Tag Archive for San Diego

San Diego completes 75% of bike plan, stoned double killer appeals murder convictions, and WeHo opens ebike voucher portal

August 6, 2026 / / No comments

San Diego, you’re looking good.

In a story hidden behind their usual draconian paywall, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that a new study from San Diego State University shows the city has completed 75% of the bike infrastructure called for in the city’s 2013 bicycle master plan.

Which compares favorably to Los Angeles, which has completed somewhere south of 5% of its plan adopted a few years earlier.

In addition, just over 80% of the city’s major streets have some sort of bikeway, even if most have disconnected sections forcing riders to fight their way through traffic, and only 8% of that is protected.

According to the paper,

The report also pointed to the need for more low-stress biking options, such as designated bikeways or multi-use paths dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians — types of infrastructure where riders face less traffic stress. While 63% of the network is considered low-stress, over 30% of the network is considered high-stress, the study found.

“While a majority of the network is technically bikeable, a substantial portion consists of high stress segments that may discourage use, particularly among the ‘interested but concerned’ population,” the authors wrote.

Still, it seems like they’re doing a lot more, and a lot better, than their much larger neighbor to the north, even if the city is experiencing some bikelash right now.

Meanwhile, another report shows that despite a recent dip on eight monitored corridors, San Diego bike ridership is still up 17% since 2019.

While San Diego makes progress, today’s image offers the view from Los Angeles. 

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Once again, most of the story is hidden behind a paywall.

But there’s enough left uncovered to know that Mandy Marie Benn, the now 46-year old woman who was (allegedly) stoned out of her mind on prescription drugs and participating in a live Facebook chat when she killed two men taking part in a 300-mile Michigan Make-A-Wish fundraising ride in 2022, is appealing the murder convictions that resulted in a minimum 70-years behind bars, alleging prosecutors failed to prove a required element of the crime.

Benn was sentenced to two consecutive 35-to-60 year terms, which would make her about 160-some years old if she served her full terms. Which somehow seems a little unlikely.

So I’ll settle for her getting out at a tad over 112 years old even if she serves the minimum. Because that’s someone who should never see the light of day again, but you never know what the courts will do.

………

West Hollywood is accepting applications for their new ebike incentive program, offering up to 50 vouchers covering the full cost of purchase, plus maintenance.

That compares favorably with Los Angeles, which instead is considering cracking down on ebikes, seeing ebikes as a problem to be squashed, rather than an asset to encourage.

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles teenager warns about the dangers of ebikes after she was severely injured going over the handlebars “at a really high speed” last year.

Which is a pretty good indication that she was probably riding an illegal e-moto, or at least an illegally hacked ebike, rather than an electric bicycle.

Thanks to Andrew for the heads-up. 

………

Local 

WeHo will new require dockless ebike and e-scooter users to park in mandatory designated areas.

 

State

Irvine has officially been crowned as the least-stressed city in Southern California, and the 7th in the nation by WalletHub, and oddly, scored exactly the same rankings as SoCal’s fittest city and the 7th in the US, according to the American Fitness Index.

Australian bike retailer BikesOnline has opened their first physical US location in San Clemente.

A new report shows San Francisco is experiencing a higher number of severe crashes now than when the city adopted Vision Zero in 2014. Or as we say here in LA, welcome to the club.  

 

National

Triathlon site Slowtwitch discusses the most common mistakes new cyclists make. Actually, the most common mistake new cyclists make is trying to become cyclists, instead of just learning to enjoy riding a bicycle before trying to win a Grand Tour.

A pair of college students rode across the US, raising $15,000 for lone soldiers in Israel. Although maybe someone can explain what the hell a lone soldier is, and why they need our financial support.

A Cedar Rapids, Iowa nonprofit is working with the city to refurbish bicycles and distribute them to people who lack reliable transportation.

A Michigan woman is impressed by a young man she saw riding a bicycle on the gravel shoulder of the road as she drove by, assuming from his fast food uniform that he must be a dedicated worker riding to and/or from work dressed like that. If she’s that impressed, maybe she should leave her car at home and try it herself next time. 

New York’s city council is considering at least 17 bills cracking down on ebikes and e-motos, which is like comparing apples and IndyCars; meanwhile, New York Mayor Mamdani orders 42 makes of illegal ebikes to stop selling in the city.

 

International

The CBC talks with the first “excited” bicyclists and pedestrians to cross the newly opened multi-use path on the newly opened Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.

Talk about not getting it. The UK is closing a number of shared-use paths located near major roadways, because the nearby traffic makes them too heavily polluted.

Shocking, I know. But despite the 134 “cycle streets” in Brussels, Belgium, where drivers are limited to 19 mph and not allowed to overtake bicyclists, bike riders still worry about their safety because too many drivers refuse to follow the rules.

The 18-year old grandson of legendary Australian ultracyclist Bob Montgomery remembers his 82-year old grandfather and riding companion, who died suddenly just one day after completing a ride across the continent to raise funds for a Motor Neurone Disease charity.

 

Competitive Cycling

For the first time in four days, the yellow jersey remained on the same shoulders as Marlen Reusser defended her narrow 12 second lead, while Demi Vollering outsprinted Kasia Niewiadoma and Reusser to win the 5th stage of the Tour de France Femmes.

Former Swiss champ Noemi Rüegg was knocked off her bike when a race moto clipped her handlebars in the “chaos” of the Tour’s 5th stage; she got back on her bike and finished the stage, but it was unclear if she was injured.

Aussie triathlete Tilly Offord is working her way back to competing in the LA Olympics in two years, after her road to the ’24 Paris Games was derailed by a near-fatal distracted driver while on a training ride in 2022.

 

Finally…

It took a bicycling food vendor for us to discover there’s a California in Trinidad & Tobago. Your next bike could be a sit-down electric scooter with pedals.

And your next cup of Joe could help fund safer streets.

………

One last note.

I just got my first order of these T-shirts, and even I have to admit they look damn good, and even better in person. So order one, already.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.

 

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

Huntington Beach ebike rider killed, San Diego candidate calls for part-time bike lanes, and sycophantic LADOT credits Bass for crosswalks

July 28, 2026 / / No comments

Once again, someone has been killed riding an ebike.

And once again, we have no idea what kind of ebike they’re talking about.

Multiple sources are reporting that a 21-year old man, identified as Westminster resident Jeffrey James Marlow, died five days after losing control of his ebike and crashing into a curb at Warner Avenue and Plaza Lane in Huntington Beach, around 12:30 pm last Tuesday.

But nothing in any of the articles clarifies whether Marlow was on a Class 1, 2 or 3 electric bicycle, or an illegal e-moto or electric motorcycle.

I honestly have no idea how to handle stories like this. Do I write about it like any other fallen bicycle rider? Or do I assume he was on an electric motorbike, which seems likely, and just mention it in passing, like I did here.

Any thoughts?

………

No bias here.

A candidate for San Diego city council trots out the usual arguments against bike lanes, saying he absolutely supports recreational bicycling, but the city was built around and for cars, and San Diegan won’t just switch to bikes for transportation.

Families juggle work, school, sports, shopping and appointments that often require driving across several neighborhoods in a single day. That reality is unlikely to change simply because more bike lanes are painted on our streets.

