Bike Intelligencer » bike safety

News Cycle: Zoic resuscitates, Top bike-club names, Bike rear-view mirror safety sticker & more

Paul Andrews, BI editor — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:32:54 +0000

BikingBis: Top bike-club names. Can’t argue with Gene on these. We did have the privilege of serving with a 1980s club founded by the estimable epicure, Bradford O’Connor, in celebration of one of his favorite beverages. It was called Team Green Death, in reference to the suitably toxic Rainier Brewery product, which served as official libation for all team meetings, gatherings and functions, including the annual sponsored Century Ride. TGD served its purpose and passed on, but the audacious team jersey lives in our attic somewhere.

Trial starts tomorrow of woman accused of mowing down cyclists while on her cell phone.

Lance says he thinks he can win the Tour de France again. “I might be a fool,” he acknowledges. While we chuckle at the thought Lance might be a fool, and especially at the notion he might really think that, we also know he has almost no chance to win another Tour. But as we’ve said, till someone else with a scintilla of charisma steps forward to lead the sport, Lance might as well chat up his chances.

Early Zoic (circa 2004) clothing was trend-setting and cool. Then the parent company lost interest and Zoic got expensive and precious. Now Eric Swenson and Paul Wyandt have bought Zoic, and we’re expecting great things.

BikePortland has report on a clever bike safety sticker.

Carnage on the roadways: Ride carefully out there!

Paul Andrews, BI editor — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:07:35 +0000

As the riding season heats up, the roadway interface between bikes and vehicles is getting dicier. Drivers unused to seeing so many bikes on the road make decisions as though bikes didn’t exist. And there are riders either new to the pursuit or rusty from a winter-long layoff who need to keep in mind that any encounter with two tons of steel really “weights” the odds against them.

That said, we stand by our position that there are too many bike accidents where the rider is doing precisely what he or she needs to do to ride safely, but the driver is careless or, worse yet, uncaring.

An 18-wheeler mowed down a South Carolina cyclist on Monday.

A Michigan cyclist got hit while talking with a motorist. This one sounds like the cyclist may not have been in the right place, given the circumstances.

Fixed Bicycle Gear: “I got hit by a car last night.”

Get out ‘n ride, but please, ride safe!

Helmetcammed Road Cyclist Videos Close Calls

Paul Andrews, BI editor — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:16:04 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJmxCuPiM0c&hl=en&fs=1]

Jeff Frings of Milwaukee has cameras on his helmet and handlebars (facing backward) to record close calls on his daily rides. Great TV news report showing the trials and traumas of just riding along in the big city. And does a good job of raising the issue about being “dead” right. [Note: Click on header to display full blog entry for full-screen video.]

Thanks to Biking Bis.