OK here’s your rant, and some other things

First things first. I need some full finger water and wind proof glove shells to fit over a military size 9 glove liner. My fingers still haven’t warmed up from last night’s ride home from the Full Moon at church, what with the rain, low 40s temperatures and the wind and the gloves I was wearing not being waterproof.

Now the rant.{rant}

In Philadelphia they are losing their minds about “dangerous” bicycles after 2 pedestrians were killed in one month when it had been more than a year since the last bicycle-caused pedestrian fatality. Folks this is a statistical blip, a coming up boxcars two rolls in a row, heads 10 times in a row, that kind of thing. It’s notable because bicycle/pedestrian wrecks are so rare to begin with and fatalities are rarer still. Seriously, the last pedestrian fatality caused by a bicycle in Philadelphia was sometime in the middle of 2007. Now you have 2, and because of that you lose your minds?

Or maybe you just see a potential cash flow that hasn’t been tapped until now. Well keep looking, bicycle registration has never paid for itself, much less been an income source. Bicycles go for as much as $10,000 and as little as $1. How much do you think you can get from someone who paid less than $10 for their bike? I noticed that the registration (bike tax) would hit cyclists as young as 12. Since federal laws prohibit people younger than 16 from working a steady job, and from using the tools that are required to mow lawns and the like, and paper routes have been adults-only for decades, where do you propose that Johnny and Suzie 12YO get the money to pay your bicycle tax? Or don’t kids deserve independent transportation alternatives?

So, why are you acting so crazy? Motor vehicles kill more than 100 people a day in the US, and almost that many in Philadelphia in a year, but 2 people get killed by bicycles in a month after nearly 18 months of death-free existence and you lose your mind? I forgot the technical term but there is a condition where people ignore the obvious danger they live with every day, and focus on some less dangerous thing because it is novel. This is what is happening here. You ignore the constant threat caused by motor vehicles that kill someone 3 or 4 times a week, and focus on bicycles that have killed an average of less than one person a year, because they suddenly killed 2 in a month. Ask your friends and neighbors if they know someone that was killed by a motor vehicle, and I’ll bet you that every single one of them knows someone or is related to someone that died because they were in a motor vehicle wreck. Then ask them if they know personally anyone that was killed or injured by someone riding a bike, and most have no personal knowledge or experience of that happening.

Let’s look at the relative risk of a 200 pound or so person moving at maybe 20 MPH, versus the motor vehicle that 2009 averages 4000 pounds and in the city moves about 40 MPH (30 MPH limit plus the 10 MPH that cops “give” before writing a ticket). The cyclist hits as hard as a HS linebacker except without pads, so yes that will hurt a bit, you might get a sprain or a broken bone, and in very rare cases the person falls and hits his or her head and dies (pedestrians don’t wear helmets). Now the motor vehicle on the other hand will cause death at 40 MPH more than 85% of the time and send someone to the hospital the other 15% with some permanent injury more than half the time when they survive, and that you’re good with, but the bicycle you get all kerflemt about how dangerous it is. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that motor vehicles kill more people on the sidewalks, where motor vehicles are prohibited, than bicycles do. I know this is a fact in NYC where motor vehicles kill an average of 100 people a year on the sidewalk, roughly 2 a week, where bicycles kill an average of 1 pedestrian a year in the entire city.

So, Philadelphia, stop focusing on something that is inherently non-dangerous, and do something about the things that are killing people daily, like cars. You had 300 murders last year, and 2 killed by bicycles last month. If the murders went according to averages, there were 25 people killed deliberately with something other than a bicycle with another 2 killed with a bicycle. How’s that for perspective?

{/rant}

Opus

My Christmas/Yule list, no bike wrecks

Yes, the first thing on my list this year is that I never have another bike wreck to write up in my blog, no dead or injured cyclists on the roads ever. And now that I have that out of the way I will turn to things that actually might happen in my lifetime, and things I could actually get.

