Tag Archive for Tom Smuts

Morning Links: New ROAD magazine from Chris K, more on biking to the Emmys, SaMoHi kids bike to school

Chris Klibowitz has long been my favorite wrench, as well as a good friend.

In fact, it was Chris who put my bike back together following the Infamous Beachfront Bee Encounter, and made sure it stayed in top shape ever since.

Now the former manager and bike buyer for the Helen’s Cycles chain is the extremely knowledgeable new editor of ROAD Magazine, which released its latest issue today — free online with registration.

……..

The LACBC explains how they helped Mad Men writer/producer Tom Smuts and company ride to Monday’s Emmy Awards, while Streetsblog offers a first-person photo essay.

Even Bicycling picks up the story. And Red Kite Prayer’s Padraig goes along for the ride.

……..

Local

Build it and they will come. Santa Monica students are riding to SaMoHi even though pending bicycling improvements aren’t completed yet.

The Source profiles bike commuter Kasia Bohos as part of their Golden Pedal awards.

Bike Walk Burbank celebrates the popular Chandler Bikeway’s 10th anniversary.

LAist looks at Levi’s Commuter line of clothes for urban cyclists in a sponsored post. Yo, Levi’s, what am I, chopped liver?

Long Beach’s Bicycle Stand Race brings together the city’s cycling community.

 

State

OC cities are leaving bike funding on the table, despite a newfound commitment to bike safety.

A La Mesa cyclist suffers a serious leg injury trying to beat a San Diego trolley, offering yet another reminder to never, ever ride around railroad crossing barriers. Ever.

San Francisco-based Timbuk2 offers a combination chiller and messenger bag, perfect for carrying cold food and drinks on your bike.

A San Francisco cyclist gets his stolen bike back, thanks in part to the city’s voluntary bike registry. I tried to put together a similar free countywide bike registry for the LACBC a few years back, but gave up do to the conflicting demands of too many disparate cities and agencies.

Nice. Pleasantville teachers and staff member build 14 bikes as a team building exercise. Then give them to surprised students.

 

National

Bicycling says we may never see the likes of Jens Voigt again. I’ll second, third and fourth that.

About time, as Scott Sports introduces Lycra bikewear designed to prevent road rash. I just wish they’d had it a few decades back when I hit a puddle while leaning into a hard right at 25 mph, and ended up with road rash from ankle to chin. And was literally two thin spandex threads from being naked from the waist down.

An off-duty Albuquerque firefighter is honored for using a bike inner tube to save a cyclist’s life after a collision with a garbage truck.

What’s good for General Motors really is what’s good for the country, as the massive car manufacturer opens a bike share program on their 330-acre Detroit tech campus.

A Kentucky teen faces assault charges after hitting a cyclist in the face with a cup of ice.

The NYPD cracks down on cyclists, but does nothing about cars blocking bike lanesincluding their own. Not surprisingly, cyclists in Philly face a similar problem.

A North Carolina para-cyclist doesn’t let having one arm stop him. Though it does make it much harder to flip off aggressive drivers.

 

International

A UK rider is back home after being seriously injured while on a charity ride from Seattle to LA; he only made it as far as Shelton WA before he was hit by a pickup.

A Brit writer says bicycling through Detroit just makes too much sense, despite the fearful warnings of his friends.

A Welsh minibus driver was taking a photo with his cell phone through the bus window when he swerved and killed a cyclist.

 

Finally…

No, really, I can understand a local newspaper commenting on a cyclist’s lack of helmet following a serious solo fall. But what difference could it possibly make that he didn’t have headlight on his bike in broad daylight?

Turns out bike commuters have better sex lives; which is probably why we’re happier, too. And even Playboy wants in on the bike boom, with tips from former pro George Hincapie.

 

Morning Links: Biking to the Emmy awards, BOLO Alert for purloined Roubaix, Jens calls it a 17-year career

As promised, Mad Men writer/producer Tom Smuts rode his bike 16 miles — or maybe 17 —  from Santa Monica to Downtown’s LA Live for Monday’s Emmy Awards.

He was accompanied by his wife and Homeland producer Meredith Stiehm, as well as members of the LACBC. And yes, it was caught on video.

……..

BOLO Alert: Keep your eyes open for a white Specialized Roubaix, stolen from a garage in West LA Sunday night.

……..

As expected, Teejay van Garderen took first in the USA Pro Challenge with Tom Danielson second, followed by virtually unknown Jelly Belly rider Sergey Tsvetkov. Rookie Jamis-Hagens Berman rider Ian Crane was seriously injured when he crashed through the rear window of a competitor’s team vehicle; he was scheduled for surgery for facial lacerations on Monday.

It’s a bittersweet moment in Colorado when one of pro cycling’s toughest and most aggressive riders calls it a day, as Jens Voigt retires after an amazing 17 years. Typically, he almost won his last race in a breakaway before being reeled in by the peloton with just one mile to go.

Aussie Michael Matthews takes the leader’s jersey in the Vuelta after three stages. The Lampre-Merida team tells its star rider not to be such a prima donna.

Brit rider Lizzie Armistead wraps up the Women’s Road World Cup with one race still to go.

And Cycling in the South Bay’s Seth Davidson offers an amusing look at bike racing much lower on the food chain for Peloton Magazine.

……..

Local

LA is on the verge of buying a key property for the revitalization of the LA River, across from the popular bike path through Elysium Valley.

The bike-centric Levis Commuter Workspace pop-up in DTLA hosts a closing party this Friday.

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council opposes a bike-friendly road diet on the Glendale-Hyperion bridge, despite support for the proposal from other local NCs.

Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach want your input on where to place mini bike corrals — that’s mini corrals for bikes, not corrals for mini bikes — on Thursday, September 11th.

 

State

Interesting idea, as an architect proposes converting one half of San Diego’s University Ave in the Hillcrest neighborhood into parking and bikeways, with the remaining portion one lane of traffic in each direction.

BikeSD looks at the failure of San Diego’s 1975 Regional Transportation Plan and how it still shapes the city today.

New separated bike lanes will open on Highway 101 between Carpinteria and Ventura within the next week.

Despite questions from some wrong-headed council members, Santa Barbara needs more bike lanes.

Santa Maria area riders complain about victim blaming and the dangers cyclists face on the road. Then again, so does virtually every rider, everywhere.

The Sacramento paper says an improved bike network is essential for the city.

 

National

Bloomberg maps the nation’s 25 top bike commuting cities — though inexplicably mislabeling it as a bike share map. Santa Monica is the only SoCal city to make the list.

After a seven-year old Albuquerque boy refuses to loan him his bike, a man pushes him off and takes it anyway. Fortunately, police arrested the schmuck shortly afterwards.

A Boston bike blamer says the only solution in the imaginary war between cyclists and drivers is separate but equal infrastructure.

 

International

Once again Britain’s Cycling Embassy offers a truly outstanding international blog roundup.

Twenty-five ways to cross a major highway in the Netherlands.

Brisbane needs to seriously upgrade a major bike path if they want to encourage more women to ride.

China takes the lead in bike share, going from zero to 650,000 rental bikes in just seven years.

 

Finally…

Just weeks before he died, Robin Williams donated his beloved, custom-made Pegoretti bike to an auction, where it raised $20,000 to fund scholarships for underprivileged students.

Even suffering from depression, there was no stopping that big heart.

 

Weekend Links: Three LA riders shot, one killed in separate attacks; Mad Men producer will bike to Emmys

Be careful waiting for transit late at night.

An Eastside bike rider was shot and robbed of his cruiser bike early Friday at the Metro Station on the 200 block of Indiana Street. Police are looking for a man and a woman.

