Tag Archive for LeBron James

Morning Links: LeBron James talks bikes, LAPD targets pedestrians, and a Glendale stop sign hit-and-run notice

August 7, 2018 / / 3 comments

The LeBron LA bike watch goes on.

The good news is, the Wall Street Journal’s self-described bicycle dork Jason Gay talks bikes with new LA Laker LeBron James.

The bad news is, it may be hidden behind their paywall, but at least here’s some of it if you can’t access the full story.

Either way, it sounds like LeBron is looking forward to joining us.

James said he’s fired up about the cycling in his new home base of Los Angeles, where he will be joining the Lakers this season. (This was in the news, you can look it up.) L.A. sometimes gets a bad rap as a cycling city, but there’s a lot of good riding in town, and tons of high-level cyclists.

“I’ve seen a few bike paths around Los Angeles,” James said. “I know Santa Monica has a great bike path down there on the beach…I’m looking forward to that.”

Would he consider riding to home games at Staples Center? “Oh my goodness,” James said. “That would be a hump. I would be able to avoid the highway traffic, though.”

So keep your eyes peeled for someone who looks a lot like LeBron James riding on the beachfront bike path.

Because it just might be.

And the offer still stands to put together a ride with kids from his new hometown in the City of Angels to see him safely through that hump to work.

………

Good question.

An Op-Ed in the LA Times asks why the LAPD is targeting pedestrians instead of drivers, when cars are running over people right and left.

Almost as upsetting as the statistics is the Los Angeles Police Department’s response. If you’re a walker rather than a driver, you know this is true: LAPD officers target pedestrians for tickets but rarely react when motorists violate traffic laws right in front of them. This selective enforcement seems so blatant that I suspect it’s by design. The LAPD is intentionally putting the responsibility for street safety on pedestrians, even though motorists control the cars that kill.

Writer Scott Schultz goes on to explain that he requested data from the LAPD on the number of jaywalking tickets their officers issued, as well as tickets to drivers for failing to yield.

It took two years to get the data, and just five divisions responded — Central, Hollenbeck, Hollywood, Van Nuys and Northeast. Of 68,072 total citations, 55,392 went to pedestrians. In other words, 81% of tickets issued for crosswalk infractions went to pedestrians.

Central Division, which includes downtown, Chinatown and skid row, was particularly aggressive toward pedestrians. Of their 43,326 combined citations, only 11.25% (4,876) were issued to drivers. During the six years covered by the data, there were more jaywalking tickets issued in just the Central Division than there were failure-to-yield tickets in the five divisions combined. Meanwhile, 20 pedestrians were killed by cars in the Central Division in 2017 alone.

You don’t have to spend much time walking or riding a bicycle in Los Angeles to realize, as LeBron James undoubtedly will, that too many drivers feel entitled to do whatever they want, without fear of getting stopped by police.

Even when the violation happens right in front of them.

Vision Zero is about improving streets and infrastructure so human mistakes don’t become fatal, not increasing enforcement.

But until the former happens — which seems pretty unlikely these days — we’ll need to count on the police to protect us by doing the latter.

Which clearly isn’t happening right now.

………

Bikingly forwards news of a Glendale hit-and-run involving a bicyclist, with the notice posted on old school social media.

………

Who says you can’t go for a ride with your dogs, even on a folding bike? David Drexler captured this photo on on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach on Sunday.

David Drexler

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Local

The LA Bicycle Advisory Committee meets tonight in Hollywood; you can read the agenda here. The BAC is the only official voice for bicyclists in the city, even if most of the city’s councilmembers never meet with, let alone listen to, the district representatives they appointed.

 

State

The bicyclist killed in a Pleasant Hill hit-and-run while riding on his lunch break last week was the son of a former member of the Irish legislature; his oldest brother was killed in a traffic collision four decades earlier.

A San Mateo letter writer says the way to build more housing without increasing traffic is to require builders to fund dedicated bike lanes as part of the project.

A Chico newspaper says Caltrans needs to come up with a strategy to protect bicyclists and pedestrians on a pair of proposed roundabouts, saying both groups usually get the short end of the roundabout stick.

 

National

Bicycling looks at how a former football lineman lost 105 pounds in a year by riding a bike.

Outside says gravel biking is changing bicycling for the better.

Business owners in a Pittsburgh shopping district are angry over the potential loss of a few parking spaces, even though more people may come by bus or bike.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation says New York’s success with Vision Zero provides a road map for other cities on how to reduce pedestrian deaths.