Of the things Gigi and I need the most it’s a tossup between forward lighting and weather protection. Forward lighting allows me to indulge my tinkering gene, as I can use bits and pieces to make a nice bright light that doesn’t suck amps with LED technology. All I need is this LED mounted in this reflector and driven by this constant current driver to make a powerful spot light beam or 3 of these to get full brightness out of the light (and probably blind a few drivers). If I get the smaller single driver I will still get the same 2 hour burn I got with the old bulb that burned out (3W MR16) but much more light, because the LED chip is more efficient at the 3W current (lumens per watt). You might want to get this driver while you’re at it so I can try to repair the damaged MR16 bulb. waste not etc.

Fenders I want come from only one source, Planet Bike I need one 20″ rear and one 26″ rear to get both tires covered. Gigi has a 20″ front wheel but to keep water from getting thrown up in my face or on my feet I need more coverage than a front fender can provide. I have noticed water getting thrown forward gets blown into my face so a rather large portion of the front of the tire needs to be covered by the fender. I already have good quality rain gear, but it only works when the water comes from above, not below.

I also still need a computer that I can turn off when I’m not using it (the power supply on the computer I’m using only starts once in a blue moon but keeps running once it starts). I would really like a netbook so I could work at church (not during services, except when I’m using it for my notes for the service), or down the street at the coffee shop or at the library.

And pants, I need long pants. Mine keep falling off, and look goofy with all the waistband gathered up by the belt. I only have one pair that look decent, a pair of khaki jeans. I need a 36″ waist 30″ inseam (actually a 29″, but you can’t get 29″ inseam pants except from a tailor) I still have the custom shirt I had made a few years ago, with the 22″ collar and the 48″ chest, but I only have the one. And yes I know I’m harder than heck to fit, I have a very weird body, and that was before I got hit with a truck.

Aside from that, the usual, socks and underwear.

PSA, Opus

You didn’t miss anything yesterday, but I feel much better

Well, in spite of not making a post yesterday you won’t miss anything because I didn’t flush the Feed I just waited until today to post the link from it. You didn’t misread that I did in fact use “link” singular rather than the plural form of the word. Sunday has been the lightest day for the Feed followed closely by Monday, so it looks like from here on out I will be posting only 6 times a week barring breaking news items getting sent to me like the conviction of TTTWLAMWAMD. BTW if someone in the LA area would like to place themselves in the courtroom for his sentencing and e-mail me what the outcome of that is I could make you semi-famous. That and $3 will get you a cup of coffee that you could get for $2.60 otherwise… Seriously I will post your name or Internet handle, pseudonym, or any other form of written identification (I’ll even make up a cool acronym) if you so desire if you send me an e-mail when TTTWLAMWAMD is sentenced, whatever sentence he gets. I won’t even blame you if he gets probation

First up is your link from Sunday. Bicyclist without helmet critically injured Obviously the lack of a helmet caused this wreck. Actually what caused the wreck was whatever made the cyclist lose traction while rounding a corner around 25 MPH (a speed which I find highly suspect as I have heard people estimate the speed of my bicycle at anywhere from 5 to 40 MPH at the same time and in the same place (18 MPH)). Not having a helmet only contributed to the severity of the subsequent injury. I should also point out that this is a situation for which helmets were intended to be of use, even though the certification test doesn’t do anything to test for the motion of the helmeted head over the ground.

A wreck in OH that we don’t know much about because of a news blackout by LEO. Bicyclist Killed In Collision With Van At this point the best guess from what limited information is available (and my OH backchannel is shut down for this story) is the cyclist was hit from behind, and because of the blackout there is a strong possibility that the driver did it intentionally. I’ll continue to keep an ocular open on this story.

An ME cyclist in a single vehicle wreck requires extraction from a bad location. Cyclist hurt in York woods near Folly Pond Fortunately for the cyclist he was in an area with cell reception so he could call for help. This is a good idea for every cyclist even if you never leave concrete and asphalt paving. Always carry a cell phone and make sure the battery is charged before you leave, If you’re going on a several day long trip you might want to have spare batteries, depending on how good your phone is on talk time. Obviously if there is any doubt about capacity or endurance you’ll want to leave the phone turned off until needed.

