Another light Feed today

The conviction of the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree has sucked all the air out of the bicycle stories today. The usual “bicycle hit in middle of street, rider at fault” reporting has lost a lot of its credibility after the conviction on 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and many of the reports are coming back with no details aside from the collision.

Getting to the good news first are more reports on the conviction, starting with the USAToday writer eating crow after his diatribe from last week in favor of the TTTWLAMWAMD. Bicycle justice: Doctor convicted of causing road-rage accident that injured two bicyclists Notice it’s still an “accident” not an assault Second Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, November 3, 2009 For these guys the conviction was small potatoes, and placed well down the list of cycling news. I still can’t find any joy that Dr. Thompson is going to prison, I mean I feel some vindication, but I’m not happy about it. You would think that after all the times I got run off the road or hit I would be doing cartwheels over someone getting caught and punished for the deed, but even if I still had the ability to do them I don’t feel like that. The curse of being a thinking being with morals and scruples.

In other convictions, (I love typing that) a MI man that had been putting away a lot of beer gets a minimum of 20 years sentence for killing a cyclist. 20 beers nets 20 years for driver who killed teen cyclist That must have been some really cheap watered down beer for him to consume that much and only have a 0.18% BAC. That might have been a factor in the lack of judgment in getting behind the wheel with a BAC more than twice the legal limit, besides the impaired judgment that comes with BAC over .08%. As for how to avoid this wreck, you can’t and still use the roads. The driver ran a red light and hit the back end of a group ride crossing the road in front of him, making not being there the only way to avoid getting hit by a drunk driver running a red light. If you start to follow that path, you might as well stay in bed with the covers over your head. and that still won’t protect you from drunk drivers as the Queens man who was hit in his 2nd floor bedroom by a drunk driving a Lexus SUV can testify. I’m going to let you Google that one because I don’t have a valid URL for that article.

This must have been the most excitement in Anoka MN in quite a while, here it is over a week later and they’re still talking about it. Bike rider killed in Blaine identified As of this report this is a SWCC wreck, but at least we know the name of the cyclist.

Another hit-from-behind wreck in CA. Truck rear-ends bicycle, kills rider The lack of information forthcoming from LEO is a bad indication to me that something is being covered up.

More lawyer blather about the NC hit-and-run by the woman in the Dodge Durango that killed the cyclist, only this lawyer is still using the story that the cyclist was hit from behind instead of the now known cross the road to hit head on before the U-turn vehicular assault. Guilford County Hit and Run Kills Greensboro, N.C. Man I guess stories like this are the reason I don’t feel happy about TTTWLAMWAMD getting convicted, it was just a drop in a bucket, and a very large bucket at that.

It turns out the cyclist hit by the bus in Hayward was a bike ninja. Two fatalities in separate Hayward accidents Lights might have helped the bus driver see the cyclist, but coming from where he came from there was no way any reflectors would have helped. From the description of the damages to the bus, a helmet would not have helped either. When you ride after dark have lights on front and rear because you won’t always be in the headlights for a motor vehicle to see you before the wreck. And don’t drink and ride.

Another ride for someone hit by a car, but nothing being done about the cars. Ride memorializes bike-car collision victims At least the transportation department is aware of the issues and is part of the ride for the injured cyclist, even if they aren’t doing anything about cyclists getting hit in the bike lanes at the moment. But I’m really being too harsh on the transportation department, as they don’t enforce the laws they just build the roads.

Things weren’t that different at the turn of the 20^th Century. Gossip of the Cyclers, and Other News of the Wheel The big difference was there were no cars killing pedestrians and cyclists wholesale, the main source of traffic fatalities was horse drawn conveyances, and we all know how smart horses are.

Lastly someone has found a good use for bicycle helmets. Bicycle helmet saves the day — on foot My colleague at examiner.com points out that pedestrians are more likely to get head injuries than bicyclists or motorcyclists and nobody makes a fuss that they don’t wear helmets, because pedestrian head injury is rare, almost as rare as bicycle head injury.

And that’s all I got today, more later.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Interesting stats, not so the wrecks, the Feed

Well I have had some interesting visitors this week, judging by the people using Google Translate to view my site. One was reading the site in Mandarin, and another in what looked like either Finnish or Icelandic. Well since I don’t work in any languages other than English (I can read Spanish and understand it when I hear it, but I can’t write or converse in Spanish any more since the wreck) if you want me in your native tongue you’ll have to use one of the translation engines on the web. But you’re welcome here anyway, I’m not paying for the bandwidth.

More on the wreck in Tulsa. Cyclists pay tribute to one of their own and Cyclist Killed.. What’s Next For Suspect My personal feeling on the subject of what to do with the vile perp that had zero business on the roads have nothing to do with his immigration status and everything to do with his other illegal activities involving motor vehicles: let him die in prison and bury him there, the sooner the better. I won’t even allow him the benefit of death by lethal kitten. Let him find his own food when he gets to prison… and yes I’m angry about this.