The Baltimore city council has repealed a part of the fire code mandating minimum street widths, which had blocked the development of bike lanes.

This is who we share the roads with. A Delaware truck driver allegedly blared his horn at a bicyclist for hugging the white line, then nearly ran him off the road before getting out and beating him with a wire cable. The authorities showed how seriously they don’t take violence against bicyclists by releasing him on a paltry $3,000 unsecured bond.

New York has become a bicycling city, with over 450,000 bike trips each day, compared to 170,000 in 2005. Which could be LA’s future if our elected leaders would just overcome their innate fear of NIMBY voters.

The New York Post breathlessly complains that dockless bikeshare bikes are clogging sidewalks since their recent arrival in the city. Because it’s just so hard to pick up a bike and move it if it’s in the way.

Streetblog considers the victim-blaming response in a Louisiana parish to the bicycling crash that killed a Baton Rouge city councilman.

 

International

Writing for Bike Biz, Laura Laker looks at why there are so few women bike mechanics, and what the industry can do about it.

The war on cars is a myth, but the war on bikes goes on, as someone has been sprinkling thumb tacks on Edmonton, Canada’s downtown bicycling network.

Toronto could have a decidedly bike friendly mayor, because the city’s former chief planner has decided to run for office.

Children living in the borough surrounding London’s first Mini Holland street design emphasizing walking and bicycling can expect to live six weeks longer than children in more auto-centric neighborhoods.

London’s first walking and cycling commissioner says the city can be made safe for both.

A UK letter writer can’t seem to grasp the concept of contra flow bike lanes. And somehow thinks the equivalent of $5,177 is too much to spend to fix a bikeway.

Caught on video: A British driver just barely brakes in time when a kid suddenly darts across the roadway on his bike.

A Brit driver is outraged when he films bicyclists riding side-by-side on a quiet, narrow street, where there wouldn’t be room to pass safely even if they weren’t. And as the paper notes, it’s perfectly legal to ride abreast in the UK, though it might be polite to move over.

As usual, an Irish county decides to put up warning signs for bicyclists on a dangerous roadway, but only after its too late for an American tourist.

Tajikistan is worried that the terrorist attack that resulted in the death of four bike tourists, including Americans, will have an adverse affect on tourism. No shit.

At least one country is getting serious about traffic violence, as Bangladesh introduces the death penalty for traffic fatalities, in response to student-led protests demanding better road safety. Thanks to Larry Kawalec for the heads-up.

LA may be the hit-and-run capital of the world, but it looks like South Africa is trying to catch up, as a bike advocacy group warns bicyclists that early morning hit-and-runs are becoming a common problem.

Japan Today says the county’s road system needs to be redesigned to make it safer for bicyclists.

 

Competitive Cycling

Evidently, a Glasgow minister is no fan of bike racing, complaining about closing the streets for the European Championships on Sunday and calling it a “minority pursuit” that local fans are clearly not interested in. If he thinks cycling fans are in the minority, wait until he finds out how many people actually go to church every Sunday.

Team Sky’s Egan Bernal will be off his bike for at least three weeks after undergoing facial surgery and suffering a “small” brain bleed. Meanwhile, Movistar’s Mikel Landa may miss the Vuelta after suffering a fractured vertebrae in the same crash.

Former Tour de France champ Jan Ulrich, who still has his yellow jersey despite getting caught up in a doping scandal, was detained by Spanish police after allegedly breaking into his neighbor’s home and threatening him.

 

Finally…

Don’t yell insults at a gay man armed with glitter. Nothing like a little bike race performance art.

And forget riding across Wisconsin, what they really need is a little rice.

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Morning Links: Sympathy for fallen LADOT Traffic Officer, and terrorist attack kills bike tourists in Tajikistan

July 31, 2018 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: Sympathy for fallen LADOT Traffic Officer, and terrorist attack kills bike tourists in Tajikistan

As bike riders, we don’t hesitate to criticize LADOT when its called for.

But let’s take a moment to offer the the city’s Department of Transportation our sympathy and prayers on the death last week of LADOT Traffic Officer Gregory Park, who became collateral damage in a traffic collision as he was writing a parking ticket in Van Nuys.

I hope you’ll join me in sending our condolences to his family, friends and co-workers.

And remember that we’re not the only ones at risk on the streets.

………

Yesterday we mentioned two American bike tourists who killed in Tajikistan, along with riders from Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Today we learned that the four were victims of a terrorist attack, as Islamic State claimed credit for the killings. They were run down with a car, then attacked with knives.

