Tag Archive for Los Angeles

Update: Two cyclists shot in Koreatown, one killed

May 26, 2012 / / 3 comments

Multiple sources report that two Hispanic men were shot while riding their bikes in Koreatown Saturday afternoon.

According to the L.A. Times, incident began near the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and San Marino Street around 1:20 pm, when a bike rider was struck by a white SUV. One of the men inside the SUV then got out and shot the victim as he lay on the ground, killing him.

Witnesses report that the SUV appeared to be chasing at least one one of the riders when some sort of altercation occurred leading up to the collision and shooting.

Following the first shooting, the men in the SUV began pursuing the second rider; it’s unclear whether he was riding with the first victim or just happened to be riding alone in the same area. He was shot by the same man in the 800 block of south Vermont Avenue; fortunately, his wounds are not life threatening.

The suspects are described only as three Hispanic men in a white SUV-like vehicle. They were last seen driving south on Vermont Avenue towards Olympic Boulevard.

Police continue to investigate the motive for the shooting.

While gang violence seems like the obvious explanation, as the Times points out, it could also be the result of road rage or a personal vendetta.

Thanks to Sam Ebnet for the heads-up.

Update: KABC-7 identifies the victim as a 19-year old Los Angeles resident; while they give a name on the video report, but I’m unable to clearly make it out after several listenings. Police report two men exited the vehicle; witnesses report hearing approximately 15 gunshots.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Mark Morgan at 213/38-9470 or 877/527-3247.

Update 2: LAist identifies the victim as Shaoyan Almazan. The Times reports Almazan appears to have been targeted by his killers.

Update 3: According to the L.A. Times, the second victim was riding with Almazan, and was struck in the hand as he tried to ride away. He stopped to in the 800 block of Vermont to call 911, which is why he was found a few blocks away. The shooter is described as medium height and weight, wearing a hooded sweat shirt. In other words, it could be just about anyone.

Still no word on why the riders were targeted.

Update 4: According to the LAPD, the shooting was definitely gang related. That doesn’t make it any better, but it means local cyclists don’t have to worry about a crazed road raging driver roaming the streets.

Just a cold-blooded killer.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , ,

Win a week at the Tour de France and a free bike from Cannondale; and a long list of LA bike events

May 26, 2012 / / One comment

Here’s your chance to participate in this year’s Tour de France.

For the second consecutive year, Cannondale will give one cycling fan the chance to spend a week working with Peter Sagan and the Team Liquigas-Cannondale. The winner will be a member of the behind-the-scenes team working on race day preparations and rider support for the team.

Oh, and they’ll give you a pretty decent bike, too.

To enter, just like Cannondale’s Facebook page, click on the Backstage at the Tour de France icon and fill out the application. Deadline for entering is Thursday, May 31st at 11:59 pm EDT; 8:59 West Coast time.

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Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

It Magazine invites you to celebrate the end of bike month with a panel discussion on Greening Your City: Biking Los Angeles, moderated by actor Ed Begley Jr. from 7:30 to 10 pm on Saturday, May 26th at the Lineage Performing Arts Center, 89 South Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena. Panelists include LACBC Executive Director Jennifer Klausner, former LA District Attorney and Paris cycle chic photographer Gil Garcetti, C.I.C.L.E. Executive Director Dan Dabek and Bike San Gabriel Valley co-founder Wesley Reutimann.

Sunday, May 27th, LACBC affiliate chapter Bike SGV invites you to their free SGV River Loop, held monthly on the last Sunday of the month along the San Gabriel River and Rio Hondo River bike paths. Meet at 9 am at Santa Fe Dam, 15501 Arrow Highway, with a 10 am departure; the ride features feeder ride check points, as well as a pit stop at Legg Lake with booths, music, mechanics, snacks, water and other goodies. Bike SGV has invited candidates for the 49th Assembly District to join in on this month’s ride.

Los Angeles cyclists enter the political realm when the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s new Civic Engagement Committee meets for the first time promptly at 6:45 pm (note the new start time) on Tuesday, May 29th on the Mezzanine level at LACBC headquarters, 634 South Spring Street in Downtown L.A. Help us work to get candidates for mayor and city council in Los Angeles and other area cities on the record for their stands on bicycling issues to ensure the election of more bike-friendly political leaders.

L.A.’s Council District 14 joins the LACBC, LADOT, and the Downtown LA Neighborhood Council to host a Downtown Bicycle Network Open House from 5 to 8 pm on Wednesday, May 30th at Aiso Plaza, Judge John Aiso Street & 1st Street, Downtown.

The Palms Neighborhood Council will host their 19th Annual Bike Rodeo on Saturday, June 2nd from 10 am to 2 pm at Palms Elementary School, 3520 Motor Ave. The event is free for Palms residents and children attending Palms area schools.

The next of the LACBC’s popular Sunday Funday rides takes place on Sunday, June 3rd with the East Valley Hansen Dam Ride; meet in front of the entrance to the North Hollywood Metro Station on Lankershim and Chandler in North Hollywood at 8:30 am, with the ride rolling at 9 am.

Take Back the Boulevard holds its third public meeting on Tuesday, June 5th from 7 to 9 pm at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Blvd. Participants will review a preliminary plan for a more livable Colorado Blvd to better serve residents and business.

The fourth annual Bike Night at the Hammer Museum takes place on Thursday, June 7th starting at 7:30 pm at the Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd. The free event includes a free portrait with your bike, a screening of the Kevin Bacon bike messenger movie Quicksilver — which LAist says he called “the absolute lowest point of my career” — and admission to the museum’s Made in L.A. 2012 biennial exhibition.

The Antelope Valley’s High Desert Cyclists hosts a series of monthly Brunch Rides starting at Marie Kerr Park on 30th Street West in Palmdale on the second Saturday of each month. The comfortably paced 15 to 20 mile rides will visit a local restaurant or coffee shop for brunch before returning to the starting point; organizers promise no rider will be left behind. The next ride is scheduled for Saturday, June 9th at 7:30 am, with successive rides scheduled for July 14th, August 11th, September 8th and October 13th.

