I’m suffering from water damage

I sustained water damage yesterday, but not from malicious actions. It was raining yesterday and I had to pay my mobile bill or my phone would be shut down, and there were ankle-deep streams over the sidewalks in places because drainage was directed that way, on purpose, because it was cheaper than installing a culvert to direct runoff under the sidewalk. This resulted in soaked shoes that are still drying out this afternoon. It was basically just drizzling so my hat was a little damper than desired and the rest of my clothes were only slightly damp. But my shoes are still wet, after I dumped the water out yesterday.

Because the Sprint-T design is almost frozen because of drivetrain choices and previous purchases, my mind wandered back to the TGS2 with a FWD drivetrain installed as a mid-engine, because I might get a free one. (Hey it still could happen). Basically I didn’t complete the front part of the frame for the center-seat design of the TGS2, and I didn’t like what I had very much in light of what I had for the Sprint-T. After considering pull rods and rocker arms I decided direct-acting coilovers mounted next to the kingpin would be lighter, and most importantly, less expensive. And I can make it more rigid that way than I can with pull rods and rocker arms, plus as the saying goes parts not on the car won’t break or leave you stranded. Or get out of adjustment and cause bad performance. So, no suspension rocker arms. The design for the TGS2 has the frame rails running through the top and bottom of the firewall area of the fiberglass body with the front axle 13″ in front of the firewall, which will look a little strange, especially with the frame members running from the top and bottom rails to the top spring mounts, but that is the closest it can get without hitting the body at full steering lock. Any further back will hit the original bucket and look really strange. I mean really, really strange, like cab-forward taken to the nth degree. Also the 13″ distance allows for placing the battery between the firewall and the front axle, next to the steering box. This helps the front-to-rear balance but is terrible for the polar moment. But the polar moment was pretty good (I don’t have the actual numbers because I don’t have a theoretical engine and transmission, but the minivan engine and transmission had pretty low numbers when I ran them back when I thought I was going to get them any day), so moving the battery from the top of the transmission to just behind the front axle doesn’t make that big a difference.

Another good thing about the TGS2 is automatic transmissions are easy to hook up as mid-engine installations. Just run a cable from whatever I use for a shifter and connect it to the shift arm on the transmission, routing to miss exhaust pipes and other obstructions. And by whatever I use for a shifter I mean I could literally use any lever I want to move the driver end of the cable as long as the housing is marked with the lever location for each gear and there is some kind of detent to keep it from moving out of gear if accidentally bumped. And the brake pedal assembly is much simpler than the clutch and brake pedal assembly. Steering is simpler because there is much less junk in front to route around. The main drawback is Goodguys might not let me compete and only do “demonstration” runs. 😦

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My feet hurt, have to take a break from collecting crypto

Seriously, I put a lot of miles in this week for as old and decrepit as I have become. I know 59 isn’t old in an absolute sense, I mean there are turtles older than that, but as much abuse as I have put my body through it certainly feels old. And it isn’t the bottoms of my feet that are bothering me, it’s across the top of the arch. I think maybe I’m overdue for a foot massage and that’s why that part of my feet hurt.

On other things I just saw where a pedestrian bridge in FL collapsed during construction, and the thing that bothers me the most about it is I can’t see any rebar sticking out of the broken concrete where the bridge collapsed. It might just be the fact the reproduction of the video via Twitter is just not high enough resolution to see the rebar, but there are a lot of little pieces of concrete that should have some kind of reinforcement keeping the pieces together so they break in larger pieces. And I just got back (21:24) from watching YouTube video of the disaster, and even at full-screen I can’t see any rebar sticking out of broken concrete, leading me to believe there wasn’t any or if there was it was too small and not enough of it.

I wish I had something to report about the Sprint-T, but except for brief flashes of inspiration the only thing that will provide progress in this build will be $$ in large quantities. I did a quick check of weight and if I build the frame from aluminum except for the roll bar, we are looking at a weight of 37 pounds for the frame compared to 70 or so for the kit frame that flexes like wet noodles and has no rollover protection. So with a little here and a little there we are looking at a sub-1400 pound car that has 305 HP on regular gas and gets 20 MPG without even trying, while embarrassing Corvettes and Vipers at stoplights. Heck, if I can make it hook up it would embarrass Hellcats and Demons at stoplights. But the kind of tires I would need to use to do that don’t wear well, like less than 100 UTQG wear rating. In comparison Goodguys requires 200 wear rating or higher to compete and most consumer tires are higher than 350 and go as high as 500. Of the tires I have been looking at most of the 245/40-15 are 200-300 wear rated, and the 255/60-15 are 400-500. So wear ratings of zero might have good traction for a few miles, but then you have cords showing through the tread.

I have to go do email and other mundane things now, so this is all for this post.

Finally got some money, and the Feed

The check came in this morning, so I’ll be out running around paying bills and making deposits and stuff tomorrow instead of going with Mrs. the Poet to shop for groceries. There won’t be a big difference for the blog, just for my selection of salty snacks. I think I might have to give up meditation to get my BP up high enough to make the grade for the new test med, because cutting my current meds in half doesn’t quite do it, and eating salty snacks doesn’t do it either. I’m barely at 110/80 now.

Up first, wait, what?!?

Another cow caught stealing a bicycle…… pic.twitter.com/7gtONxicdn

— classicretro (@classicretro) March 30, 2016

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And closer to home.

Crews Finally Add Last Block of 2-Way Protected Bike Lane in Downtown Houston pic.twitter.com/DyjHLsSstv

— StreetsblogTexas (@StreetsblogTex) March 30, 2016

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Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Downtown bike lanes draw new brewery, new bollards on Vineland and a new LA Bike Fest video

Unknown mode of wreck in MN. Bicycle rider killed by car in Sartell and Bicyclist Struck, Killed In Sartell As of this posting all I know is there was a cyclist hit by an unknown vehicle and possibly left for dead making this a possible probable hit-and-run.

Victim blaming in the Great White North. Cyclists share responsibility for accidents More blaming the victim for not wearing the GITDCS that drivers seem to think every cyclist should wear 24/7 when riding. Instead of you know, actually looking more than 20 feet in front of the vehicle.

Right hook in far West Canuckistan. Cyclist dies in collision with truck in Victoria’s Chinatown and Cyclist, 73, struck and killed in downtown Victoria I zoomed in on the picture of the crime scene and the only truck visible was a COE with good forward and side vision. So, aside from using the standard protocols posted in the links at the top of the page what could be done to prevent this wreck? They were already using the delivery vehicle with the best outward vision, the cyclist was wearing clothing that made her visible, what else could be done? EDIT: As I was getting ready to move from the first link to the next link the page updated with a much better picture of the crime scene showing the actual delivery vehicle having a conventional cab that is blind to a large area in front and to the right where the cyclist was hit. So going back to the question, replacing the delivery vehicle with a COE flat van and a glass door to the right would be a massive help.

Speaking of the devil, here’s an article from Jolly Olde on just that kind of vehicle, this one in a trash hauler. Pioneering lorries with panoramic view hit the streets in bid to save cyclists’ lives

Also from the UK is this factoid from the trial of a killer driver. Janina Gehlau: Lorry driver ‘should have seen cyclist for up to five seconds’ before fatal collision The cyclist was using the infrastructure as designed, the driver of the weapon vehicle should have been looking in the direction he was planning on driving before actually proceeding through that space, I believe the colloquial phrasing is “Looked where he was going”.

This is an aspect of UK jurisprudence that I would dearly love to see here in the US. Cyclist injured in fall from bike due to road ‘hazard’ awarded damages after suing council for ‘negligence’ Injured or incur property damage because of crappy infrastructure? Sue the government body responsible for it not being crappy.

Now this just sucks. Man pushes cyclist off BMX and rides off on it I try not to wish harm to another human being, really I do, but this guy needs to get hit by an HGV turning left at a stop light since this is over in Jolly Olde where they drive on the wrong side of the road.

Another rider in Oz hits a parked car? Qld rider killed after hitting parked car Seriously this is two this week.

More on the 73 YO driver that killed a cyclist in Oz. Hit-and-run driver charged over WA cyclist

Back in the US, SF infrastructure! TWIN PEAKS FOR EVERYONE OK let me get this out or I’m going to explode: “That’s one fine cuppa coffee” .

And how do you get bike parking? How Portland’s oldest Buddhist temple got better bike parking Sometimes you have to DIY.

And here it is not even midnight and I’m outta links, Gigi is going to be so happy.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another ugly day, and the Feed

If anything today is even worse than yesterday, in that it is raining harder than the light mist falling intermittently after I wrote yesterday’s opening paragraph, and it is about 10°F colder than yesterday and feels even worse because of the damp. I got an interesting ad late yesterday in my e-mail inviting me to move to Cape Breton Isle on the east coast of Canada. Seems they are having a housing deflation and you can get nice houses for about the cost of a fancy new car. I’m checking on getting broadband out there. BTW the ad headline was “If Trump Wins, where will you go?” so I might avoid the rush and buy now. Then I will take a long bike ride to the Great White North. It would not be the first time I moved to Canada, but it would be the first time I didn’t move to a military base. The first place I lived in Canada is now a Superfund environmental site, something I sincerely wish to avoid this time. The second place I lived in has been classified as “Never Existed” and I can’t find it on Google Earth either. It was near Abbotsford, but I don’t see any of the buildings there anymore from the mid 1960s. Very strange, but the only thing left from the first place I lived in Canada is the runway and the docks, even the hangars are gone.

Up first is a TX wreck between a bike and a cop car. Cyclist injured in officer-involved accident Again, until I can see the wrecked bicycle I’m taking the “salmon” rider description with a block of salt the weight of the cop car. I admit it happens but I have seen too many wrecks that the drivers and cops claimed were caused by salmon cyclists that the bikes and riders would have had to been riding backwards to get the damage and injuries they got. In fact we had an article about that very thing linked here since the start of the year.

The Big Story is the ridiculous fines about to go into effect in Oz next week. Sydney boosts fines for cyclist violations and Editorial – February 24: Licence to ride or laughing stock? also Cyclists hit by world’s harshest laws

The next biggest story is the distracted (?) driver who ran over 4 NC cyclists. Troopers: 4 cyclists hit by car on NC road and Cyclist disputes driver’s account also ‘Was she texting?’ injured bike rider asks after driver hits 4 Johnston Co. bicyclists The driver’s statement that the wreck happened “so quick” makes distraction or other inattention a serious consideration.

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Prize winner’s new bike, Burbank considers bike/ped bridge, and Ventura tow truck driver ID’d I’m really happy for the winner, she seems to have deserved the bike.

Ted Part 2. Breaking news: Covina bike rider killed in collision with Metrolink train

Also in CA. San Diego Is Ready to Go Big on Biking and Walking There is some re-purposing of “car space” to bike and ped space but this is not “anti-car”, just anti car supremacy.

Still in CA more on the proposal to get Zero-carbon subsidies to HPV for poor neighborhoods. Should California give subsidies to people buying bicycles?

Still in CA (lots of wrecks this time of year in CA for some reason). Authorities identify tow truck driver, officially name boy killed in Ventura hit-and-run crash

Over one state in NV. Bicyclist killed after being struck by off-road vehicle identified and Off-road driver charged in crash that killed bicyclist Driving drunk, without a license, in an unregistered vehicle…

More on the trial of the OH dude who couldn’t see 5 cyclists on the road because he had the sun in his eyes, and turned more than a hundred feet before the road he was trying to turn on. Trial begins for Brecksville man charged in crash that killed cyclists and Cyclists recall deadly Brecksville crash during driver’s trial I would think that pointing out the first cyclist was hit more than 100 feet from the intersection, and the truck stopped after hitting the last cyclist still short of the intersection would be more than enough to show the driver was driving well below “standard of care” and possibly was deliberately trying to kill the cyclists. But IANAL.

Over in AR one cyclist had a dog problem. Cyclist Mauled by Pit Bull I have known pits that were just big slobber machines that were more likely to lick you to death and drown you in slobber than to bite, and I have known pits that would attack anything that moved in what they considered to be their territory, it all depends on how the animal was socialized.

Not sure if this was a cyclist or what, but it was in the “cyclist injured” section of the Feed folder. Man Shot In Groin During Brooklyn Road Rage Outburst

I know this wasn’t a cyclist, but how could I resist putting in a link about a guy run over by a parked car? Park Slope Food Coop Member Struck By Runaway Parked Car I mean really? Pass up a juicy opportunity like that?

Some more good news from America’s Copenhagen. City of Portland considering protected intersections, bike-only lanes for West Burnside project Don’t “consider” just “do”. Doo Eeet!

It might not seem like it at first glance, but this is an important infrastructure article. Portland Bike Theft Task Force receives $4,000 donation from local bike club

Important infrastructure news from WI. $62.6 Million Requested to Improve Walking and Biking Across Wisconsin

LEO wants everyone to know they haven’t stopped looking for a CO hit-and-run driver. Search continues for driver who struck cyclist in hit-and-run north of Boulder And I still say they should be looking for front end damage (and probably a busted windshield) instead of a missing mirror.

That passing bill in IA moves along through the Lege. New bill offers protections for Iowa cyclists

PA wreck involving an ICE-assisted bike. Man on motorized bike killed in Lehigh County hit-and-run crash Bike was hit head-on by a driver cutting the left turn, not mentioned in the article but there was a comment that speculated it was a cyclist riding such a bike in “dark clothes” and a very dim or missing headlight who had been seen riding earlier.

FloriDUH strikes again. Bicyclist injured in crash at Roosevelt Boulevard and Bicyclist dies after Westside crash Interesting thing is LEO still haven’t blamed the cyclist on this one, mostly because they can’t figure out where the bike was hit or which way it was going when it was hit, and the person who could have told them that died overnight…

Cyclist killed in a truly bizarre accident is memorialized in far West Canuckistan. Memorial set for cyclist killed on False Creek seawall They’re still looking for the guy digging in the trash can where the cyclist was hit, even though it looks now like there is nothing they could charge him with.

I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who gets hot about this. War breaks out on Twitter after police and ambulance blame cyclist for #NoHelmet

What would you do if your mother was placed in this amount of danger? Chris Boardman’s horror at video of lorry close-passing his mother Since my Mother died in 2004 I probably wouldn’t have any problem with it. There is a very large tree between the road and Mom’s grave site.

Well if you ever needed a reason to visit a porn site before, here’s a good reason. World’s 3rd biggest porn site sponsors Italian cycling team I just checked and it’s free to use.

Well they are part of the way there on this one in Oz. Woman charged over fatal cyclist crash

Last link shows Amsterdam wasn’t always what it is now. Look How Much Better a City Can Be When It Designs for People Not Cars The difference between before and after are just…

And I’m outta links, and Gigi is going to be upset because it’s after 0300 and she’s lost her Internet for the night so she won’t be able to read today’s post until after midnight tomorrow.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

This is such an ugly Monday, and the Feed

The weather today is just ugly, with flat grey skies and chill, humid air. It’s not even the good kind of cold, the dry cold that invites outdoor activity and isn’t really all that bad if you keep covered up. This is the kind of cold that still feels cold no matter how much you put on and even when you are red-faced and sweating from being over-dressed you still feel chilled to the bones. Seriously it’s warm enough to go get the mail in shorts and slippers without danger, but you still feel cold wearing a parka. Ugly cold is what it is.

Up first, an injured kid instigates installation of really, REALLY, crappy infrastructure on the street where he was hit (did I mention this infrastructure was super crappy?) Days after injury to child, a new lane for cyclists on Mesa Not a bike lane, on street parking for cars that bikes will have to weave in and out of or ride in the door zone while getting buzzed and harassed by angry drivers wondering why the cyclists are not in the “bike lane”.

Our big story is 4 cyclists hit from behind in NC. CYCLISTS IN HOSPITAL AFTER BEING HIT BY CAR IN ANGIER and Four bicyclists in hospital after being struck by car in Angier also Cyclist injured in Angier crash questions how accident happened I’m seeing another blind driver nearly killing 4 cyclists because “it all happened so fast”. Fortunately “Highway Patrol officers said charges are pending against Williams and are expected to come down later in the week.” This is also a good example of why AFRAP laws kill cyclists so they do not inconvenience drivers.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Victim’s family calls for compassion as hit-and-run driver gets time served; bike thief faces 27 years The SUV in the distracted driver video had some pretty major front end damage, this was obviously not the first time this driver was driving around with his or her nose buried in a cell phone.

Still in CA we get a Ghost Bike installation. Friends mourn Buena High football player at roadside memorial

PA wreck takes out a pedestrian walking in the bike lane/shoulder (the preview said bike lane, the actual article says shoulder). Police investigate fatal crash involving a pedestrian The car left tracks showing a path off the road onto the shoulder and impacting the pedestrian, meaning that if she was a cyclist using hit from behind protocols she would have had a fraction of a second to make that dive for the cover of the ditch if there was any place to dive to.

Still in PA, a driver is sentenced in the death of a cyclist. Drunk driver gets up to 13 years in cyclist death Up to 13 years, probably closer (much closer) to the minimum 4½. And seriously 0.29% BAC is almost at the point of alcoholic anesthesia, how could she even stay on the road? She had to be an alcoholic to even be conscious at that BAC level.

Another hit-and-run in CO. Bicyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run on U.S. 36 north of Boulder If you see a black sports type car with a missing pasenger side mirror and front end damage call the LEO number in the article, and stay out of range of the driver.

Wreck in east TN. Cyclist struck, killed by car near Seymour From articles I have linked here at this very site, I know that hitting a cyclist from behind is a crime in TN, but I don’t see any mention of an arrest in this case, what gives? Oh yeah “Criminal charges are pending, according to the report.” I just hope they don’t pend too long and the drive gets away because of the statute of limitations.

Something that has bothered me for years. Trailer Side Guards Make Difference Between Life and Death for Cyclists and Pedestrians These things not only prevent vulnerable user deaths and serious injury, they also save more than their costs in fuel savings, why do people resist installing them?

Up in the Great White North a driver is arrested for killing a cyclist, months after the cyclist’s memorial service at the site of the crime. Police charge driver in Claremont Access cyclist’s death and Hamilton motorist charged after local cyclist, teacher killed in December Took them long enough, you know there is such a thing as being too polite.

First UK article, would you jump out of an airplane carrying one of these folding bikes? The British Paratroopers Who Parachuted Into Enemy Territory with Folding Bicycles

Also from the UK they actually arrested a driver that killed a cyclist. Man arrested after cyclist killed in crash with 4×4 near Harbury Yep, killing someone with a motor vehicle is pretty much the definition of “dangerous driving”.

I’m still trying to figure out what the Sky Ride on closed roads has to do with a cyclist getting hit from behind by an idiot at the controls of a car, but that’s the first video on this link. Veteran road race cyclist seriously injured after being hit by car while training Just read the text and ignore the videos and pictures which have zilch to do with the report.

I think I know what it takes to get a serious sentence for killing with a motor vehicle in the UK. Drug dealer jailed for causing Swanley man’s death by dangerous driving First be a convicted criminal, second don’t kill a cyclist, kill someone sympathetic like a pedestrian. The drug dealer got 12 years prison for hitting the pedestrian…

“Wreck not accident”. Air ambulance takes cyclist to hospital after “accidental injury” in Sevenoaks Weald There was no context given for the wreck except “accident”.

Some potentially good infrastructure news from Jolly Olde. Chisholm Trail will give Cambridge’s cycling couriers ‘competitive advantage’ in city

And last link, bike share can make your city great(ish) How Bike-Sharing Can Gain Popularity

And I’m outta links with 9 minutes to spare before midnight.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

OK that happened, now what? And the Feed

I was watching the caucuses last night on Twitter and was Not Impressed to say the least. The Clown Car Party tossed out a few more clowns, but seriously, there are a lot more to go and some of the biggest clowns are at the head of the polls. As for the other side, seriously did you decide who would get that precinct’s delegates based on a coin toss? And not once but six times?

BTW if any of my readers are DFW locals who would like to recommend a plumber we are having lots of plumbing issues here at Casa de El Poeta that have been just waiting for $$ to get fixed and now we have $$ to get them fixed. Deferred maintenance is about to be deferred no longer. And as an aside the TX groundhog had to wear shades and sunscreen, so we get 10 more weeks of “winter”. If “winter” stays like this with daytime highs in the low 70s F and nighttime lows in the high 40s, I could deal with another 10 weeks of this.

Let’s start with Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Pendleton registration begins, Monrovia talks bike plan, and more doping news, motor & otherwise If the Marines insist on blocking bike access that means major construction for bike access on civilian non-military property. At this time the only other access is I5 which is sub-optimal because of the adjacent high-speed traffic and trash and debris pushed from the road by tires and air blasts from vehicles. The next closest road is dozens of miles to the east over a small mountain range.

Still in CA. Bicycle Enforcement Mind your Ps and Qs if you wind up in this area during this operation.

VT is working to reduce the dangers of repeat DUI. BILL WOULD REQUIRE INTERLOCK DEVICES FOR ALL DUI OFFENDERS

Addressing repeat DUI in WI. Getting Tough On Drunk Driving I can’t believe that a person can have more than 4 DUI and not be in prison, but under current WI law you have to have 4 DUI in a 5 year period and still not go to prison.

A strange case of karma working faster than the legal system in FL. Cape Coral man accused of killing cyclist dies in slip-and-fall If I’m reading this right he drowned in a puddle after slipping on a crosswalk. Or something similar to that. There was also a video with the article about a cyclist pulling driver and passenger from an overturned pickup truck. Karma restored.

Hit-and-run in KS. Cyclist injured in hit-and-run near Maple and Meridian Not much information aside from the wreck has happened and someone got seriously injured. They’re not even saying if the silver SUV was damaged by the wreck.

Infrastructure news from America’s Copenhagen. City responds to Steel Bridge homeless camp, Condo owners re-open Greenway path and Condo association releases ‘Call for Community Safety Plan and Dialogue’ This political hostage-taking of infrastructure over the homeless situation in Portland is low, but understandable for people directly faced with it.

Still more Portland infrastructure. Here’s what’s going on at North Williams and Killingsworth This looks like what’s called a “bulb-out” that’s used to reduce crossing times for pedestrians, but why put it on a quiet residential street?

An OH TV station gets on the “Wreck, not accident” bandwagon. COLUMN: There was nothing ‘accidental’ about deadly cyclist crash At least that’s what I think it’s about, since I’m not a subscriber to their service.

Another wounded veteran ride, this one off-road. Ride 2 Recovery launches fifth annual Las Vegas Mountain Bike Ride While there is a certain sense of accomplishment with a point-to-point road ride, for some with PTSD riding in traffic is too much like being back in a war zone (don’t ask me how I know).

You think riding in the US is risky, think about places where the rules of the road are merely a “suggestion”. The daily trials and tribulations of a cyclist (and his tribe) in Lima

You’re just sitting there waiting at a red light to make a legal turn, and some idiot passes you on the wrong side of the road… Video: Driver “swerves to avoid cyclist” – what do you think? …and you get blamed for “forcing” the driver to swerve. TANJ!

This stupid driver had better thank his lucky stars that he didn’t get an even longer sentence for killing a cyclist. Lorry driver loses appeal against jail sentence for killing cyclist Alan Neve in Holborn I hope he has to serve every last second of that 3½ years. He was driving without the specialized license required for the vehicle he was driving, and because he lacked the training and follow-on testing he ended up killing a man he should have been able to avoid.

“I saw a cyclist do something dangerous once”. Driver warns of cyclist ‘stupidity’ This is nothing more than anti-cyclist propaganda.

Reaction to someone putting an electric motor in the seat tube of a bike during a cyclocross competition. Mechanical doping: The social media response

This is causing my creative juices to flow. Now THAT’S a spin cycle! Exercise bike washes your dirty laundry as you pedal Put a recumbent type seat above the drum, use a 1:2 ratio for the drum during wash then switch to a really high ratio to spin the drum during the wring portion of the cycle (that would still be a heavy sprint) and I could see this as a way to put some base and interval training in. The wash/rinse cycles would be the easy part, a warm-up/recovery for the power unit. The bad thing is washing generally ends with the spin cycle.

And I’m outta links again, and I have to get up early tomorrow to go pay more bills.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Got my toes done in preparation for paying my taxes, and the Feed

I just returned from getting my toenails cut so that when I walk from one tax office to the other I don’t get the nails pressing against the inside of my shoes. The walking I did over the weekend was very uncomfortable because of this. So because I’m paying the taxes tomorrow I’ll be running a bit late again for posting to the blog.

Up first is a low-information wreck report from about 40 miles to the west of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Boy riding bike hit by truck in Haltom City As of this posting nothing on the victim’s injuries or on the mode of the wreck. I sincerely hope the little guy is not injured too badly. More Haltom City man arrested on DWI charge after boy hit by truck

This is another thing I have to deal with as a TX cyclist. Injured cyclist hopes trial will lead to state ban on distracted driving That’s right someone cab run me over with their face stuck in their cell phone and it’s all like “whoopsie!” because there is no law against distracted driving in TX.

Another link to the cyclist killed by a hit-and-run driver in Houston. HPD: Hit-and-run driver kills bicyclist near Southwest Freeway at Westpark

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Glendale driver brake-checks cyclists; Newport Beach legal settlement could fix deadly intersection

And Part 2. Update: Bicyclist killed in Santa Ana collision Monday evening

Over in AZ the family of a cyclist killed by bad infrastructure as much as by the inattentive driver hopes to get the infrastructure fixed. Family of cyclist hit, killed by car hopes to make roads safer The intersection has a smooth wide-radius turn that puts drivers across a bike lane at high speeds. The solution is to keep the separate right turn lane but to extend it closer to the cross street and make the radius about 4 feet instead of the 50 or so feet of the current lane. And to confiscate and crush the cars of anyone who hits a vulnerable road user. We gotta protect those pedestrians, motorcyclists, and tow truck operators along with the cyclists.

Over in America’s Copenhagen, a bizarre infrastructure problem. Willamette Greenway path north of Steel Bridge closed “until further notice” – UPDATED The “problem” here is not cyclists but homeless campers, but cyclists are the ones that have to suffer for it. The really aggravating thing is the campers are not even in the area that cyclists are being kept from accessing, but are just off of it. I don’t know what could be done to remedy the problem, homeless people are kinda out of my field of specialty.

Still in Portland and still on infrastructure. Gap Week: Westbound Burnside Bridge between Naito and 3rd The most dangerous thing about bicycle infrastructure is when it ends, partcularly when it ends wothout warning or directions.

And our third infrastructure article from America’s Copenhagen (I keep thinking about tobacco products when I use that name, too much time in the SE USA). Guest article: The 20s “bikeway” project through the eyes of two 12-year-old girls

That guy who decided to ride a CitiBike across the country from NYC to LA has completed the trip despite getting attacked outside Tulsa for riding a bike somewhere near an idiot. Cyclist Punched, Injured In Sapulpa Finishes Cross-Country Journey This trip showed one of the problems I faced when I was planning a trip to the World Human Powered Speed Championships a few years back, as I would have been crossing the Rocky Mountains about the end od October with sub-freezing temps during the morning hours.

A NC cyclist severely injured a few years ago finally succumbs to injuries he never recovered from. Cyclist known for support of downtown Winston-Salem dies

Cyclist killed in bad road conditions in PA. DUI not suspected in Wilkinsburg crash that killed bicyclist There was a ot of angle in the hit-from-behind wreck, and the impact showed the cyclist was in position to be seen by the driver as he impacted the windshield directly in front of the driver.

Infrastructure from WI. To Fix Roads, Use Conservative Approach This guy is saying that if you want things you have to pay for things, not get them now and let someone else pay for them later. Since cars tear up the roads let gas taxes pay for keeping the roads up, not borrowing.

Another link about that strange bike wreck in far West Canuckistan where a man going through a garbage can for recyclables threw out something that hit a cyclist on the head and killed the cyclist. Composite sketch released in bizarre incident that killed cyclist He wasn’t throwing anything at anybody, just not paying any attention to where things went when he tossed them from the can.

Still looking for that person with the black coat, white pants and black shoes spotted in the area where a cyclist was killed in Jolly Olde. Witness appeal after dad-to-be killed while out cycling

And speaking of bizarre wrecks, this cyclist wandered off after getting hit, leaving his bike behind? Urgent search for injured cyclist hit by car this morning in Hounslow A car hit both the cyclist and a pedestrian in the same intersection, but the cyclist just wandered off and they fear he may have been severely injured but in too much shock to realize it.

Bad enough to have to worry about getting hit by the vehicle without having to worry about getting hit by the people inside the vehicle. Cyclist Knocked Off Bike In Brentwood After Helmet Grabbed That could have gone so bad, they are very lucky the cyclist’s neck wasn’t broken.

DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS! Boy, 4, injured by cyclist in Grimsby underpass who then sped away Especially don’t hit-and-run the pedestrians.

And this just makes me want to strangle the idiot driver. Death crash driver told police he ‘did not see’ cyclist, jury told and Louise Wright death: Cyclist ‘dragged underneath lorry’ The cyclist was sitting at the intersection before the truck, they aren’t sure if the truck was signalling or if the cyclist was in position to see the signals if they were in use, and the driver “couldn’t see” the cyclist because you could hide the horn section of the UCLA Trojan Marching Band in the front blind spots of the truck. The truck/driver combination should not have been in the city in the first place…

Infrastructure news as a debris net is hanging down enough to snag cyclists on the bank and rowers on the river. Network Rail’s bridge net by River Cam ‘dangerous’ to rowers and cyclists – video

This looks interesting. Have you seen KerVelo’s front-wheel-drive recumbent? This drivetrain could also be used to make an 18 speed unicycle 😀

Meanwhile in Oz. Cyclists are climate-change heroes but we are often treated as villains

And infrastructure from Oz. Sydney Road gets safety upgrades to cut car doorings one year after cyclist’s death

And once again I’m tired and ready for bed because tomorrow will be a busy day.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

I’m fuzzy on Grocery Day, and the Feed

We are in the depths of Winter, and my bear-ness is approaching magnificent 😉
We spent more on cat food and kitty litter than we did on human foods at the grocery, but that’s OK because we has cats and they luvs us. We can eat $1 frozen pizza.

Up first NYPD actually finds a hit-and-run driver and arrests him. Cops Arrest Driver Who Allegedly Killed Brooklyn Cyclist & Kept Going and Hit-and-run truck driver kills Chinese immigrant riding bicycle in Brooklyn also Truck kills cyclist Can Reng Ma, Junior Hicks charged with hit-and-run: police this, too Driver Arrested in Brooklyn Hit-Run That Killed Father Bicycling Home After Work: NYPD TBH I am shocked that this much (read “any”) effort was expended on this wreck.

Infrastructure from NYC. Video: One Simple Trick To Stop NYC Drivers From Killing You Why is it drivers put so much effort into avoiding a hunk of plastic but not a fragile human body?

Still in NYC. Report: Vision Zero Won’t Meet Its Goal By 2024

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: An in-depth look at PCH bike wrecks, helmets make you blow up balloons, and they’re onto us

Still in CA, LEO capture a bike thief with the “goods”. Police Grab Two Suspects With Pricey Stolen Goods

Also in CA a memorial ride for a fallen cyclist. Memorial bike ride held in honor of Loma Linda cyclist, ‘SteveO Eleven’

Infrastructure news from America’s Copenhagen. City’s latest experiment to protect NE Couch bike lane has failed I suggest something like this or some tire shredders like they use in pay parking lots.

Still in Portland. Bikeways, interrupted: Get ready for Gap Week This will get more links next week.

WI infrastructure news, as a law that had held out some hope for creating bike infrastructure turns out to be total crap in final form. Problems With Pothole Repair Act Since bike infrastructure is a part of the street I think the bill can be used to pay for it.

Cycling has a perceived attitude problem part 1. Chip on our shoulders?

Attitude problem part 2. Bicyclists Want to Slow Down Cars Even More

And attitude is shared on both sides of the windshield. It’s all fun and games until you honk at a LEO on a bike.. Ha Ha Ha!

Justice in Canuckistan. Southern Alberta man sent to jail for hit and run that killed cyclist Only 15 months, but that was about the limit allowed by the law.

Infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Cycling, congestion charge and a ban on big buses: John Hipkin’s solution to Cambridge growth agenda

Remember that guy that crashed into the ditch and drowned in Enn Zed? Family of killed cyclist Darrel Thomas works to make Hagley Park pathway safe

And I didn’t know Dallas had a women’s pro bike racing team. Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling announce roster, show off new kit – Gallery

And I’m finally out of links.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Happy MLK Day, and the Feed

Today is the day we pause and remember a major leader of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Biographical note I was living less than 100 miles east of where Dr. King was shot at the time he was shot. So I wasn’t “there” there, but I was in the conflict zone at the time of the conflict. And yes I know that makes me “old”, deal with it. In many ways what Dr. King was trying to do is mirrored in the bike advocacy movement. Not that I am implying that what cyclists go through is in any way as bad as what people of color went through or continue to go through today, we can stop getting killed in the streets just by getting on the bus for example. But there are parallels. Anyway, remember what Dr. King meant to the rights movement, cherish it, and emulate that in trying to get safe bicycle infrastructure installed in your area.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bicyclists help make a better world, and York Blvd is thriving

Still in CA, more links to a driver actually getting a proportional sentence for using a motor vehicle to kill a cyclist. Drugged driver who killed cyclist sentenced 15 years to life and Drugged driver who killed cyclist sentenced 15 years to life

Still in CA a left-crossed cyclist gets his medical bills covered but he had to sue the employer of the driver that hit him. City settles with injured cyclist

Speaking of proportional sentences. Seattle man gets 6 ½ years for killing bicyclist in DUI crash Not quite as proportional, but still leaps and bounds ahead of typical sentences for killing cyclists.

Cyclist killed in OH. Cyclist dies after being struck by car Not much information on the actual wreck, just the outcome.

The most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike takes another victim. Pasco County bicyclist killed after riding into path of vehicle on SR 52 Another SWCC wreck with no word on where the cyclist was crossing from or to.

A little schadenfreude in NYC. Hit & Run Driver Crashes Into Gowanus Canal and Video: Alleged Drunk Driver Arrested After Flipping Car On Upper West Side The video is no longer available through the original source, maybe they will find another place where it was uploaded.

A bit of CO infrastructure news. Boulder to shift gears on protected bike lanes I think that when drivers complain about losing a lane so that cyclists can have a safe place to ride they should plow up everything except the bike lane and leave the street filled with the rubble. But then I have been called an extremist 😉

Good news about cycling from WI. Local Collective Gets Milwaukee Biking After so many bad things about cycling from WI it is really nice to put up a link to something good.

It takes a Canadian getting killed to get MS LEO investigated for biased investigation of bicycle wrecks. A haphazard investigation of Iain Gerrard’s death in America’s Deep South The initial report was a SWSS with a salmon cyclist, but the physical evidence was entirely contradictory to that report. The report from accident reconstructionists was that the driver had 14 seconds to see and avoid the cyclist in the road.

Cyclist down in the Great White North. Cyclist in critical condition after L’Épiphanie crash If the cyclist was “in the middle of the road” wouldn’t a driver who was paying attention be able to see and avoid the cyclist? I mean if the cyclist was right there in front of him, why didn’t the driver use his brakes to not hit the cyclist? And this is probably the only place where those are rhetorical questions.

Infrastructure news from the Great White North. Claremont bike lanes will be well planned Given that the soonest they plan on installing those lanes is 2017 they had better be “well planned”. I mean how much planning does it take to haul in some K-rails and plop them down 2 meters from the edge of the pavement?

No place to (legally) lock up, but sell them bike locks anyway? Almost 200 fork out for discounted lock to crack down cycle thefts in Grimsby “We also need cycle stands, like the ones outside the Cycle Hub, throughout the town.”

Another wreck in Oz. Surf Coast cyclist flown to hospital after being hit by a car A 72 YO cyclist struck by a 74 YO driver? Are they pulling my leg? The driver was judged at fault in this wreck almost instantly by LEO. Intersection wreck so either a hook or cross is my guess as to mode.

This death in Oz is very similar to a wreck in Enn Zed from last year. Wantirna cyclist found dead in Dandenong Creek Cyclist hits a solid bollard in the bike path and falls down in water next to the bike path and drowns, the exact same thing that happened in Enn Zed.

Speaking of Enn Zed, a motorcycle crosses the centerline going up a mountain and runs into cyclists coming down that mountain. Queenstown-bound cyclists struck by motorbike and Motorbike injures cyclists The report from the one link that the motorcyclist had a rear tire slide out just before the wreck suggests he might have been going just a touch too fast.

And those were all the links I had.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Still cleanly poor not filthy rich, and the Feed

There were no winners in TX for the PowerBall jackpot, so I’m still a starving writer. At least I have a well-lighted garret with cats to keep my feet warm. I really would have liked to have a chunk of that money though.

Up first:

'I stay safe in the city by assuming everyone is an idiot', says cyclist (63) – Independent.ie https://t.co/f5d0ipfwpm via @Indo_LIFE

— Cycling Top News (@CyclingTopNews) January 15, 2016

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Truer words were seldom said.

The Big Story today comes from Oz, where a motorcycle cop assaults a cyclist on his bike because he wasn’t wearing a helmet. Motorbike cop ‘pushed’ cyclist to the ground after he allegedly ran red light and Police officer pushed cyclist off his bike in Sydney’s CBD, witnesses say Listen to the witness report, the cyclist was riding with the light when the motorcycle cop rode up from behind at a very low throttle and just shoved him off the bike right in front of the witness. No siren, no verbal warning to stop, just “putt putt putt wham!” and the cyclist going “WTF!?!” If there was anything the cop said that happened it happened outside the view and earshot of the witnesses.

Infrastructure news from America’s Copenhagen. After years of planning and compromises, 20s Bikeway is poised for construction I don’t know why but it always feels like the compromises are on the cyclists’ side.

More on the same general subject from the same location. TriMet projects on Orange Line path at SE 8th should improve cycling If only there was some process where actual users of the infrastructure could see and comment on a project before it’s built so that dangerous or annoying mistakes could be caught and fixed without having to tear out the mistakes, saving $$. Something like maybe an advisory committee of cyclists and pedestrians? Or would that make too much sense?

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Alleged drunk hit-and-run driver faces charges, and Che Garcetti leads urban streets revolution

Part 2. Describe Your Ride: What riding a bike can teach us about driving a car

Still in CA. Norwalk Man on Bicycle Killed in Traffic Collision in Downey The directions of travel say the cyclist got more than halfway across the intersection before the wreck. That is a strong indicator of a stale green as shown in the Google Earth view of the intersection which had what looks like 4 lanes for the cyclist to cross and a high speed limit on the street he was crossing.

Some good news, a killer driver was found guilty of killing a cyclist. UPDATE: Man who killed cyclist found guilty of criminally negligent homicide Part of me wants to do a happy dance, part of me is still sad because the cyclist died needlessly.

News from GA as someone “mansplains” why cyclists can’t use a park to get away from cars. Reader responds to News Cycle column on proposed Forsyth bike ban

More on the MD cyclist stabbed to death. Three Arrested for Murder of Cyclist I’m still waiting to hear of a reason why they stabbed the cyclist. Theft? Settling a score? Gang initiation? Attack of the Stoopids?

More infrastructure news. Blaming Pedestrians While Absolving the Streets That Kill Them There are 3 unmarked and 1 marked crosswalk at that intersection, one street can’t be crossed at all according to the LEO report and one can only be crossed on one side because that’s the marked crosswalk.

Speaking of an attack of the Stoopids, here’s a very public one by a MO legislator. Missouri Lawmaker Wants to Require Tall Fluorescent Flags for Cyclists Fifteen feet tall to be precise, or 2’6″ feet taller than trucks are allowed without an oversize vehicle permit. Illegal under Federal laws, so on any road built with Federal Funds the flags would have to be removed and then reinstalled when back on the lettered county roads.

Here’s more on my least-favorite form of bicycle infrastructure. Study: Sharrows Don’t Make Streets Safer for Cycling Sharrows work well on traffic-calmed streets with little motor vehicle traffic. But then not doing anything also works well on traffic-calmed streets with little motor vehicle traffic. So why waste the money on useless paint?

More infrastructure news. Why bike lanes make people mad

Here’s a Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot moment from Jolly Olde. Hit-and-run driver stops to berate injured cyclist before driving off The driver apparently thought enforcing minor traffic infractions by assaulting the cyclist with his motor vehicle was perfectly reasonable.

WTF? part 2. Girl, 18, drank 5-and-a-half double vodkas before crashing car through roundabout No cyclists were harmed in the production of this link, though one did require a change of pants.

Back to Oz, two bikes go down in the same space. Cyclist treated for head injury after accident at The Spit, Mosman Sure they said the second cyclist went down aviding the first, but that just means the second didn’t have time to register that he would have gone down without the first cyclist to avoid. Regardless something made the first cyclist fall…

A wreck in Enn Zed. Car and cyclist collide The damages to the two vehicles involved look like the cyclist got hit after getting most of the way across the intersection and moving at a fair clip as the front wheel showed impact from the left and the front corner of the car showed impact but the main impact of the cyclist was in the center of the windshield. The intersection looks to have bike lanes on one street and a stop sign on the other.

E-assist bike news. Electric Bike Revolution Spinning Profits for Dutch Companies

How do you feel about going for a ride with Bono? Bono giving fans the chance to go bike riding with him in New York

Last link, do you need to ride more or… 10 Things Sex and Cycling Have in Common Do you get enough… bicycling?

Billed @$0.02, Opus