And as if they don’t have enough on their plates in Toronto, another cyclist is killed. Toronto cyclist killed by streetcar Hey guys? Streetcars are confined to run on rails like trains and obey signals like cars and other road vehicles, they’re big and easy to see, SO STOP RUNNING INTO THEM!! Seriously, we have had this discussion every time someone pulls a bonehead move into a train or streetcar but in spite of my being an internationally recognized expert on the field y’all ain’t listening and are getting hit or running into the things anyway. It’s not rocket science to avoid getting hit by vehicles on a rail system, really.

Multiple reports on a WA man hit in a wreck. First the police blotter. NEWS FROM AROUND THE REGION FOR 9/3/09 provided by the Associated Press and then the update from his local paper Injured cyclist recovering in Seattle hospital The cyclist was hit while stopped and signaling for a left turn, a totally non-avoidable wreck for the cyclist. not so for the driver that hit him and left the scene. The driver needs to be flogged with bicycle chains then rubbed with salt and alcohol so as not to get infections, then spend his next 2 lifetimes in jail being chewed by rats and cockroaches. Then after that we can really start to punish him.

If you have a crazy uncle or cousin that lives in CA and hasn’t checked in lately try calling these folks. Authorities stills searching for family of bicyclist killed in Watsonville Still blaming the victim for wearing a cowboy hat instead of a helmet in the hot sun, instead of blaming the driver of the Mercedes that hit-and-run and killed him. Besides even if he had been wearing a helmet that prevented all possible head injury, he would have died from blunt trauma to the abdomen.

Not sure of where to put this report, so I put it here. Cyclists entitled to whole lane, bicycle cop says Well at least one cop in North America gets it, several thousand to go…

A cyclist is assaulted on a path reserved for non-motorized travel in the UK. Woman cyclist injured in North Oxford attack Can’t ride on the roads, can’t ride on the MUP, can’t ride on the sidewalks, can’t ride anywhere without someone taking offense at a cyclist being there. To quote my elder daughter, “I hate people.”

A cyclist is killed in a wreck caused by a road surface defect, and what do they blame? The cyclist’s lack of a helmet! Cyclist killed in Lower Austria If you read my blog you know I strongly recommend wearing a helmet, am strongly against mandatory helmet wearing, and also repeatedly remind people that helmets can only do so much.

More lawyer stuff about a bike wreck a while ago with a U-Haul truck. Massachusetts bicyclist injured by U-Haul moving vehicle This has got to stop, just because you have a license to drive a car doesn’t mean you have the ability to drive a moving van. I am signed off to fly a J-3 Cub, but in order to fly a Cessna 150 I would need to get signed off on that, too. Why can’t we do that with land vehicles as well? The driver of the truck broke down at the scene and sobbed about not being able to see the victim, some training about blind spots and fields of vision might have prevented this wreck.

More on the killer bike path in LI NY. Community Pushes for Safer Area Between Bike Path and Wantagh Parkway As I have said if this was a regular surface street that went parallel to the highway there would have been a barrier between the two from the beginning.

Pople are getting killed because drivers are ignoring the law requiring a 3-foot separation when passing or are just deliberately trying to kill cyclists, so what do “The People” have to say? Tell us what you think: Cyclist safety and sharing the road Sure ask the boneheads that don’t even know the laws about bicycles to decide what to do…

Another infrastructure article on wrecks in the same area a cyclist was killed on a bike path. Before cyclist’s death, a series of warnings Some warning signs on the trail would have been nice, as well as a little light in the tunnel so that people could see. Bicycles don’t have their headlight switches where they can be activated when a cyclist enters a dark tunnel, so additional lighting for sudden changes in shade are helpful.

A really big bike ride is a little less festive this year. West Jeff Ox Roast Bicycle Tour set for 20th ride Yeah a major figure getting killed will put a damper on your festivities.

The family of a man killed while riding a bicycle by a person performing an illegal U-turn is suing the driver and the driver’s employer who owned the van. Family of bicyclist killed in Ballard crash sues This would be another good place to not read the comments section.

And that’s all I have for you today, I might be out tomorrow so there might not be a post for Saturday.

Billed @$.02, Opus

More death, destruction, mayhem, and updates, the Feed

We had a more typical Feed today, plus I threw in a non-cycling specific article just to show that the bigger the vehicle the bigger the problem on the roads to other users. We had some updates on earlier wrecks, and we have a RoS report that’s only about 4 months late.

Up first is a hit-and-run outside the nation’s capital. Cyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run in Gainesville The rider was hit sometime before 10PM and died the next morning. Speculation in the comments has the driver DUI, and will shave shower and put on a suit and tie before turning himself in with his lawyer and claiming to not have known he hit a person… To avoid a similar wreck use typical hit-from-behind tactics, mirror(s), escape route, and ready to use the escape route or to bail from the bike and let the bike do as much damage to the other vehicle as possible and hope you are clear of the carnage.

I wonder about any possible charges for a driver that left the road to hit a cyclist in TN. Bicyclist killed in Roane County crash This is a different county than the one that decided that just because a cyclist had reflective gear and bright blinking taillights you still didn’t actually have to avoid hitting the cyclist in compliance with the 3-foot passing law in the state. Also this driver didn’t just fail to pass safely, the cyclist was not even on the legal part of the road but on the shoulder. As someone pointed out in the comments section, had the driver used a .38 instead of a Tacoma they would have put him under the jail, instead of letting him wander around loose. He also would have been much less likely to have killed the cyclist, as gunshot wounds are only 9% fatal and at the posted speed limit for the road motor vehicles are approximately 98% fatal, add the 10 MPH “tolerance” and fatalities exceed 99%. For how to avoid, once again we have a hit-from-behind wreck, this time at high speed on a straight road with no oncoming traffic. Mirror(s), be ready to bail, etc. Having a video camera pointing backwards with solid state (memory chips) recording might be a good idea also. It won’t help you avoid the wreck but it might help the prosecution put away the driver that hits you.

Another report on the WI cyclist that dumped his bike at a relatively high speed and died in CO. Cyclist killed in Monument accident From reports that have come to me back-channel the cyclist hit some road debris and lost control of the front wheel, loose gravel is suspected. As loose gravel is pretty much the same color and texture as gravel that is part of the actual road surface particularly on roads that have been chip sealed, this becomes a very difficult wreck to avoid. The only thing I can suggest is to not ride faster than you want to hit the road with your body, not very constructive advice.

About all we know in this wreck was there was more than one vehicle involved, at least 3 perhaps more that didn’t actually hit anything, and that one vehicle prevented the 2 colliding vehicles from seeing each other until they hit. Once again the question is why the one motor vehicle did not stop when there was another vehicle stopped in the inside lane. Bicyclist injured in Tuesday Bemidji accident To avoid, don’t pull out into lanes where you can’t see clearly.

From the description of this wreck they are blaming the victim for actually trying to cross the road. Bicyclist Injured After Struck By Car At this point it is unknown if the cyclist entered the intersection on a green or yellow light or if he ran the red.

Mayhem and murder in Portland OR. Cyclist killed in hit-and-run crash in NE Portland Gotta love the comments section, people blaming the cyclist for the wreck because, well he was riding a bicycle in the street! What did he expect? From the initial description of the wreck sparse as it was this was probably another hit-from behind wreck. Read the other hit-from-behind wrecks again if you can’t remember what to do.

A wreck in UT they can’t figure out what happened, except the rider is dead. Bicyclist killed in Park City crash The rider may have been hit by a motor vehicle, but probably not as the other rider in front did not report hearing a motor vehicle. It’s a mystery… But not to the people commenting.

More on the wreck in VA. Car Kills Bicycle Rider slightly more information than the initial report yesterday Bicyclist Killed By Car ID’d updated report Killed cyclist was doctor, surprise-minded father was a separate comments section to both articles. There is speculation the driver in this case was on the cell either talking or texting and not paying attention to driving. Yet another hit-from-behind wreck! [sigh]

A cyclist is hit in the UK Cyclist injured after crash with car After all the US reports it’s almost nice to read a report that someone didn’t blame the cyclist for being a cyclist as the reason for the wreck…

They are having a bit of a wrangle over bike helmets in South Korea. Bike Helmet Bill Causing Stir There was some mis-information in the article (misinformation from a politician?) about the fines for not wearing a helmet, as well as places that mandate helmet wearing.

I know they are “slow” in AL, but really, how long ago was the RoS? The Ride of Silence The article mentioning the RoS is actually in response to a bike wreck from last week, so no Auburn jokes.

A running and road race for charity in far western NY. 1,500 cyclists, runners expected for Thater races If you’re in the area the Poet says “do this”. And have fun.

And even SUV drivers cringe at 40 ton trucks being driven by sleep-deprived Zombies. Trucks can make for a deadly harvest This would be a good time to ride somewhere else if you have that option and are not living in the area.

And that’s all I have today, I’m going to take a mental health trip and de-stress a bit.

Billed @$.02, Opus

I survived riding the entertainment district of Arlington, and now you get Fed

I survived a perilous trip through the entertainment district of Arlington TX to get to the Bike/Ped Advisory Committee meeting at NCTCOG yesterday. The trip there was “fun” as in not really fun. First of all the temp was about 99 F with a heat index somewhere shy of 110, and second the trip I had carefully planned with Bike Route Toaster plan your trip here to avoid heavily traveled roads and steep hills was blown all to Hell by construction on the SH161 tollway, which took out some of the streets that I would have ridden yesterday. So, I got dumped in some very busy streets with some short, steep, hills and had to replan the trip on the fly from what I remembered of the maps while looking up the route the day before. Unfortunately this ended up putting me on some very bad pavement that was very rough on Gigi, and after the meeting put me in the middle of Grand Prairie’s rush hour traffic. I consumed 72 oz. of water getting to and from Centreport Station, and another 48 oz. after I got home before I rehydrated enough to be able to urinate. Needless to say my anti-perspirant died long before I could get to the meeting.

And the meeting was not entirely a waste of time, close, but not the entire meeting. First the good news, they have secured funding to pay for the Veloweb that TxDOT can’t raid to pay for something else. These funds have to be spent on bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure and cannot be spent on any kind of road or highway project. Second, most of the projects will be grade separated (no cars anywhere near the facility) and will connect residential to commercial and manufacturing areas for jobs and shopping. These will not be MUP in parks that wander hither and yon, these will be as straight as right of way permits. Now the bad news, some of the connections are going to be glorified sidewalks that will only be 7 feet wide in commercial and manufacturing areas, but that was as much as they could put in given land use restrictions and previously installed infrastructure, and to get some areas connected they had to repurpose MUPs from parks to bypass major streets and highways. So one of the sections of the bicycle version of Central Expressway will have more than 17 gentle turns of more than 45 degrees in less than 1/2 mile. But by the Winter of 2010 you will be able to ride a bicycle from Downtown Plano to Downtown Dallas without ever using a road built for motor vehicle travel, all with a 25 MPH speed limit. Sometime after that you will be able to go from Garland to Ft. Worth in a similar fashion on purpose built infrastructure that is completely grade separated except at park and ride facilities where you can park your car and bring your bike, or just ride your bike from your home to a convenient entry point. That is due before 2020, maybe as soon as 2015. At which time (2020) I will be 62 years old and probably no longer in need of getting from Garland to Ft.Worth.

Up first are recalls for Felt cyclocross bikes, Cannibal BMX bikes and Burley kid trailers, now made outside instead of the US… Recalls If you have any of these products stop using it immediately and get the product fixed or replaced as the recall advises,

More on that hit-and-run in FL involving a 14 YO kid. Cape Coral police seeking vehicle involved in hit-and-run that injured teen and also Bicyclist injured in hit & run identified This was the exact same kind of wreck that killed Larry Schwartz and created the Ride of Silence, only the kid survived this one. They still suspect possible brain damage, but with a 14 YO it’s hard to tell brain damage from normal 14 YO male activities If you see a vehicle matching the description of the one mentioned in the article (silver or grey Ford van) with the appropriate damage to the passenger side mirror please notify authorities. The thing that impresses me most about the wreck other than the kid surviving was the bike left tire marks on the pavement at the wreck site.

More on that wreck on US71 in IA. Bicyclist killed in Clay County accident and Officials: Cyclist hit, killed, today near Spencer The reports indicate there may be criminal charges placed against the van driver for hitting the cyclist and never doing anything to avoid the wreck, as there were no tire marks from the van prior to the impact with the cyclist. The only good thing I can put here about the wreck was the driver stayed at the scene and voluntarily submitted to a blood draw. That will keep him away from the sealed room full of kittens and the induced cat allergy to cause anaphylactic shock and a slow painful death. But if he was drunk I say hang him with a short rope. Now if he was sober just lock him in a room and forget about him for a couple weeks. If he lives, then he can go home and never drive a motor vehicle ever again in his life. If he doesn’t live, problem solved… I get cranky when I have to climb hills that I had carefully planned to not climb and it takes me a while to get un-cranky.

More on the driver that crossed the road to hit a cyclist head on. Queen Creek man jailed after bicyclist killed I’m glad to see that homicide charges are being pressed after this drunk killed one and almost got 2 more cyclists in one swoop. Two words: short rope.

And another hit-from-behind wreck in AZ, which some are trying to call a SWSS. Bicyclist killed in collision with truck Usual stuff for a hit-from-behind wreck. Mirror, alert, be ready to bail to an escape route at all times.

More witness’ statements for that “SWSS” that is turning out to be something entirely different in MA. Marshfield bicyclist killed in accident and Cyclist killed in Marshfield, Mass. crash and with pictures Bicyclist struck, killed by car in Marshfield One witness reported the impact was to the driver’s side of the windshield, and directly from behind on the bike, and another witness reported the cyclist was hit so hard that helmet or not he would be dead.

