus to her left.

And to answer an earlier question, the bus driver had reportedly moved partially into the next traffic lane to give her an estimated five feet of passing distance. Tragically, it turned out that wasn’t enough.

It’s unclear where the video came from.

It could have been from the bus itself, though that would not have shown the actual collision as the bus passed by. Or it could have come from a bike cam from a following cyclist, as there’s no shortage of riders on PCH. Then again, there’s also no shortage of security camera on PCH; I’m told by someone with knowledge of the area that the collision occurred almost directly in front of Cher’s home.

If there’s any good news in a situation like this, it’s that the collision would unfolded very quickly, and she may not have had time to realize what was happening. And from the description I’ve seen, it’s unlikely that she felt any pain; her death would have been almost instantaneous under the circumstances.

The investigation is still ongoing.

But it looks like Echevaria’s death was not due to rider error, a careless bus driver or getting Jerry Browned by a passing truck.

In this case, she may have literally been the victim of a killer highway.

………

The LACBC has issued a response to Saturday’s collision:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY BICYCLE COALITION CALLS FOR SAFETY ON PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY

LOS ANGELES, Calif. –

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) is deeply saddened by the fatal collision between a bicyclist and a Metro bus on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu on Saturday.  Preliminary reports indicate that triathlete Marisela Echeveria of Cypress Park was maneuvering around parked cars on the shoulder of the highway when her wheel was caught in a pavement seam and she was thrown toward the passing bus.  We send our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and teammates.

Pacific Coast Highway is a notoriously dangerous street for all travelers, and particularly challenging for people on bicycles.  Outdated road design, inconsistent shoulders, and high motor vehicle speeds are a perilous combination for people walking or riding along the highway.  PCH is Malibu’s main street, yet it was built to rural highway standards that provide first and foremost for the fast movement of vehicles over local access to residences, businesses, and beaches.  Bicyclists face increased risks when navigating such a complex traffic environment.

Since the 2005 deaths of Scott Bleifer and Stanislav Ionov, LACBC has worked with stakeholders to improve conditions for bicyclists on the highway.  Education, enforcement, and engineering strategies must be used in concert to reduce collision rates.  In recent years, the City of Malibu has given considerable attention to these issues and is currently analyzing potential improvements through a $375,000 study funded by Caltrans, the Southern California Associations of Governments, and the City.  The City is also currently in design for a bike lane project running two miles from Busch Drive to Trancas Canyon Road.  LACBC is encouraged by these preliminary steps.

The California coast is a shared treasure, with access guaranteed by the California Coastal Act and our State’s Constitution.  LACBC calls on all jurisdictions to cooperate in providing a safe, continuous bikeway along the Pacific Coast Highway so that all people can enjoy its scenic beauty.  We must work together to improve safety in the short term while moving toward a more balanced PCH that better serves residents and visitors in the future.

………

One other quick note, as a Scottsdale neurologist with ties to UCLA was killed while riding in Arizona over the weekend.

KPHO-TV reports that 38-year old Dr. Marwan Maalouf was killed in a hit-and-run shortly after noon Sunday while riding in Fountain Hills AZ; a suspect was arrested nearby.

Maalouf was a former member of the Schweitzer Lab at the UCLA Department of Neurobiology, researching markers for Alzheimer Disease.

My deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , , ,

If you love something, let it go — LACBC spins off its popular City of Lights program

July 26, 2012 / / 12 comments

Maybe you’ve heard the rumors.

For the past few months, people have asked me what’s been going on with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s City of Lights program.

Today, I can finally tell everyone the good news.

Just as they did with CicLAvia, which began its existence within the LACBC, the Coalition has decided it’s time to let the award-winning program go off on its own to pursue a larger agenda. Now City of Lights is free to focus on a broader spectrum of transportation issues affecting low-income communities, while the LACBC continues to serve cyclists of all types and income levels throughout L.A. County.

This isn’t a divorce.

As the press release (below) notes, the staff and board of the LACBC has great affection for City of Lights, and takes great pride in what began as a simple effort to pass out free bike lights to L.A.’s invisible cyclists.

It was just time to let go.

And let City of Lights go on to even greater success on their own.

Speaking strictly for myself, I couldn’t be prouder of the people who have built City of Lights into what it is today, and wish them nothing but the best.

And expect great things from them in the years to come.