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; this year’s ride includes an optional reverse start beginning in Long Beach. Funds go to support the LACBC in building a better, more bikeable L.A. County.

Recover from The L.A. River Ride with a laid-back bike, brunch and beer ride the following Saturday, June 16th. The first annual B3 charity bike ride will raise funds for the Pablove Foundation with beer and food specials, while making a loop between Golden Road Brewing, Tony’s Darts Away and Mohawk Bend.

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

The 2012 GranFondo Cannondale Los Angeles rolls on Sunday, July 15th starting at Saddlerock Ranch at Malibu Family Wines, 31727 Mulholland Highway, offering rides of 40 and 75 miles; registration closes at 9 pm on Friday, June 8th.

The 4th Annual California Tour de Dreams 2012 will take place August 9th through 19th as cyclists will ride 540 miles from UC Berkeley to UCLA to educate communities about the passage of the California Dream Act and advocate for passage of the Federal Dream Act; register online by May 31st.

Bikes are normally banned from the famed San Diego – Coronado Bay Bridge, but you can ride it on Sunday, August 26th, during the 5th Annual Bike the Bay, to benefit the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. Get an early registration discount through April 30th.

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

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

Mark your calendar for the next CicLAvia from 10 am to 3 pm on October 14th; more details to follow

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

A good friend of L.A. cycling to be honored at this year’s River Ride

May 25, 2012 / / Comments Off on A good friend of L.A. cycling to be honored at this year’s River Ride

I’d planned to talk about bike safety today.

And how important it is to ride within your own abilities, especially on holiday weekends when the roads are more crowded, drivers more distracted and/or drunk, and riders more relaxed.

It’s easy to push the limits just little too hard, and find yourself in a situation you can’t get out of.

But then I received the following email from Alan Krepack, brother of GEKlaw bike attorney Howard Krepack, and decided to set that aside for another day.

As you may know — and as I’m sorry to tell those who don’t — Howard was diagnosed over a year ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, an incurable disease that progressively robs the victim of control over his or her own body. While his mind is as sharp as ever, and he continues to practice law with the help of his associates and partners, this illness has taken a terrible toll on him.

I’ll let Alan pick up the story from there.

Hi Everyone,

I’m sure most, if not all of you, know that Howard has been battling ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – Lou Gehrig’s disease) for 1 1/2 years now.  He continues to be the kind-hearted, smart, loving man he has always been.  And continues to be surrounded by his immediate and extended family, and his many friends.  His mobility is limited, but his spirit remains strong.

I am writing to let you know about an event in Howard’s honor and about his web site:

1) The upcoming Los Angeles River Ride on Sunday, June 10. The ride is being dedicated to Howard and ALS awareness.  As you know, Howard has been a longstanding bicyclist and advocate for bicycle safety and policy in Los Angeles. Howard’s law firm, GEK Law, have also been sponsors of the River Ride for the past three years.

Everyone is invited to join our “team” for the River Ride.   You can ride any one of the distances (15, 36, 50, 70 or 100 miles), or simply hang out at this great event.  Details and registration are available by linking to the River Ride from the Howard’s web site or: http://la-bike.org/events

At the ride on June 10 we will be giving out t-shirts from the Howard D. Krepack Fund booth, next to the GEK law booth for anyone who wants to be part of our team.  At 7:45am we will meet at the booth for a picture. For those riding the century or 70 mile course the t-shirts will be available at 7am.

Also at the River Ride on June 10 Howard will be receiving the first annual Service to Cycling award given to citizens who have made significant contributions to bicycle advocacy, safety and use in Los Angeles.

2) The Howard D. Krepack web site and fund was launched last month.  If you haven’t visited, please take a moment to check it out, pass the link on to anyone who may be interested and connected to Howard, and hopefully motivated to make a contribution to ALS research in Howard’s name from his web site:  http://community.als.net/krepack

Please make a donation of any amount to help us reach our donation goal for ALS research in Howard’s name.

Howard, Vivian and our entire family thank you for your support.

Over the years, Howard has been a big supporter of Los Angeles bicycling and a good friend to cyclists.

Or just a good friend, period.

He is someone I’ve been happy to know, and I’ve referred riders to him for legal help more than once, knowing they’d be in good hands.

I last had a long talk with Howard at last year’s River Ride, discussing what the LACBC, and we as individuals, could do to improve safety for cyclists in the L.A. area. I didn’t know at the time that he has already been diagnosed; yet typically, instead of worrying about himself, he was focused on what we could do for others.

If you’ve been on the fence about this year’s River Ride, I urge you to come out and participate — whether you choose to ride or just hang out and visit the booths. And honor Howard Krepack along with the LACBC, his family and friends.

I don’t know if he’ll be up to attending this year.

But either way, it will mean a lot to him. And to all of us.

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Please take just a moment this Memorial Day weekend to remember what this holiday is all about, and honor those who have given so much — and so often, too much — for our country. And those who continue to give.

And be careful out there.

I want to see you all back here next week.

Category: General, Guest Columns / Tags: , , , , , ,

A little this, a little that: a little bike courtesy goes a long way, NIMBY homeowners battle Expo bikeway

May 24, 2012 / / 16 comments

Once again, the issue of conflicts between fast riders, slow riders and pedestrians rears it’s ugly head on the L.A. River bike path.

A slower rider complains about cyclists he calls “speed racers” brushing past and cutting in too close, and wonders why they can’t just slow down.

The answer is not, as the story suggests, imposing speed limits on riders or taking other steps to slow faster cyclists. Or, as some riders have suggested, getting non-cyclists the hell off the bike path.

It’s a simple matter of showing other path users the same courtesy you expect them to show you.

Even though it often seems few things are less common than common courtesy these days.

But really, it’s very simple.

For slower riders and pedestrians, always be aware of your surroundings and other people on the path, keep to the right and leave room for faster riders to pass you.

