Bicycling on the Streets of California - Does Your Ride Comply with the Law?

Last week I posted on riding under the influence.  This got me thinking specifically about California Bicycle Law.  I found CA VC Section 21201 from www.DMV.CA.gov. Sec 21201 discusses equipment requirements for safely riding on the road.

"V C Section 21201 Equipment Requirements (Bicycle) Equipment Requirements 21201.  

(a) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement. 

My Fixed Gear has a front break and I can skid with the rear (With a little finesse) Hmm, what exactly does, "which will enable the operator to make a one brake wheel skid ..." mean?  Does this mean the brake must make the skid or, in my case, the front brake slows the bike allowing me to lock the rear wheel by locking my legs up?  And for that matter, what is the definition of "brake"?

(b) No person shall operate on the highway a bicycle equipped with handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate his hands above the level of his shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area.
I have no problems here, those Monkey Chopper Bars are ugly and pointless.
(c) No person shall operate upon a highway a bicycle that is of a size that prevents the operator from safely stopping the bicycle, supporting it in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground, and restarting it in a safe manner. 

Well, this is a problem.  Technically, I cannot put a foot down. And the police officers in the back ground didn't really seem to mind either.

(d) A bicycle operated during darkness upon a highway, a sidewalk where bicycle operation is not prohibited by the local jurisdiction, or a bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, shall be equipped with all of the following: 

(1) A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle.
(2) A red reflector on the rear that shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle.
(3) A white or yellow reflector on each pedal, shoe, or ankle visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet.
(4) A white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles that are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors.
I got this covered, I don't ever really ride in the dark. And I do have lights just in case.  Shoot, I even run at night with a flashlight.  You can't really trust drivers at night.
(e) A lamp or lamp combination, emitting a white light, attached to the operator and visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle, may be used in lieu of the lamp required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (d). 

Amended Ch. 723, Stats. 1979. Effective January 1, 1980.
Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 232, Stats. 2007. Effective January 1, 2008"

Pomona's "Open Street" Event

Visit their Facebook Page Click Here...

Good afternoon,

On behalf of Daryl Grigsby, Public Works Director for the City of Pomona, you are invited to participate in a stakeholder planning session for an event with exciting implications for the City and residents of Pomona.

The City of Pomona recently received a Technical Assistance grant from the LA County Health Department to promote an ‘Open Streets’ Event. With ‘Open Streets’ events, public streets are closed to motor vehicles for a few hours, while bicyclists, skateboarders and pedestrians of all ages have freedom to explore their city, visit local businesses and meet new people. A similar event, known as CicLAvia in Los Angeles, brings over 100,000 bicyclists to the streets of downtown LA for a day of car-free fun and community connection.

The consultants for the Health Department need to hear from you, a Pomona stakeholder, on possible benefits and considerations. Their next step after this is a presentation to the Pomona City Council.

Therefore, we are holding a stakeholder meeting on Tuesday, January 31st, at 6 pm at the Cal Poly Downtown Center. The consultant will have maps of proposed closed streets and other information for your consideration.

Please RSVP to Maura Montellano at 909-620-2262 or via email at maura_montellano@ci.pomona.ca.us.

Thank you,
Maura E. Montellano| Public Works
505 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, CA 91769 | (909) 620-2262
Pomona: Vibrant. Safe. Beautiful.

Glendora Mountain Road Fixed

Today I had it in my mind to ride up Glendora Mountain Road on my fixed gear.  When I left the house there was a chill in the air, just cold enough to numb the ears.  I was feeling unusually tired, but I wasn't to pressed for time, so I decided to take my time getting to the base of GMR. 

Getting to the base wasn't so bad except I didn't bring my beanie so my ears were hurting from the cold air.  I knew once I started heading up I'd quickly warm up.  