At the same time, San Diego’s population is aging. Seniors are one of the fastest-growing segments of our community, and many depend on convenient vehicle access and nearby parking. Local businesses also depend on customers who can easily park and walk into their stores. When parking is removed to make room for bike lanes that see limited use, businesses and residents understandably question whether the tradeoff makes sense.

Maybe someone should tell him that older people make up the fastest growing segment of American bicyclists. And providing a safer bicycling network is the best way to encourage more of those people to ride, offering significant health benefits to an aging population.

Or that about half of all urban trips are under three miles, which most people can do without much difficulty, particularly in the age of ebikes.

Then there’s this.

One practical compromise would be to allow on-street parking in designated bike lanes after 5 p.m. on commercial corridors such as Convoy Street, where approximately 300 parking spaces were removed to install a barely used bike lane. Bike lane usage is almost completely not existent during evening hours or at night.

So apparently, no one who commutes by bicycle gets off work at five or later, like people who have the good sense to drive. And anyone foolish enough to try is on their own, as far as he’s concerned.

And if no one rides at night, then why do most traffic deaths occur after dark? Are drivers actively seeking out the few people foolish enough to risk it?

I don’t know how many people ride bikes on Convoy Street, before or after 5 pm. But something tells me he doesn’t, either.

He finishes like this.

The goal should be to give San Diegans safe, practical and realistic transportation options while protecting neighborhood quality of life and supporting our local businesses. That’s not anti-bike. It’s simply common sense.

So maybe he can explain how removing bike lanes gives San Diegans “safe, practical and realistic transportation options,” when they can already drive anywhere they want, anytime of the day or night.

Don’t people who want the option to ride a bike deserve that, too?

Apparently not. At least if he gets elected.

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Nope.

No inappropriate campaigning here, as a city department states it’s installing new crosswalks at the insistence of Mayor Karen Bass, who is running for re-election against CD4 Councilmember Nithya Raman.

So are we to assume she didn’t offer that direction in the first three-and-a-half years she was in office? Or they just didn’t think it was worth mentioning until she was campaigning for re-election?

Twitter post

If she’s responsible for getting those crosswalks painted, does that mean Mayor Bass gets the blame for removing 5.6 lane-miles of partially protected bike lanes on Van Nuys Blvd, and replacing it with just 4.8 lane-miles of unprotected bike lanes on Terra Bella Street, roughly eight blocks away?

After all, no one who rides a bike needs to go anywhere on or near Van Nuys, right?

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Despite threats from Donald Trump to keep the completed bridge closed, the new Gordie Howe International Bridge is now open between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, including a bike path allowing people to ride their bikes from the US to Canada.

Whether you can claim refugee status on the other side remains to be determined.

Twitter post

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Sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Even in Louisiana, you’re not allowed to ride a bicycle while waiving a machete and shouting threats at people. Who knew?

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Local 

Despite the common claims that no one rides public transit in Los Angeles — besides me, I mean — high gas prices appear to be behind record ridership surges across LA Metro, Metrolink and Metro Bike Share.

Upcoming phases to improve safety in Griffith Park include a road diet on Crystal Springs Drive, narrowing lanes and adding bike lanes on Griffith Park Blvd, and giving one half of Western Heritage Way and Zoo Drive over to bike riders, pedestrians and equestrians; Zoo Drive is where Finish the Ride and Streets Are For Everyone founder Damian Kevitt was struck by a hit-and-run driver in 2013.

If you had hoped that plans to “Reimagine Ventura Blvd” would somehow involve bike lanes, don’t hold your breath.

A self-identified cyclist and resident of South Pasadena’s Fremont Street says she strongly opposes plans for a bike lane on the street, arguing that the street is too narrow and the loss of parking is more important than the lives of people like her.

My New LA reports a “pickup truck collided with a bicycle” in the San Gabriel Valley Sunday afternoon, because apparently no humans were involved with either vehicle.

A bike rider suffered a major leg injury when they were struck by the driver of an SUV in Rowland Heights Sunday night.

If you missed last night’s public meeting to discuss Pasadena neighborhood greenways project, the city will host another one on Wednesday.

Monrovia and ActiveSGV will host a community bike ride and movie in the park this Saturday.

 

State

Seriously? Riverside County sheriff’s deputies are looking for a hit-and-run driver who left a Coachella bike rider with minor injuries, and urging bicyclists struck by hit-and-run drivers to get as much information as possible about the fleeing driver. Which is real easy to do when a driver is assisting you in doing a faceplant on the pavement. 

Bakersfield bike riders discuss how to stay safe, as Kern County ranks among the top ten California County’s for bicycling deaths.

Unlike a certain megalopolis to the south, Oakland continues to expand its bikeway network, nearing completion on a new curb-protected bike lane on Franklin Street.

 

National

Trek recognizes the risks of the ebike power race, and voluntarily limits the speed of its e-mountain bikes, while calling on other bikemakers to do the same. But why limit it to mountain bikes?

Electrek says schools banning ebikes highlights the debate over safety versus freedom. Because kids deserve the freedom to ride illegal e-motos posing as ebikes to school every day, evidently.

Inc. looks at the implosion of Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes, which was once the dominant American ebike maker, with a $1.65 billion market cap.

A bike rider was found lying dead on the side of the road in Aurora, Colorado yesterday morning, the victim of an apparent hit-and-run; however, there was no word on how long they may have been lying there before being discovered, or wether they might have survived their injuries if the driver had stopped and called for help.

The FBI seized over half a million dollars worth of property, including a $250,000 Lamborghini Huracan, as well as $115,000 in cash, from an ebike dealer who was accused of scamming Colorado ebike voucher recipients, taking their vouchers and deposits, but never delivering the promised bikes.

A popular influencer family documenting their mountain bike trip between Canada and Mexico only made it as far as Montana before a driver clipped one of their eight kids, causing a multi-bike crash that took down the entire family; fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

The family of a Wisconsin woman can’t understand why the driver who killed their 27-year old daughter hasn’t been charged, two months after the 61-year old man ran a stop sign and slammed into her as she rode a borrowed bicycle for the first time in over a decade; a crowdfunding campaign calling for justice has raised nearly $9,000 of the $11,000 goal.

Nashville is installing concrete Toronto barriers to protect several bike lanes in the downtown area, while Los Angeles is busy removing them.

A tragic reminder that crashes with pedestrians are as dangerous for people on bikes as they are for the people they hit, after a Kentucky ebike rider was killed when he collided with someone walking.

A Boston man rode his bike 2,600 miles from Key West to Maine, raising $50,000 to fight colorectal cancer, in honor of a friend who died from the disease.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants to eliminate funding for green projects, including bike lanes, eliminate New York’s congestion pricing system and keep any other city from tolling anything but specific roadways.

The always sensationalist New York Post quotes the mother who gave a bicycle to the 12-year old boy killed by a stay bullet fired by a “possible” gang member as he was riding his bike ripping New York Mayor Mamdani for not clearing up the “gang-infested” neighborhood in the six months he’s been in office.

Tragic news from Alabama, where a 30-year-old Slovakian man was killed while attempting to bicycle from San Diego to Savannah, Georgia; he was struck by the driver of a delivery van around 4 am yesterday. There’s something very wrong with this country when people fly over here to ride their bikes, and we send them back home in a box.

A North Carolina man was pepper sprayed and stabbed repeatedly when he confronted a man he had loaned a bicycle to, but which was never returned; fortunately, he was expected to survive. Yet another reminder to let the cops handle it, because no bicycle is worth your life.