For faster cyclists, remember that it’s a multi-use path, which means that other people have every bit as much right to be there as you do. Always slow down, announce your presence — ie, “on your left” or “passing on the left” — and pass carefully, waiting until the way is clear and it’s safe to do so. And whenever possible, give other path users the same three-foot passing distance you expect from drivers.

If you can’t manage that, find another place to ride or walk.

There are enough jerks on the roads without bringing that crap onto the paths we use to get away from it. And them.

And that goes for every other bike path, too.

Thanks to Mike for the heads-up.

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In the most astounding example of bold-faced NIMBYism this side of Beverly Hills, a group of Westside homeowners have filed a federal environmental lawsuit attempting to block the bike path — yes, bike path — along the Expo Line extension into Santa Monica.

Because, evidently, we cause more harm to the environment than all those trains rushing past. Especially after filling up on Danger Dogs $1 burritos.

Of course, what they really fear is all us big, bad bike riders besmirching the safety and sanctity of their neighborhood. And are willing to ridiculously abuse existing environmental laws to stop us.

We can only hope the judge recognizes this for what it is, and tosses them out on their NIMBY ass. And sticks them with the court charges.

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It Magazine invites you to celebrate the end of bike month with a panel discussion on Greening Your City: Biking Los Angeles, moderated by actor Ed Begley Jr. on Saturday, May 26th in Pasadena; panelists include LACBC Executive Director Jennifer Klausner, former LA District Attorney and Paris cycle chic photographer Gil Garcetti, C.I.C.L.E. Executive Director Dan Dabek and Bike San Gabriel Valley co-founder Wesley Reutimann.

And L.A.’s Council District 14 joins the LACBC, LADOT, and the Downtown LA Neighborhood Council to host a Downtown Bicycle Network Open House next Wednesday.

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Despite the urging of GOP party leaders, Tea Party Congressional representatives once again target all federal bike and pedestrian funding in an attempt to force the socialistic funding of highways by people who may or may not use them.

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No wonder American kids are so fat.

At least 60 Michigan high school seniors are suspended for — get this — riding their bikes to school, even though they were escorted by the city’s mayor and a police car. Something tells me it may have been one of the principal’s last official acts at that school.

Thanks to Erik Griswold and Matthew Gomez for the heads-up.

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LACBC board member Steve Boyd talks about the new Tern folding bikes, which GOOD says could transform transit; GOOD also takes a look at L.A.’s lowrider bike club. LADOT offers a list of new bike rack locations, while the new Orange Line bike path extension is nearing completion; oddly, without having to content with an environmental lawsuit from over-privileged homeowners. New bike lanes appear in Boyle Heights. Nightingale Middle School students ask for bike lanes so no more kids will get hurt. Seems like there’s one in every crowd, as Will Campbell and another rider stop for a stop sign and let a crossing driver pass — who then has to jam on his brakes when a trailing jerk rider blows through the stop. A writer for the Daily Trojan says more bike lanes won’t solve USC’s problems, but fewer bikes would. The annual Bike Night at the Hammer Museum returns Thursday, June 7th. A look at bike polo in North Hollywood Park. Beverly Hills is surrounded with sharrows, but can’t seem to figure them out. Sunset magazine looks at a Glendale woman who embraced biking to take back the suburbs. Welcome to Mike Don, the newly hired director of the South Bay Bicycle Coalition.

The state Senate votes once again on whether California cyclists deserve a three-foot passing law; a nearly identical law passed both the Senate and House last year before being vetoed by our misguided governor. Meanwhile, the L.A. Times says the proposed three-foot law is sort of better than nothing. Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious has developed a statewide map showing the location of bike-involved collisions reported to the CHP; wrecks from the last 24 hours are shown in yellow, older ones in red. Grant Fisher, the cyclist critically injured in San Diego the same day Robert Marshall was killed, is now paralyzed from the waist down, but with a better attitude than most of us; heads-up courtesy of BikeSD. In better news, Baron Herdelin-Doherty, the cyclist seriously injured in the collision that killed cyclist Nick Venuto when a driver flew off a San Diego freeway and landed on the bike path they were riding, says he’s almost back to health almost a year later. Camarillo cyclists are about to get bike lanes over Highway 101.

George Wolfberg forwards a look at some unusual and artistic bike racks; something else Beverly Hills says they just can’t manage to do. Bicycling offers advice on how to avoid rookie roadie mistakes. GOOD looks at the history and psychology of sharing the road. A year later, Utah authorities are still looking for the hit-and-run driver who killed a 24-year old cyclist. Portland cyclists are going to get a new bike highway on the left side of the road to avoid buses; local Portland groups look to develop a crowd-sourced case for bike advocacy. Seattle’s Cascade Bicycle Club seeks to train grassroots bike activists. On the eve of the Exergy women’s stage race, a Bay Area women’s pro team has their bikes stolen; hats off to Boise police for getting them all back. A South Dakota drunk driver plows through three kids riding their bikes; link via Witch on a Bicycle. Whatever issues we have in here in L.A., at least you don’t have to worry about a deer jumping over your bike, though you may have to watch out for cougar killing SaMo police. Bicycling declares Dallas the worst bike city in America. Trial is starting in the case of the hit-and-run driver accused of killing a Maryland Senate candidate in 2010. A vigil is held for Mickey Shunick, the Lafayette LA woman who disappeared riding home from a night out; it couldn’t hurt to say a prayer if you’re so inclined. The six best cities to take a bike vacation.

A former Vancouver city councilor says the city’s bike share program will fail if riders are required to wear helmets. A Toronto cyclist was trying to walk away when he was deliberately run down by a cab driver. A London writer says Chicago gets it right and they don’t. London’s transportation department says six of the city’s most dangerous intersections are safe. One of the UK’s top teen cyclists battles back against meningitis. That inflatable bike helmet is about to hit the market overseas for the equivalent of $525; I think I’ll keep using my $65 Trek hard hat.

