Fated

Written by Jasmine Walls, Illustrated by Amy Phillips

Source: Fated

Oh [$DEITY] that shit’s funny!

OK I have to backtrack a backtrack

A couple of days ago I edited a post to say that I had not properly researched the costs of a Powerglide transmission. Well I stand by that statement, but I should have also not struck out the fact the PG was cheaper than the 700r4 or the 4l70e.

As you can see the 700r4 is much more expensive than I remembered. So is the 4l70e . So even at nearly $1000 for a complete kit, the PG is still less than half the cost of either 4-speed self-shifting alternative.

Now staying with the TH 350 is about the same as the PG in terms of cost and the 700r4 in terms of weight. It drastically complicates switching from street to race mode because it would require 3 sets of QC gears, one for highway driving to and from race venues, one for Goodguys, and a third one for SCCA Solo races. Not that big a deal, but still more complex than the PG or either of the 4-speeds.

So mea culpa, I’m sorry for disseminating misinformation, and I hope to not do it again.

PSA, Opus

Advertisement

Happy Beg-For-Candy-Day!

Happy Samhain for the Pagans and Wiccans out there, Beltain for those Down Under.

Finding neat things to make the Mini Sprint-T with on a Wreck-Free Sunday

I have been doing some research on model parts and found that there are several people making Wide 5 hubs in ¹/₂₄ / ¹/₂₅ scale. I shared the hub and wheel molded together from Plastic Performance Parts, but it turns out there are people making separate hubs and wheels.

One in particular is Ron Coon. The Combo 1 has a good hub and a decent wheel for the 14″ wide wheel version of the Sprint-T but it wrong for making the 8″ wide wheel of the street version with the 27 x 10.50R-15 LT Hoosier Pro Street radials.

A good hub/disk combo but a not-so-good wheel comes from 3 Amigos but that wheel does look like it would narrow up a lot better than the Ron Coon part.

The best-looking but most expensive wheels and hubs are from Dirt Modeler.

Model Car Garage has castings that would work for making rear calipers and front calipers that are reasonably scale.

This would be great to model the transmission as it is dimensionally identical to the 4E60 and 4E70 electronically controlled transmissions I’m looking at for more relaxed cruising and better gas mileage.

And scroll down this page until you get to QC_1 for a quickchange rear end that will work great with the HB_1 and COMBO kits.

One of the reasons I’m strongly thinking about making a Mini Sprint-T is to get a better idea of how it will go together in full-scale. I’m a tactile kinda guy and manipulating the parts in miniature will give me a better feel for dealing with the same thing 25 times bigger.

BTW I hope everyone had a happy Coming Out Day. And for those of you still in some kind of closet, maybe next year.

And finding all those links was more time-consuming than I expected, now I want to go back to bed.

PSA, Opus the Poet

And diphenhydramine helped the swollen foot problem now I have a staying awake problem, and the Feed

I tried an experiment last night and took a generic Benadryl before going to bed, and woke up with a normal-sized foot. The problem is as soon as the diphenhydramine wore off the foot went “poof” and started swelling again because whatever made it swell in the first place is still active. So I am slightly sedated by allergy meds as I compose this… (What is the code for a yawn smiley?)

Up first is Our Daily Ted Part 1. Morning Links: Lawyer disputes unarmed, bike-fixing Hawaiian Gardens man reached for deputy’s gun

And Daily Ted Part 2. Guest Post: Provoking, Scaring and Piercing, the (Driver’s) Reptile Brain Part 2

Possible infrastructure improvements in NYC. Renderings Show What A Greener South Bronx Waterfront Might Look Like Gee more people standing in the bile path, quelle suprize.

While we are in NY here’s another link to the disgusting story of a killer driver getting essentially no punishment. DMV: Six-Month Suspension for Driver Who Killed Sammy Cohen Eckstein Suspending the license he didn’t have for 6 months is not even a slap on the wrist, it’s a stern finger shaking.

More on the NYC biking gender gap. Why More Men than Women Participate in NYC’s Bike Share Program The answer is found in the Good Book (no, not that one, the CROW manual).

More on the CO death of a cyclist following an unsafe pass. Fort Collins driver who killed cyclist charged Dang, the cyclist was in a bike lane? Why isn’t this a murder charge then?

More on the NOLA hit-and-run cyclist killing. NOPD releases vehicle description in fatal hit-and-run Another blasted Ghost Bike for another cyclist killed while following the dictates of the law.