From Oz the report of a little girl injured on her bicycle by someone with a learner’s permit. Cyclist, 13, injured in learner driver collision This sometimes happens with new drivers. The Witch on a Bicycle blog understands that and will refrain from calling for the hide and various bits of the driver’s anatomy in retribution for this CARnage. Should the driver be at fault, the staff at Witch on a Bicycle suggest that a 6 month ban on driving and a requirement to ride a bicycle during that ban be imposed on the driver in lieu of a jail or prison sentence.

A year after a driver hit 10 cyclists injuring 5 and nearly killing one of those, it’s time for El Tour de Tucson again. Focus on safety as countdown to bicycle race begins And it took only 4 comments before the strawman of bicycle taxes was brought up by Jim S. (kingrat). Well Mr. S. I strongly suggest that you stay west of the NM/TX border, as you have not paid TX taxes so you are not permitted to use our roads

A memorial ride for the cyclist murdered in NC. Memorial Bike Ride Honors Man Killed in Hit-and-Run I don’t care what the charges are, when someone crosses the road to hit a cyclist head on and then hangs a U-turn to escape that’s a murder in my book, maybe not 1^st degree or capital (in TX) but murder at any rate.

A suggestion that cars share the roads with cyclists is falling in hearing-impaired ears in SD. Proposal: Let bicycles, cars share road Don’t read the comments on this one either.

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Good news for a change

An occasional commenter on this blog went missing in Portland OR this week. As I’m not entirely an unfeeling bastard yet, let us all celebrate that Aaron has found his way back home. Aaron Tarfman returns home after thoughtful sojourn And thanks for reminding me that I haven’t sunk to the unfeeling bastard stage yet. There are days when I wonder, but I guess wondering if I’m becoming an unfeeling bastard is the best sign that I’m not.

In other news I started my winter workouts yesterday, and today I feel like I have lead noodles in place of where my legs used to be. I build up strength during the winter and endurance during the summer, and right now I don’t have a whole lotta strength. My quads and glutes are killing me

Billed @$.02, Opus

I can hardly lift my arms, but here’s the Feed

Well, I pruned some more today, on the live oak out back. I don’t have much upper body strength or endurance any more, so I lopped a few branches off with the pruner and had to call it quits. Then I filtered the Feed and now here I am to post the reports and make comments.

Another SWSS/SWCC wreck in the Pelican State (Louisiana). Cyclist killed at 171 and La. 394 and Bicycle rider killed near DeRidder I find the description of the wreck highly suspect. Especially the part where he was going east on 394 and then turned around to go east on 394…

What sounds like a left cross wreck in CA. Cyclist killed in traffic accident identified CA has the same laws about turning vehicles as TX that requires turning traffic to yield to traffic that is not turning, whether that traffic is oncoming traffic on the same street or road or traffic on the street or road that is being turned on. Hopefully there will be at least a ticket filed against the driver that killed the cyclist.

Another report on the DC cyclist killed by a cop cruiser. Md. cyclist who was killed by police cruiser identified Yeah, anyone that believes the cop was going under the speed limit, I have some oceanfront property in El Paso I would like to sell. I’m not saying the cyclist wasn’t at fault, just saying the likelihood of the cop driving under the speed limit is so low as to be invisible. The fact that they made the statement thus renders all of their other statements suspect. The grain of salt required is about the size of a semi-trailer.

Another report on the kid killed in DE. Teen cyclist killed on 273 ID’d Again the rider was thrown into a car that was in front of both vehicles. This indicates to me that traffic was stopped and the kid did not run the red light like the cops say.

More on the NY state cyclist that was hit by a transit bus. Cops: Greenburgh cyclist was riding alongside bus; bikers invited to ride at funeral The cyclist appears to have been doing exactly what he should have, I still don’t know why LEO haven’t charged the bus driver with running down the cyclist. NY law requires the passing vehicle to pass safely, which means far enough away that you don’t scare the other operator to death. That didn’t happen this time. So why no ticket or charges?