Finally, a British Member of Parliament is hit from behind by a minicab at a red light, then yelled at by the driver for not getting the hell out of his way. It may be worth noting that the cab belongs to the same Addison Lee cab company whose owner recently encouraged cabbies to drive illegally in bus only lanes, and said it’s cyclists’ own fault if we get hit.

Oops.

Category: Bicycle Safety, General, Roadway Courtesy, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Bicycling says we’re sort of bike-friendly; Better Bike’s Mark Elliot bounces off a Beverly Hills SUV

May 22, 2012 / / 8 comments

Let’s make it a Tuesday news day.

So settle back with your favorite libation and catch up on all the bike news that fits.

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Bicycling magazine names their top 50 American bike-friendly cities.

And in a very surprising development, L.A. makes the list at 32, just ahead of Thousand Oaks at 38, and behind Long Beach at 19. Not surprisingly, Portland leads the list at number one, followed by Minneapolis, Boulder and newly bike-friendly Washington DC; New York City comes in just before San Francisco at seven and eight, respectively, while my hometown just misses the top 10 at number 11.

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Best wishes to Better Bike’s Mark Elliot, who was hit by an SUV in Beverly Hills on Saturday, just days after getting screwed by the city’s auto-centric Traffic and Parking Commission. Fortunately, Mark says he’s okay. But warns ominously that it might be you next time.

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Robert Gesink wins the Amgen Tour of California just eight months after breaking his leg in four places in a training accident. Will Campbell shows just how fast the Amgen riders passed by. Aussie cyclist Robbie McEwen retires at the end of the Tour of California. LACBC offers photos of the final stage, which began in the biking black hole where Mark Elliot nearly got his ass run over. And once again, a feared carmageddon fails to materialize.

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If you’re only going to click on one link today, make it this one, as a writer explains how not to kill a cyclist. And then forward it to every driver — and cyclist — you know.

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Flying Pigeon needs help moving to their new location on Tuesday and Wednesday. An Eastside bicyclist was injured after falling through a manhole after thieves stole the cover. Adonia Lugo and Allison Mannos question whether the urban poor and communities of color are being left behind by eco developments. Riding from Watts to Long Beach on a Friday night. Mayoral candidate and current CD13 Council Member Eric Garcetti has a new website. A UCLA study says excessive cycling could interfere with male reproductive health — and give you man boobs; thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up. New signage and pavement markings on the Santa Monica section of the beachfront Marvin Braude bike path could ease conflicts between cyclists and beach-going pedestrians. Long Beach urban planner Sean Warner says rational arguments supporting biking infrastructure may not be enough.

Two Fontana teenagers are being sought for shoving two children off their bikes and stealing them — the bikes, not the children. A Redlands rider is shot while on his bike Saturday night. Los Olivos hosted the California State High School Mountain Bike Championships over the weekend. A 54-year old Campbell cyclist is injured when a 17-year old unlicensed driver attempts to defy the laws of physics by occupying the same space she was in at the same time. Nearly 1,200 Tahoe cyclists attempt to set a record for single-file riding; almost three times that many are expected for the area’s 21st annual America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride on June 3rd.

The Bike League is now tracking bicycling fatalities on a national level, just as I’ve been doing in SoCal; preliminary results show over a third of all bike-related collisions were hit-from behinds, followed by failure to yield (18% drivers, 10% cyclists). Riding a bike to work could cut your tax bill, as well. The bike writer for my hometown paper says education is more important than more bike lanes. A Lafayette LA cyclist disappears riding home from a night out. Bollards are almost always a failure of good bikeway design — especially when they go in for no apparent reason. Charleston SC proposes a 32 mile bikeway crossing eight bridges. Dave Moulton says it’s time to opt out of the culture of speed.

A Halifax writer says cyclists deserve more respect and better infrastructure. A UK writer asks if adults are mature enough to share the road with children; good question. A British publication asks if the war between motorists and cyclists will ever end — or if it really exists. Free bicycles help keep Indian girls in school. A Singapore cyclist is found dead of unnatural causes along a trail.

Finally, an Aussie writer has had it up to here with people saying cycling is being spoiled by anyone on a sports bike. And a rider in Mississippi is reunited with his dog after three months in a coma following a collision.

Category: Bicycle Safety, General / Tags: , , , , ,

Bike racing and bikeways come to DTLA, and lots of links and events for your weekend reading pleasure

May 19, 2012 / / 2 comments

Now that I’ve caught up on sleep after a busy bike week — I mean seriously, why can’t people bike to work at a more reasonable hour, like maybe noon? — let’s catch on the news before moving on to this week’s events.

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AG2R La Mondiale rider Sylvain Georges leads from the first mile to win a dramatic stage 6 of the Amgen Tour of California; Dave Zabriskie holds onto the leader’s jersey he won on Thurday in the Bakersfield time trial. And Kristen Armstrong wins once again in the women’s annual token appearance in the Tour of California.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Mark Cavendish wins his third stage of this year’s Giro, despite a couple of crashes the first week, while Joaquim Rodriguez keeps the leader’s jersey. Liquigas-Cannondale’s Damiano Caruso hopes to win best young rider; I’d vote Taylor Phinney for gutsiest young rider after cycling on this for the past week.

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Big news on the local bike lane front, as B.I.K.A.S says the new bike lanes on NELA’s Via Marisol probably won’t get a lot of use. Three new bike lanes prove there’s cycling life south of the 10 Freeway. LADOT plans a full interconnected bikeway network in Downtown L.A. within the next 13 months or so; I’ll be glad when I don’t have to dodge cabs and buses on 7th street east of Figueroa anymore.

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LACBC offers advice on how to lock your bike. A non-biking reporter rides to work in Glendale. One in ten California drivers are on their cell phones at any given time. Calbike asks you to contact your state Senator to ask for a safe passing distance. Bike thieves hit Coronado. Four decades of manning a Bike to Work station in Palo Alto. A San Francisco attorney with two previous speeding convictions is arrested in the hit-and-run death of a cyclist in Dublin CA. New separated bike lanes in are bad for everyone according to a San Francisco writer. The father of a Napa City council candidate is killed riding back from a half century when a 20-year old driver drifts off the road. A bicyclist is killed after falling into a Fresno canal.