Three others in the group were wounded.

Authorities later killed two suspects and arrested three others, as well as recovering a car that may have been used in the attack. Another three suspects were “rendered harmless,” though it was unclear what was meant by that.

Although I’m sure we can guess.

Thanks to Richard Risemberg for the heads-up.

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Hats off to new LA Laker LeBron James for opening a new Akron, Ohio school for at-risk kids.

The goal is to help kids who are lagging behind in school and struggling at home with accelerated learning and help combating difficulties outside of the classroom.

But here’s the best part.

LeBron James often credits his bicycle as a huge factor in his childhood that gave him an escape from dangerous parts of his neighborhood and the freedom to explore — every student will receive a bicycle when they arrive.

I’ve never been a big basketball fan, but I’m starting to like this guy.

………

Local

The LACBC’s monthly Sunday Funday bike ride will explore South LA and the Watts Towers this Sunday.

Santa Monica approved a $5 million plan to quintuple the amount of green bike lanes in the city, as well as providing more secure bike parking and video bike recognition systems at red lights.

 

State

Wheel Tales is offering three community bike adventures, including four day rides along California’s Central Coast or a Santa Cruz Challenge.

Charles Hudak sends word that Ofo is not leaving Southern California, let alone the US, despite emails to that effect that went out Friday in Los Angeles and San Diego.

Speaking of San Diego, it’s less than a month away from Bike the Bay, your once-a-year chance to ride the city’s iconic San Diego Coronado Bay Bridge and cruise around the San Diego Bay.

Video shows a bike rider nearly run down on the Bay Area’s Mt. Diablo, as a tour bus drifts onto the wrong side of the road as the rider approaches.

Deontae Bush, the bike rider killed in an Oakland collision Friday night, was just pushing off from the curb after giving a woman money for bus fare when he was struck and killed.

 

National

Oh, hell no. A new bill in Congress would tax transit agencies, bicycle tires and ebike batteries to pay for the growing Highway Fund deficit instead of raising the gas tax, which hasn’t been increased since 1993. In other words, they want bike riders and transit users to subsidize drivers even more than we already do.

Bloomberg says Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods will make virtually every bicycle sold in the US more expensive, at a time when local bike shops are already struggling to survive.

Pacific Standard talks with Adonia Lugo about building a more inclusive bike advocacy movement.

Good piece, as CNN’s Wisdom Project considers the mindfulness and zen of bicycling. I’ve long considered bike riding a form of moving meditation.

An economist riding across the US concludes that bicycling is the third most dangerous sport, no matter how you calculate it.

Police in Houston release new video of the suspect in the fatal shooting of famed cardiologist Dr. Mark Hausknecht as he rode his bike to work.

No bias here. After a Tulsa bicyclist was killed and another rider injured when they were run down by a pickup driver, a local TV station blames the confusing bike lanes that they weren’t using, which aren’t on the street they were riding on.

Last week’s Chicago Critical Mass ended in front of city’s police headquarters to protest the department’s policy of zero-tolerance bike enforcement in black and brown communities.

Bicycling to Rhode Island’s famed Newport Folk Festival reached an all-time high, as over 1,800 people left their cars at home each day to rode to the festival.

New York could have a black, bike-riding mayor in three years if the Brooklyn borough president has his way.

Gothamist says private cars are increasingly pointless as e-moped sharing comes to New York. Meanwhile, dockless ped-assist e-bikesharing is unveiled in the Big Apple, which just legalized such lower-speed ebikes.

A Florida letter writer complains about all those inconsiderate bicyclists who park their cars at the beach to ride their bikes, as opposed to all those very considerate drivers who park at the beach to just go to the beach.

 

International

A new campaign is underway to get bicycle mayors appointed for over 100 cities around the world by 2020. Although the Los Angeles bicycle mayor would probably be too busy running for bicycle president to actually get anything done.

Caught on video: A clumsy Montreal thief dismantles a traffic sign to steal a bicycle, prompting the mayor to call for more bike parking. And this is why you never lock your bike to a sign post.

A new Toronto app allows riders to report problems with bike parking, including the need for more. Meanwhile, a new survey shows 80% of Toronto residents support building protected bike lanes, including 75% of drivers. Thanks to Norm Bradwell for the link.

As we mentioned last week, London’s new Vision Zero plan would eliminate traffic deaths by 2041. They might actually succeed, after cutting traffic fatalities nearly 50% in just the last ten years, and with an actual plan to get them the rest of the way.