Category: Advocacy & Politics / Tags: , , ,

A relatively light post-holiday list of links, including an odd news focus ignoring 90% of traffic fatalities

July 5, 2012 / / 3 comments

We’ve got a relatively light load of bike news over the 4th of July holiday.

Which, given that Independence Day is the deadliest day of the year on American roads, suggests that no news really could be good news.

But before we move on, let’s consider the odd perspective of the above link, which appears to have been driven by a nationwide AAA press release, and notes with horror that 10% of those holiday fatalities are teen drivers.

Which means that 90% aren’t.

So let’s be clear.

There is no acceptable level of traffic fatalities, no matter what the age of the victim. Even one death is one to many.

And teenage drivers do seem to over represented in traffic fatalities, as Colorado records show they account for 12% of the state’s deaths despite representing just 6% of the state’s drivers.

But doesn’t it make more sense to reduce the over whelming majority of traffic fatalities — or better yet, all traffic deaths — rather than just focusing on the relatively small percentage represented by teen drivers?

………

Andre Greipel wins stage four of the Tour after Cav goes down in a mass crash; it’s Greipel’s second stage win in just his first two tours. The Washington Post compares Peter Sagan to a young Lance Armstrong, but without all the doping accusations.

………

LACBC promises to keep an eye on the city’s environmental impact report process for 43.3 miles of bike lane projects. Richard Risemberg realizes he’s not so special any more, and likes it. In the biking black hole of Beverly Hills, it’s a little more talk and a lot less action, and more dollars than sense. The Bike League urges your support of the first ever National Women’s Bicycling Summit this September in Long Beach.

A San Diego pedicab driver wins the right to sue the SDPD for allegedly harassing him by stealing his license and then charging him for operating without one, among other escalating offenses. A Mission Beach couple battles cyclists after they’re enveloped by Critical Mass riders while walking on the boardwalk. A new video promotes San Diego cycling as a fun, safe and sensible activity. Why do so many drivers insist that cyclists must obey traffic laws too, yet fail to note that most drivers don’t, either. A local writer says the High Desert won’t ever become a bike community. Turns out police ticket cyclists after all. In an amazing — and amazingly brief — story, a Chico driver loses control while allegedly driving under the influence, and flips his car over a cyclist riding in a bike lane; the rider remarkably escapes with just scratches. An Oakland cyclist is chased by two vehicles, then robbed of his bike and jewelry at gunpoint. A Merced County cyclist is mauled by a pack of dogs, 20 minutes after they’d bitten another rider; thanks to Meghan Lynch for the heads-up.

The otherwise disastrous new federal transportation bill could mean less red tape for local transportation projects — including bikeways. Helmet laws could be on the way out due to a lack of enforcement and increased local liability. Denver tries to keep up with a growing number of cyclists. A Chicago writer says the bike lane is not your parking spot; it’s not the place to fix a broken down bus, either. Time magazine discovers the New York bikelash about two years after everyone else. After a Gotham cyclist and driver exchange words and spit, the driver flashes an NYPD courtesy badge and tells the rider and a traffic cop that his badge number is his apparently minuscule sexual appendage. A New York cyclist is making a slow recovery from nearly crippling injuries. A DC-area driver is convicted of intentionally running down a rider, then beating the crap out of him afterwards.

After a cyclist is let off with a slap on the wrist for severely injuring a pedestrian, a rocket scientist writer for the London Mail says cyclists should be held to the same standard as drivers — not realizing that was exactly what happened, as most UK drivers are held to the same incredibly low standards. Can China go from the world’s leading bicycle nation to one billion cars and back to one billion bicycles?

Finally, if this doesn’t bring a post-Independence Day smile to your face, nothing will. Especially with appropriate holiday musical accompaniment from the Eastside’s own Dave Alvin.

………

Best wishes to departing Los Angeles County Bicycling Coalition Planning and Policy Director Alexis Lantz, with thanks for the amazing progress the LACBC — and L.A. cycling — has made during her all too short tenure. And congratulations to the Los Angeles County Department of Health on landing a great new employee.

Best wishes, as well, to incoming Planning and Policy Director Eric Bruins, who has very big pumps to fill.

And the skills to do it.

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

Will Campbell ups the Sunday Funday ante with this weekend’s Beverly Thrills Ride

June 29, 2012 / / 5 comments

So what are you doing Sunday morning?