The ride up was a lonely ride until I was a mile from the Maintenance Shed.  There was a group of riders heading to Crystal Lake by way of GMR. They stopped at the Shed to rest up before heading on their EPIC ride. 

I rode to East Fork before deciding to turn around and head home.

On the way down I ran into Matt, Annette and Bill.  Matt was charging ahead of both Annette and Bill. I rode with Matt for a few minutes catching up on life.  He was moving to fast so I wasn't about to take out the camera while trying to ride fixed gear at that speed.  I guess some people can't chew gum and walk, I can't ride fixed gear and take photos at the same time.

Annette was the second person I ran into on the way down.  I turned around and rode with her to about the Kevin Unck Memorial. 3 years have gone by since I came upon Annette's GlendoraMTNRoad.com. 

Bill was bringing up the rear. Bill looked great and has lost about 20lbs.  We joked about it being cheaper to lose weight off the body then the bike.

It was clear and sunny today.  The winds were blowing moderately. 

Downtown LA.

My ride up GMR today was great.  I rode to East Fork on my fixed gear.  I  met up with some GMR celebrates, and when I got home, I wasn't bonked! Later in the day the kids and I walked a mile, got some Slurpees at 7 Eleven, and for dinner Jamie made Manhattan Clam Chowder.  Its been a great day!

Santa Barbara

Jamie and I decided on a nice weekend getaway to Santa Barbara last Saturday/Sunday.  While it was raining and wet in Pomona, it was beautiful in Santa Barbara.  The air was cool and a bit windy, but the sky was blue, blue, blue!

We walked on the harbor.  I took a number of photos of the boats.  My goal is to have Meme paint me a picture of the photo below as a Christmas Gift to my wife's grandmother Lois.   Lois is a sweet lady who travels the world 65% to 75% of the year.  The last time we were at her house, I noticed she had many paintings and photos of boats and harbors.  I think she will like a painting of the scene below. 

Beach communities love their bikes.  Hotel Oceana is right off Cabrillo, guests are welcome to use their complementary bikes to get around town.  

Penny Farthing - Wheel Fun Rentals on State Street had this Penny Farthing displayed outside.  I wonder how much this one rents for?  Jamie used to work for Wheel Fun while we were in college.

Ah Brophy's.  If you are ever in Santa Barbara you have to eat at Brophy's.  I recommend the Beer Batter Shrimp Cocktail and Cioppino. I mentioned to Jamie that when we first started going to Brophy's, we used to be the age of the waiters and waitresses.  Time flies.

If you are in Santa Barbara in December or January, I also recommend you visit the The Coronado Butterfly Preserve.  In Dec/Jan you will find thousands (100 Thousand!) of Monarch Butterflies basking in the sun. There were so many butterflies hanging off the eucalyptus trees.   

And the darker side of Santa Barbara - With so many bikes you have to make sure even your seat is secured to your bike.  Below is a picture I took of two bikes parked and locked next to each other.  The person who locked their bike on the left include locking their bike seat.  The person on the right didn't secure their seat and sure enough, it was missing.  I saw many bikes around town with missing seats.  

Riding a Bike While Under the Influence

Don't Ride Drunk, Its Dangerous and it may be Illegal. If you live in California, its illegal. See VC Sec 21200.5.

Read the entire article here ...

"States and courts are split on the subject of drunk biking. Some people automatically doubt the amount of harm a bicyclist can cause to others, considering the nature of a bicycle. However, some states and their laws acknowledge that, even assuming a bicyclist likely only harms themselves by drunk biking, an injury to a drunken rider can have a profound effect on others, especially their family members.

In any case involving an allegation of drunk bicycling, the first place to look to is the DUI/DWI law of that state. Some states exclude bicycles entirely from their definition of "vehicles." Other states limit the application of their DUI or DWI laws to "motor vehicles." But some states treat bicycles as just another vehicle on the road, regardless of the language used within their DUI laws. In these states, drunk bike riders face the same potential legal landmines as any other drunk driver.