In spite of spending millions of $ for bicycle infrastructure they’re still killing cyclists in record numbers in Seattle. Cyclists on crash course to set deadly record Although NYC is decreasing cyclist deaths by half while doubling cyclists on the road, Seattle is not faring as well.

A memorial/benefit for a cyclist killed by a drunk driver on a closed race course. Bicycle club’s benefit ride will remember triathlete The heirs and survivors of the deceased cyclist will be in attendance.

A SC (?) city ponders making driver get along with cyclists and creating safer streets. Task force explores ideas to make city bicycle friendly I don’t agree with some of the suggestions, like allowing sidewalk riding, which strikes me as doing things just to be seen as doing things.

A CA cyclist comes back after getting hit in a wreck. Herhold: A cyclist’s resolve Another run in with a damned drunk driver (who should be damned) that wasn’t as bad as it could be (bad enough but not as bad as it could be).

More on that auction in Ottawa for the 5 cyclists hit by an insane driver. Lance Armstrong bib nets $5,000 for injured Ottawa cyclists and Armstrong bib auction fetches $5,000 for injured cyclists I’m glad people are contributing to helping these people out.

And getting back to infrastructure and NYC comes a call for a bike lane and traffic calming on Queens Blvd. Bicycle victim’s friends rally for bike lanes in Queens Infrastructure!!

And that’s all I got today after visiting the lab rat keeper.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Lots of multiples and updates, The Feed

Lots of stuff going on on the Internet about bicycles. There are lots of infrastructure articles as bicycles are being phased back in as transportation rather than as toys. I think that’s our biggest hurdle to overcome with bicycles as transportation now, that bikes are fun to ride even as transportation. Cars are not fun to drive any more, and haven’t been for quite some time. They used to be fun when I was younger, but by the time I was about 30 driving other than in a sanctioned competition was more of a chore than entertainment. I stopped driving back in 1995 when I was only 36 years old, when the engine on my Hyundai was broken by a chunk of scrap iron laying in the road, as I could no longer get to SCCA sanctioned competitions on my days off, and the only time I drove was to or from work, and sometimes to take the kids to school on my days off. Those are chores, not entertainment. But when I started to ride my bike to work, commuting was fun again, at least most of the time. Going to the grocery store was a challenge, not a chore. Ditto taking a letter to the post office.

Another cyclist is hit in Boise, the 4th in as many weeks. Cyclist, motorist cited after accident in Boise and Police cite both driver and cyclist after collision also Both driver and cyclist cited for Tuesday morning crash in Boise From what I have been able to piece together from all the reports, the cyclist was riding on the sidewalk, riding against the flow of motor vehicle traffic (there is no “wrong way” on a sidewalk, but I digress), and the driver made a right turn without looking where he was going. The cyclist was ticketed for I think riding the “wrong way”, and the driver was ticketed for not looking where he was going and driving into someone that was in front of him that he should have seen before he turned. Now I do not condone riding on a sidewalk, sidewalks are segregated infrastructure reserved for pedestrians, but they are also bi-directional. You can’t go “the wrong way” on a sidewalk because they go both directions. But don’t ride there, anyway.

More on the crisis in Boise. Solidarity bike ride for Kevin Pavlis set for Wednesday at Boise’s Camel’s Back Park and Cyclists, motorists can co-exist: Kristin Armstrong, husband share safety advice From the comments sections I can see there’s lots of animosity on the part of drivers against cyclists for a variety of reasons, but drivers have to remember they are in control of deadly weapons, cyclists remember they are soft targets, and everybody should just chill.

Sentence is passed on a man who was driving stoned when he killed a cyclist. Putnam man gets up to 3 years for killing cyclist One to 3 years, and with prison overcrowding he would have to be a total putz behind bars to get the full 3 years. TANJ!

Someone shot a kid for riding his bicycle? Cyclist, 14, shot in head, dies after brief coma I don’t understand shooting a cyclist unless you’re a pedestrian. The only reason to shoot a cyclist would be to tell everybody you did this on purpose, that this was a deliberate killing. And there is a word for deliberately killing someone, murder.

Closer to my home a TX cyclist was hit from behind near San Antonio. Bicyclist killed in Atascosa County accident No word on if the cyclist had lights or reflectors (but if they don’t it’s always mentioned) but half the comments section didn’t think he did. And some thought it was funny that a cyclist was hit. Comments sections are worth what you pay for them I guess.

Another cyclist hit in CA. Girl injured after being struck by car on Quito Road OK the cyclist was definitely not riding by the rules of the road in this case. Ride with traffic, but if you read my blog then you already do that. People that read my blog are not the people I need to read my blog…

A MO town discovers a new revenue steam. Town takes aim at anti-bicyclist rage If the fine is low enough they could generate a steady stream of income. The trick would be to have the fine low enough that it doesn’t make a big impression but high enough to generate profit from imposing it. Or to come from the other direction high enough to make a profit but not high enough to change the behavior.

More RAAM articles. A race of epic proportion and Driven to compete: Two-wheeled warriors keep pedal to metal I wish all the competitors in the RAAM luck, and may the best man/woman/team win their respective division.

They’re thinking about putting up mirrors under the traffic lights in London. Boris Johnson planning traffic light mirrors to save cyclists from lorries and Safety boost for cyclists: junction mirrors to alert lorry drivers Trucks turning left across the bike lanes is a major (more than 75%) killer of cyclists in London, with cyclists getting killed after stopping at traffic signals, sometimes pulling up beside a truck and sometimes being there when the truck pulls up and the driver doesn’t look for a cyclist. The mirrors will help if the drivers use them.

And another article on the WHO report that most people killed by cars are not the ones that benefit from cars. Traffic Accidents Kill 1.27 Million Globally, WHO Says Cars R Coffins but most are not riding in them when they kill. And that doesn’t even consider the ones that die from pollution, much less global climate change. The irony of GCC is that while the Earth as a whole will get warmer some places will get colder…

And that’s all I have today, more later as I find it…

Billed @$.02, Opus

Still recovering from the RoS

Yes, I’m still getting over the RoS emotionally. Physically was no sweat, literally. I had to warm up after the ride because the weather was perfect for riding, and Gigi was perfect as a bike can get for such a ride. Well I think that having the OEM cushion and cover would have been better that the surplus 10mm foam and duct tape she has now, “butt” aside from that you couldn’t ask for a bike better suited for maintaining 12 MPH than Gigi, especially riding in a big pack like we had at the Dallas RoS. I could keep the same speed while others were huffing and puffing and dropping off the pace going up the hills around White Rock Lake. And FYI Gigi does not have electric assist installed, and probably won’t ever have assist. Assist is just not part of her mission.

More RoS links. Cycling for safety’s sake and Spokes in silence also Photo: A ride of silence more Cyclists’ silent ride honors those hurt or killed and also Cyclists urge motorists to drive with care still more Ride of Silence in Ann Arbor honors those killed or injured on public roads another one Cyclists honor fallen, promote safety in Ride of Silence even more Update: Cyclist killed in accident remembered in “Ride of Silence” and last link for today Cyclists ride for those who died This is truly an international movement, to bring respect to those who have been killed or injured by motor vehicles on the roads so that everyone can have fossil-fuel free transportation, and the joy of moving your butt with your butt. RIP

And while this was going on more people will be remembered on next year’s ride. Bicyclist injured in Hauula crash dies Now that I can see the wrecked vehicles it looks to me like the car drifted over to the shoulder slightly and hit the cyclist from behind, as there was no impact damage on the bike and heavy impact damage to the right side of the car.

More reports on the MN cyclist killed in the bike lane. Minneapolis cyclist in bike lane killed by semi truck and Bicyclist killed in downtown Minneapolis AFAIK the laws in all 50 states require that you make sure you clear your right of way before making a turn, especially if you must turn across another lane of traffic to make your turn.

They caught the Honda driver that hit-and-run the cyclist in CA after the RoS. Cyclist Injured by Hit-and-Run Driver Driver was drunk, it figures. You know what’s next, backhoe and concrete mixer, throw the guy in, yada, yada, yada. Hit-and-run and drunk, the perfecta in motor vehicle mayhem.

And that’s all I have today, no updates tonight because I have a church thing to go to.

Billed @$.02, Opus

After the Ride of Silence a huge Feed

Well I did the RoS yesterday, and several people recognized me somehow (musta been the helmet) and I had several nice conversations. Most of the Feed today is stuff that lead up to the RoS or reports after, including one from my job with examiner.com.

Starting out with the RoS articles, mine first The Ride of Silence from an honoree’s viewpoint and Ride Of Silence Honors Fallen Bicyclists and Silence on ride honors injured, killed cyclists also Ride of Silence marks boy’s death with more Event will honor fallen cyclists also Cyclists ride to honor injured, promote sharing roadways and Advocate urges participation in Ride Of Silence after cyclist dies in Minneapolis still more Bicyclist’s death in crash with city dump truck serves as solemn reminder for those gathered at ‘Ride of Silence’ event will it ever end? ‘Ride of Silence’ tonight to honor killed or injured cyclists even more Chattanooga Bicycle Club: Ride of Silence to Honor David Meek and Silent ride will remember injured, killed bikers from the far corners of the world Cyclists join thousands worldwide in Ride of Silence and troubles for the Mother Ride Last-minute donation saves Ride of Silence and Bicyclists ride in silence for lost loved ones at White Rock Lake and the last RoS limk Dallas area bicyclists ride in silence at White Rock Lake Whew!…

Now for the rest of the Feed starting with the cyclist killed in the hit-and-run in NOLA I mentioned earlier in the week, with multiple reports. Bicyclist Killed In Hit-And-Run and a later report Cyclist killed in hit-and-run in eastern New Orleans is identified and finally Bicyclist killed in New Orleans East hit and run You can avoid a similar wreck by watching your six like a hawk. I strongly suggest a glasses or helmet mounted mirror and learning how to look back instantly with a flick of an eye. Also leave yourself an escape route, or “out”. There’s nothing worse than knowing the guy behind you is going to hit you and there’s no place to go.