More on a cyclist hit and killed in the Great White North. Students of Ontario cyclist killed during hit-and-run offer support through GoFundMe campaign

And more on a hit-and-run in the Great White North. Deinsberg St-Hilaire charged after Andy Nevin killed in hit and run on Leitrim Road Finally…

You might want to remember that cameras are everywhere these days before you assault someone with a deadly weapon. Caught on camera – the furious clash between a parish councillor and the group of cyclists who say he ran them off the road Yep, they have a video of the whole thing, but because of UK media laws can’t show anything but a few screen caps from it.

Something happened in the Emerald Isle. Man held over Clontarf hit-and-run released without charge Usually the Irish are very strict and harsh about hit-and-run, what happened this time? I suspect that the recent sharp rise in the fines and prison sentences associated with hit-and-run may have had something to do with it, but I’m just guessing.

Good advice from Oz. Awareness the key in keeping everyone safe on our roads Until the infrastructure improves cyclists will have to keep that head up and moving and alert for cars, because drivers are certainly not looking for bicycles.

Speaking of infrastructure… Paris to let cyclists skip red lights

And more infrastructure. ACT government spends big on cycling but safety concerns remain This could be used as a guide on “How To Waste Money on Bicycle Infrastructure”.

And a good article on more generalized infrastructure. Infrastructure vs Helmets

And now I’m outta links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the swollen Poet

Still dealing with pedal extremity edema, and the Feed

Well the swelling went down in my good foot, the one on the end of the leg that didn’t get mangled. The bad news is the one on the other leg the swelling did not go down. It’s uncomfortable to walk with it and I still can’t get a shoe on it. 😛 And now I have these tiny divots under the scars where my shoe got ripped off my foot in the wreck. They look very strange…

Up first is Our Daily Ted, Part One. Morning Links: LA advocates sue over Glendale-Hyperion redesign; bike lanes and bikeshare dominate the news The number of unanimous votes from the council is not out of the usual for here in TX as most issues are pretty cut-and-dried before they ever get to a council meeting, but the unanimous votes for a general plan then voting against specific parts of that plan when it comes time to implement them is kinda dodgy.

Daily Ted, Part Two. Guest Post: Provoking, Scaring and Piercing the (Driver’s) Reptile Brain Part 1

It was a wreck like this that caused me to stop doing wreck analysis in this blog. Family and friends mourn bicyclist killed in hit-and-run on Elysian Fields Avenue Sounds like a genuinely nice guy. I’m sorry to hear of his passing, the world needs more artists to show us what is beautiful in this world. More Police search for driver who killed bicyclist and fled

And 3 days ride from WoaB LEO blame a cyclist for crossing an exit ramp on a highway built more like a freeway and the only way through for the cyclist. BCSO: Fatally struck cyclist may have been at fault I can’t get an accurate location, just “Hwy. 90 west of San Antonio” so I can’t say if there was a route that kept the cyclist off the highway. But to blame a cyclist for not seeing a turn signal on a vehicle behind him by more than a quarter of a mile is absurd. At that speed (60 MPH) a vehicle would travel almost a half mile in the time it takes to cross an offramp.

One got away in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Bicycle may have saved boy in van crash Apparently the bike made the kid a little more mobile than he would have been afoot and prevented the stolen van from running him over.

And in another neighborhood, a child cyclist’s death is met with “You want infrastructure, you have to pay for it.” Rubonia faces cost of sidewalks after child’s death Now where are they going to get that kind of money, and why aren’t tax dollars being spent on the commons? (Aside from the fact that this is a non-white neighborhood?)

Remembering a cyclist killed in the Great White North. Oakville cyclist killed in Milton remembered for his passion and devotion to his family and teaching

Road.cc weighs in on the laughable sentence for the driver who killed a cyclist while texting non-stop behind he wheel. Driver who killed cyclist had been checking WhatsApp messages leading up to collision

Why the UK needs better bicycle infrastructure. Cyclist deaths: Why you are 17 TIMES likelier to be killed on a bike than in a car And that picture of the remains of deceased cyclist Ying Tao was just horrifying.

They came desperately close to killing another cyclist in London. Cyclist injured in west London crash as bike snaps in two under wheels of lorry Did you see where the cyclist was hit? In the “bicycle box” at the front of the intersection, exactly where he was supposed to be, and on the driver’s side of the truck.

