The weather outlook is good (sunny and 67) for Bike to Work Day here in Seattle this Friday. Here‘s Cascade Bicycle Club’s “Party from Dawn to Dusk” Guide. Come on out, it’s a rolling carnival on wheels! Elsewhere the countdown is on as well
: In the San Francisco Bay Area, where the San Jose Mercury points out “About 40 percent of Bay Area commuters live within five miles of their jobs, according to the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s Web site. If all those people biked to work Thursday, 60,000 vehicles would be off the road and tailpipe emissions would drop more than 150,000 pounds….”
Houston Chronicle on Texas “3-feet-please” bill banning “right hook,” the maneuver by motorists to speed up ahead and make a right turn in front of a cyclist. “Motorists could be charged with a misdemeanor offense if they don’t give cyclists at least three feet passing clearance in most circumstances….”
Seattle Times: Cycling clubs for disadvantaged get rolling. Great story exploring Seattle’s Cascade Bicycle Club efforts to involve kids in cycling.
Bicycle Net: Is Tom Boonen gone from cycling after his second positive cocaine test? My impression btw is that coke is not a performance enhancing drug (it just makes you think you’re better), but none of the articles I’ve read clarify this point. Here’s a pretty good discussion noting that if anything cocaine may actually impair performance.
Cyclelicious: Huge Dahon folding bike recall, with REI in the middle. Dahon make popular folding bikes — if you own one, be sure to have the recall done. Handlebar hinges are at potential fault and you don’t want to mess with steerage, especially on a foldie. (Handlebars are by design on the short and narrow end, and steerage is quicker than a typical bike.)
It’s still early in the Giro d’Italia, but Lance’s moment of truth has already arrived in today’s tough stage. Full results not yet posted, but he’s out of the Top 10 in general classification. Which is all OK. As we’ve been saying, the Giro and the Tour this year are kind of a big publicity tour for both Lance and the races, aimed at regenerating interest in the sport that waned after countless drug scandals. And so far, Lance is doing great at PR, with daily coverage in The New York Times and even network TV interest. Follow the Giro on Cycling News, which so far is beating the venerable Velo News at Giro coverage.