Five things every mayor should know before starting a bike share program; link courtesy of Alan Thompson. Science is still trying to figure out how we balance on a bike. Save up to $9,000 a year by balancing one on your way to work. Now you can get that stainless steel DeLorean you always wanted, just with two fewer wheels. Are bikes the next great technology platform? Albuquerque cyclists will soon get a bike/pedestrian bridge over I-25. A Denver cyclist slams into a police car after allegedly running a stop sign. The women’s pro tour hits Idaho next week; maybe some day they’ll get the attention they deserve, right Amgen? L.A. expat Amanda Lipsey says bikes equal smiles, and Missoula ain’t L.A. A Tulsa bike thief pulls an endo attempting his getaway. An Indiana driver slams on his breaks in front of a cyclist; the rider responds by pulling out a gun and shooting him. Chattanooga area police refuse to enforce Tennessee’s three-foot passing law unless the driver actually makes contact with the rider; I guess that’s one way to be sure the distance was less than three feet. Joe Jonas loses his bike to thieves. Questions surround locations for New York’s new bike share. It’s as easy as learning to ride a bike — again. A Florida driver won’t face charges after killing a cyclist with morphine, muscle relaxant and a tranquilizer in her system.

Vancouver cyclists have to deal with close calls and narrow streets. Seven things you should give up to be a happy cyclist; can’t say I’d argue with any of it, even if I often fail to practice them myself. UK police threaten to prosecute a five-year old for riding his bike on a promenade; no, really. A professional Brit pollster dismantles a recent highly misleading anti-bike survey.

Finally, if Norman can ride a bike, so can you. Even if he does have twice as many legs and a lot more hair. And even supposedly sensitive women bloggers take it out on cyclists.

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Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

DTLA’s popular Downtown L.A. Bicycles hosts the Grand Opening of their new Santa Monica location at 7th and Wilshire in Santa Monica starting at noon on Saturday, May 19th. Events include a custom Yoga routine designed for biking, BMX bike demonstrations, an interactive safety scavenger hunt, raffles and much more.

Pasadena wraps up Bike Week with the free All City Ride and Bike Week Pedal Party, from 6:30 pm to 11 pm on Saturday the 19th. The ride starts and ends at Paseo Colorado, 280 East Colorado Blvd.

Cap off Bike Week with a Bike Exhibition hosted by the Santa Monica Spoke at the annual Santa Monica Festival on Saturday, May 19th from 11 am to 6 pm at Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd, offering a full day of music, dance, visual arts, food, information and shopping. Admission is free, and there will be a bike valet.

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition is looking for volunteers for the city’s bike count on Saturday, May 19th and Wednesday, May 23rd.

The Amgen Tour of California concludes with a penultimate Ontario to Mt. Baldy stage on Saturday, May 19th, and the final stage from Beverly Hills to L.A. Live on Sunday, May 20th, with the race starting at 10:10 am and an expected finish between 11:40 and noon.

Speaking of the Tour of California, you’re invited to ride the Downtown leg of the final stage with the Nissan Ride Before the Pros on Sunday the 20th. Riders of all ability levels can ride the 5-mile closed circuit from 8 am to 9:30 am starting at Staples Center. Think of it as a mini-CicLAvia; free registration required.

Also on the Sunday the 20th, the younger set can join in the inaugural Kidical Mass Bixby Knolls bike ride, from 1 to 3 pm beginning and ending at Los Cerritos Park in Long Beach. The four mile ride will be led by Long Beach Bike Ambassador and Olympic cyclist Tony Cruz, and feature complimentary ice cream, music, free tune ups, yoga demonstrations and a blessing of the bicycles.

Anyone who rides PCH — or would like to — is invited attend a meeting discussing design of the Pacific Coast Bike Route Improvements Project between Busch Drive and the western Malibu city limit. The meeting is scheduled for 6 pm to 8 pm on Wednesday, May 23rd in the Multi-Purpose Room at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road. Note that the meeting has been moved from Saturday the 19th; the Saturday meeting has been cancelled.

San Diego cyclists are invited to Ride to Vote on Wednesday, May 23rd to advocate for safer bicycling facilities in the city. The all ages ride will assemble at 5 pm at the fountain in Balboa Park for an easy 11-mile ride. While the organizers strongly support independent candidate Nathan Fletcher for mayor of San Diego, they want to send a message that they will strongly support any candidate, regardless of party, who genuinely embraces a vision of a people-friendly San Diego.

Los Angeles cyclists enter the political realm when the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s new Civic Engagement Committee meets for the first time promptly at 6:45 pm (note the new start time) on Tuesday, May 29th on the Mezzanine level at LACBC headquarters, 634 South Spring Street in Downtown L.A. Help us get us work to get candidates for mayor and city council in Los Angeles and other area cities on the record for their stands on bicycling issues to ensure the election of more bike-friendly political leaders.

The Palms Neighborhood Council will host their 19th Annual Bike Rodeo on Saturday, June 2nd from 10 am to 2 pm at Palms Elementary School, 3520 Motor Ave. The event is free for Palms residents and children attending Palms area schools.

The Antelope Valley’s High Desert Cyclists hosts a series of monthly Brunch Rides starting at Marie Kerr Park on 30th Street West in Palmdale on the second Saturday of each month. The comfortably paced 15 to 20 mile rides will visit a local restaurant or coffee shop for brunch before returning to the starting point; organizers promise no rider will be left behind. The next ride is scheduled for Saturday, June 9th at 7:30 am, with successive rides scheduled for July 14th, August 11th, September 8th and October 13th.

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.

Recover from The L.A. River Ride with a laid-back bike, brunch and beer ride the following Saturday, June 16th. The first annual B3 charity bike ride will raise funds for the Pablove Foundation with beer and food specials, while making a loop between Golden Road Brewing, Tony’s Darts Away and Mohawk Bend.