Really now! Injured cyclist has bike stolen while being treated on ground

After reading the contents of the last three links I certainly can believe this headline. Law firm calls for protection for cyclists after nearly 500 injured on roads in Bath, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire And with 3 out of 4 cyclists not at fault for their wrecks something needs to be done.

An act of terrorism against cyclists in Oz. Wire strung across road could have seriously injured This could have been fatal if the rider had been a few inches shorter or the wire a few inches higher. I hope they charge the miscreants with acts of terrorism meant to kill.

And I’m all outta links again. I’m going to go elevate my foot.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the swollen Poet

Richardson Texas Gets Recognized As A Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community

Here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell we can’t even get a “Nice Try”.

Bike Friendly Richardson

Today, the League of American Bicyclists recognized Richardson, Texas with a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community (BFCSM) award, joining 350 visionary communities from across the country.

With the announcement of 42 new and renewing BFCs today, Richardson joins a leading group of communities, in all 50 states, that are transforming our neighborhoods.

“We applaud this new round of communities for investing in a more sustainable future for the country and a healthier future for their residents and beyond,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “The growing number of leaders taking up bicycling as a way of solving many complex community problems is encouraging. We look forward to continuing to work with these communities as we move closer to our mission of creating a bicycle-friendly America for everyone.”

The BFC program is revolutionizing the way communities evaluate their quality of life, sustainability and transportation networks, while allowing them…

View original post 242 more words

Strating to filter the Feed, and I’m alredy only semi-coherent

I’m recovering from not remembering to carry water with me on what turned out to be a very long trip today, but we have the bus ticket for Mrs. the Poet’s trip to NY, and the storage unit rent is paid. The trips involved for that were Home to Downtown Garland to get the money, Downtown Garland to Downtown Dallas to get the tickets (round trip TX to NY and back involves 11 separate tickets), the Downtown Dallas to North Garland to pay the storage unit rent then walking home from the storage unit because it’s only like a mile and a quarter and there are sidewalks the entire way. Total travel time was about 5 hours. Whee!

Up first because this is a stand-alone link and I need as much space in the Feed window as I can get with 5 days of links in there, Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: KPCC calls LaBonge a bike advocate, CicLAvia rolls, Kerry breaks a leg and Hövding sort of works

More on that CO cyclist shot to death. Colorado police link two shootings and Colorado Hunting for Shooter Who Killed Cyclist, Injured Driver in Two Attacks also Fatal shooting of Windsor cyclist linked to shooting of Milliken woman driving on I-25, police say There seems to be ballistic evidence connecting the two recovered bullets from different shootings. Otherwise there is nothing connecting the two victims.

Another story generating lots of links is the US secretary of State falling off his bike on a planned assault on the Col de la Colombiere. Kerry breaks leg in bicycle crash; returning to US Monday and Kerry hurt in bike accident; rest of Europe visit canceled The col is a frequent climb on the Tour de France most years, but the wreck was in a crowded peloton in the town at the base of the pass and Kerry never even got to the Col de la Colombiere. That’s rough.

Another big story is a drunk driver in far West Canuckistan hitting and killing 2 out of 3 cyclists riding as a group, and killing the passenger in his car. Three killed as alleged impaired driver hits cyclists on scenic road north of Pemberton and Three dead after vehicle hits cyclists also Cyclists killed in Pemberton crash mourned by friends this too Whistler cyclists Kelly Blunden and Ross Chafe killed in collision The third cyclist was initially reported among the injured but later reports state he was not hurt. You know what I think they should do to the drunk murderer, but Canada is much too polite for that.

Bicycles are so dangerous in Japan! Bicycles can be weapons, victim warns and Revised law obliges reckless cyclists to attend safety lectures

Why do you sometimes break road rules? Survey of 17,000 Asks Why Bicyclists Break the Rules of the Road I do because obeying the law 100% of the time will get you killed. I firmly believe in following road rules to be predictable and safe, but there are some things that if you do them as a cyclist you will get hit eventually because they laws were made for cars and bicycles cannot physically do some of those things even though they are required. Merging is one of the big ones for me, since I just can’t get up and go on my bike like someone can in a car. Someone very shortly after I merge is going to have to either slow down behind me or go around me, which is a violation of the merge law. And of course when they follow me I can’t see past them so I can do my next maneuver which is normally another merge to the next lane over so I can make a turn.