A TX lawyer thinks that Gov. Goodhair’s veto of the Vulnerable Road Users Bill (SB488) may have contributed to the driver that killed 2 people on a tandem bicycle not getting any kind of ticket or charge. Texas Governor Perry Vetoes Safe Passing Bill: Cyclist Deaths The Result? I just want to know what the Helotes LEOs were thinking when they decided that the guy in the truck did nothing illegal when he killed the 2 cyclists.

A case in Scotland that just floored me as the police report wasn’t allowed to be read into evidence. Scottish jury finds case against driver who killed cyclist ‘not proven’ Of course it wasn’t proven, the judge threw out the most important evidence against the driver. Again, what was he thinking?

Again I had to pick myself up off the floor when I read about a multiple repeat drunk driver was facing in the way of charges in Enn Zed. Drink-drive charge ‘appallingly inadequate’ “Downer, who has two previous drink driving convictions, could face a maximum of five years behind bars.” Five years for drunk driving that killed somebody, that’s just a travesty.

And a trio of people that train together for bicycle riding suffered similar wrecks. Cyclist tells of horror crash The man was killed while the wife was recovering from a previous crash, and the personal trainer was in a coma for 5 weeks from the wreck that killed the man… What a mess.

The 2010 Tour of the Battenkill will have a stage dedicated to Veterans. 2010 Tour of the Battenkill Announces Ride to Benefit Injured Veterans If you can do this next year Witch on a Bicycle says do it.

And that’s all for tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Hoping my ancient computer doesn’t crash, a huge Feed

Well, I went to the lab rat keeper’s place again. I’m still alive, and I still have a pulse that’s slightly faster than a corpse’s after I drink my 3rd cup of coffee for the morning, no telling what it would be without coffee. I was advised again to get a medic alert bracelet or dog tags to let people I’m not dead if I’m found unconscious in the street before I get my morning coffee. The bad news is I gained 3.2 pounds since last month. The funny part is I have 2 sets of clothes now, one set of pants and shirts for “fat days” and another for “skinny days” and the “fat” clothes I can get over my thighs but when I stand up they fall off, the “skinny” clothes are a fight to get on over my thighs but when I get them on they don’t fall off Also I can now see the entire upper lobe of my rectus abdominus clearly now including the striation between the upper lobe and the middle lobe. I still have some more fat to lose yet, but I have lost a bunch already.

Up first is a story with multiple reports about a cyclist killed by a police car. Cyclist killed in collision with SDPD car in University City and Collision with police car kills bicyclist also SDPD calls fatal collision with bicyclist an ‘unfortunate accident’ and finally Police car headed to call hits and kills bicyclist Notice that aside from the comments there is nothing in the reports that wasn’t cleared by the killer’s employers the police department. The claim that the police officer was driving under the speed limit would be laughable if the consequences hadn’t been so dire. I mean when was the last time you saw a driver doing the speed limit, much less under the speed limit?

More on that drunk cyclist who crashed into a tree while riding on the sidewalk. Bike Crash Victim Seriously Hurt and Santa Rosa cyclist remains in critical condition OK there are a number of things that could have prevented this wreck. Not riding drunk is the first and foremost, not riding on the sidewalk second, and third is wearing a helmet when you ride. If you prevent the crash you don’t need the helmet, but you can’t always prevent the wreck so wear the helmet. Ideally you do everything you can to prevent the wreck first then protect yourself from getting hurt in the wreck.

I keep posting about not riding on the sidewalk, this is why. Cyclist Injured In Traffic Crash See, drivers don’t expect you when you’re riding on the sidewalk and do things like pull in front of you when you’re crossing the road even after you’ve already started across, with life-threatening consequences in this case. Ride in the street with the rest of the vehicles…

A recurring theme today seems to be cops killing cyclists. Bicyclist struck, killed by Bladensburg police vehicle Again the ridiculous claim that the cop was driving under the speed limit. But apparently the cyclist deserves some of the blame for not watching out for other vehicles on the road, and now he’s dead. Again, watch out for other vehicles when you pull out from parking lots and driveways.

Not your normal bike wreck, by a long shot. Police arrest Boise man after they watch him mug a bicyclist Downtown early Saturday Can you get any more stupid than this? He tries to steal the guy’s bicycle, in front of a bunch of cops. At least that’s one more anti-bike nut taken off the streets.