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

The 4th Annual California Tour de Dreams 2012 will take place August 9th through 19th as cyclists will ride 540 miles from UC Berkeley to UCLA to educate communities about the passage of the California Dream Act and advocate for passage of the Federal Dream Act; register online by May 31st.

Bikes are normally banned from the famed San Diego – Coronado Bay Bridge, but you can ride it on Sunday, August 26th, during the 5th Annual Bike the Bay, to benefit the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. Get an early registration discount through April 30th.

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

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

Mark your calendar for the next CicLAvia from 10 am to 3 pm on October 14th; more details to follow.

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

A popular bike path closes with no apparent warning; a bike-hating OC writer tries to rip us a new one

May 18, 2012 / / 5 comments

I’ve gotten a few emails lately wondering why the Coyote Creek Bike Trail suddenly closed with no advance warning.

The popular Class I bikeway provides a 9.5 mile off-road route along Coyote Creek from Santa Fe Springs until it merges with the San Gabriel River Trail.

Or at least it did.

According to the following email I received from Fullerton cyclist Colin Campbell, the bike path is going to be closed at Alondra Drive for the next several years. And if Caltrans bothered to tell anyone in advance, the word didn’t get out to the riders who use it.

After this morning’s ride, I ate a slice of cold pizza and went out to “finish” today’s ride.  (I’m in the Strava “Twice the Tour” Challenge, in which riders must ride double the miles of the Tour of California, or 1479 miles, during May.)

I’ve been trying to find out how long the Coyote Creek bike trail would be closed around Alondra, I-5, and Firestone.  Last Friday I rode up to the closure from the south, and I couldn’t find anyone to talk to.  Over the weekend, I searched on the Internet and read about the I-5 widening and improvement project from the Orange County line to I-605.  What I read said that there were seven smaller projects, one of which is at Coyote Creek and Alondra. This project has just started, and is schedule to complete sometime in 2015.

So today, I rode across Rosecrans and headed south.  Just past the Alondra underpass, I found people, who directed me to the contractor’s construction office at the corner of Alondra and Freeway Dr, just east of Coyote Creek.  I was able to speak with Mark, the project manager.

He gave me a short overview of the project, and the bad news – the trail will likely be closed for at least a couple of years.  It has already been filled with dirt so that equipment can access the strip of land between the creek and the trail, where 36-inch piles will be sunk 100 feet to support the new I-5 bridge.  I-5 is going to be raised about six feet, and Alondra about 10 feet above where they are today.  So eventually, the trail may head through there “at grade”, rather than being sunk several feet.  (This is just my guess, nothing I was told.)

For now, there are signs at Artesia and at Rosecrans advising riders that the trail is closed.  It is possible to ride south to the swap meet (old drive-in theater) and exit onto Alondra.  However, at some point, Alondra will be closed while it is rebuilt 10 feet higher.  From there, ride east to Valley View, and take Valley View south to Artesia to reenter the trail southbound.

It is also possible to ride north to Firestone, follow Firestone southeast under Valley View, turn right, then right again, and take Valley View north past the closure (most likely to Rosecrans for most riders).

The bottom line is that the Coyote Creek trail is lost to us for a good while, and we should get used to using other routes.  And of course, the other bottom line is that no one in Caltrans thought to inform the cycling community of this “minor” impact….

In a follow-up email, Campbell talks a little more about the closure and apparent lack of notice, and notes that parts of the trail that remain open are in need of repair.

In short, the trail was closed as part of the improvement project on Interstate 5 from the Orange County line to Interstate 605.  I understand that closure of the trail was necessary, but I’m a little sad that Caltrans apparently did nothing to tell cyclists about the closure or the duration thereof.  I suppose that several hundred riders use the trail daily, while about 178,000 vehicles travel I-5 each day.  I am a little bit hopeful that some planning can be done to reopen the trail sooner than the project manager indicated.

One thing I didn’t mention in my e-mail below is that the Coyote Creek trail has been repaved along most of its length, except for about four miles in Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, and Los Alamitos.  Part of the trail is breaking up, leaving the surface narrowed and rough.  LA County DPW tells me that the cities along the trail built it and are responsible for maintenance.  I haven’t yet tried to find out if improvements are in their plans.

………

An Orange County letter writer calls out every anti-bike cliché in the book to protest the recent decision to put sharrows on the coast highway.

After all, we non-bicyclists contribute monies, through our taxes, which pay for all of those never-ending miles and miles of bicycle paths, bicycle lanes, bicycle markings and other alleged “safety measures.” Presently, bicycle riders are getting a “free ride.” Bicyclists are the only group who share the road but don’t pay their fair share.

Evidently, she’s aware of a lot more never-ending miles of bikeways than than the rest of us. Which makes me wonder just where the hell Orange County is hiding them.

She also complains about “older, leisure-time bicycle riders” who dress up in too-tight clothes and an “all-too-common case of road rage.” In fact, she goes so far as to call for banning any cyclists over the age of 65 from riding on public streets.

No, seriously.

I never knew road rage was something you could wear. Then again, I also didn’t know it was possible to meander aggressively. Or that cyclists put drivers of cars, SUVs and trucks in peril.

I must have missed all those stories about careless, distracted and/or aggressive cyclists slamming into SUVs and killing or maiming the drivers. Evidently, it must happen a lot, and we can only thank her for bringing it to our attention.

I know I, for one, will immediately pack away my spandex so as not to threaten or offend innocent motorists such as herself. Even if I still have a few good years left before I can expect to lose all control over my bike and body after crossing that magical 65-year old threshold.

Especially since she thinks the sharrows and bike lanes that we demand others pay for only make drivers more impatient and aggressive. And make it our own damn fault if we get doored and thrown in front of oncoming traffic.

She concludes that if we really insist on having such life-threatening bikeways, we should be forced to pay the exorbitant construction costs ourselves.

Then again, maybe we should send her a bill for all those roads that motorists like her don’t pay for, either.

And as it turns out, she doesn’t seem to like dogs any more than she likes bikes.