A bad wreck in MN. Cyclist killed in accident with semi and Minneapolis cyclist in bike lane killed by semi truck also Bicyclist Killed In Crash With Semi-Tractor IDed Apparently the cyclist was in a left side bike lane and the driver turned in on him, no word on if the driver signaled properly, but initial reports are that the truck driver may be charged.

More from Columbus OH on getting cyclists on the roads with other traffic. Bike riders want share of streets There are some infrastructure issues there as well.

Another IA rider hit. Dubuque bike rider hurt in crash Another left hook wreck. The only real way to avoid this and still ride on the road is to assume every driver is trying to kill you, but this would make riding no fun. The next best way is to be watching in every direction at once when you come to intersections, and always have an escape route planned.

Another CA hit-and-run. UPDATED: Bicyclist injured in Redding hit-and-run Not much you can do about a red light runner.

A cyclist gets it wrong in a traffic circle. Bicyclist injured, may be cited after hitting car in Belleville traffic circle You have to learn and follow the rules of the road, even in traffic circles. From what I have read this was initially a case of “you go first, no you go first” and then they both decided to go first and the cyclist hit the car.

This cyclist got lucky, and the lesson learned is don’t run stop signs when cars are coming. Bicyclist injured in accident

Lots of wrecks in my old stomping grounds around Temple Square. 2 Cyclists Injured In Crashes With Cars In Salt Lake City and 3 bicyclists injured; two hit by cars The rider that had a wheel come off and did a face plant is going to be very disappointed if he thinks a bike helmet will protect his face in a wreck. The rider that had the left cross should recover…

More from lawyers on the bike wreck in HI. Bicyclist Injured On Kamehameha Highway

Roadblock is injured in a hit-and-run in LA CA. Cyclist and Activist ‘Roadblock’ Injured In Hit and Run When a cyclist as experienced as Roadblock gets hit, there wasn’t any way to avoid the wreck. I suspect foul play, that this was an assault rather than an accident.

A cab and cyclist may share fault in this wreck. Man riding bike critically hurt in collision with cab The cab may have been speeding, way over the limit, and the cyclist may have run a red light.

The children of a slain cyclist make their victim’s statements in the sentencing phase of the Silver Comet Trail trial. Through tears, slain cyclist’s children recall their mom I just want people to know that just because I think the guy that did this has Asperger’s syndrome doesn’t mean that I thik what he did was OK. Even if you have Asperger’s you still know right from wrong, and how to treat a lady. Lack of being able to ask for sex does not absolve you from rape, much less murder.

People in NYC have hated cyclists from the beginning. On This Day in History: May 20 Have Cyclists and Drivers Never Gotten Along? This article quotes sources from the 1890s and earlier.

In Canadia a truck driver is charged in a wreck with a cyclist. Trucker charged in crash that seriously injured cyclist

And finally from Jolly Olde, another hit-and-run. Cyclist injured in hit and run Not much detail, the usual UK media wreck report.

And that’s everything today, I’m taking the rest of the day off from blogging I have a repair gig this evening.

Billed @$.02, Opus

One day before the Ride of Silence

It’s one day before the RoS and the majority of the articles in the Feed today were about that or at least mentioned the Ride. What bugs me is I live near the birthplace of the Ride, and our media has paid absolutely no attention to the existence of the Ride. Only one article from any Dallas media outlet, my article over at examiner.com. Out of all the media in Dallas the only article about the Ride was one I wrote. There is something seriously wrong in this.

The trial of the man accused of murdering a female cyclist on the Silver Comet enters the sentencing phase, and from the testimony reported in this article it sounds like the defendant has a mild case of Asperger’s syndrome. Ledford convicted of murdering Silver Comet Trail cyclist If the testimony is true, this is a case where the mental health system is as much to blame as the defendant. For those not familiar Asperger’s this is a link to information ASPERGER’S DISORDER HOMEPAGE This is a treatable condition, but not something the victim can just take care of by him or her self. People with Asperger’s have to be taught how to interact with other people they can’t just pick it up on their own. Read the linked pages, it’s all pretty well covered in that.