More on the UK cyclist killed by a HGV in London. Tributes paid to female cyclist who died after collision with lorry in South London And Health specialist is latest cyclist to be killed by HGV You know if six different kinds of cyclists were all killed by the SAME KIND of vehicle in less than 5 months in just one city I would be looking mighty hard at if maybe one of those vehicles was not suited for use in an urban environment, and I’m not talking about the cyclists.

Since we are discussing the UK anyway. Man arrested over Walton-on-Thames cyclist death and Updated: Arrest made after female cyclist in her 50s killed in tanker pile-up in Surrey The van driver was driving a commercial vehicle without license or insurance.

And still in the UK. Man who killed Horsham cyclist convicted of causing death by careless driving After they let him out of prison they are going to deport him. Harsh, but not as much as he deserved.

I think we have found the poster child for the Asshole Association. Cyclist Hit by Vehicle on One Year Anniversary that Matthew Harker was Struck and Killed Seriously dude, don’t hit-and-run and then get on Facebook and claim the victim was at fault. When you left the scene it became your fault. You might have been able to claim the victim was the author of his own demise had you stayed at the scene, but as soon as you ran you assumed the fault in the wreck because under the law the innocent don’t run. And don’t post about it on Facebook

This is another wreck at a spot that has seen several this year in Portland OR, America’s Copenhagen. Driver cited for crash that injured bicyclist on SE Powell Blvd. This was the same intersection as the cyclist who lost his leg was riding when he got hit just a few weeks ago and not very far from where a cyclist was killed last week. Some people think there may be a problem. Is Biking Getting More Dangerous in Portland? Just for the record I don’t think cycling is getting more dangerous, I think this is what happens when you have something that doesn’t happen very often in the first place and sometimes you get a dry spell and some times you get a few more. What I also think is this area was overdue for a serious bike wreck because of the infrastructure.

Here’s another surprise, a former highway department that still thinks its primary job is to build highways. Coalition Accuses Los Angeles Transportation Authority of Tunnel Vision Gee, build a tunnel under a city in one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world, or move more people more safely for $4 BILLION dollars less. What to do, what to do…

Bouncing all over again today because too many open links makes navigating the composing page a nightmare, a cyclist in Canuckistan makes a claim for injury after hitting a pothole in the dark and crashing heavily. Cyclist suing City of Edmonton for $152K; claims pothole-related injuries This is apparently a different cyclist from the one last week that was only suing for 5 figures instead of the 6 that this one is suing for.

Hey, let’s blame the victims in MA. I-Team: Bicycle Citations Up, Accidents Down In Brookline Remember that line from a few paragraphs back: “bike accidents are so seldom that there is a lot of noise in the statistics about them”? Same thing applies here, there is most likely no causality between the tickets and the reduction in wrecks, only correlation. since most of the wrecks reported in the media the cyclist was not at fault, this large a reduction would mean that ticketing cyclists was changing the drivers’ habits. Exactly how that would work is a bit on the shaky side.

Now this is a clickbait headline that works. When Will the U.S. Embrace This Simple Change to Make Cyclists and Pedestrians Safer? I hate to be the ones that tell them but the UK law they are talking about has so many loopholes that all 6 of the HGV that killed cyclists in London this year were not equipped with the devices.

So many ghost bikes it takes a team from the local bike club to keep them maintained so they don’t get stolen or taken away by the city/state. Duke City Wheelmen refurbish bikes Someone once suggested that we chain white cars everywhere someone died in a car wreck, which I think would be a great idea. Just think how many cars that would take off the roads with 35-40K deaths a year. And the reminder that cars can kill inside and out…

How some of those wounded veteran rides are supported. Hundreds of cyclists support Ride 2 Recovery I would ride in one of these rides.

And then there’s this guy. Double Amputee Starts 52-Day Cross-Country Fundraising Journey to Arlington on Bike He’s not riding to Arlington TX from SD CA, he’s riding all the way across the hot part of the country, in summer, with only his arms to power the bike.

Two links from Oz. A simple request from a cyclist’s partner: there’s no contest between a bike and a car and Doctor Henri Sueke, killed in Rose Bay cycling crash, had just arrived from UK

I have been hit more times, but this guy definitely has worse luck on a specific date. Cyclist badly hurt in hit-and-run again, 5 years later to the day

Lifestyle in AZ. University mourns professor killed on bicycle RIP fellow cyclist.