After a British woman was knocked unconscious in a crash with another bicyclist, she woke up unable to remember how to speak English.

A driver in the UK gets eight years for a drunken hit-and-run that took the life of a local chef as he biked home.

Great Britain is looking for ideas on how e-cargo bikes and electric transport vans can make more last mile deliveries.

Celebrate Geraint Thomas’ victory in the Tour de France with five of the best bicycling routes in Wales.

According to a Swiss study, riding an ebike less than four miles a day, at least three times a week for four weeks, is enough to start getting back into shape. Meanwhile, a writer for Bike Radar says like it or not, ebikes are here to stay, and that’s a good thing.

Korea will mandate the use of bike helmets at the end of September, though hygiene-wary bicyclists question the wisdom of shared helmets for bikeshare.

 

Competitive Cycling

Cycling Magazine recounts five OMG moments from the Tour de France. Four of which are exactly the ones I’d list.

Cycling Weekly goes back to last winter to examine how Geraint Thomas won the Tour, while a Welsh columnist says maybe Thomas should run for first minister of Wales.

Nice piece from NPR about Texan Lawson Craddock’s last place finish in the Tour de France, riding almost all 2,082 miles with a broken shoulder blade. Needless to say, it was not easy on his mom.

In a sign of the times, officials examined bikes for motor doping over 3,000 times during the three week tour.

Ethiopian cyclist Tsgabu Grmay’s determination and thick skin has made him a two-time competitor in the Tour de France.

A writer for VeloNews decides to enter the Leadville 100 race on a mountain bike as old as he is.

Writing in Bicycling, a former racer recounts the broken promise that cost him the 2001 U-23 championship, which had haunted him ever since.

 

Finally…

Biking home after too many biers could get you a big fine. Apparently, asking a cop why he’s pulling over bicyclists on a charity ride can also get expensive.

And Cincinnati unexpectedly gets the Bird.

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Morning Links: Philharmonic CicLAvia, fixing parking problems on MyFig, and the war on bikes moves mostly online

July 13, 2018 / / 4 comments

It’s official.

CicLAvia has released the route of September’s Disney Hall to Hollywood Bowl open streets event, which should be epic in every sense, with dozens of performances along the way.

Curbed offers a preview of the CicLAvia event, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, culminating in a free concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

………

CiclaValley provides a 45-second update on the parking problems on the new MyFigueroa bike lane.

CiclaValley also reminds us about this Nike ad, with new LA Laker LeBron James playing a bike-born Pied Piper to kids in Miami.

And no, it’s not the least bit confusing to go from typing CicLAvia to CiclaValley and back.

No, really.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes goes on. And online.

A Tennessee man assumes he’s an expert on bike safety because he rode his into the side of a truck as a child, and criticizes a recumbent rider for riding in the center of a traffic lane — even though he clearly doesn’t know that word.

Apparently speaking from beyond the grave after being run over by bike riders three times, a New Jersey letter writer says his town shouldn’t encourage more bicycling because of the “mayhem” caused by “psycho” cyclists, even though he swears he rides one himself.

No windshield bias here. A DC writer complains about five types of “smug-ass” people who need to “cut the shit.” Needless to say, bike riders are number one on his list, for the apparently unforgivable crime of acting like bikes are cars, which is exactly what bike riders are supposed to do; number two are pedestrians in crosswalks who don’t get the hell out of his way fast enough.

A Saskatoon cyclist records a confrontation with an angry driver who followed him honking, then wanted to fight when the rider tried to explain his right to the road. Meanwhile, Saskatoon police say yes, bikes have a right to the road, but don’t try to educate the driver who harassed you, because that could be demeaning.

……..

A video from Slate’s Spokes Man says it’s fine to slap a car while riding.

Then again, he also seems to be okay with undertaking a semi while it’s making a right turn, which should tell you something.

I confess to slapping a few fenders when drivers drifted into my lane, or right hooked me without appearing to even know I was there.

But I stopped several years ago, after a driver got out of his car and beat a pianist to death in Hollywood when the victim slapped the hood of his car for encroaching on the crosswalk.

……..

Local

LAist gets it. A piece by KPCC’s Meghan McCarthy Carino says nothing can fix LA traffic, so deal with it. The simple fact is, traffic in Los Angeles right now is as good as it will ever be; the only option is to provide safe, efficient alternatives to convince people to leave their cars at home.