 

International

Bicyclists in Halifax, Nova Scotia, say a recent dooring death points to the need for safer road systems and upgraded infrastructure to prevent fatal collisions.

Two men riding across Canada to raise funds for a men’s mental health campaign are resuming their ride after their bikes were stolen in Winnipeg last week, thanks to a fundraising campaign by the local community.

The coach of the third-place England team in the World Cup is one of us, taking advantage of a Lime bike for a morning coffee run. And I’m sure the choking gesture captured by the paparazzi had nothing to do with his team’s collapsed against Argentina in the semis.

Evidently, Ireland is seeing the same confusion over legal and illegal ebikes as we are over here, as local officials call on the police to make a clear distinction between “lawful pedal-assisted bicycles and illegal motorized vehicles.”

 

Competitive Cycling

Velo offers a recap of the just-finished Tour de France, as Tadej Pogačar confirmed his dominance over the World Tour peloton.

Every member of Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG team will get a special commemorative yellow Colnago Y1R to mark his win, except for Isaac del Toro, who will get a white one to celebrate his white jersey as the best young rider.

Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme offers his thoughts on what was his 20th Tour, arguing that cheaters exist everywhere, not just in pro cycling, and American Quinn Simmons is “magnificent.”

Finally…

That feeling when you discover that the bear does indeed shit in the woods. Or when Lycra is enough to end a political career.

And when the cops pony up almost nine grand for an ebike “oopsie.”

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin.

 

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

No ID on victims or suspect in PCH DUI crash, LA’s most dangerous intersections, and grand jury says San Diego bikeways ain’t cutting it

June 16, 2026 / / No comments

Still no ID on the two people killed by a suspected drunk driver on PCH in Ventura County on Thursday.

The victims were riding in the bike lane on SoCal’s killer highway, just north of Ventura, when they were run down from behind.

There’s also no word on why investigators concluded the unnamed 24-year old Oxnard man was under the influence. Or why he was arrested on suspicion of murder.

It seems odd that we haven’t learned anymore by now, particularly since he was scheduled for an initial court appearance yesterday.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

But in the meantime, at least Hoodline showed the good taste to reference me.

Photo from Ekaterina Bolovtsova on Pexels.

………

We finally have a little news from the City of Angels, as the LAPD says crashes are up 5% with a nice round 750-crashes so far this year, largely due to distracted drivers.

Although they also blame people on ebikes and e-scooters for blowing through red lights, and illegally using sidewalks. And, of course, they warn pedestrians to stay alert, rather than telling scooter riders to stay the hell off the sidewalk.

KABC-7 reports the the most dangerous intersections this year have been:

  • Figueroa Street and 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles – 11 crashes so far in 2026
  • Highland Avenue and Pat Moore Way, near the Hollywood Bowl – 6 crashes so far in 2026
  • Century Boulevard and Main Street in South L.A. – 5 crashes so far in 2026
  • Sherman Way at the 170 Freeway entrance in the San Fernando Valley – 5 crashes so far in 2026

No word on where the most dangerous sidewalks are.

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In a hard-hitting report, a San Diego grand jury says the city is not meeting its own ambitious climate goals.

Shocking, I know.

According to Streetsblog,

The new report, Shifting Gears, arrives at a moment when San Diego is trying to reconcile two competing realities. On one hand, the city has adopted ambitious goals. The Climate Action Plan calls for 10% of all daily trips to be made by bicycle by 2035. Vision Zero commits San Diego to eliminating traffic deaths and severe injuries. The Bicycle Master Plan Update is meant to create a safer and more connected network. On the other hand, San Diego remains a city where the automobile remains king. While the report itself is not binding nor enforceable, it validates San Diegans’ concerns and recommends a path forward.

Safety and connectivity remain the two biggest barriers preventing more people from choosing to bike. A recent city survey of more than 2,000 riders found that “traffic safety concerns” and “gaps in the bike network” were the first and second most frequently cited barriers to bicycling.

The report cites a disconnect bike network, where bike lanes suddenly start and stop, leaving bicyclists to confront freeway on and off-ramps on their own.

Something I can attest to from my time there four decades ago. Apparently, some things never change.

They also cite a lack of maintenance, particularly on the city’s protected bike lanes.

It’s worth taking a few minutes to read, at least the Streetsblog summary, if not the full grand jury report. Because San Diego may have its issues.

But they’re lightyears ahead of Los Angeles.

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Seriously?

The head of the Luxembourg Police National Road Traffic and Safety Service warns that bicycling injuries continue to climb in the Duchy. So bicyclists should be careful around cars.

Drivers, as you were.

In fact, the only advice he has for drivers is to look before you open the door to avoid dooring bike riders. But it’s still the bike rider’s fault, even when the driver is at fault.

Motorists can prevent this by looking over their shoulder as they open the car door. But Faber believes that cyclists also share the responsibility to avoid this type of accident.

“Of course, if there’s a collision, the driver is actually to blame,” he said. “But to prevent it from happening in the first place, the cyclist must remain alert at all times and allow for the possibility that other road users might make mistakes,” he said. In practical terms, this means reducing speed and increasing their distance from parked cars passing parked cars.

And of course, he tells bicyclists to wear hi-viz and a helmet. Drivers, just look over your shoulder when you open the door to make sure there’s not someone wearing a helmet and dressed like a reflective clown riding too close to your door.

Because you don’t want to hurt someone, even if it’s their fault.

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French TV talks with American activist Shannon Galpin, who played a key role in exfiltrating the Afghan women’s cycling team following the return of the Taliban.

Which, translated from politese, means she had to get the women, and some men, out herself after UCI stopped helping with the mission, which has been ongoing since 2021.

Thanks to Megan for the heads-up.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps going on.

Residents of England’s Northumberland County make the same complaints about a new protected bike lane you could hear in any American city, from “it makes the road more dangerous,” to the work came “out of the blue” and “the money should have been spent on something more important,” because “it was never that dangerous for bicyclists, anyway.”

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Ohio lawmakers are considering revising the law to close a loophole, and make it possible to charge someone with vehicular homicide if they kill someone while riding an ebike.

A New Jersey woman is recovering from a concussion, cuts and bruises, and a man is facing criminal charges, after she told the man and his girlfriend to slow their ebikes down, and he responded by getting off his bike and punching her in the head. Even though the bikes look like electric motorbikes, it looks like his bike has pedals, so they may actually be ebikes. Or not.

………

Local 

The US House Appropriations Committee approved less than half of the $2 billion in transportation funding LA officials are requesting for the ’28 Olympics, all of which Metro plans to use for buses, with no crumbs left over for active transportation, apparently.

A writer for the Los Angeles Times joined a group of people walking 28 miles from Alhambra to Long Beach, passing through Monterey Park, Commerce, Vernon, Maywood, Bell, Cudahy, South Gate, Lynwood, Compton and Los Angeles along the way.

LADOT wants to know what you think about alternatives to building a gondola to Dodgers Stadium that might actually work.

 

State

This is who we share the road with. Even a coyote joined in as police chased an ebike rider across multiple cities in Orange County, before police busted the rider in Santa Ana. And even though the suspect was clearly riding an e-moto, we still got the blame.

A newspaper in Davis makes the argument that bicyclists roll through stop signs because of road design, rather than lawlessness, questioning whether traffic control signs designed for motorists really make sense for people on bicycles.