In general, where a state law on drunk driving specifically prohibits the operation of a "motor vehicle," the chances are very high that the law will be interpreted by courts as not applying to bicycles or similar man-powered vehicles. On the other hand, where statutes apply more generally to all "vehicles," courts sometimes find that bicycles fall into this category. A local attorney can be of valuable assistance in finding out what, if any laws, apply in these circumstances, and can determine whether or not courts in the area have applied state DUI laws to cyclists."

Bicycle Law - Accidents, Who is at Fault?

I found this little bit of information on Findlaw.com regarding bicycle related accidents.  Its an interesting read and be careful while riding. The best advise I was ever given was don't assume drivers see you.  When possible, at intersections, always try to make eye contact with drivers. 

Read the entire article here ...

"Particularly when they involve an automobile, bicycle accidents can result in serious and sometimes fatal injuries. Lawsuits to recover damages for injuries in bicycle accidents with automobiles involve many of the same issues as any auto accident lawsuit. As with other vehicle accidents, liability for bike accident injuries often comes down to negligence – particularly whether the automobile driver's negligence caused the cyclist's injuries, and whether any negligence by the cyclist caused or contributed to the cause of the accident" 

Bikes of the Pros - 2012

A who's who of bicycles and teams.  Read the entire article here ...

"Being the bike geek that I am, the annual “Bikes of the Pros” article is always one of my favorites to do. 2012 sees some new team names for existing organizations (like Garmin-Barracuda and Lotto-Belisol), some mergers (Omega Pharma-Quick Step, Radioshack Nissan Trek) and some all new organizations (GreenEDGE).

As far as manufacturers lending their support to the Pro Tour, there is a good deal of diversity, with only Pinarello and Specialized sponsoring multiple teams. For componentry, Shimano and SRAM rule the roost with eight teams on Dura Ace or Di2 and seven on SRAM RED. Just three teams are using Campagnolo components, with Movistar and Lotto-Belisol likely riding the company’s new electronic gruppo."

Chinese Scenes

I've decided anything RED BULL is Extreme.


Chinese Scenes from BASE-Book - Matt Gerdes on Vimeo.

Garmin - Cervelo Pro Cycling 2011 Highlights

Garmin - Cervelo Pro Cycling 2011 Highlights from Matt Johnson on Vimeo.

Mathieu Peladan For DUO France

Mathieu Peladan For DUO France from DUO Brand on Vimeo.

Duo Brand Chris Doyle Spot

Duo Brand Chris Doyle Spot (2007) from DUO Brand on Vimeo.

Splinter Bike

Bloody Brilliant!


"SplinterBike" - the movie - documentary trailer from TopBox Media on Vimeo.

The Bicycle: An Experiential Tool For Living

The Bicycle: An Experiential Tool For Living from Dominic Prestifilippo on Vimeo.

Made in America - Bike Project

How easy would it be to make a bike entirely from American Made parts? My goal is to set out and make a Fixed Gear Bike from only USA manufacturers/makers (I don't think it can be done for a geared bike).

One Simple Rule - It needs to be 100% Made in the USA. From Frame down to the tires. Is this even possible?

Please give me ideas for this project:
Frame/Fork: Custom for sure but tubes need to be from US
Tube set:
Paint: Paint/Powdercoat needs to be from US
Seat:
Seat Post:Thompson
Seat Post Collar:
Handlebars:
Handlebar Tape:
Headset:
Tires:
Rims:
Rim Strip:
Spokes:
Nipples:
Tubes:
Chain:
Crankset: Pauls
Bottom Bracket: White Industries, or Phil?
Cog:
Lock Ring: Pauls

Did I miss anything else?

Urban Tree to Bicycle

Urban Tree to Bicycle from Spots Unknown on Vimeo.

Cervelo P5 Simply Faster

WOW! Click here for link ...

Gene Hackman - Bicycle Crash

Read the entire article here ...

"Gene Hackman was out for an enjoyable bicycle ride in the Florida Keys when something horrific happened: he was hit by a vehicle. Now, a lot of people who routinely bike along a street get nicks, bruises, or worse from an accident at some point in their bicycling lives. However, it is infinitely worse when you are not wearing a helmet, are getting up in years, or are hit by a vehicle larger than a small car. Unfortunately, 81 year-old Hackman suffered from all three."

Meme and Charlie Ride to the Beach

Friday night on FB Meme writes, "Big New Year Ride," and I knew this must mean Beach Ride.  Sure enough Charlie and Meme rode down SART to Newport.  This would be Charlie's first beach ride and I hope Meme took him to Chicago Bikes and Chronic Taco.

70 Miles - Santiago Canyon

It was a Personal Record Day for me.  I rode 70 miles and I feel great!  Michael and I set out early, 6:30 am from Anahiem Hills (Yorba Park) and headed to Santiago Canyon.  From there we rode to Irvine then to Laguna Niguel.  At Laguna we stopped and rested for a little while before heading to SART.  From SART, we headed back to Anahiem Hills.

It was a great ride, the weather was cool and on SART we ran into Mr. Beanz and Gina.  

My day started at 4 am.  That's when my alarm went off, kindly telling me to get my a$$ out bed and start preparing for my EPIC ride.  Above is a picture of the moon at a very early 5:45 am.  5:45 am, that's when I arrived at Michael's house. 

Santiago Canyon proved to be a scenic ride, with rolling hills, cattle, horses, and large ranch homes.  

The halfway point, Laguna Niguel.  Michael and I stopped for a food and bathroom break.  

We met up with a pack of riders who pulled us thru Newport to SART. 

A flock of seagulls on SART.  Something spooked them and watch out for gifts from above!

Mr. Beanz and Gina!  We ran into them on SART.  We chatted and I snapped a picture of the famous Mr. Beanz.  Gina and Beanz are two great people and larger than life personalities.  I was hoping to see them on SART. 

Excursion in Ostrava II

Excursion in Ostrava II. from Metan trials. on Vimeo.

Fixed Jam 2012 - Thailand

Fixed Gear Free Style straight out of Thailand.


Fixed Jam 2012 from Coolman on Vimeo.

1963's PSA on Bike Safety

Interesting video kinda spooky, kinda Twilight Zone, or Planet of the Apes, or ...

"The Greatest bicycle instructional video ever.. made in 1963, plot- 10 kids, mostly monkeys, go to a picnic 9 blocks away, and break every rule in the book getting there. What not to do."



And just for fun, Put the Lime in the Coconut!

The Holstee Manifesto

Live Your Dream and Share Your Passion

LES NINJAS DU JAPON

""Les Ninjas du Japon" (73 minutes) is about a team of Japanese cyclists in Africa, in much the same way that the Tour de France is about sightseeing in the Alps and Pyrenees while tooling around on a bike. From the film's opening shot, writer/director/cinematographer Giommi is far more interested in what happens in the foreground and behind the action at the Tour du Faso as opposed to the race itself. With inspired assistance from cinematographer Bruno Pappalettera and editor Fabio Capalbo, Giommi explores cultural disparities and meeting points when a semipro cycling team from Asia enters the 20th edition of Africa's largest bicycle stage race. Through a series of arresting miniaturist images, Giommi uncovers layers of meaning, political and human, in a sporting event that, though modest, draws competitors from around the world to one of the world's poorest and unstable nations."

"LES NINJAS DU JAPON" trailer 2007 from Giovanni Giommi on Vimeo.

Contador Receives His Weight in Honey

Read the entire article here ...

"PENALVER, Spain - Champion cyclist Alberto Contador has been awarded the peculiar honour of receiving his weight in honey, a delicacy of the Spanish town of Penalver.

Contador, along with his bike, were weighed on a scale set up in the town square on Saturday. The total was multiplied by six for the Spanish rider's major stage wins (three at the Tour de France, two at the Giro d'Italia, and one at the Spanish Vuelta) for a total of 130 kilograms of honey.

Spain football coach Vicente Del Bosque received the honour last year that is given to promote the local product.

Contador is awaiting the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport on his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs in the 2010 Tour."

Zooey Deschanel on a Bike

Zooey Deschanel on a bike.  This is the second pic I found of her with bike.

Pomona to Azusa to East Fork to GMR to Baldy then Home!

Today I had a great ride.  It was cold when Michael and I left my house before 7 am and it pretty much stayed that way until we finished our ride. This would be my first successful ride up the Hwy 39 to Mt Baldy.  The first try ended short when both my legs decided to cramp. 

I was a little nervous about this ride since my last attempt ended in failure, but Mike was intent on doing it so I had to give it another try.  We left the house before 7 am and there wasn't a cloud in the sky but it was very cold. 

Prior to the ride, I couldn't make up my mind whether or not to wear my leg warmers. I had a long sleeve base layer top, a long sleeve jersey, full finger gloves and a wool head warmer.  Its tricky leaving in cold weather because I don't like to bring too much and have to shove "STUFF" into my jersey pockets as the temperature rises.  On the flip side, if the temperature never goes up, I'm basically miserable for the length of the ride.  So I guess I am saying IT'S COMPLICATED!

With that said, Mike shows up in tights, long sleeve jersey and full finger gloves.  I asked him about his concerns about being too hot but he was sure it would be considerably colder up the mountain.  I decided to put on leg warmers and needless to say, Mike was right.  It was down right freezing in some areas!

It was an easy ride down Foothill to Azusa Ave.  On Foothill there was a group of 10 riders, heading to what seemed like Pasadena.  Hwy 39 to Camp Williams went by quickly. Then there was East Fork to GMR.  This was the first real climbing to do.  If I was going to break, it would be at East Fork to GMR.  I was nervous, I kept my head down the whole way.  I refused to look at the mile markers or the road ahead.  My eyes fixated on the white lines at the side of the road to keep me from drifting too far off . My mind focused solely on making circles or spinning, not mashing gears.  It worked, we made it to the top and I felt pretty darn good!

At the top of East Fork/GMR we rested for a few minutes then started to Mt Baldy.  This is where Mike dropped me, but I steadily made my way to the village, counting down the mile markers.  I was glad to see Mile Marker 8.29.  8.29 marks the last of hard climbing and the descent toward Cow Saddle Canyon (Is it Cow Saddle or Cow Cattle?).

Success, The Village!  There was no celebrating at the Village.  We quickly made our way down Mt Baldy Rd. to Claremont and then back home.  It was a great ride and I am very glad I am not too tired or sore.  My goal is to ride the Mt Baldy version of L'Etape Du California this year.

Vegemite - Gross!

I was shopping at Cost Plus World Market when I can across Vegemite.  It instantly reminded me of the Men at Work song, "Land Down Under," and new I needed to try a Vegemite Sandwich.

Well YouTube.com said toast bread, add some butter and a healthy swipe of Vegemite.  I did just that and YUCK!  Vegemite was one of the nastiest things I've ever eaten. 

I asked a friend about its uses and I guess its good to add to a hot pot of soup.  Adding the Unami, or 5th taste.  I haven't 10% given up on Vegemite just yet.

JAKARTARCK -BFF2011 Edition

I get a few viewers from Jakarta, which surprised me in the beginning but as you can see from this video they are just as crazy about bikes as we are.

"This is the reason I love the "Fixed Gear Scene". The obsessive mental masturbation about bits od anodised metal from Japan/Italy/USA and the desire to be adred by your peers for riding a clownbike," Mr Smith at LFGSS.

JAKARTARCK-BFF2011 Edition from Sinema Sepeda on Vimeo.

Gusztav Csal

Cool Cartoon.

JAKARTARCK - Teaser

"Our 4th teaser for "JAKARTARCK", a semi-documentary film about the story behind the early scene of fixed gear community and culture in Jakarta, Indonesia. So we got bored and decided that a very simple animation would do for our last teaser"


JAKARTARCK-Teaser04-Jakartoon from Sinema Sepeda on Vimeo.

Dromarti Storica

I've been riding Steamroller a lot lately, both on the rollers and on the road.  On the rollers, I ride with cages and on the road, I ride clipless.  This poses a problem as I am constantly swapping out pedals on the Steamroller.  Swapping out pedals aren't ridiculously difficult but an inconvenience no doubt.

I was looking for good bicycle shoes so I could continue with cages only but everything I find don't seem to "work" for me.  The Fixie Hipster types use skate shoes but for me they are too flexible.

After searching I found these, Dromarti Storica.  Wow, what a great looking cycling shoe.

I Found A Bike Today

In love with bicycles, a relationship with bicycles?  This is a funny video of a man in a relationship with his bike(s). 

UniGeezer Rides the Nimbus Oregon

UniGeezer rides the Nimbus Oregon from UniCycle.com.  This promo is pretty cool, and I got to hand it to UniGeezer, he's got some great skills.

I really need to try out a Unicycle.

"Go on a Bike Ride With You, I'd Rather Cry in a BMW!"

I found this bit of news regarding China and its changing cultural landscape very interesting.  Ma Nuo, if you're crying in a BMW, its probably not a good thing,  Riding a bike is fun!  In all seriousness, this article just shows the western influence on China and all the great capitalistic goodness the we have to offer.  Ha!

Read the Entire Article Here ... 

"The show, “If You Are the One,” broke ratings records in the first half of 2010. More than 50 million people tuned in. The sauciest contestants became sensations — one aspiring actress famously rejected a man offering a bicycle ride by saying, “I’d rather cry in a BMW.” The show attracted huge interest from Chinese overseas; some students on American campuses even filmed their own versions. It increased the nation’s cultural influence, which China’s leaders crave."

Day Two of 2012

On the second day of the New Year the Family decided on bike ride to Larken Park in Claremont.  It was a beautiful day, 80 degrees, warm, with few clouds.  Its hard to believe its winter but then again we live in Southern California.

Lots of leaves.  Adam and Francesca enjoyed riding over the falling leaves.  The crackles and crunching, it was so much fun riding through the pile of leaves.

 

Cervelo For SALE

I found this bit of news on Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Very interesting as I am quite fond of Cervelos.  In fact, I own one and am looking at the T1 and R5.  I have to wonder if their recent "Buy Two Cervelos" and save $2000 is a way to quickly sell off existing inventory and trump up cash flow.

Read the full article here ...

"Dutch conglomerate Pon, which recently bought Derby Cycle, has agreed to 'a financing arrangement' with Cervélo and has retained an exclusive option to purchase the Canadian company.

Cervélo announced the agreement late Friday on its website:

Cervélo has entered into a financing arrangement with PON Holdings BV. In addition, Cervélo and PON have signed a Letter of Intent that enables both parties to agree on a sale of Cervélo in exclusivity."

Well it looks like Cervelo is selling to Pon.

From Cervelo.com ...

"Updated information: Thanks to everybody who commented on our message that we're contemplating a sale of the company. To answer some of your questions, here is a bit of background. Cervélo has experienced exceptional growth and success since we started 16 years ago. A potential sale of the company allows us to continue to grow Cervélo without changing any of the things that make it special."

I hope Cervelo will continue to be on the cutting edge of technology.  In a few short years, they really have become a household name and many racers, triathlons and weekend warriors have embraced their bicycles. 

The Beast

Dane Searls

Dane Searls is sick, these jumps are out of this world.  50ft, 60ft such skills.