Good piece from Streetsblog’s Damien Newton looking at the lessons learned from the failed attempt to recall LA Councilmember Mike Bonin over the equally failed Playa del Rey road diets. And the stifling effect it’s had on street safety projects.

For everyone who missed out on Metro’s free Bike Hub membership during Bike Month, the LACBC is offering a second chance at a free one-year Bike Hub membership through the end of the month.

The Santa Monica Daily Press complains about e-scooters on the beachfront bike path, saying users are scooting through a loophole in the law.

 

State

A Bakersfield mother and bike advocate makes the case for why you should wear a helmet.

San Jose business owners become just the latest to fight a proposed bikeway, fearing it will be bad for business. Even though study after study shows just the opposite.

A San Mateo doctor is suing the other participants in a regular fast group ride for $1 million for injuries he received when another rider crashed into him. Something tells me he may not be welcome on the next one.

Sad news from Concord, where a 60-year old man was killed when his bicycle was rear-ended by a driver.

 

National

Your next power meter could fit on a valve stem.

An ebike helps a woman get back on a bicycle for the first time since she was eleven.

A Spokane writer suggests putting sharrows on a freeway, with bike pool lanes for two or more people on a bike. And no, he’s not serious.

Nevada’s indigenous tribes are welcoming Lime dockless bikeshare to their community to provide a transportation option that improves health and protects the environment.

A Montana man loses nearly half his 500 pound weight after taking up bicycling.

An Omaha bike co-op saved an eight-year old boy from a life of crime on the streets; ten years later he’s a high school graduate with a scholarship from Adventure Cycling.

A Minneapolis bike columnist says it’s time to take a pledge of civility.

A New Jersey woman — and the daughter of Holocaust survivors — discovers riding her bicycle in the recent ride from Auschwitz to Krakow, Poland is cleansing for the soul.

Friends pitch in to rebuild a custom bike belonging to a New Jersey Lakers fan — and Wilt Chamberlain’s second cousin — painting it in the colors of the LA Lakers.

 

International

Designing better ultra-aerodynamic bicycles through artificial intelligence.

That bike bucket list just keeps getting longer, as Forbes recommends five bicycling vacations around the world.

A writer for the Guardian considers the best books on bicycling.

A British Columbia bike rider is using shadows on a straight, flat highway in Saskatchewan to prove the Earth isn’t flat. Because one more proof should be enough to convince all the flat Earthers, even though all the many others haven’t done the job yet.

Caught on video: A British bus driver passes a bicyclist way too close for comfort, coming so close it looks like it may have brushed the rider.

More proof life is cheap in the UK, where a woman gets a year behind bars for running down a bike rider while high on coke and driving without her glasses — with her kids in the car.

A Welsh judge has ordered a new trial in the death of British Olympic hero Chris Boardman’s bike-riding mother; in addition to the crash, the driver and his wife are accused of deleting cellphone data to cover up their actions.

Don’t count on seeing Irish band Glass Animals anytime soon, after the band’s drummer was seriously injured when he was hit by a truck while riding in Dublin.

A Dublin teenager has been jailed for one year for terrorizing bike riders on a canal pathway; he was part of a group that chased riders and strung rope across the trail in an effort to knock people off their bikes.

Helsinki, Finland is using artificial intelligence to position and manage their bikeshare system.

Mobility Lab says Danes bike for the same reason Americans drive — because they’re lazy and it’s easy.

Rome residents are painting potholes to warn bike riders and hopefully shame the city into fixing them.

The Prague, Czechoslovakia bike ban goes into effect at the end of this month; bike riders will be prohibited from pedestrian areas in the city center.

India’s Hero Cycles is reviving 110-year old British Viking bikes after a 40-year absence. So doesn’t that mean it’s really a 70-year old brand?

An Aussie man is attempting to record and preserve all the surviving bikes made by custom bikemaker Milton “Spike” Jones.

Dockless bikeshare company Obike has abandoned thousands of bikes across Europe after filing bankruptcy in Singapore.

 

Competitive Cycling

Wednesday was a good day for the world champ, and Thursday was good for Ireland and Team UAE Emirates at the Tour de France, even though broken spokes set a couple of riders back.

An Aussie writer says Sunday’s cobbled stage will be hell on wheels.

No, it probably wasn’t good taste to hope that a Croatian rider’s crash in the Tour boded well for England’s failed World Cup bid.

It takes a team effort to keep injured cyclist Lawson “Crash” Craddock riding in the Tour de France; by continuing in the race, he’s already raised over three times his original $21,000 goal to support a Texas Velodrome.