 

National

Sixty-six-year old ultracyclist Joe Barr set a provisional world record for riding the full length of Route 66, covering 2,448 miles, along with a whopping 68,897 feet of climbing in 10 days, 12 hours and three minutes.

A local Utah celebrity known as “Bicycle Brent” is back on his stuffed-animal festooned bicycle, despite being struck by the driver of a semi-truck, which dragged him a short distance; remarkably, the 70-year old man with cerebral palsy was conscious and breathing when first responders got to him.

Yeah, maybe it’s time. Bicyclists in Duluth, Minnesota are invited to “Bike for Science” to gather real-world riding data to update the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s bicycle facilities design guide, which is based on data collected in the 1980s. Which, for anyone unclear on the concept, is, like, a really long time ago, okay?

The best friend of a fallen New York bicyclist demands action against illegal vehicles on the street after he was killed by a man on stand-up electric scooter, arguing that “better street design” is not “some kind of mystery.”

Four young men who have overcome problems like substance abuse, legal troubles and emotional struggles are planning to ride 500 miles across Georgia to honor the founder of their youth home, who road 1,200 miles from Vidalia, Georgia to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1961 to help raise awareness and support for the newly established youth home.

 

International

Life is cheap in England, where a tree surgeon got a whole 16 months behind bars for dumping a load of asbestos in the middle of a narrow lane after being turned away from the local landfill; a 66-year old grandfather lost a quarter of his skull when his bicycle hit the debris and punctured a tire. And no, you don’t want to see the pictures.  

London Penny Farthing riders set four Guinness World Records, including for the largest and smallest rideable big wheelers. Although I initially left out the “h” in “Farthing,” which would have made for a much more interesting set of records. 

Londoners are worried that the bikeshare system wasn’t properly disinfected after some of the bikes may have been used in the city’s World Naked Bike Ride. Don’t click on the second link if you don’t want to see male genitalia hanging out. 

The Daily Mail says a Freedom of Information request shows the UK’s first bicycle street is being used by just half the 3,000 daily riders Cambridge city leaders suggested.

Bicyclists in Manilla are calling for the city to build more bikeways as more people are riding due to limited public transportation.

 

Competitive Cycling

A German cycling race was disrupted when an elderly woman on a mobility scooter rode into the peloton, sending riders flying and causing a massive pileup.

Road.cc features a stunning photo of Belgian Liam Slock sliding foot-first across the finish line at Switzerland’s GP Gippingen, after suffering from premature celebration.

 

Finally…

Seriously, don’t flee from the cops when they try to pull your bike over for multiple vehicle code violations — and don’t try to punch them out when they finally stop you. Whacking a cop with a bike pump is not one of the recommended uses for it, even if you are 86-years old.

And that feeling when you pedal “America’s Weirdest Bike” 2,000 miles — to highlight a tax form.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

43-year old man dies after March 1 Clairemont, San Diego hit-and-run; SoCal bike rider killed every 3.4 days this year

March 14, 2026 / / Comments Off on 43-year old man dies after March 1 Clairemont, San Diego hit-and-run; SoCal bike rider killed every 3.4 days this year

As if the news couldn’t get any worse this week, now we’ve learned that yet another bike rider died after a San Diego hit-and-run earlier this month.

The victim’s sister announced the news by asking for help finding the driver.

Estefania Gallardo Bledsoe said her brother, 43-year old Clairemont resident Andrés Gallardo, was riding in the parking lane on Ashford Street around 11:30 pm on Sunday, March 1st, when the driver struck him from behind.

Fox 5 San Diego places the crash near Ashford and Hutton streets, though they apparently mean Ashford and Hatton.

Gallardo was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died, although it’s not clear just when he passed away.

The driver fled the scene.

Witnesses report hearing a loud collision, which suggests that speed may have been a factor. However, there’s no description of the driver or suspect vehicle at this time.

Bledsoe describes her brother as a happy, funny person, who worked in construction and loved soccer, cooking and his 16-year old son.

According to 10 News San Diego, she can’t understand how anyone could just leave him like that.

“If you do that, you have no heart and no soul. I don’t know how someone can go to bed at night and sleep, thinking about this,” Estefania said.

Despite her grief, Estefania said she is not giving up hope that someone will come forward with information.

“I still have hope. I believe good people are out there that know something. I’m not going to stop until I know who it was,” Estefania said.

We can hope.

A crowdfunding campaign to help defray funeral expenses and carry Gallardo’s ashes to his mother in West Virginia and his father in the Magallanes region of Chile has raised 65% of the approximately $4,000 goal.

This the 22nd bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the fourth in San Diego County.

That means a SoCal bike rider has been killed an average of every three-and-a-third days since the first of this awful year.

Seven of those deaths have now involved hit-and-run drivers.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Andrés Gallardo and his family and loved ones. 

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

Update: Man riding bicycle killed after allegedly running red light in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood early Tuesday

March 10, 2026 / / Comments Off on Update: Man riding bicycle killed after allegedly running red light in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood early Tuesday

For the second time already this year, someone has been killed riding a bicycle in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood.

But at least this time, it wasn’t a little kid.

According to multiple sources, a man was killed after allegedly riding his bike in front of an oncoming car early Tuesday morning.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding south on Fanuel Street at Grand Ave shortly before 1 am, when he attempted to turn right onto Grand and was struck by the westbound driver.

He died at the scene.

There are sharrows on Grand, which could have given him an illusion of safety.

However, there’s no explanation at this time why he turned in front on the oncoming motorist, although it’s possible that he may have gone into the traffic lane to avoid parked cars in the residential neighborhood.

Police said that alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

Anyone with information is urged to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-888/580-8477; it’s not clear why they don’t want people to call the police directly.

This the 18th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the third in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 60-year old Jamison Kimbrough. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jamison Kimbrough and his loved ones.

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

Unity Rides roll out this weekend; San Diego fights for density LA just fights; and NC pot calls bike kettle “elitist”

January 30, 2026 / / 2 comments

Pink Bike reports that over 100 Unity Rides are planned to honor Alex Pretti, the 37-year old Minneapolis-based mountain biker who was shot and killed by ICE agents last Saturday.

And those are only the ones that have been listed on the website of the Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop, which organized the Minneapolis ride, and inspired similar rides across the US, as well as Canada, Germany, Austria, Finland and Australia.

There are undoubtedly countless others planned around the country, including at least three in Los Angeles.

Okay, make that five.

Here is a press release from Streets Are For Everyone and Domestique Cycling Club, providing details on DCC’s Saturday Unity Ride, which promises to be one of the largest in the LA area.

ALEX PRETTI UNITY RIDE IN SOLIDARITY
WITH MEMORIAL RIDES ACROSS THE US

LOS ANGELES, CA — Alex Pretti was a nurse and a cyclist who loved the outdoors. This Saturday, cyclists from across Los Angeles will join cyclists from across the U.S. and around the world for memorial rides honoring Alex Pretti, in unity with the Minnesota cycling community and in solidarity with @angrycatfish, the cafe and bike shop Alex frequented.

From @angrycatfish:

“Alex was one of us. He rode bikes, he believed in community, and he believed in justice. Whether you’re 5 or 80, you remember the first time you rode a bike—because bikes are magic, and joy itself is an act of resistance. Today, with tens of thousands of cyclists expected nationally, we are showing not just grief, but unity. We are stronger together.”