………

Finally, one more reason to pass pedestrians with the same margin you’d expect from drivers, as a Pennsylvania man pulls out a gun and shoots at a cyclist who brushed against him. And just in time for Bike to Work Day, the father of Vehicular Cycling seems to suggest that Complete Streets are a fraud, and nothing can be done to encourage people to switch from cars to bikes; thanks to Christopher Kidd for the link.

Category: Guest Columns, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , ,

Culver City’s bike friendly honorable mention, tonight’s Ride of Silence, & Blessing of the Bicycles

May 16, 2012 / / 5 comments

Yesterday we received the surprising news that Culver City was awarded an honorable mention as a bike-friendly city by the League of American Bicyclists.

Something that would have seemed unthinkable just a few short years ago.

Much of the credit goes to the members of the LACBC affiliate Culver City Bicycle Coalition, who’ve worked with city leaders to make it safer and more inviting to those of us on two wheels.

So while I don’t normally reprint press releases, we’ll let them take a bow this one time.

Culver City Bicycle Coalition Applauds Bicycle Friendly Community Honorable Mention Recognition

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition (CCBC) is proud to announce that Culver City has been recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community with an Honorable Mention by the League of American Bicyclists. The award is a product of the hard work of City staff, community members, and, of course, Culver City’s elected officials.  Since its adoption in 2010, the Culver City Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP) has led to concrete improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians throughout the City, with more on the way.

Being recognized by the League is no small tasks. Many cities apply each year, but without a formal bike-friendly foundation and plan going forwardI, many are rejected. Culver City was recognized for many improvements, including new bike routes and lanes, improved bike parking, successful Safe Routes to School programs, the addition of Shared Lane Markings (a.k.a. sharrows), effective education and outreach program and a supportive community.

“Culver City has always had many great places to walk and bike. In fact we are already considered one of the top cities for walking in the country. The BPMP is about connecting these places together into a network that allows people to feel safe and comfortable getting around on two wheels, or with no wheels. Today the League of American Bicyclists recognized Culver City for those efforts,” CCBC co-founder Jim Shanman said.

In addition to recognizing communities for their achievements, the Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) program is a valuable resource that offers guidance to local governments looking to become even more bike-friendly.  As communities improve, they can be recognized with Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community status.  The League has identified specific policies and programs that will keep our local community moving in the right direction.  This Honorable Mention recognizes that Culver City is on the path to reach these higher levels.  CCBC looks forward to working with the City to take these next steps.

“We are genuinely appreciative of City staff who guided development of the Master Plan and are now working diligently on its implementation.  This award is primarily a recognition of their leadership,” Shanman continued.  CCBC thanks the League for recognizing the City’s many accomplishments in the past two years.

And don’t forget that Culver City is looking for volunteers for their annual bike count this Saturday and next Wednesday.

………

Don’t forget tonight’s Ride of Silence in memory of riders killed in traffic.

The nearest ride for those of us in the L.A. area will be the Pasadena Ride of Silence, an easy 12 mile, moderately paced ride starting at 7 pm at the Rose Bowl. The nationally featured ride takes place in Oxnard in memory of 6-year old Anthony Martinez. Other rides will take place in Rancho Cucamonga, as well as other cities throughout California. (Note: in an earlier draft, I mistakenly located the Rancho Cucamonga ride in Claremont.)

I’m committed to attend the LACBC board meeting tonight. But my heart will be with all those who ride tonight, and everyone they’re riding for.

Wherever you are, I hope you’ll take part.

Both to remember those we’ve lost, and send a message calling for safer streets for cyclists.

And for everyone.

Update: If you really want to understand what the Ride of Silence is all about, read this from Chris Phelan, founder of the Ride. But fair warning, you can expect to have a tear in your eye before you’re finished.

………

If you read this early enough, you can still celebrate Bike Week by riding the new Expo Line bikeway.

………

The fine for using a hand-help cell phone could go up a whole $10 to a whopping $30; yeah, that will certainly act as a deterrent. How about making the penalty the same as DUI, since studies show hand-held cell use is the equivalent of drunk driving?

The proposed law would also ban texting and hand-held cell use while biking, with a $20 fine.

………

Peter Sagan makes it three in a row in the Amgen Tour of California, while Heinrich Haussler finishes second — also for the third time. Tommy Duggan has been spending more than his share of time leading the peloton in the Tour of California. And the race is even making news in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez takes the Giro d’Italia’s pink leader’s jersey on the streets of Assisi.

………

Clif Bar invites you to celebrate their 20th anniversary by sharing your life-changing moment; five winners will have $5,000 donated to the non-profit of their choice, while all contestants will be entered in a drawing for a month’s supply of Clif Bars.

………

Alex Baum gets a well-deserved Golden Spike award for a lifetime of bike advocacy; photo courtesy of George Wolfberg.

LADOT Bike Blog offers a look at Tuesday’s Blessing of the Bicycles, which honored L.A.’s original bike advocate Alex Baum with a very well-deserved Golden Spoke Award. One of my favorite writers for the Times offers her take, as well. More much-needed bike lanes sprout in long-neglected South L.A. Examined Spoke says sharrows schmarrows, and points out L.A. seems to pay more attention to shrubbery than bikeways. LAPD Central offers tips on how to protect your bike; instead of just saying “Learn how to lock your bike,” though, maybe they could explain how to do that. If you’re a member of the LACBC, you’re automatically entered in the Coalition’s May member appreciation raffle. Santa Clara County proposes spending $2 million to complete a key bikeway.

Electric and hybrid cars are 66% more likely to collide with cyclists than traditional gas-powered vehicles. The League of American Bicyclists says a quarter of all bike collisions are hit-from-behind wrecks, a far higher percentage than we’ve been told in the past. Hammacher Schlemmer promises to address that with a real-time rearview camera for bikes; I’d much rather have a three-foot passing law. People for Bikes invites you to meet their Western U.S. crew. Even Sitka AK earns a bronze level bike-friendly city nod; maybe someday, L.A., maybe someday.