And another kid is killed just going for a bike ride near Newark DE. 13-year-old cyclist killed near Newark Nothing much about the wreck except that the cyclist was killed by cardiac arrest, apparently caused by blunt trauma to the chest if the rest of the report means what I think it means.

A memorial is planned for the cyclist killed by a transit bus in NY state. Memorial planned for cyclist killed by bus This was one of the good guys for transportational cycling, and I’m sorry his voice was silenced. but, his death will also speak volumes as even a cyclist of his vast experience was not able to navigate the traffic on that street because of poor design, that he pointed out almost a decade ago but that still hasn’t been changed.

A point that hinges on bicycle safety, pedestrian safety. The 10 most dangerous American cities for pedestrians and Pedestrians beware: Study ranks Orlando worst in nation for pedestrians and from one of the best cities, where things are still pretty bad Taking a walk shouldn’t be a contact sport And finally Path to good health, less pollution is the sidewalk: report Studies have shown a positive correlation between pedestrian safety figures and cyclist safety figures, safer pedestrians make for safer cyclists and vice versa. It’s interesting to note that the 4 worst cities are all in FL, the state that kills the most cyclists in spite of not having the most cyclists to kill.

Darcy Sheppard is getting a Ghost Bike. “Ghost bike” memorial placed on Bloor St. for Darcy Allan Sheppard, cyclist killed in August Just for the record I really don’t want a ghost bike, but if I get killed riding my bike there better damn well be a white painted bicycle where I got hit or I’m going to haunt someone until there is a Ghost Bike. So Ghost Bike, or real ghost riding a bicycle. Y’all better hope I die in my sleep from old age. I never had the chance to meet Darcy, he might have been a real SOB. But nobody deserves to die the way he was killed by a driver trying to smear him off the side of his car.

Another blameless wreck in Jolly Olde. Cyclist suffers head injury in collision with car in Purley I hope the cyclist recovers, and that the real story comes out so I can tell you what to do to keep safe in a similar situation.

And shades of TTTWLAMWAMD, someone semi-famous in Jolly Olde is handed down a severe sentence for using his vehicle to injure a cyclist. Former showjumper Christopher Robertson jailed for injuring cyclist From what I understand felons have a hard time getting a driver’s license in the UK, especially if the crime they committed used a car as a weapon…

Media stirring poo in DC against cyclists. WTOP Report Provokes Anger Among Area Cyclists I wonder if this station is a Faux News outlet?

And a bike ride for a veteran. Group bikes in honor of Canton man killed in Afghanistan Thank you veterans.

And that’s it for today. I was wondering if this computer would continue to run as it crashed twice trying to compose this report, once while filtering the Feed and a second time while composing the post, fortunately after I had saved so nothing was lost. If you happen to have a computer that works good and you’re either local or willing to ship, leave a comment.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Interesting search results, and some bicycle articles, The Feed

Well, if the search strings used to find articles are any indication, there will be a lot of witches using Cat Stevens in their full moon rits tonight Not a lot of bike related stuff in the Feed, mostly infrastructure articles.

More reports on the MN rider killed crossing a road, still nothing about traffic controls or what the cyclist was doing, which usually means the driver was at fault because the MSM loves to tell us when the cyclist is at fault. Bike rider killed in Blaine while crossing street and Bicyclist Killed In Blaine for the lawyer take on the wreck.

More on the trial of the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. Cyclists have a lot riding on L.A. driver’s trial I don’t see what other cyclists do has any bearing on what the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree did to these particular cyclists. If cyclists in general are on trial here, why not all drivers as well?

And other places are trying to figure out what to do about finding a cyclist in front of you on a road. Bicycles, cars need to share the road The thing that is missing from all these articles is the fact that “Share the Road” doesn’t mean for bicycles to get the hell out of the way. It means that drivers should pass safely when they come up on a cyclist that is riding slower than they are driving.

And to wind up the post, a really cool, if not very useful, bicycle. Eco Bikes: Cadillac bicycle gets half the looks of a car and full bicycle functions I wonder if it comes in pink?