And what I hope is the last new RoS link for this year… Friends, family of bike commuters killed in February joined hundreds in Thursday’s Ride of Silence

And I am beat, fried, toast, a cinder, past my freshness date… TIRED! and I need to get my toes done before I ruin another pair of socks. I’m just lucky that I haven’t ruined any of the bicycle socks I treasure, just the ones that don’t have any particular meaning or memories attached to them.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Adult toys for big boys (and girls), and the Feed

Someone sent me this link as a funny. Razor Presents: The all new CRAZY CART XL!!! [HD] Now I know what I want for Christmas this year, something that can get slideways! Seriously, this looks like an absolute blast to drive. Pity it can’t go over 17 MPH. I have been thinking about doing this on my own with scooter parts and casters from Harbor Freight, but the cost of doing this on my own and the cost of the Crazy Cart XL are about the same. Of course if I make it there is no reason to limit the speed to 17 MPH (except for the sanity of the driver/builder).

Up first is the continuing drama in Thailand. Cyclists call for harsher punishment and Police step up safety measures for cyclists That last link was blaming the victims harder than the drunk drivers that killed them Dreaming of the police making our roads safe for cyclists

The other big international story is the driver that hit a cyclist while running from police in Enn Zed and then crashed into a truck, killing himself. 25-year-old driver killed in car fire – after hitting cyclist and crashing into truck and Fleeing driver killed in fiery crash also One dead in crash between car and truck and finally Fleeing driver killed in fiery crash named At least this one won’t be a burden to the courts as he proclaims innocence because he “didn’t see” the cyclist he hit.

Still in Enn Zed, another blinded driver gets away with murder. Sunstrike blamed for cyclist’s death on Summerhill Drive “The sun was in my eyes, I couldn’t see the road!” And the prosecution believed him enough to not charge him with manslaughter or murder after he admitted he saw the cyclist more than 200 meters before he hit her dead center with his truck. Jocelyn Goodwin cyclist death: Jason Paul McGahey sentenced [facepalm] One hundred fifty hours of community service for killing a human being with a WMD. No jail, no fines, and only a 6 month suspension of his driving privilege. TANJ!

And local news, you can legally text and drive in TX. It’s Still Legal To Text And Drive In These 4 States I remind people this is the state where ZZ Top released Arrested for Driving While Blind. Which is what you are doing when you text at the wheel, driving while blind because you can’t see the road with your face in a phone. BTW that is the extended live version with the guitar solo in the middle.

A cyclist killer is caught and jailed in LA. Woman arrested in hit-and-run that killed cyclist Glad to see LEO taking vehicular mayhem seriously.

Our Daily Ted is pretty good today. Weekend Links: Sentencing delayed in emotional drugged driving case, rider reportedly robbed on Ballona Creek

Still in CA, sometimes us old folks don’t hear so good when a cyclist approaches and we walk out in front of them as they pass. Pedestrian injured in collision with cyclist on path The cyclist called out he was passing, then the pedestrian was startled when he passed. We aren’t allowed to have air horns on bikes, so how are we going to get through to old people who won’t wear hearing aids (like my Dad, $4K worth of hearing aids sat on his dresser most days the last few years of his life), or wearing headphones or earbuds at any age?

Is there anything easier to avoid than a train on tracks? Police: Bicyclist Hit, Killed By Light Rail Train At College Greens Station Just look and listen for a train ans if you see or hear a train stay off the tracks. How hard is that?

And of course there are no charges for a driver that turned into and ran over a child cyclist in NC. No charges in death of 9-year-old hit, killed on bike ride

Sometimes you really need to watch where the other guy is going. Four riders injured in multi-bicycle crash This was a group ride that went down because two cyclists at the head of the line touched wheels.

Legal Infrastructure for cyclists in the Great White North. Legal Matters-I was struck by an automobile while riding my bicycle. Can I receive compensation?

And physical/legal infrastructure news from Jolly Olde. Campaigners oppose plan to send riders on ‘zigzag’ around Cambridge Circus The legal part comes from this being the intersection where they refused to accept the money to redo the intersection to be safer for cyclists, and even now they are doing everything but make the intersection safer for cyclists.

Last link, could e-assist bikes be better? What’s Wrong With Electric Bicycles I wouldn’t say all hub motors are fragile, but there are a few that are of such low quality that reputable retailers refuse to sell them.