Bike unfriendly Toronto claims yet another victim, as the mayor continues to rip out bike lanes. The UK seriously considers lowering speed limits to 20 mph in residential areas; something we should consider ever though current limits are universally ignored. Instead of bitching that cyclists don’t pay our own way, maybe it’s time drivers had to pay the full cost for the roads they use.

Finally, worse than the claim that over half of all cyclists run red lights is an unscientific survey showing nearly half of all cyclists have upset a kitten, the heartless bastards. Even though some of us claim to do it so they don’t get killed.

Jump red lights, that is.

Not upset kittens.

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

Catching up on news — and deals — from the bike world; a bakfiets load of Mother’s Day links

May 13, 2012 / / 2 comments

Looking for a deal this weekend?

Right now, you can get 20% off the Mini Monkey Light I reviewed last year, or save 10% on Dutch-style cycling attire from Road Holland. And you can still get half off a cycling vest when you buy a retro-style jersey from Solo.

Or you can bid on bike items in the California Bicycle Coalition’s online auction through the end of the month.

………

The Amgen Tour of California kicks off on Sunday. On the eve of defending his title, Chris Horner still doesn’t remember his vicious crash in last year’s Tour de France. Bissell rider Eric Young rises from the Little 500 Cutters team made famous in Breaking Away, to a competitor in the Tour of California. And six weeks after getting hit by a car while training in Europe, Levi Leipheimer says he’ll ride, but not compete, in the ToC.

………

Damien Newton says we may never know what happened to Susanna Schick, aka Pinkyracer. Bike and business-friendly non-politician Austin Beutner backs out of the L.A. mayor’s race. The LACBC offers a series of tips to get started riding for Bike Month. It you build it, they will come; the green Spring Street bike lanes see what the Times calls a moderate boost in cycling traffic and Streetsblog considers an explosion in ridership, while L.A. sees a 32% increase in cycling in just three years. A cyclist illegally rides the 101 Freeway — and in the middle lane, no less — but at least he had clothes on. LADOT Continues to tweak the Expo/Gramercy crossing on the Expo bike path. What it means to be an HIV positive cyclist. Highland Park’s Flying Pigeon bike shop will soon be moving to a new location on North Figueroa. Paris Hilton rides with her puppy in Hollywood. Montrose will host a kid’s bike safety rodeo on Saturday, May 19th. Progress continues on highly anticipated Calabasas bike café Pedalers Fork, which is now looking at a fall opening. Simi Valley rejects new bike lanes at the urging of local businesses, who evidently assume we don’t spend money; local cyclists beg to differ.

It looks like California’s simplified three-foot passing bill will pass the state legislature, and the governor promises to sign it this time after vetoing a similar bill last year. The Times visits the bike-friendly Long Beach borough of Bixby Knolls. Long Beach’s biking expats say it’s time to redefine the roadtrip. Orange County’s annual Breathless Agony ride tortures participants with 12,000 feet of climbing. Corona del Mar cyclists will finally get sharrows on the Coast Highway after a member of the city’s Task Force on Cycling Safety has a change of heart. Laguna Beach ranks as the most dangerous town for cyclists and pedestrians among 98 California cities of similar size. San Diego cyclists get their first bike corral. A 75-year old Santa Cruz man dies in a solo fall after going over the handlebars, despite riding at a leisurely pace. The CHP recommends a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge against the 84-year old driver who drifted onto the shoulder of Highway 1 to kill a cyclist. Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious deals with the helmet morality police. Drivers should treat green bike lanes the same as any other bike lane; and no, they don’t have to worry about slipping on the paint. Tulare County says we all can share the road. Did Alameda police protect the driver who killed a 13-year old boy, as his mother suspects? Thanks to Erik Griswold for the link.

People for Bikes is now officially halfway to their goal of one million pledges; if you haven’t signed up yet, what are you waiting for? No offense to the anti-bike leadership in the U.S. House, but 83% of Americans want to maintain or increase funding for bikes and pedestrians, not cut it. Don’t try to ride between a fire truck and a parked car; seriously, just don’t. A New Hampshire police chief wants cyclists to stop chatting and ride single file; thanks to Eric Griswold for the heads-up. Bikeyface offers another great look at the cycling life, this time on biking in the other guy’s shoes. A Pennsylvania teenager is seriously injured in a horrible accident as a mower bar protruding from a truck strikes him in the chest while riding; thanks once again to Eric Griswold for the heads-up. A Syracuse cyclist is shot in the eye with a BB gun from a passing car; yet another reason to always wear shatterproof glasses when you ride. A cycling poet rides 40 miles a day cross country with a communal typewriter in tow; thanks to Stanley E. Goldich for the heads-up. A Charleston SC cyclist is killed in a sideswipe collision barely six months after killing a pedestrian as the driver in a DUI collision. Even in South Carolina, there are too many hit-and-runs. Alabama film maker Katie Rogers — no relation — is less than $1100 away from funding her Kickstarter project to finish a documentary on living carfree in L.A.

Even Dickens dealt with an out of control driver who wasn’t held accountable for his crime, though his solution seems a little extreme. What some consider Britain’s dumbest cycling lane isn’t; rather, it’s a modified form of sharrows. A UK driver walks with a suspended sentence after ramming a teenage cyclist in a road rage attack. Why there’s no war between drivers and cyclists in the Netherlands. A little boy riding with training wheels becomes the iconic image of Russia’s political protests. A look at the world’s top 10 cycling destinations from a Malaysian perspective; two American cities make the list, and no, Los Angeles isn’t one of them. The second Pedal Asia podcast is now online, offering a fascinating look at cycling on the other side of the world.

Finally, the Eastside Bike Club’s Carlos Morales offers proof that dogs can ride bikes, after all. And L.A. cycling expat Amanda Lipsey says a donation to support the U.S. Bicycle Route System could keep zombies at bay, or at least give you an escape route.

Maybe that’s why a Seattle cyclist seems to have traded his bike for something a little faster.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Category: General / Tags: , , ,
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