Day 358 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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It’s the last day of the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!
If you’ve been waiting to donate, it’s now or never. Well, maybe not never, but still.
So thanks to Todd, Arthur and Penny for their generous donations to support SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy!
But time is up, already. So what the hell are you waiting for?
Just stop what you’re doing, and donate right now with just a few clicks through PayPal or Venmo, or via Zelle to ted@bikinginla.com using the banking app on your smartphone.
Don’t wait, give now!!!
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Speaking of the last day, this is also our final post for this year. I’ll be taking the next nine days off for my annual pre-scheduled mental and physical collapse, after somehow making through the year from hell past year.
I expect to see you back here bright and early on January 4th, when we’ll kick off the new year with a recap of the top stories from the coming week.
And as always, we’ll be around if there’s any breaking news you need to know about.
If you’re celebrating Christmas tomorrow, I wish you all the warmth and joy of the holiday. If not, I hope you’ll find something to celebrate that will bring you joy.
Either way, please accept my wishes for a very happy New Year. And shake off the dust of this year to have a very healthy, happy and prosperous year to come.
One with bikes. Lots of bikes.
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Be extra careful if you’re riding for the next few days.
Or better yet, don’t.
Southern California is expecting an atmospheric river delivering extremely heavy and dangerous rains, which could create a risk of flooding and mudslides.
Even under the best circumstances, that could lead to flooded intersections and puddles that can be larger and deeper than they appear, and hiding dangerous items and potholes out of view.
It also means that drivers will have limited visibility, and won’t expect to find anyone on a bicycle out in that weather. Which means they won’t be looking for you, even if you’re lit up like a Christmas tree.
So unless you have to, maybe wait a few days until après le déluge for your next ride.
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Okay, I learned something yesterday.
Marvin forwarded an email from e-bikemaker Priority Bikes that suggested you could use your Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account — assuming you have one, of course — to buy a new bicycle or ebike.
Which was a new one to me.
But it only took a few minutes of Googling to confirm it.
You’ll need to talk to your doctor to get a Letter of Medical Necessity stating that you have a condition that could be improved by riding a bicycle, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease or even Parkinson’s.
According to Steve the Bike Guy, it’s not just limited to bikes, either.
Items which may be eligible include:
- Bicycles (yes, bikes) and component upgrades
- Bicycle trainers
- Electronics including GPS bicycle computers, heart rate monitors and smart scales
- Safety equipment such as bicycle helmets and pads
- Clothing, shoes and other accessories
Additionally, items such as sunscreen and lip balm are also eligible.
But you’ll have to hurry, because your 2025 benefits expire exactly one week from today.
So get moving.
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Gravel Bike California returns to Maverick Cycles.
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‘Tis the season.
A 16-year old New Jersey girl was the driving force behind a bike drive that distributed more than 220 bicycles to local kids, in honor of a Port Authority officer who was killed trying to rescue others on 9/11, which occurred eight years before she was even born.
Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves ended up giving away more than 4,000 bikes and helmets to children in multiple cities over the past few weeks.
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Sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
Commenters were up in arms after video showed an impatient driver taking to the median when “entitled” bicyclists took up the entire road on a fast-paced group ride.
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Local
A fire apparently destroyed a used car dealer and bike shop in San Pedro Tuesday night; the address appears to be the home of The Bike Palace.
Megan reminds us about Metro’s public meetings next month to discuss the draft Environmental Impact Report for extending the LA River bike path.
State
He gets it. Writing for Streetsblog California, a retired lawyer says “if illegal e-motorcycles are the downfall of legitimate e-bikes, manufacturers and retailers should look themselves in the eye, not blame it on their customers.
Meanwhile, a new study required by 2023’s California Senate Bill 381 examines how the state can effectively regulate and promote ebikes.
National
Velo names the Cannondale Synapse their road bike of the year.
Tragic and bizarre news from Linn County, Kansas, where a 13-year old boy was found dead after last being seen riding his bicycle; a 47-year old man was charged with felony abandonment of a corpse after he told police he took the boy’s body from Kansas to Missouri, and left him in a remote creek bed. How he happened to come into possession of the dead boy’s body, or why he felt the need to move and abandon it was not explained.
A Fort Worth, Texas newspaper remembers the victims of the recent collision where a pickup driver killed two members of a triathlon club as they were on a group ride.
They get it, too. More than 50 Austin, Texas businesses co-signed a letter calling for protected bike lanes on the city’s 6th Street.
International
The Conversation explains how to keep your kid from being disappointed they didn’t get a bike for Christmas. Or maybe if they did.
A writer for Cycling Weekly is no fan of electronic shifting, and doesn’t want a bike that needs a battery to change gears.
Speaking of batteries, Bike Radar offers eight reasons why your next bicycle should be electric.
A Road.cc podcast recounts how the UK’s Cycle to Work program was saved.
The bike counter on the Boulevard de Sébastopol in Paris ticked off more than 5 million bike rides on the street’s bike lanes this year.
A new report shows that traffic violence in Cape Town, South Africa takes one life every 12 hours; the good news, if you can call it that, is that bike riders account for just one percent of those deaths, with 30 people on bicycles killed over a four-year period.
This is the cost of traffic violence. A 64-year old beloved former sports radio host was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle in Sydney, Australia.
Competitive Cycling
Cycling Up To Date examines just how dangerous pro cycling really is, concluding the sport is safer than it used to be, but still comes with inherent risk.
Five-time Tour de France champ Bernard Hinault explains why he still loves bike racing, four decades after his last win.
Sad news from Northern Ireland, where Irish cycling great Billy Kirk died earlier this month at 88 years old.
Finally…
Legendary bikes you’d probably want for Christmas, if only Santa could still get it. Tumbling over the handlebars of a Penny Farthing in a Santa suit.
And sometimes it just takes a little psychopathic threat to get what you want.
https://bsky.app/profile/flipturns.bsky.social/post/3maojmcvz722e
See you next year!
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin.