And I’m outta links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I’m exhausted and sore, and now I have a full day’s work to do on the blog post, and the Feed

Remember that paying gig I mentioned in passing yesterday? It came through. Unfortunately it came through for about 7 hours right in the middle of opening up the Feed folder in my e-mail. About 7 hours of work putting together an adult tricycle for someone I had previously offered to build a recumbent or crank-forward bike, but who decided that a more traditional adult tricycle was more to her tastes and riding style, so she bought one in a big box from a big box store. That meant she would need someone who could take it out of the box, inventory the parts etc. until a working adult tricycle was sitting on the ground with her on it. I estimated that would take about 2 hours, told the customer it would take “probably” 3, and more than 6 hours later the trike was finished. Since I had promised this nice lady a trike as a gift I “accepted” a Powerball ticket and some Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs for Mrs. the Poet’s Valentine’s Day present. Speaking of that Powerball ticket the first payout of the 30 annual payments comes to $5,415,892.62 after taxes and 10% to the church, while the cash payout for the Texas Lottery drawing the same day is $5,620,000 before taxes and any charitable contributions made as a bribe for deity favor towards winning.

What to put up first was a hard decision tonight, but I think these links to this major story might be the winner. NYC Adding Truck Side Guards to Protect Pedestrians, Cyclists and NYC Adding Safety Guards To 240 City Trucks In 2015 Somebody was looking at the numbers, and just like in London, big trucks are disproportionate in their representation in fatality statistics. So one kind of fatal wreck that is particular to big trucks is cyclists, pedestrians, and small cars getting run over by the back tires when the truck turns or changes lanes and the pedestrian, cyclist, or small car is in one of the many huge blind spots alongside the truck. Since apparently eliminating the blind spot is an intractable engineering problem an interim solution is something that will shove the pedestrian, cyclist, or small car away from the rear wheels. This seems to have a higher success rate than trying to eliminate the blind spots.

These stickers are pretty useless here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, but I might buy some anyway. Passive Aggressive Sticker Campaign Targets Bike Lane Blockers Yep in order to have bike lane blockers you first need a bike lane to block, something that is sadly lacking here.

Ted Rogers was busy this weekend, unfortunately. Palm Desert bike rider killed in early morning collision; DUI suspected and Weekend Links: OC hit-and-run driver charged in death of PCH cyclist; fund set to help injured bike rider also Bike rider dies after January hit-and-run in West Covina; third bike rider killed in SoCal this year even Morning Links: Waking the sleeping giant in LA and Pasadena, and a gut-wrenching Colorado hit-and-run Dude, I feel for you today. This is like one of my worst days back when I was covering wrecks, because you know the wreck locations personally.

Meanwhile in FL, the victim of a drunk driver and the other cyclist that barely survived the wreck were remembered at the event they had been training for. More Than A Thousand Kick-Off The Dolphins Cycling Challenge and Cyclist killed near Key Biscayne remembered at tri-county race

What is more important people’s lives or a few parking places? Hold on a second, there are opposing opinions on this question. Will the SFMTA Board Demand Complete Protected Bike Lanes on Polk Street? I have a simple solution, go to the merchants responsible and ask outright how many cyclist and pedestrian deaths and serious injuries are “their” parking spots worth, then charge them that in taxes every time someone is killed or injured on their block because of a failure in the infrastructure to protect them. I think after maybe the second pedestrian death or seriously injured cyclist (my wreck cost more than a quarter of a million dollars just for the first two hospital stays, and I went back 3 more times).

Seattle’s Second Ave. is seriously sub-standard by the CROW manual, but when your choices are “sub-standard” and “constantly terrifying and frequently fatal” sub-standard looks pretty good. Seattle’s Second Ave. should inspire Comm. Ave. plans Seriously, this is amazing bicycle infrastructure by US and UK standards, but criminal by the CROW manual. But, baby steps are better than no steps at all.

Speaking if UK “infrastructure”… Things are improving for cyclists, but painfully slowly And by “painfully” she means with many deaths, broken bones, much road rash, and other assorted injuries.

And the legal infrastructure in Jolly Olde ain’t that great either. Report into road death investigations makes scathing findings about training, processes and victim support Yep UK prosecution of drivers that hit cyclists is rife with bias even against cyclists dressed like glow-in-the-dark clowns and lighted like Christmas trees for “not being visible enough”.

Last link is about lifestyle. Lexington man biking across country in memory of woman killed in Scott County There are far too many memorial rides, mainly because there are far too many reasons to have memorial rides.

And that’s all I have tonight, and I desperately want to have a lie down so my back with stop hurting.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet (still an unkillable badass, but nobody ever said that was painless)