Just two weeks left in the 7th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!
Thanks to Joseph R, Brian N and Joshua T for their generous donations to keep SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy coming your favorite screen every morning.
That makes 50 donations in just two weeks — a full week ahead of last year’s record pace!
So don’t wait. Give now via PayPal, or with Zelle to ted @ bikinginla.com.
Any amount, no matter how large or small, is truly and deeply appreciated.
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The LA City Council has approved final redistricting maps that will take effect January 1st.
You can find your new district here.
At first, I thought I’d been disenfranchised by the council, who moved CD5 Councilmember Nithya Raman out of much of her old district, and away from many of the people who elected her.
Instead, it looks like I’m still there, if barely.
Meanwhile, there’s an active campaign going on in nearby CD5, where pseudo-environmentalist Paul Koretz has gone out of his way to block bike lanes contained in the city’s mobility plan for far too long. And who will thankfully be termed out this year.
Fortunately, there’s a long list of candidates running to replace him, most of whom appear to support bikeways and safer streets.
I’ve already endorsed Scott Epstein, who I’ve known for years as a friend, and for his work on the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee and chairing the Mid City West Community Council.
But I’m always open to hearing from other candidates.
Anyone running for office in CD5, or any other Los Angeles council district, is welcome to submit a guest post outlining their positions on bicycling, transportation and safe streets.
Then again, that same offer goes for any other LA elected office, or any other city in the LA area.
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Unbelievable.
A Pittsburg, Pennsylvania man is dead, after being tased by cops eight times for the crime of test riding a used bike, apparently without permission.
According to a local TV station, 54-year old Jim Rogers — no relation — took a bicycle that was being sold for 50 bucks on someone’s front yard, then returned it after riding around the block.
Why that required a massive police response, let alone lethal force, I will never understand.
And any ostensibly non-lethal weapon can easily become lethal when it is used repeatedly on someone in a short period of time.
Some witnesses reported that Rogers became aggressive after police arrived, while others reported him begging them to stop.
To make matters worse, officers told arriving paramedics to go away, then loaded Rogers into a patrol car — and inexplicably drove past one hospital to reach another one further away, as he slumped unconscious in the back seat. The cops reportedly said they thought he was sleeping.
He died the next day.
Let’s hope his family has a good lawyer. Then again, even a crappy one could probably win this case.
Meanwhile, four cops now face firing for the incident, with two others staring at well-deserved demotions.
Hopefully that includes the cop who fired his taser eight times, and needed two tries to get through the police academy.
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Spoiler alert.
Peloton discovers that feeling when their high-profile product placement unexpectedly turned into a PR nightmare.
Skip this one if you’re still planning to watch the first episode of the new Sex and the City reboot, though.
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Finish the week with a little gravel grinding.
Taking on the Inaugural Gravel Bulldogs out of @PedalersFork over some of the Santa Monica Mountains toughest climbs(4K):@bikinginla @dougreport https://t.co/x7XGZMYJJW
— Gravel Bike California (@GravelBikeCal) December 9, 2021
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Join Active SGV for the return of their annual holiday ride on Saturday.
https://twitter.com/ActiveSGV/status/1469033860147077121
Meanwhile, the LACBC is hosting a family-friendly ride through Maywood and South Gate along the LA River the same day.
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If you’re up near Santa Barbara this weekend, stop by the bike yard sale to find all the stuff you need, and probably won’t get for the holidays.
We’re having a HOLIDAY YARD SALE THIS SATURDAY Find all the bikes & gear you’re looking for this holiday season…great gifts for your friends & family! When: THIS SAT Dec 11, 9:30to 1:00. Where: Bici Centro SB, 434 Olive Street, 805-617-3255 & SM, 310 Oak Street, (805) 623-5763 pic.twitter.com/MJ3ZE65e9y
— MOVE Santa Barbara County (@SB_BIKE) December 9, 2021
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Here’s your chance to become a certified bike instructor.
Want to be a certified bringer of #bikejoy? We've added new League Cycling Instructor seminars to our website. Find one near you at https://t.co/wDKwTkihVS pic.twitter.com/hdvn5lXEGP
— League of American Bicyclists (@BikeLeague) December 9, 2021
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‘Tis the season.