The Unity Rides are taking place simultaneously across time zones, with riders gathering and rolling together to demonstrate collective grief, unity, and resolve within the cycling community.

Domestique Cycling Club is organizing a slow 10-mile ride leaving from the parking lot of the Veterans Administration in collaboration with dozens of cycling clubs and advocacy groups across Southern California.

Additionally, several smaller rides are independently organized by local cycling groups and bike shops as part of a national and international effort led by community organizers.

A global map of participating rides is available at: https://bikepacking.com/news/alex-pretti-memorial-rides/

Ride details:

  • 📅 Saturday, 1/31
  • 🕚 11:00 AM — Meet
  • 🕦 11:30 AM — Roll
  • 📍 VA Med Center Parking Lot 6
    304 Dowlen Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Hundreds of cyclists are expected (between 150 and 500). This will be an easy, calm, no-drop ride focused on unity, respect, and showing up together as a cycling community.

OTHER LOS ANGELES–AREA RIDES

Friday

• Allez LA Bike Shop & CA Chicken, 7:30 AM — Boyle Heights

Saturday

• West LA Bicycle, 1:00 PM — Bike Path & Main Street

• Trash Panda Cycling, El Mariachi Plaza

Sunday

• Mom Ridaz BC, Downtown Los Angeles

To be honest, I don’t care what your politics are, or where you stand on immigration.

This is about the violation of the right to assemble, protest and report what’s happening guaranteed by the 1st Amendment, as well as Pretti’s right to legally bear arms, as guaranteed under the 2nd.

And the needless killing of our fellow Americans under the color of authority.

It’s your choice whether to turn out this weekend. But as the Angry Catfish bike shop put it,

We are many but we stand together as one. We’re stronger together, and they can’t take us all.

No, they can’t.

And even Surly is joining the fight.

Instagram post

………

Evidently, San Diego has the same fights over increased density that we do.

Except their city leaders are fighting for it, rather than opposing greater density in most of the city, like their neighbor to the north, while retaining single-family zoning and fighting SB 79, which overrides local zoning to allow dense, multi-family housing near major transit stops.

Lawrence Herzog, a writer and lecturer on urban studies and planning at San Diego State University makes the case for the mixed-use Midway Rising project, a medium density development that would replace the current sports arena and warehouses with housing and an entertainment district that opens onto the bay.

The project includes bike and walking paths connecting the various villages that make up the development, as well as connecting to a transit station less than a mile away.

The difference is that San Diego has been fighting a CEQA lawsuit filed by an anti-density group, which recently won its appeal over a failure to conduct an adequate environmental review of the height of some of the buildings.

Never mind that the city had placed the project before the voters, who narrowly approved it.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles continues to fight for an exemption to SB 79, despite a severe housing shortage in the city, affordable and otherwise, leaving us no choice but to increase density, despite what our city leaders seem to think.

Even though that increased density would effectively shrink the city, allowing it to become more walkable and bikeable, and reducing the need to drive everywhere.

And maybe even freeing up road space for better transit and safer bikeways.

Maybe someday our city leaders will stop kowtowing to residents desires to seal Los Angeles in amber and preserve it as it is today, and begin fighting for the healthy growth we so desperately need for the people who are already here. Let alone those who will inevitably come.

But clearly, today is not that day.

………

Meanwhile, San Diego’s 30th Street protected bike lane recorded a record 130,000 trips last year, with ridership rising every year since it opened four years ago.

And tres shock!

It has not destroyed the local neighborhood and businesses, despite the protestations of opponents both before it opened, and after.

………

No bias here.

Santa Monica public radio station KCRW provides a profile of Streets For All founder Michael Schneider, as the group works to extend the Ballona Creek bike path.

It’s a good read, even as Schneider patiently explains that you really can ride a bike to LAX.

But what really stands out is this section —

Disrupting the existing automotive order can mean more traffic and less parking, of course. So Schneider has angered some people over the years.

In 2022, he was on a neighborhood council championing a proposal for a dedicated bus lane along La Brea Avenue. The proposal passed, but in the run up, he says, one guy got pretty mad about it: “He put up a mugshot of me along La Brea at different establishments saying, ‘This guy’s about to ruin your neighborhood,’” Schneider recalls. When his mother-in-law saw the flyers, she “thought her grandkids were in danger.”

Matthew Tallmer says he did post — though not create — those flyers. “Obviously, the businesses were very concerned that they were going to lose business because there’d be no parking,” says Tallmer, now a member of the Mid City West Neighborhood Council, though at the time he was just a guy going door-to-door opposing a bus lane.

Tallmer’s larger objection is that Schneider’s unique lifestyle just may not work for everybody: “The whole idea that people are going to bike all over the place is an elitist fantasy, to be honest.”

So someone who sits on the Mid City West Neighborhood Council posts wanted posters with a photo of Schneider’s face, for the crime of daring to contest the automotive hegemony on La Brea.

And yet he somehow calls Schneider elitist for riding a bicycle, and thinking other people might want to do that, too?

Um, sure.

And I thought the Mid City West NC was one of the good ones.

………

Local 

A trial has begun in the lawsuit over the death of an LAPD training instructor who died following a catastrophic spinal injury during bicycle training exercise; the parents of 32-year old Houston Tipping allege he was intentionally killed after he began a sexual abuse investigation into another officer.

The Argonaut looks at the weekly Venice Electric Light Parade and founder Marcus Gladney, who leads bicycle riders on a musical tour of the city that draws participants from around the world — including the Australian group RÜFÜS DU SOL, who hosted the listening party their fourth album on the parade.

 

State

The National Law Review examines California’s new regulations regarding ebikes, including a ban on converting new ebikes to exceed legal limits, as well as the regulatory gaps in the law that should be corrected. Like defining an ebike as at least partially human powered, and anything that’s not as an electric motorbike. 

San Bernardino Parks will officially open a new 3.8 mile section of the Santa Ana River trail on February 12th.

The Thousand Oaks Acorn looks at a recent bicycle rodeo in the city to teach kids how to ride safely.

Streetsblog San Francisco’s Roger Rudick called for the BART train system to fire a contractor who not only parked in a protected bike lane, but flipped him off when he asked the driver to move his van.

 

National

Newsweek examines why bicycling feels easier than walking and remains the world’s most energy‑efficient mode of human transport, more than five decades after Scientific American first reported it. Which is truly shocking. Not that bicycling is so efficient, but that Newsweek is still a thing.

Escape Collective says Trek is in deep doo doo as it marks its 50th anniversary, with layoffs, overstock, retail decline and debt making this its most challenging year yet. I bought my first adult bike from the company when they were just five years old. And I still have it, even if it’s not in rideable condition these days. Then again, neither am I. 

If you’re one of the roughly 2,000 Americans using a BeePrincess adult bike helmet, the CPSC wants you to take it off and kill it before it kills you.

Google is bringing its Gemini AI navigation to walking and bicycle maps. You know, just in case you want to put your faith in AI not to guide you into a brick wall. 

LA’s favorite ex-pro cyclist Phil Gaimon claims the KOM on Hawaii’s epic Mauna Kea, gaining more than 14,000 feet of elevation in just over four and a half hours.

A Denver website recommends visiting the Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community of Durango, Colorado, calling the small cowboy town an important bicycling hub in the southwest corner of the state. So if I suddenly disappear one day, that’s probably where you’ll find me. 