Virtually ignored in all the attention gained by the Tour de France, the women’s Gira Rosa stage race goes on, with Australia’s Mitchelton-Scott team threatening to break the recent dominance of Dutch teams.

A new study shows riding in the back of a peloton is even easier than previously thought; riders in the right position face 95% less wind resistance than riders up front.

 

Finally…

Touring the Rockies by bike, and playing the rocks along the way.  When your bike is stolen by the police so Meghan and Harry can have lunch.

And no, telling a woman you want to be her bike saddle is not a compliment.

And not cool. Period.

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

Morning Links: Besmirched in bikes, welcoming King James, and raising funds for kids and bikes in Watts

July 11, 2018 / / 3 comments

Now this is what a bicycling city looks like.

Patrick Pascal forwards today’s photo from Dublin, Ireland, noting the city is besmirched with bikes these days.

But in a good way.

Although women apparently don’t feel safe bicycling there, despite the safety in numbers.

Pretty much like every other major city, Los Angeles included.

………

Here’s a good suggestion from someone who prefers to remain anonymous.

Now that LeBron James is officially a Laker, the Los Angeles bike community should welcome him by riding with him from his Brentwood home to Staples Center for his first home game.

That would give a lot of LA kids a chance to ride a bike with the man known universally as King James. Something he clearly cares deeply about.

It would also give us the chance to call attention to the lack of safe infrastructure and the dismal state of LA streets.

And make sure he gets there in one piece.

So if anyone out there knows LeBron, just have him get in touch with me and we’ll put something together.

………

I’ve long been a fan of the East Side Riders Bike Club, and their mission to use bikes to change lives and improve the Watts community.

Now they’re asking for your help to raise $20,000 to support that vital work.

Here’s what their crowdfunding page has to say.

The East Side Riders Bike Club (ESR) is an all-volunteer, grassroots bicycle club working to prevent youth from joining gangs and/or taking drugs, but also engage youth to enrich the community through recreational activities, Our kids are introduced to bike safety, healthy eating and active living, the importance of giving back to the community, and are able to participate in community riding events hosted by ESR.

ESR seeks to positively impact the following community needs: Inadequate Organized Recreational Outlets for local youth in the Watts area, a community that is rife with high rates of child obesity, asthma and other respiratory challenges amongst youth; lack of Safe Passage and Travel Routes: while Watts is a very small community, there are clear gang-related boundaries and territories that limit the movement of local youth based on where they reside; Lack of Resources- families lack the resources to purchase bikes, safety gear, and/or other necessary equipment.

In turn, these kids feed the homeless, clean up neighborhood parks, and are learning to solve community problems by working together!

East Side Riders is raising money to help support our Organization, the BEAST Class and our overall continued support of ESRBC. Since 2008 ESR has provided sack lunches to the hungry, fixed kids bikes for free and provided meals for Thanksgiving, toys and food for Christmas including bikes and helmets for kids that really need them.

With your donation you would be helping our yearly budget that is partially paid for through grants. You can also donate you time to ESR by volunteering with our organization and spreading the word about our work.

If you’ve got a few extra bucks lying around, it would be hard to find a better cause to support.

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Local

Yes, LA Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Bob Blumenfield are considering bringing back mandatory, or possibly voluntary, bicycle licensing, though they swear it won’t be used to harass riders, unlike the city’s previous, unlamented program. You can get all the benefits of bike registration right here for free, without waiting for the city to make up its mind.

LA County is proposing an ambitious plan to make over a long-overlooked area near Harbor-UCLA Medical Center into a bike and pedestrian friendly neighborhood.

Curbed considers Pasadena’s plans to bail on its money-losing Metro Bike program.

Maybe you can be a paid brand ambassador for bike friendly New Belgium Brewing at Long Beach State, or one of 13 other campuses around the US.

 

State

An Escondido woman bought a new ebike for a man she calls her guardian angel, who meets her every day to protect her from harassment on a bike path.

Victorville wants your input on a grant application for new bike lanes.

Sad news from San Francisco, where a pedicab driver has died two weeks after he was run down by a hit-and-run driver; Bay Area bicyclists are angry over the crash on the Embarcadero, which was supposed to get a protected bike lane.

 

National

Bicycling offers more of their click-through clickbait, with six roads throughout the US you “gotta” ride. For once, a local road made the list, with Yerba Buena Road through LA and Ventura Counties.