One of the more enjoyable duties expected of an LACBC board member is to lead one of the popular Sunday Funday Rides.

In other words, we get to plan out a ride and spend a pleasant L.A. morning exploring this megalopolis we call home with a group of equally pleasant cyclists of every possible description.

Tough duty, I know.

And this Sunday is my turn.

On the other hand, I’ve always wanted to join in on one of the great rides lead by popular cyclist, blogger and big-hearted budding animal control officer Will Campbell.

If you’ve never been on one of his rides — and you can count me among that unfortunate group — you’ve missed out on what I’m told are some of the most entertaining bike rides in this City of Angels. And led by a native Angeleno — and survivor of the highly explosive Beverly Hills High — with a knowledge of local trivia unmatched by anyone, anywhere.

Or so I’m told.

Seemed like a no-brainer to me.

And just like that, Will graciously agreed to lead what will forever hence be known as the Beverly Thrills Ride, exploring the facts, fiction, food and fallacies of the biking black hole of Beverly Hills. The famous and infamous, the silly, salacious and sanctimonious sides of the city paved, figuratively at least, in Swarovski.

It starts at the incongruously placed statue of John Wayne at 8484 Wilshire Blvd, on the eastern end of the Flynt Enterprises building, home to videos and publications guaranteed to make the Duke blush. Maybe that’s why Wayne seems to be riding off, if not into the sunset, at least away.

The ride assembles at 9 am and departs sharply at 9:30 for what Will describes as an easy to moderate three hour ride with just a few gradual inclines.

In fact, the steepest climbs will undoubtedly be in disposable incomes, as we traverse from what passes for the poor part of the city where the hoi polloi huddle to the gold encrusted gates of the rich and fabulous.

And I’m told we can expect a cameo appearance by Better Bike’s Mark Elliot, the man almost singlehandedly fighting to make Beverly Hills bike friendly — a task even Don Quixote would consider hopelessly daunting.

It promises to be an exceptionally fun, can’t miss ride. So don’t.

In other words, be there or… well, just be there.

Seriously.

………

Just a few other notes before I settle in for some desperately needed beauty sleep.

No, really.

You haven’t seen me lately. And there’s just not enough left in the budget for Botox before biking to Beverly Hills.

The busy San Gabriel River Bike Path is reopened and rededicated after being resurfaced in Long Beach and Seal Beach.

An Oklahoma driver forces two cyclists off the road, then steals one rider’s bike at make-believe gunpoint — and later tells police she bought it for $20.

And finally, evidently Saudi Arabia takes traffic crimes seriously, as a Saudi man is sentenced to beheading for killing two onlookers while drifting.

I mean, I’ve seen a lot of drivers lose their heads.

But never literally.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , , , ,

Support LACBC with Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge; is NYPD ignoring probable cause in stopping cyclists?

June 5, 2012 / / 10 comments

Here’s your chance to make a sizable donation to support cycling in Los Angeles. Without spending a single cent.

That’s because this month, the Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge supports the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. Sign up now, and for every trip you log, Clif Bar will donate one dollar to the LACBC, up to $10,000.

Which means, as long as you’re willing to give them your personal contact information, you can make a donation just by riding your bike.

Or better yet, taking part in this Sunday’s L.A. River Ride.

………

New York police have begun what looks like a series of summer cycling checkpoints.

Now, I’m not a lawyer. Especially not the Constitutional kind.

But stopping riders at random to look for legal violations certainly raises the question of how they can make a traffic stop without probable cause, when courts have repeatedly ruled that the Constitution prohibits them from doing the same to motorists.

Police need a legally justifiable reason to stop and search a car — whether they’re looking people driving under the influence, hidden contraband or safety violations. They can’t just stop random vehicles to cast a net for possible violations.

That’s why police are required to announce the time and location of DUI checkpoints, and why you have every right to turn around to avoid a checkpoint. And why you also have the right to refuse a search of your vehicle.

So can someone please tell me why those rules don’t apply to stopping cyclists?

Or does the Constitution not apply for us?

And yes, you do have a right to ask an officer why he or she stopped you. And just like motorists, you have the right to refuse a request to search your back pack or seat bag.

………

A one-year old child is killed in a ride-by shooting by a suspected gang member. Downtown cyclists can expect new bike lanes and multiple bike racks in the new Grand Park. Help map South L.A. for CicLAvia with RideSouthLa on June 17th. Crossing the 405 can put your life at risk. Bike lanes continue to sprout in South L.A. Buffered bike lanes come to Montana Ave in Santa Monica, while the city scales back plans for the planned Esplanade on West Colorado Ave. Ryan Gosling rides a Schwinn in Studio City, or more precisely, loads one into a van; then again, he’s not the only classic Schwinn lover. The proposed bike route upgrades for PCH north of Malibu could morph into separated bike lanes. A Long Beach cyclist is blogging from this year’s AIDS Lifecycle ride; note to CHP, it’s not a race.

The first attempt at sharrows is always a learning experience. The Santa Ana River Trail gains national recognition. The OC Weekly looks at Charlie Gandy and the biking renaissance in Long Beach. Cathedral City cyclists will soon get bike lanes over I-10. A Ventura County driver can’t understand why any cyclists would want to risk their lives by riding in the roadway rather than on the white line, or why they got upset when he honked for them to move over; would anyone care explain it to him? Barry Bonds rides a $16,500 Pinarello. A Modesto woman is killed when a driver doing 10 mph runs over the children’s bike trailer she was riding in; how a collision like that could happen at that speed defies explanation.

Now they say endurance cycling can kill you. Members of my fraternity will ride across country to raise funds for people with disabilities. Oregon cyclists have been taken in by a bicycling con man. Seattle wants to attract more willing but wary cyclists, as opposed to unwilling and scared shitless, I suppose. Utah cyclists ride for road respect. The author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has finally returned home over a month after a solo cycling collision. A Denver cyclist slams into a rollerblading woman and rides away without stopping. An Iranian student is killed in a Denver hit-and-run while walking his bike in a crosswalk. A Chicago area writer says don’t trust drivers like him. Indiana bike collisions are on the rise. Sheboygan cyclists and drivers seem confused by city’s bike lanes, while Massachusetts drivers claim to be hopelessly confused by bike-friendly back-in parking. A North Carolina cyclist is blamed for his own fatal collision after riding with a BAC of .38. Charleston police arrest a pantless bike rider. Even though 80% of Panama City FL residents don’t have a car, virtually no attention is paid to the city’s cyclists. A cyclist shares the lessons learned on a journey from Seattle to Patagonia.

Canadian cyclist Ryder Hesjedal’s victory in the Giro results in an uptick in cycling interest north of the border. Bike lanes aren’t cool, they’re necessary. A Canadian mother poses topless to promote bike helmets, while Copenhagenize’s Mikael Colville-Anderson says promoting helmets is keeping riding rates down. A remarkably auto-centric look at bike riding scofflaws on the streets of Ottawa. A Brit cyclist rides around the world in record time; on the other hand, there’s no need to race. A UK writer says angry, stupid, stinking bike thieves just aren’t human. A six-year old British boy rides 113 miles to raise funds for a local hospice. A Sussex cyclist leaves a pedestrian with a black eye in a dispute over who had the right to a pathway; seriously, pedestrians on bike paths can be annoying, but it’s not worth getting violent — or mad, even. Hugh Jackman rides the streets of London on a Brompton. Norway’s recent mass murderer blames his violence on a hatred of Muslim’s stemming in part from a broken bicycle. Bicycles are the new status symbols on the streets of Jakarta.

Finally, an anti-bike New York City Council Member is widely derided — and deservedly so — after calling for a mandatory helmet law, while the Deputy Mayor clearly gets it, saying mandatory helmets won’t save lives but protecting cyclists from drivers will.

Now if he could just explain the constitution to the local police.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, General, Law Enforcement / Tags: , , , , , , ,

A little this, a little that — social media bike thieves, a jerk cyclist and a leading blogger dumps on LACBC

May 1, 2012 / / 18 comments

They’re getting smarter.

According to an email circulating in the local cycling community, the L.A. Sheriff’s Department has broken up a bike theft ring that used social media to identify what bikes to steal.

The email reported that the suspects would identify bike owners through Facebook, Craigslist and geotagged photos, and exchange emails using a fictitious name and email address. Then they would research their victims and their homes online before driving to their houses at night, breaking in and stealing their bikes.

The thieves used the names Joe Wayne and Mark Silverstein, both using Yahoo accounts. They may have negotiated with their victims about buying a bike or just about riding; victims may have emailed them a photo of their bike before it was stolen.

According to the email, most of the bikes that were recovered have been stripped of their components; however, the Sheriff’s Department has around 40 frames and 100 wheels they hope to return to their owners.

I’m not going to post the name and contact numbers of the Sheriff’s Lieutenant who sent the email online; however, if this story sounds a little too familiar to you, email me at the address on the About page and I’ll send his contact information to you.

Thanks to Eric Bruins and the staff at Geklaw for the heads-up.

………

Mike tips us to the story of a hit-and-run of a different sort, as a volunteer working to help clean up the L.A. River is the victim of a cyclist who failed to stop after crashing into her.

So let’s make this very clear.

If you hit someone while riding your bike, you have just as much of an obligation to stop as anyone else. No matter who’s at fault.

And while it’s called the L.A. River bike path, it’s actually a multi-use trail, like most off-road bike paths in the L.A. area. Which means pedestrians have as much right to be there as you do, whether they’re cleaning up the river or out for a late night stroll.

And whether you like it or not.

Yes, they have an obligation to use the bikeway safely and watch out for other people, whether on two wheels or two feet.

Just like you do.

And anyone who yells at pedestrians to “get off the bike path” — let alone fails to stop after hitting one — is just a jerk.

Meanwhile, the comments offer the usual distasteful back and forth that seems to occur whenever anything involving a cyclist occurs.

As a famous L.A. area resident put it 20 years ago this week, can we all get along?

………

You’re invited to participate in a webcast with pro cyclist Levi Leipheimer at 1:30 pm on Monday, May 7th.

The webcast is open to the public; however, you must have a Ustream profile or log-in using your Twitter account in order to join the live chat, or ask questions using your Facebook account. And if Levi likes your question, you’ll win a limited edition Levi poster from CLIF Bar.

……..

In other upcoming events, this Saturday will see a free Tour de Palmdale Poker Run Fun Bike Ride to celebrate the city’s hosting of the 6th Stage of the Amgen Tour of California.

Riders will meet at Marie Kerr Park, 2723 Rancho Vista, and ride a 30 mile course through the city, picking up a playing card at each stop; the one with the best poker hand at the end of the ride wins. Thanks to Michele Chavez for the tip.

And everyone who rides PCH — or would like to — is invited attend a progress meeting on the design of the Pacific Coast Bike Route Improvements Project between Busch Drive and the western Malibu city limit. The meeting is scheduled for 10 am to noon in the Multi-Purpose Room at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road.

………

Erik Griswald forwards a couple of stories, as a Bay Area TV station goes after those damn law breaking and non-helmet wearing cyclists.

And an 18-year old Chandler AZ cyclist can thank the deity of his choice after he was right hooked by a 69-year old driver while walking his bike across the street — apparently with the light, and most likely in a crosswalk.

Even though he ended up with a broken collarbone and tire marks across his chest — and even though the driver assumed she had just hit the curb and kept going on her way to Famous Footwear — a police spokesperson said it was just a tragic accident, and no charges were likely to be filed.

So lets get this straight.

A woman fails to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, never even looking in the direction she’s actually turning. Then continues merrily on her way, oblivious to the fact that she’d just literally run over another human being.

And the police say it’s just an oops?

Just thank God you don’t live or ride in Chandler AZ.

………

Santa Maria cyclists are mourning the death of a popular club leader who was run down by an 84-year old driver who failed to negotiate a turn on PCH.

I suppose that will just be an “oops,” too.

………

Thanks to the multiple people who have sent me links to the many, many stories about the Berkeley hit-and-run that was captured by bike cam, leading to the arrest of a typical scumbag ex-con.

There’s really not much left to say about this one.

Except that it offers dramatic evidence that every cyclist should have a bike cam of their very own. I’m starting to consider it every bit as important as lights or a helmet.

After all, while lights can help keep you from getting hit and a helmet could offer some protection if you get hit, a cam could offer proof of what happened if you do get hit. And as this case shows, help catch the driver if he or she flees the scene —as happens in a third of all L.A. collisions.

And it seems to be absolutely necessary to build a case under the city’s still-untested cyclist anti-harassment ordinance, which still hasn’t seen its first test case.

Of course, I should talk.

I don’t have one yet myself, thanks to a budget so tight it squeaks. Maybe GoPro or Contour would like to sponsor a poor, lowly bike blogger.

Hey, it could happen. Right?

………

LA/2B and GOOD invite you to imagine your ideal car-free day in L.A.; the winner will receive $500 to make it a reality.

………

Finally, Mikael Colville-Andersen, author of Copenhagenize and Copenhagen Cycle Chic — and arguably the world’s leading bike blogger — takes the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition to task for its standard liability waiver for group rides, describing it as a “massive marketing/advocacy FAIL.”

Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe Denmark is a far less litigious society that ours. Maybe he just doesn’t understand American legal culture. Or maybe his rabid campaign against bike helmets has led to a little confusion due to one too many falls.

But even so, he should have realized that the waiver form comes from the LACBC’s insurance company and was written by their lawyers, not the coalition’s. And that use of that form is a requirement to even get insurance, without which a non-profit organization such as the LACBC would be unable to host rides, since the legal fallout from a single fall or collision could be enough to wipe out the entire organization.

He’s right, though.

The form could be written a lot better. But that’s a matter to take up with the insurance companies and lawyers, not a non-profit leading the fight for safer streets and improved access for cyclists in L.A. County.

And which just wants to let local cyclists enjoy a simple bike ride.

Without getting sued.

Happy Bike Month!

Category: Bikes & the Law, General, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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.

……..

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: , , , ,

Bad day in San Diego area, as one cyclist is killed and another critically injured

January 20, 2012 / / 3 comments

Just heartbreaking.

A 77-year old cyclist was killed while riding past a school in Chula Vista Thursday morning, and another cyclist suffered life-threatening injuries in a second collision Thursday afternoon.

In the first case, the victim was riding past Chula Vista’s Rice Elementary School when an employee of the school, described only as “elderly,” pulled out of the parking lot around 8:30 am, hitting the cyclist with her Jeep Cherokee. The rider, whose name has been withheld, was taken to a nearby hospital where he died about an hour later.

It’s unsure if the driver will face charges, though the police note the victim did have the right-of-way.

This is the 5th cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first in San Diego County. And we’re less than three weeks into the new year.

In the second case, a cyclist in his mid 40’s was riding in the bike lane on Sorrento Valley Blvd east of Whispering Heights Lane when he was rear-ended by a Toyota driven by a 75-year old woman about 1:05 pm.

The San Diego Union Tribune reports the rider was thrown from his bike and run over by the car, which ended up against a tree with the unconscious cyclist trapped underneath. A police spokesman said at least three witnesses saw the collision; one told police the driver was using a cell phone just before the collision.

According to the paper, doctors say he will be a paraplegic if he survives.

My heart and prayers to both victims and their loved ones.

Update: The victim has been identified as Robert Howard Marshall of Chula Vista, a 20-year Navy veteran of Korea and Vietnam. He leaves behind his wife, four children, 10 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

That’s what’s so heartbreaking about any traffic fatality. It’s not a statistic, but a real human being with a life and loved ones. And whose death leaves a huge hole that can never be filled in the live of everyone who knew him.

Thanks to Philip Young for forwarding the identification.

……..

A couple of other quick notes.

A memorial service will be held for Hollywood writer/producer Carol Schreder at noon Sunday, March 4th at the Aero Theater at Montana and 14th in Santa Monica. As you may recall, she was killed by an out-of-control van on Mulholland Hwy in the Malibu Hills last month; at last word, the CHP was still unwilling to take action against the driver, despite repeated reports that he was speeding and driving recklessly prior to the collision.

Bike advocate Richard Risemberg, aka Mr. Bicycle Fixation, writes to remind us about this weekend’s midnight bike movies at the Vista Theater in Silverlake, with four short films all set in the world of L.A. bicycling.

Finally, congratulation to new LACBC board members Herbie Huff, Lynn Ingram and Efren Moreno. Alex Amerri was elected board president at the board meeting on Wednesday, with Steve Boyd as Vice President and Greg Laemmle elected Treasurer; Scott Moore continues as Secretary. Alex replaces outgoing President Chet Kostrzewa, who has done a great job guiding the Coalition through a period of rapidly expanding influence over the past few years and will be very missed.

My apologies to everyone looking for an analysis of last year’s cycling fatalities, as I had promised on Twitter Thursday. Unfortunately, today’s bad news takes precedence; barring any further breaking news, I’ll have the story online Monday. Look for some very surprising findings, including the possibility that neither L.A. or the door zone is as dangerous as you might think.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,
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