And as short as it was, that’s all I have for you today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

It never ends, the Feed

No, it never ends. People will remain people and conflict over whatever will never end, even if it is something as stupid as to a slower moving vehicle in front of a faster one. People (some people) will still think it is perfectly alright to try to kill or injure you because you cost them 10 or 15 seconds of their precious time on the roads. We call those people sociopaths when they act that way outside of a car. I don’t know what you call them when otherwise “normal” people act that way in a car. My wife says “sociopaths” still, but I think there is a better term.

Speaking of sociopaths, the trial of the thing-that-walks-like-a-man with a medical degree continues, with supporting testimony from another cyclist run off the road. Cyclist testifies in car-versus-bike case Even the “liberal” LA Times has more than their fair share of car-head bias showing in this case.

A cyclist is injured in NB. Omaha cyclist hit, injured by car Yeah, watch the signals because people think that green lights mean “Everyone else get the Heck out of my way”, not “Proceed when clear”.

Another “invisible” cyclist is hit in CA. Bike rider injured in crash People just don’t see a bicycle in the street, when the lights change they go.

Another SWSS in the most deadly state in the US for cyclists. 1024 POLICE BRIEFS: Man on bike hit by truck I take all reports that the cyclist “swerved” into the path of the other vehicle with a grain of salt about the size of the vehicle involved, because of the fact that many people don’t see a cyclist until they hit them, and then say “Where did that come from?” This is a good time to remind my readers about hit-from-behind protocol usage.

Yet another cyclist is killed in CA. Elderly Bicycle Rider Killed When Struck By Pickup Truck OK the driver was displaying signs of intoxication, but wasn’t drunk, did anyone test for drugs? Or think to charge with impairment other than alcohol?

More on the woman killed in Chicago now that they have their stories straight and reached consensus on what happened. Woman killed on bicycle loved freedom of riding My advice on this wreck continues, don’t “filter” to the head of the line.

This is the kind of wreck that is impossible to avoid. Cyclist injured in collision with tree At first I thought why should a cyclist hit a tree, since roads go around trees, but then I read further that the tree fell in front of the cyclist, and blocked the road. It doesn’t take a very big trunk or branch to knock down a cyclist on a road bike.

Another cyclist/pedestrian wreck, this time in Jolly Olde. Woman injured by cyclist Don’t hit pedestrians, if you hit a pedestrian, don’t leave until contact information has been exchanged. Don’t hit pedestrians, if you hit a pedestrian, don’t leave until contact information has been exchanged. Don’t hit pedestrians, if you hit a pedestrian, don’t leave until contact information has been exchanged. Got it?

Well, at least they know they have a problem, that’s the first step to fixing it. Northamptonshire has highest accident toll of young children in region It seems that walking is much more dangerous than riding a bicycle even when you’re very young and still ignorant.

And large amounts of money are being spent to plan for safety in London. Mayor and TfL plan to improve cycle safety Now if they just do something to improve bicycle safety.

More on the Enn Zed doctor killed while riding his bike. Tower of strength mourned by friend Last I heard back channel (yes I have back channel communications with Enn Zed) the police were going and checking the registered Toyota pickups for damage, but they think there’s a possibility the vehicle was not registered so that it can be used to kill cyclists.

Local infrastructure news. White Rock Lake spillway project nears completion For those not local, when the spillway collapsed it too out a chunk of the bike path around the lake, and the repairs are going to address some long-standing safety issues with the existent infrastructure.

They claim something will be done to make a bike trail safer from out of control vehicles on an adjacent highway. Barrier promise along Wantagh Parkway bike path welcomed I want to know why there is a requirement for cyclists to park at the end of the bike trail during the summer but not cars to park before they enter the same area. And also why they didn’t install the guard rail or Jersey Barrier when they built the bike path or the freeway, whichever came second.

And that’s all for today, have fun tomorrow.