Then again, let this be a reminder to always be aware of your surroundings, especially when you’re alone at night.

……..

According to the LA Times, two motorized bike riders were shot in South LA Saturday evening; sadly, one of the victims, a man in his 30s who has not been publicly identified, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The reason for the shooting is unknown. A report on KABC-7, not yet available as this goes online, says it did not appear to be gang related.

……..

For the first time in my knowledge, a nominee for a major Hollywood award will arrive by bike, as Mad Men writer/producer Tom Smuts will ride 15-miles from his Santa Monica home to Monday’s Emmy Awards at Downtown’s LA Live. He’ll be riding with a group of fellow attendees on a route designed with help from the LACBC.

……..

Barring catastrophe, Teejay van Garderen wrapped up his second consecutive victory in Colorado’s USA Pro Challenge by setting a new course record in the individual time trial. Uphill. And in the rain.

As the Pro Challenge wraps up, the Vuelta a España kicks off; Bicycling tells you who to watch.

And speaking of which, Helen’s Cycles is sponsoring a Vuelta Challenge Party on Saturday, September 6th; the same day, they’re also holding a group ride for intermediate to advanced cyclists.

……..

Local

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton takes councilmember Gil Cedillo to task for honoring an 84-year old Korean War vet killed while crossing North Figueroa, despite killing the street safety improvements that might have prevented his death. Meanwhile, Orange 20 says when Cedillo won, LA lost.

Original LA bike advocate and recent father Joe Linton offers advice on when, where and why to bike or walk with a baby.

The final Crank Mob ride rolls on Saturday, September 20th with The Last Crankmass.

Beverly Hills may be the Biking Black Hole, but their police take distracted driving seriously, at least for a day.

Maybe things are finally getting better for cyclists in the San Gabriel Valley, as both Pasadena and San Gabriel pursue robust bike plans.

 

State

A podcast interviews LA ultra-distance rider and Furnace Creek 508 and Badwater 135 producer Chris Kostman.

OC riders are invited to meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday in Seal Beach and Fullerton, respectively, to discuss a proposed 66-mile bikeway loop through the county.

A San Diego ninja cyclist was injured in a collision early Friday morning, yet a local TV station somehow considers his lack of a helmet to be the most important detail.

Oakland looks to improve safety for bike riders and pedestrians.

 

National

NPR responds to complaints that a recent story about LA Bike Trains incited violence against cyclists.

Bicycling’s Elly Blue goes in search of her five-figure bike.

Bike lawyer Bob Mionske offers advice on what to do if you’re hit by a car in Oregon; the same advice holds true just about anywhere.

Evidently, bike thieves will steal anything, as vandals strip Washington’s famous bike in a tree.

Local business people freak out over a new road diet and parking protected bike lanes in Salt Lake City.

A Nashville writer asks if we can all share the roads without someone ending up in the hospital. Good question.

New York firefighters rescue a salmon cyclist and her adorable puppy after her bike is hit by a sanitation truck.

If you think it’s hard riding in DC now, imagine what it was like in 1982.

 

International

New British study shows riding to work really does make you thinner. Then again, so does taking public transport.

Scary. A 96-year old UK woman apologizes for killing a cyclist and seriously injuring the victim’s husband — even though she can’t remember the crash.

An Irish cyclist rides 8,700 miles from Dublin to Beijing.

Tragically, 20-year old Dutch mountain biker Annefleur Kalvenhaar was killed after falling in a qualifying race for the UCI World Cup.

Instead of focusing on making the streets safer, Aussie police bust 76 cyclists for riding without helmets.

 

Finally…

A rare triple caught on video: The top 10 epic fails of drunken Russian bike riders. Cam Zink successfully lands a 100 foot mountain bike backflip. And a Polish cyclist hits a hidden pothole and does a faceplant in a major puddle; then again, if this is the worst day of his life, as the headline suggests, he must be having a pretty good one.