Red Bull offers a beginner’s plan to take you from your couch to riding a 30 miler in just eight weeks.

Now that’s a group ride. Up to 10,000 bike riders are expected to turn out for the annual two-day Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic.

Denver bike and pedestrian advocates tell the mayor to put the city’s money where his mouth is, and back his ambitious infrastructure plans with enough money to build it.

He gets it. In a very tongue-in-cheek letter, a Colorado man calls on the local paper to stop covering up the thousands of motorist deaths caused by reckless pedestrians and cyclists, some of whom must be members of MS-13.

A well-known Iowa oncologist is recovering from multiple broken bones after touching wheels with another rider in a paceline.

Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan are testing a new ultrasonic radar device that measures the distance between a bike rider and a passing car to look for violations of the three-foot passing law.

I like this guy already. A Massachusetts columnist complains about the roadway caste system that puts drivers above bike riders, and suggests that people should park and watch other drivers before they complain about people on bicycles.

In the wake of a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, city councilman’s death while riding in a nearby parish, local leaders form a victim-blaming committee that may try to restrict riders rather than improving safety.

 

International

Great book excerpt from the authors of the Modacity website, who discuss how ebikes can provide mobility for everyone — and not just for “the laziest demographic in history.”

The City Fix says more bike riders corresponds to a happier city, but does not guarantee you’ll be happy if you ride a bike.

It’s the battle of the Parisian bikeshares, as the city’s vaunted Vélib‘ bikeshare has fallen on hard times, and several dockless systems struggle to survive. 

Every Muslim who can is expected to perform the Hajj at least one in their life, but nothing says you can’t do it by bicycle; two Albanian men will be riding six weeks across five countries to make their pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

 

Competitive Cycling

Yesterday’s fourth stage of the Tour de France ended in a three-way photo finish..

Bicycling looks at new gear at the Tour. So is anyone other Peter Sagan or Chris Froome wearing their eponymous glasses and helmet?

Yes, Americans can still compete in the top levels of pro cycling. Just not the men, apparently.

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can relive the 1970s cult classic The Warriors, but on two wheels. When it comes to pro cycling, stupidity is in the pain of the beholder.

And this is what it looks like when a thief steals your bike in broad daylight.

Not to mention how fast it happens.

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Morning Links: First day of LA LeBron bike mania, hope for Balboa bike path parkers, and a scary too-close pass

July 3, 2018 / / 2 comments

Call it the first full day of LeBron bike mania.

It seems like the only ones more excited about LeBron James joining the LA Lakers are his fellow bike riders.

Take the newly resurrected LAist, now operated by Pasadena public radio station KPCC, which offers advice on how the Lakers new star can stay alive while biking in LA.

Curbed imagines LeBron James as the newly crowned Bike King of Los Angeles, making the case for better bike infrastructure so he can ride safely from his Brentwood homes to Staples Center in DTLA or the Laker’s practice facility in El Segundo.

Too bad he didn’t make that a condition of signing with the team.

The LA Times warns LeBron that bicycling can be rough here in the City of Angels — thanks in part to an “ineffectual” mayor. And asks drivers to please not run him over.

Actually, knowing LeBron James may be on a bicycle could go a long way towards improving safety for people on bikes in Los Angeles.

As long as you’re a tall black man, since no one wants to be responsible for sidelining the new hope of franchise.

As for the rest of us, we’re on our own.

Thanks to Jeff Vaughn, Steve and Stefan Mayer for the heads-ups.

………

Maybe there’s hope yet for the Balboa bike path parking problem.

Danger D writes to say he’s been contacted by Councilmember Nury Martinez’ office, and told they’re looking into just what department has jurisdiction for enforcement on the bike path through Balboa Park.

Which is a problem on a lot of LA’s off-road trails, where even the various police and sheriff’s departments often aren’t entirely sure who’s responsible for policing any given section.

Then again, that hasn’t prevented parking in the new South Figueroa bike lanes by Staples Center, even though the LAPD has unquestioned jurisdiction there.

He suggests posting no parking signs, which seems like a pretty obvious and relatively low cost solution. And maybe put a red stripe along the edge of the pathway.

Let’s hope something gets done soon. Because LA needs safe bikeways a lot more than it needs more parking.

………

Holy horse trailer, Batman.

This has got to be one of the closest near misses ever — it would have been a crash if the rider had his elbows out.

Even closer than this one, in fact.

………

Always interesting to see what our community looks like to people on the outside. Streetfilms visits the Expo Line’s Culver City Station, and finds little consideration for anyone outside of a car.