Billed @$.02, Opus

It has been a long day, and the Feed

Yes I have been on the road for a long time today, from 11 AM until 8 PM with no lunch, which meant that as soon as I got home I spent the next 2 hours or so stuffing my face to replenish the calories I lost from the miles on the road and the hypothermia of wandering around TX soaking wet with temperatures in the low to mid 60s F. After eating everything that wasn’t nailed down (I think we might be short a cat ) I filtered the Feed and now here we are, exhausted and frustrated, still drying out and getting warmed back up after riding 26 miles through what felt like a monsoon riding over to NCTCOG HQ to find out about new signs and meanings for signs that had been added to the MUTCD, and to find out about the things going on in the rest of the Metroplex as far as bike projects are concerned (Richardson has almost 6 miles of bike lanes now!). Anyway, there was a Feed and there were cyclists killed and/or injured, plus infrastructure articles, the post about the NCTCOG will have to wait until I get up tomorrow.

Up first because it’s the thing that makes me the most angry (angriest?) is a report on the trial of the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. Defense attorney cross-examines cyclists in LA road rage case The defense tried to insinuate that bicycles were unstable, but they’re no more unstable than your average lawyer, right Eric?

A woman is killed riding her bicycle in Chicago. CFD: Cyclist killed in Lakeview crash Amazingly enough one of the commenters actually used as reason the cyclist was at fault was that she was not wearing a helmet. From what was given in the article I can’t figure out what went wrong as 2 cyclists went past a bus stopped to pick up passengers and one of them was hit by a truck. I know nothing of where the truck came from or which way it was going, why only one cyclist was hit, or anything else except that the woman was hit and she died at the scene. The comments section is useless in this situation because the people claiming to witness the wreck are making contradictory statements.

VeloNews provided several links today about bike wrecks, and infrastructure articles. The Explainer – We just wanna ride and The Mailbag – Radios, road rage and horse pucky Just read the articles.

A woman in Montreal is injured unnecessarily. Injured cyclist failed to stop at red light: Montreal police All you have to do is stop at red lights. If you want to run the red light then you have to look before you go to make sure there’s nothing to run into you.

The Canadian version of the thing that walks like a man, with a law degree, wants to get the mess over with so he can go on with his life. Michael Bryant wants a quick trial, lawyer says I still don’t see why he got out of jail after being caught on camera assaulting a man with a deadly weapon, not once but twice, and killing him in the second assault. And that miserable attempt to smear the deceased’s reputation to make it seem like it was an act of charity to kill him? I could smell the Astroturf half a continent away it must have really reeked in Ontario.

Still in Canadia comes an article on sharing the road with bicycles. Road sharing Gee, people who drive killing machines that weigh in excess of a ton and that can go in excess of 60 miles in an hour have to be careful when they do so as not to cause injury to innocent bystanders? Whodathunkit?

Also from the Great White North comes this. Cyclist’s death highlights auto hazards Do these guys know each other?

In the UK a man gets away with hit-and-run, almost. Driver avoids jail after leaving injured cyclist Of course now this guy has to be very careful around cyclists when he finally gets to drive again because he has this hit-and-run on his record.

A story that’s getting a lot of time in the Australian media. Cyclist killed in truck collision and Three die on Victorian roads in 24 hours also Cyclist dies after being hit by truck Apparently the truck driver was not trying to hit the cyclist as he was hospitalized for shock after he killed the cyclist. near as I can tell this was a hit-from-behind wreck of the hardest kind to prevent, the one where a driver thinks they have left enough room and isn’t trying to buzz you, just mis-judges how big the vehicle is by a large amount. Standard hit-from-behind protocol applies, plus just be careful both behind the wheel and turning the pedals.

Drivers get mad that cyclists exist in Houston. The Wheel World

Substituting endorphins for illegal pharmaceuticals. Win a red ribbon Personally, I don’t care if you do drugs in the privacy of your own abode, I just care if you get stoned and get on the roads, any mode but especially in a car.

Substituting a religious addiction for other addictions. Ride a testament to mental, physical strength If that is what works for you and your problems, do what you gotta do.

And proving that making something illegal won’t make it go away… Despite Ban, Electric Bikes Gain Favor on City Streets One of the things I do when I’m not typing this blog or going for bike rides is build assist bikes from my own designs. I prefer through the gears assist for better use of less electricity, but I acknowledge you can’t beat a hub motor conversion for simplicity.