Megan forwards news that a Denver bicyclist has built a calendar of bike events in the Mile High City.

That’s more like it. A 22-year old Texas man faces up to 20 years behind bars after being convicted of manslaughter for killing a high school student as he rode his bike in a crosswalk; investigators said he never touched his brakes before slamming into the boy’s bike. Although in California, he would only face a maximum of six years for vehicular manslaughter. 

A Florida House committee unanimously approved a provision to rein in ebikes in the state.

 

International

British bike advocates say it’s just common sense that the country’s transit police have reversed their policy of not investigating the theft of bicycles parked at train stations for more than two hours, arguing that it sent the wrong message about whose journeys really matter.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland was given the 1,000th refurbished bicycle to be upcycled by a bike nonprofit group. Okay, one of the Lord Mayor’s, since they have four.

Workers in Germany can deduct the full cost of leasing a bicycle or ebike from their taxes, with 2.1 million people taking advantage of the benefit — a full 2.5 percent of the country’s population.

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can have an airbag in your shorts. And why am I only now hearing of Bands on Bike Taxis Getting Beers?

I mean, seriously.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

Update: 6-year old boy riding bike with parents killed by hit-and-run driver in San Diego’s Pacific Beach; 32-year old woman arrested

January 18, 2026 / / One comment

Dear God, no.

For the third time in three days, someone has been killed riding a bicycle here in Southern California.

This time, it was just a little kid, murdered by a hit-and-run driver.

Multiple sources are reporting that a six-year old boy was killed when he was first hit, then run over by a woman while riding his bike in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood Saturday afternoon.

The victim, identified as Hudson Stephen O’Loughlin, was riding his bicycle with his parents on the sidewalk on the south side of Pacific Beach Drive around 3:44 pm, when he was right hooked by a driver as he crossed the alley at Ingraham Street.

The driver was turning right off Pacific Beach into the alley when she struck the boy, knocking him off his bike. She paused briefly without exiting her car, then accelerated south down the alley, running over Hudson as he lay on the ground in front of her car.

He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver, identified only as a 32-year old woman, was taken into custody after police located her car in National City.

Investigators said alcohol was not a factor in the crash, which does not make it better.

Especially considering that the boy might still be alive if she had just gotten out of her car and seen him there. Or even backed up instead of speeding forward.

Even worse, it’s likely that both his parents witnessed the crash that killed their son, according to 10 News San Diego.

Hudson’s mother, Juliana Kapovich, described her son over the phone as everything she could imagine – a fearless, confident child who was full of life. She said he loved his brother and science.

Kapovich said she and Hudson’s father were with him when he was riding his bike Saturday. Police say Hudson was hit and then run over by a car turning into a nearby alley.

A crowdfunding campaign describes the boy as a bright light taken too soon.

Hudson was a bright, curious child who loved all things science, and his energy was contagious. He filled every room with his spirit and had a passion for BMX, cycling, swimming, skating, and building with Legos. Whether he was racing on his bike, splashing in the pool, or creating new Lego masterpieces, Hudson’s adventurous and creative nature inspired everyone around him. Hudson attended school in North Park where he made many friends and touched countless lives. Hudson dreamed of becoming a military scientist one day, and his love for learning was matched only by his love for his family. In his short life, he brought so much joy, kindness, and wonder to everyone he met. One of the sweetest memories his mom holds close is how, as soon as the sun came up, Hudson would come into her room to ask for cuddles. Those quiet, loving moments were a daily reminder of the deep bond they shared.

As of this time, the page has raised more than $35,000 of the $100,000 goal.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the San Diego Police Department Traffic Division or Crime Stoppers at 888/580-8477.

This is the fourth bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California this year, and the first in San Diego County.

There’s just no excuse.

Update: The driver has been identified as 32-year-old Tiffany Sanchez. She was booked on charges of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run.

However, San Diego’s NBC7 reports Sanchez did not appear to be in police custody Monday, and it wasn’t clear if she had posted bail was posted or been released.

Fox 5 San Diego quotes Hudson’s father, Matthew O’Loughlin, describing how the crash happened. 

“My son is behind me, my other son and wife are about 10 feet behind us,” Matthew described. “No cars, I cross over, I’m fine…I look back to check on him and the lady just runs him over.”

He said his instinct was to capture the driver’s license plate…

“She ran him over taking off with no disregard for anybody, you wouldn’t even do that to an animal, she just left him die on the street,” Matthew said. “She just left.”

The UK’s Daily Mail offers a few more details about the crash. 

David Morrow, who was driving behind the woman at the time, recalled seeing her ‘cut right into the alley’ before running Hudson over ‘twice,’ he told the outlet.

‘Like, both wheels ran over the kid. She stopped right in front for about ten seconds. That’s when I pulled behind her and got her license number, and then she took off,’ Morrow added.

He noted that a bystander, who was possibly a paramedic, jumped in to help Hudson.

‘He got up at first and was standing there all in pain, and then they laid him down, and he stopped breathing right in front of me,’ Morrow said of Hudson. ‘It was sad, and then I left.’

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Hudson Stephen O’Loughlin and his loved ones. 

Photos from Go Fund Me page

 

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

Why this isn’t e-BikinginLA, New York’s new mayor puts his money where his bike is, and new San Diego Fondo this June

January 5, 2026 / / 7 comments
Welcome back!
And thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who donated to the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am to all those who gave this year to support this humble site.

So thanks to John, Norwood, Mary, Robert, Jim and Glenn for their generous donations in the final days of the fund drive to help keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day.

In the end, more than 60 people opened their hearts and wallets to donate this year, falling just just a few hundred short of breaking that elusive $5,000 barrier for the first time — far more than I expected after what was such a difficult year for so many of us.

Now the holidays are finally over, and I’m tanned, rested — or maybe rusted after all this rain — and ready to get back to work.

And hey, happy new year! Let’s hope it’s a better one for all of us. 

………

Let’s start with a recent email exchange with someone who seemed to think I write too much about ebikes, suggesting I should change the name of the site to e-BikinginLA.

He warned that things would look a lot different to if I was a parent riding a “real bicycle” with child passenger, and then someone zoomed by in the curb lane or on the sidewalk at 28 mph.

This was my response, which I’m sharing to clarify where I stand on the great ebike debate.

I write about ebikes because that’s what’s in the news these days, just like I’ve written about any number of things that have been in the news over the years.

I’m not a fan of high-speed, throttle-controlled ebikes, which I believe should be recategorized as motorbikes and require a license to operate. I do like ped-assist ebikes with a max speed of 20 mph, simply because they expand the potential for bicycling from the proverbial “young and healthy” we always hear about, to virtually everyone. And provide the potential to trade a car for a bicycle for countless people who might not otherwise even consider it.

I also believe every bicycle should be ridden within the limits of the law whenever practical, which would generally prohibit passing on the inside or riding on the sidewalk at an excessive speed. Everyone should ride in a safe and sane manner, regardless of how their bike may be powered. And no one should ever have a sense of entitlement on the streets, whether walking, biking or driving.

Personally, I’d like to have an e-cargo bike just so I can bike to Costco or the hardware store, and take my service dog with me wherever I go, which doesn’t exactly work on my 18-speed racing bike. However, I’ve never actually ridden one yet, after being a lifelong roadie, and don’t know if I’d really like it or not.

Meanwhile, on a related subject, The New York Daily News says the city could end its “vicious cycle” with high-speed ebikes by requiring them to be licensed and insured as mo-peds, like they do in the Netherlands.

But apparently, they don’t want you to read it, because the editorial is locked behind a paywall for subscribers only.

And a Bay Area woman says she’s all for ebikes, and the problems everyone seems to be complaining about are caused by people on electric motorbikes, not Class 2 ebikes like hers.

………

It didn’t take long for New York’s new mayor to demonstrate his transportation bona fides.

Just days after Mayor Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office, he announced a Complete Streets makeover of McGuinness Boulevard, including parking-protected bike lanes the full length of the corridor, considered a key bicycling route connecting Brooklyn and Queens.

The project was killed by the previous administration following a corruption scandal, when a top aide to former Mayor Eric Adams accepted “a relatively small sum of money” and the promise of a speaking role on a TV series to kill the project.

Thanks to Megan for the heads-up.

………

Oceanside bike lawyer and BikinginLA sponsor Richard Duquette is sponsoring the Giro di San Diego Gran Fondo this June, complete with cash prizes and KOM kits.

………

The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.

A Cathedral City man can be grateful a local driver is a bad shot, after a Palm Springs man is accused of deliberately hitting a man on a bicycle with his car following an argument between the two men, then making a U-turn to fire off a gunshot at the 40-year old victim before fleeing; 47-year old John Nicholas Duran was arrested later in Cathedral City, and faces charges of attempted homicide and assault with a deadly weapon.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

A Florida man was knocked off his bicycle by the cops while carrying a sackful of stolen mail, after a year of posing as a mail carrier to break into people’s mailboxes. Although riding his route on a bicycle should have been a dead giveaway wasn’t a real mail carrier.

Bicyclists in London will now have the option of paying a fine equivalent to $67 if they’re caught running a red light, or watching video of a red-light running bike rider who was in a coma after he was hit by a bus driver. Personally, I’d rather just pay the fine.

Police in the UK are looking for a 20-something road-raging ebike rider accused of threatening and racially abusing a van driver, after being told he was riding too close to the van with no lights on his bike.

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton offers his predictions for the coming year, including a 50% drop in new bike lanes in Los Angeles, as the city puts on the brakes to avoid complying with Measure HLA and ADA-compliant curb cuts.

Burbank has closed a section of the Channel Bike Path between Verdugo and Providencia avenues for an undetermined period to conduct repairs.

San Pedro’s Bike Palace is now boarded up after more than 50 years as a local mainstay, while the owners deal with the aftermath of a devastating pre-Christmas fire; a crowdfunding page has raised more than $62,000 to help the rebuilding efforts. Unfortunately, the Daily Breeze story in the first link may be hidden behind a paywall, so you’re on your own if they block you.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A 79-year old Long Beach man rode his bike every day for more than 18 years, through an appendectomy and the death of his wife, going so far as to pay a man 20 bucks to borrow a kid’s bike after attending the Kentucky Derby.

 

State

Sad news from Fremont, where someone riding a bicycle was killed when a semi driver turned into a driveway in front of the victim. Although someone should tell NBC Bay Area that they might want to at least mention the driver, because the damn truck didn’t do it on its own.

The bikelash is real. San Francisco’s transportation pendulum appears to be swinging back in favor of motorists, as the people on four wheels claw back their political power.

 

National

A Las Vegas writer says the city could be safer for biking and walking if it just invested the same effort into building paved trails as it does for stadiums.

An 18-year old Utah man rode his bicycle 14,000 miles from Morocco to Singapore in five months. At that age, I was happy just to drive across the state line to buy booze. 

Colorado’s state ebike tax credit will be cut in half this year, dropping from $450 to just $225, as bike shop owners understandably question whether that will result in a drop in sales.

For the second time in just two weeks, a Texas driver ran down two people riding their bikes, this time in Houston, killing one person and critically injuring the other. But at least the driver stuck around this time.

A 73-year old man was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide for killing a 44-year old Toledo, Ohio man as he was waiting on his bicycle at a red light, running him down from behind before fleeing the scene. The next time someone asks you why so many bike riders run red lights, remind them about cases like this. 

Tennessee drivers will now be expected to know bicycle hand signals as part of the driver’s test. Although they probably already understand the most common one. 

New York’s street safety efforts seem to be paying off, after 2024 was the safest year on city streets since they began keeping stats 116 years ago.

A 40-year old man from El Cajon, California has been charged in the hit-and-run death of a 49-year old man riding an ebike in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, after spending three days on the run.

New Orleans is the latest city to offer a rebate up to $1,200 to buy a new ebike. Which compares favorably to the $0 offered by Los Angeles.

A 20-year old hit-and-run driver in Louisiana also faces a vehicular homicide count, among other charges, after the 64-year old bike-riding man he ran down while allegedly driving drunk died in the hospital a day later.

Once again, an advocate for safer streets was killed while riding his bike, this time when a Macon, Georgia man was run down from behind by a 73-year old woman, who claims she didn’t see him before the crash — yet police still blamed the victim for simply riding in the roadway, instead of on the shoulder, and not yielding to traffic.

Sad news from Florida, where Joe Montgomery died of apparent heart trouble, 55-year after he founded Cannondale above a Connecticut pickle factory, naming the bikemaker after a nearby train station; he was 86.

 

International

Momentum offers their resolutions for a “very bicycle new year,” including embarking on more aimless, social bike rides, and always make bicycling the first choice.

British Columbia bike riders say winter weather doesn’t stop them, but “snow-packed bike lanes and impatient drivers” can.

Bicycling has hit an all-time high in Flanders, with an increase of 40,000 bicycle trips per day since 2022 in the Dutch-speaking region of northern Belgium.

Take a bicycle tour of Transylvania. But maybe wear a garlic necklace just to be safe. 

Over 1,000 people turned out in Vadodara, India on Sunday for the 55th annual Fit India Sundays on Cycle, just one of the 5,000 bike events held across the country yesterday.

A Zambian woman says the gift of a Buffalo bike from World Bicycle Relief has allowed her to double the profits from her small shop, and help her children dream of a better future.

Bicycling has become a hugely popular form of recreation in China, accounting for a whopping $42.9 billion in bike sales in 2024.

Next time you find yourself in Osaka, Japan, make plans to visit the Shimano Bicycle Museum, where you’ll find a century of exclusive bicycling history from the earliest Safety Bikes, to a rain-proof electric trike and a five-seat racing bike.

 

Competitive Cycling

British Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy made his first appearance just weeks after suffering a severe leg injury in a mountain biking crash, hobbling out on crutches to present a trophy to the winner of the World Darts Championship.

Double Olympic medalist Wout van Aert had surgery to repair a fracture and a sprained ankle after crashing on a snowy ‘cross course.

A Rwandan website considers the role a mother played in the rise of her daughter in junior cycling.

 

Finally…

Who needs an ebike when you’ve got an exoskeleton? Or a camper van when you’ve got a postal ebike?

And doing the Stranger Things bike thing, without that whole downer Upside Down thing.

………

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Update: 60-year old man killed riding bike in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos; 2nd San Diego County bicycling death in 4 days

December 11, 2025 / / Comments Off on Update: 60-year old man killed riding bike in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos; 2nd San Diego County bicycling death in 4 days

Evidently, things aren’t going well in San Diego County these days.

Just days after a man was killed riding his bicycle in Oceanside, another bike rider was killed in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos neighborhood.

Multiple sources are reporting that the victim was killed when he was rear-ended while riding in the 12900 block of Salmon River Road around 5:35 pm Wednesday.

The victim, identified only as a 60-year old man, was riding north on Salmon River Road when a 51-year old woman traveling in the same direction hit him from behind, saying she just didn’t see him.

He died at the scene.

There’s no word on why the driver failed to see a grown man on a bicycle directly in front of her, although police said she did not appear to be under the influence.

Investigators were looking into whether visibility or road conditions played a role in the crash. However, a street view shows a straight roadway with no obstructions, and the weather was hot and dry, though it was foggy in some coastal areas.

Local residents complained about a lack of speed limit signs in the area, so there’s no telling how fast the woman was driving.

Anyone with information was urged to call the police or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477; apparently, the cops didn’t really want to be bothered by giving own phone number.

This is at least the 55th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 14th that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 60-year old San Diego resident Yi Zhang.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Yi Zhang and his loved ones. 

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

86-year old San Diego bike rider critically injured, La Quinta hit-and-run driver injures 2 teens, and check your bone health

October 20, 2025 / / Comments Off on 86-year old San Diego bike rider critically injured, La Quinta hit-and-run driver injures 2 teens, and check your bone health
Day 293 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

Bad news from San Diego’s Barrio Logan, where an 86-year old man suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a driver while riding his bike.

The victim reportedly suffered multiple broken bones, as well as a blood clot around the brain.

Anyone with information is urged to call the San Diego Police Department’s Traffic Division, or Crime Stoppers at 888/580-8477.

Let’s hope he makes a full and fast recovery. 

………

A driver faces multiple felony charges after he was arrested for the hit-and-run crash that left two teenage bike riders with serious injuries in La Quinta.

One of the boys, 14-year old Liam Cantu, remains in critical condition after life-saving brain surgery.

Unfortunately, I can’t get the page to load; hopefully it’s just a weekend server problem and the links will work when you try them. 

And let’s hope for a full and fast recovery for this kid, too. 

………

Good advice.

A longtime competitive cyclist in San Diego warns that bicyclists are prone to osteoporosis, which can lead to hip fractures and other broken bones.

Point Loma’s Greg Bowerman adds that “good bone health demands solid weight-bearing activity, such as pumping weights or practicing yoga” to prevent fractures as we age.

I’m dealing with the same problem myself after a lifetime of riding, on top of all my other health issues brought on by diabetes, despite weight training. Although I’ve been lucky that I haven’t broken anything yet.

………

Streets For All is hosting the hosts of the popular War on Cars podcast as they promote their new book next month.

Streets For All is excited to host The War on Cars podcast’s Sarah Goodyear & Doug Gordon as they celebrate the publication of their new book, Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile.

Speakers include Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez (District 13), Alissa Walker (Torched.la), Bill Wolkoff (co-executive producer, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), with more to be announced!

When: Monday, November 17th at 7:30pm
Where: Dynasty Typewriter, 2511 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Lots of transit options!

Optional VIP reception begins at 6pm (free if you are part of our Members Club with the purchase of a general admission ticket).

………

Local 

LA’s Critical Mass, described as “the nation’s largest and longest-running community bicycle ride,” will ride to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles on Halloween night, bringing “costumed joy and solidarity” to young patients and their families.

The state approved $700 million in funding to repair and refurbish the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the Port of Los Angeles. Although it doesn’t say whether the work will include bicycle access, which is currently banned on the 60-year old bridge.

A Santa Clarita man says he feels like a broken record after repeated complaints about kids on ebikes. Although as we’ve repeatedly pointed out, the problems stem primarily from teens on electric dirt bikes and motorbikes, many of them illegal, rather than ped-assist ebikes. But almost no one seems to make that distinction. 

 

State

A La Jolla paper examines the roots of ebikes, which it says are “loved by riders and loathed by many who share the streets with them.” Although you may have to get past the paper’s paywall to read it. 

Sad news from Palo Alto, where a man in his 80s died over a week after he was struck by a driver in his 90s while riding his bicycle. Once again raising the question of how old is too old to drive safety. And like the man in Barrio Logan, anyone still riding a bike at that age deserves better. 

 

National

NPR examines why more parents are riding ebikes, and skipping the minivan.

Vox takes a look at the traffic revolution that’s making cities cleaner — and happier — as more cities are finally choosing bikes over cars. Unlike, say, a certain SoCal megalopolis we could name. And once again, you may have to find a way around their paywall. 

Nice. Lime rolled out a mobile bike bodega stocked with free snacks, everyday essentials and Lime merchandise that Denver riders could pick up throughout the day.

Denver business owners complain about bullying after they opposed bikeways in front of their stores, including doxxing, negative Yelp reviews and harassing phone calls. Seriously, don’t do that. We’re far better off in the long run winning the day with better arguments, not harassment.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that more than 87% of people who received one of the state’s ebike rebates ended up buying one. And many people who didn’t get one bought an ebike anyway.

They get it. A pair of Ohio teenagers are fighting for more bikeways and safer streets after a 13-year old boy was killed riding his bike, describing “too many close calls” riding their own bikes.

A volunteer group in Burlington, Vermont has recovered nearly 900 stolen bicycles in just three years.

 

International

A writer for Cycling Weekly finds herself surprisingly transformed after years as a solo rider when she joins the magazine’s lunchtime group ride.

An Anglican bishop in the UK raised funds for churches in South Africa by riding his bike 80 miles across his diocese.

A former English pastor was remembered as a “keen cyclist” known for riding around town delivering a basket full of food he had grown or cooked to local families, after he passed away at 90. Which is about as nice an epitaph as anyone could hope for. 

A man in the UK will spend the next 22 months behind bars for brandishing a knife during an argument to get his stolen bicycle back.

Adding tragedy to tragedy, a man sentenced to eight months behind bars for killing a woman riding a bicycle took his own life in a British prison as he awaited deportation to Poland, after guards didn’t bother to check on his welfare for the last six months.

This is what happens when you prioritize cars over people on the streets. A new report shows car traffic in the city center of Galway, Ireland, is up 6%, while bicycling is down an equal amount, and walking is down 22%. But at least transit use is up, too.

Velo looks at “the coolest bikes around” from across the world at this year’s Bespoked Show Dresden.

 

Competitive Cycling

A writer for the BBC learns the hard way what happens when you ride against Tadej Pogačar, even with a head start.

Despite his name, British rider Paul Double soloed to victory on the fifth stage of China’s Tour of Guangxi, taking his first WorldTour win at the ripe old age of 29.

After seven full months of racing, New Zealand’s Cam Jones and Argentine Sofía Gómez Villafañe captured the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix, following the rain and tornado shortened Big Sugar Gravel race.

Velo says pro cycling’s soccer-inspired relegation system is just a hot mess that solves nothing, as the richest teams keep winning and the smaller teams pay the price. Although one thing that might help is limiting the size of pro rosters or capping payrolls, so they have to spread the talent around a little.

 

Finally…

Your next e-foldie could come with a half-kilo of high-grade caviar. That feeling when bike crashes return with the fashions.

And now the feds are even shelling the CHP.

……… 

Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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