Which anyone who has ever tried to catch a train there can attest to.

https://twitter.com/TransitCenter/status/1013478778075516928

………

Local

Mrs. CiclaValley catches a red light running fender bender on dashcam, countering the guilty driver’s knee-jerk denial.

A travel writer for the New York Times discovers Long Beach, and wisely decides to tour the city by bicycle.

A Metro Bike day pass will set you back just $4 on the 4th. And you might win a free T-shirt.

 

State

A San Francisco architect makes the case that new residential buildings really don’t need parking. Or at least as much as currently required.

Streetsblog says a ten-year delay in building out a makeover of San Francisco’s Masonic Avenue has resulted in construction that is already out of date.

A mobile bike shop owner in the Bay Area is working to change the face of bicycling by offering free workshops to people who are often overlooked in the bicycling world.

Sacramento is planning street improvements to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians — including a proposal to reduce speed limits.

A Novato driver has been sentenced to a well-deserved three years in prison for fleeing the scene after plowing into four bike riders during a Marin County charity ride last October; witnesses said he appeared to intentionally aim for the riders, though his mother swears he would never do that.

 

National

Giro put a helmet inside a helmet to improve comfort while protecting your head from concussions. Which may come in handy once you consider what you paid for it.

No surprise here, as Lyft has followed Uber into the wonderful world of bikeshare.

An American Japanese Buddhist monk is just $52 short of his goal of raising $5,000 for the Children’s Hospital Foundation by riding his bike across the US.

Streetsblog lists six times the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has blamed pedestrians when it knew the deadly design of SUVs was most likely behind the jump in pedestrian deaths.

Tour de Fat returns to Chicago, as its 2018 tour once again bypasses Los Angeles.

A Detroit public radio station explains why some local streets are paved with bricks, crediting the bicycling Good Roads movement of the 1890s.

A bicycling physician at the famed Cleveland Clinic recommends eight “must haves” to ride a bike safely and comfortably.  Good advice, but the only must have you really need is a bike.

The Cambridge MA fire department will be putting their new paramedic bike team to work at tomorrow’s 4th of July celebrations.

WaPo says theft and destruction of dockless bikeshare bikes is a growing problem. And in other news, the Pope is Catholic and bears really do shit in the woods.

In a remarkably weak response to the bicycling death of a Baton Rouge LA city councilmember, the local newspaper calls on drivers to give riders a safe passing distance and follow the rules of common sense.

 

International

In a hard-hitting piece, a Toronto bike rider says the city’s leaders have blood on their hands for their failure to protect bicyclists and pedestrians on the streets. Change the names and a few other details, and he could be writing about Los Angeles.

A Canadian woman waxes lyrically about discovering a broken road bike in her parents garage, and letting it take her back to the person she used to be.

A writer for a Canadian driving website criticizes her hometown for yanking out a road diet because it added 16 seconds to drivers’ trips off peak. And notes that geese get better PR than bike riders.

London’s former bike czar says Oxford and Cambridge can and should become Britain’s first true cycling cities, since bikes offer the most practical solution to their congested city centers.

A British mother gets a year behind bars for running down a bike rider while high on coke — with her kids in the car. Then again, she wasn’t wearing her glasses, either.

You can now ride your ped-assist ebike up to 28 mph without getting booted out of a Danish bike lane.

A Brisbane, Australia bikeway is one of the most popular in the world, according to a bike counter maker, with nearly 950,000 riders so far this year.

 

Competitive Cycling

Peter Sagan says he loves to win, but really, he just wants to have fun. Which is easy to say when you’re Peter Sagan.

The Associated Press offers an overview of this year’s Tour de France course, which kicks off on Saturday.

Chris Froome is taking an early victory lap, saying he knew he would be exonerated in his doping case. Meanwhile, cycling fans around the world are left to wonder if anything has really changed.

A four-person team of sightless riders riding stoker on tandem bikes became the first blind team to finish the Race Across America.

 

Finally…

Dig under your cushions for some old gummy bears and Halloween candy, and you too can eat like a pro. As if dodging cars wasn’t enough, now we have to evade grocery crates falling like depth charges.

Once again, you can pedal your way to a pro cycling contract without actually having to go outside. Or anywhere else.

………

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Remember that bikes are the best way to get to and from fireworks displays. But watch out for drivers making their way through traffic, because they’re not likely to be looking out for you.

I’ll see you back here bright and early on Thursday.

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