A Boise, Idaho public radio station talks with the executive director of the Boise Bicycle Project, which is planning to give 500 bicycles to local kids.
A bike shop owner in Iowa is donating 14 upcycled bicycles to a local Christmas club for kids in need.
An Illinois bike shop owner is donating 60 refurbished bikes to a state children’s home.
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Sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
A North Dakota man managed to slip the cops as he fled a traffic stop on his bike. But was busted anyway, after he kicked in the door of a random apartment and barricaded himself in the bathroom.
Oakland is repairing a public Christmas tree in Jack London Square that was torched by a bike-riding arsonist.
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Local
This site’s not the only one begging for money this month. If you have anything left over after donating to the BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive, give a little to LA Streeetsblog, too.
State
SANDAG’s proposed 70-mile regional bike lane system will now cost more than double the original estimate, cover 10% fewer miles and take longer to finish.
The Voice of San Diego says forget the debate over proposed road usage fees, and focus on making the transportation changes we need to save the planet, and ourselves.
National
A new report surprisingly suggests it would only take a minimal investment to restore American bicycle manufacturing, despite losing over 97% of bike building to overseas factories.
The Adventure Cycling Association is looking for a Safety Manager to join their advocacy team to work for better safety on US Bicycle Route System.
WaPo talks with the former chief of strategy and innovation for Seattle’s DOT; Benjie de la Peña predicts shared micromobility will continue to grow as an alternative to traffic-choked commutes.
Las Vegas hosts a police-escorted ghost bike ride along the Las Vegas strip this morning on the anniversary of the meth-fueled massacre that took the lives of five people riding their bikes last year. Which got the stoned truck driver who killed them a well-deserved 16 to 40 years behind bars.
Police in New York are on the lookout for a pair of strong-arm robbers on a two-month crime spree targeting low-income, often immigrant, delivery riders for their ebikes.
That’s more like it. A New York community board says don’t bother arguing against the need for bike lanes, just tell them where the lanes should go.
A proposed remake of a Brooklyn street would create New York’s first bicycle superhighway. Which is one more than Los Angeles, which has exactly none on the drawing board.
A Maryland TV station talks with DC’s one-wheeled Grubhub delivery rider.
International
Bike Radar recommends the best winter-weight mountain bike jerseys to keep you warm on the trails, while Cycling News considers the best truck-mounted bike racks for your car.
A tiny new automotive-style shifter could allow you to bang through the gears on your electronic derailleur.
No surprise here, as plans to expand ebike access in Canada’s Banff National Park are drawing fire.
London is banning e-scooters from all forms of public transit after one burst into flames on a train last month.
Twelve percent of Brits want to find a new bike under the tree this year.
Germany’s new food and agriculture minister is one of us, eschewing the standard black limo to arrive at the country’s presidential palace on a bicycle.
A 25-year old, visually impaired Indian man is riding 4,660 miles across 12 of the country’s states to prepare for his ultimate goal of climbing Mt. Everest.
That’s more like it, too. An Aussie man was sentenced to nine and a half years behind bars for killing a 60-year old woman who was riding her bike in a bike lane, while he was still stoned from a multi-day drug binge. He abandoned his car and passengers after the crash and called an Uber to take him home; he still had ice, amphetamines and cannabis in his system when he was arrested hours later. The judge described his attitude after the crash as “superficial, glib and self-centered.”
Competitive Cycling
Cyclocross could become the next new Winter Olympic sport. But you’ll have to wait until 2030 at the earliest.
The careless spectator who got her 15 minutes of fame by causing a massive crash with her cardboard shoutout to her grandparents in the first stage of this year’s Tour de France was lucky to escape with the equivalent of a $1,353 fine.
Twenty-one-year old Australian cyclist Sarah Gigante is angling for a spot in next year’s inaugural Women’s Tour de France.
Fifty-year old, three-time Fleche Wallonne winner Davide Rebellin will enter a remarkable 30th year as a pro cyclist next year.
Finally…
People thinks you need a bigass bike seat. If Santa’s not around, maybe a bike-riding Ms. Christmas will do.
And when you care enough to send your worst.
Then again, it beats the hell out of these Share the Road stickers.
https://twitter.com/YPLAC/status/1468944049629503498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1468944049629503498%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Froad.cc%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Fcycling-live-blog-9-december-2021-288495
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