And that’s it for tonight (this morning?).

Billed @$.02, Opus

Hit-and-run, vile wickedness, and comments sections, the Feed

The Feed was a mess today, I feel slimed just from reading some of the comments that went with the articles. Fortunately you won’t have to read those comments, the site administrators had removed them before I even finished reading the comments section. But still, the question remains as to why some drivers are so violently against bicycles on the roads. Obviously there are some who have psychological “issues”, and would act the same way against anyone who violates their standards of “right existence”. But some of these people are what would be considered “normal, well adjusted” people who get vehemently antagonistic when the subject of bicycles on the roads is brought up. Is it just them, or is there something about the way people ride bicycles, or is it something intrinsic to the act of riding a bicycle on the road, that causes these “normal” people to become psychopathic?

Speaking of psychopaths, the Portland Police Bureau (OR) has “done something” about the behavior of a few cops that ignored laws and basically put cyclists on the road at their own risk. Portland police, cyclists reach rapprochement The comments section of this article was heavily monitored, because the psychopaths were not limited to the PPB, there are a fair number in the populace.

A hit-and-run in CA that left the cyclist in the sidewalk? El Cajon Hit and Run Critically Injures Bicyclist and Hit-and-run driver leaves cyclist critically injured The thing about this one was the cyclist being found on the sidewalk. Was the collision so violent that the cyclist was knocked from the street onto the sidewalk, or was the cyclist already on the sidewalk when he was hit? Given the seriousness of his injuries it’s unlikely that the cyclist crawled from the street to the sidewalk. What was good in the comments section for the second link was a discussion of hit-and-run in general with no animosity toward cyclists, but there was some indication that this comments section was moderated for threats against cyclists also.

More on the TX cyclist killed riding the Natchez Trace Parkway in MS. 2nd cyclist killed on Trace The “2nd cyclist” part of the headline is that this is the second fatal bicycle wreck this year, a Netherlands cycle tourist was killed this past spring.

A UK incident has LEO scratching their heads. Police seek witnesses Yes if you’re a UK reader of this blog it’s your civic duty to contact LEO at the number in the report to tell what you saw at this wreck. Of course if you’re a UK reader of this blog and you saw the wreck you probably used your mobile to call 999 the moment the wreck happened, before the dust had even had time to settle. My readers are like that

Absolutely zilch on the actual wreck, but this cyclist will get the best of care his country can provide. Mohd Rizal Given Best Treatment, Says Ahmad Shabery Yep if you’re on the national cycling team and you get hit you get top-drawer care and rehab, regular transportation cyclists, not so much.

A UK writer makes another try at riding the length of the country in one shot. Land’s End to John O’Groats: unfinished business for James Cracknell This is about the same as riding halfway across TX, or El Paso to Amarillo, in a single day, in early spring with a front coming through.

More on the Wounded Warriors ride in CA. WOUNDED WARRIORS ROLL INTO SOLVANG The Witch on a Bicycle says “HOO-RAW” for these men. Send them money though the link on their website for buying bikes and modifying them to use with their disabilities. I know you would do it for me, well aside from the fact that I was injured as a civilian these guys are just like me. Except that I have a blog and they have a life.

A pro cyclist tries to recover in scenic WI from a wreck during a race. The long road back Just a note the wreck was nowhere near scenic or any other part of WI.

San Antonio cyclists gather to urge safer roads for riding. Cyclists push for safer roads Apparently pushing for enforcing the laws when cyclists are killed just doesn’t compute.

A ride to honor a long-time AZ cyclist and advocate. Cycling Classic dedicated to longtime Douglas resident

And San Antonio isn’t the only place having issues with cyclists getting killed without consequence, trouble is brewing alongside the famous coffee in Seattle. More from bicyclist club’s traffic justice summit Seattle area cyclists are getting angry about multiple fatalities where drivers who are at fault are getting less than a slap on the wrist for killing human beings. This deserves a separate blog post sometime in the near future, along with the probabilities of getting such laws passed.

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus