Before we get to another great week of bike news, let’s take a look at last week’s best stories…
— Did you catch that crazy video of a guy on a motorcycle who hit someone riding a bike in the hills above Los Angeles? Turns out it was a group ride being led by none other than famous pro George Hincapie.
— Outgoing US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood is talking about bikes right up until the end. Here’s his recap of the recent Bike Safety Summit he led in Minneapolis.
— A group of high school students in Eugene has raised over $1,000 for bike parking at their school via a crowdfunding campaign.
— If you remember the movie E.T., this amazing photo of a guy biking in front of a full moon will be even better.
— People for Bikes released a new video in honor of National Bike Month. It’s called, “Standoff” and it’s trying to promote peace and love whether you are on two wheels or four.
— The fact that someone was shot while riding a bike in southern California isn’t what caught my eye with this story, but that it’s the fourth such incident over a three-day stretch last week.
— Bicycling Magazine published a story about new research showing how concussions are a major type of bike-related head injury and helmets don’t do a great job preventing them.
— Is this just another sign of bicycling’s rising popularity in America? BikeRadar has the scoop on how counterfeit bike gear and frames are costing the industry millions a year.
— The Adventure Cycling Association launched a funding effort for their U.S. Bicycle Route System and the promo video features lots of Portland places (how many can you name?).
— And since it’s bike travel season, now would be a great time to learn more about how (not) to take your bike on Amtrak.
— Tragic timing for our friends in Seattle who experienced a fatal bike collision on the first day of National Bike Month and the day Washington was ranked the #1 Bike Friendly State.
— While the tabloid hoopla continues in New York City, Crain’s New York Business has presented a more measured (and accurate) view of what’s going on with bikes in that city. They published a good Q & A with DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan as well an excellent article about how Citi Bike bike share is already impacting the city.
— Compulsory cycling education for kids in schools? Sounds like a great idea to me.
— Here’s a low-tech way to prevent bike theft: Just put some menacing eyes on the street.
— This seems like a good idea: A seatpost that turns into an air pump.
— A lot of people are freaked out that no U.S. cities made the Copenhagenize Top 20 list. One of the reasons, says the list’s creator Mikael Colville-Andersen, is too many people associate riding with a sport.
— And then there’s a guide to how to use your bike commute as a training ride via OR Bike.
— Newly confirmed Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell visited with a bike shop owner in Virginia, and rumor has it Jewell has a Portland stop on her schedule.
— In Scotland, a man was given a five-year driver’s license suspension for his involvement in a fatal collision with a 75-year old woman who was riding her bike. Not only did the judge say the woman’s lack of helmet use “contributed to her death” but the man who was driving had already served two years for killing another person who was biking back in 1985.
— In London, they’re so serious about creating a world-class bikeway network they have created full-scale test models of Dutch roundabouts.
— A highway just for cycling was built in Los Angeles in 1897. I say let’s dust off those plans and rebuild it!
— Detroit might have led the auto-making revolution in America; but now that cars aren’t as popular as they used to be, the “Motor City” is starting to make bikes.
— A Medford, Oregon man who doesn’t approve of people riding mountain bikes, plead guilty to assault and reckless endangerment after he strung ropes across trails and spiked trees with nails.
If you come across a great bike story, send it in or Tweet @BikePortland and we’ll consider featuring it here next Monday.