Two reports on a hit-and-run in NOLA. Bicyclist killed in hit and run accident and with more detail Bicyclist killed in hit and run in eastern New Orleans Not a lot of detail in either report, I have no idea if this was something that happened at an intersection or if the cyclist was hit from behind in mid-block, or if the cyclist was hit in some other more off-the-wall mode of wreck. Just be careful out there.

Another report on the Oahu wrecks from over the weekend. 1 Killed, 2 Injured In Windward Oahu Crashes Some differences in reports here, earlier reports had the bicyclist hit in the parking lot of the 7-11, this report has him hit in the road in front of the 7-11.

A child on a bicycle is hit by a car. Nine-year-old Lincoln boy on bike hit by car I can’t understand how people can be so callous about cars taking over a neighborhood and killing and injuring children playing outside. If this had been a gang member instead of a car then the citizens would be up in arms, but dead and crippled children seem to be taken as the price to be paid for motorized transportation, and the total abandonment of the streets to the automobile because it isn’t safe to try to share with cars at the speeds people use them.

Lawyers are watching the progress of the Safe Passing bill in TX. The Safe Passing Bill: An Update If this bill becomes law this will give cyclist’s lawyers a huge tool in cases against drivers that hit cyclists from behind, even if LEO don’t file charges.

OK time for the RoS articles before we move on to the reports from outside North America. Community News You’ll have to pan down a bit on that one. Also Life lines and Silent cyclists honor victims also Ride honors memory of area cyclists and finally Week-long event celebrates the power of bikes Some articles are somber, some are joyous, some are deprecating (it’s a word, look it up) , but at least they are paying attention to us. Now if we can get the same while on the roads.

A report in the UK is harsh towards Gov’t statistics. Watchdog criticises British government cycle safety policy The main thrust of the article is that deaths are not separated out from serious injury which makes cycling look much more dangerous than it really is, as there were few deaths, but thousands of serious injuries, and the two don’t move in parallel, serious injury has been going up while deaths have been declining slightly in recent trends.

You can feel the levels of frustration rising over this wreck. Tributes to cyclist killed in hit-and-run Still no progress in finding the perp, while at the same time nothing is being done about the infrastructure deficiencies that caused the wreck, well that and the impatience of the truck driver in passing where there wasn’t room to do so.

And a hit-and-run driver is tried in absentia for killing a cyclist and attempting to destroy the evidence and then feeling the country to a place without extradition. Embassy official who killed cyclist in hit-and-run sentenced to 10 years in prison Unbelievable.

And another case of street justice in the death of a cyclist in India. Cyclist killed Actually the article never did say what happened to the driver that killed the cyclist.

And that’s it for today, and for tomorrow. Next blog post will be Thursday morning, with my RoS report from the Mother Ride.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Lies, damned lies, and statistics, guess what we get?

Most of the Feed today was rehashes on old wrecks and reactions to the release of a report in the UK about bicycle fatalities and infrastructure.

One of the new wrecks is this injury wreck in PA. Bicyclist injured in accident From the picture it appears he was hit from the left side on the front wheel. The report said he pulled suddenly into traffic, apparently just far enough into traffic to get hit. Actually the word used in the article was “darted”, along with a lot of other adjectives that made the adult rider sound like a mis-behaving 3 YO.

An update on the pinball wreck I covered yesterday with more information. Police: St. Pete bicyclist injured after vehicle runs light, crashes The Nissan ran the red light at a high rate of speed, was hit by the Toyota, and rolled over on the cyclist that was just riding along minding his own business and obeying the law, and guess which one was most seriously injured? Not the woman driving the SUV that ran the red light. If you said the guy riding the bicycle minding his own business, DING DING DING!

Another report on the woman hit by a car in CO. Bike rider killed in Grand Junction I have not seen any of the physical evidence so as far as I know this is still a SWSS.

Another RoS story. Central Bucks Bicycle Club hosts local Ride of Silence Opus says do it.

Quad Cities cyclists try to get people to think outside the box (car). ‘Week’ aims to inspire outside-the-car thinking Well if you read my blog you most likely are already thinking outside the car.

Police in NC ride to DC to honor their killed and wounded. Police bike ride begins Sunday This is another one Opus says to ride in if you can.

And now we get a report on an injured cyclist that wasn’t wearing a helmet. Injured cyclist not wearing helmet: Cops Note that there was no report of the cyclist having head injuries, just that he wasn’t wearing a helmet. What was important to the incident was the part about the cyclist wearing headphones, but that was just mentioned in passing.

And all the UK reports on the road fatalities report. UK ‘lagging on child road safety’ and Too many children killed on roads also Cycling, dangerous? On your bike and one last report from the Beebe ‘My sister deserved safer roads’ Thus is explained today’s headline for the blog.

That’s all I got today.

Billed @$.02, Opus