Are you kidding? Southwest loves gays!

This was the view out my window while traveling back home from a weekend filled with homo type stuff like apple picking, canning organic tomatoes and watching Brad Pitt try to pull a Coach Taylor in Money Ball.

Apparently, the lesbian unicorn smiling at me at 35 thousand feet was there on a mission. Turns out some of the in flight crews at Southwest need to undergo a bit of "reorientation therapy" after poo pooing on some girl on girl action in seats 4A&B, and thus this majestic creature appeared to ensure there were no missteps on my flight. Thanks Lesbian Unicorn! It's working!

If you want to tell Southwest to apologize for homophobic employees, sign this petition here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-southwest-to-apologize-for-homophobic-employees

AAA loves to play the villain

I am so proud to be a AAA member because AAA is supporting Senate Bill 910, which will require drivers to give bicyclists more space when passing. Thanks AAA! I knew you would see the light!


Oh, what? AAA is lobbying against Senate Bill 910? Why? More people on bikes, less in cars? Fanatical obsession with private automobiles, higher speed limits and ever widening roadways at the expense of human beings? Via Better World Club:

As was reported by San Francisco based blogger Dan Connelly (at "On Bicycles, And...What Else Is There?") during the week after the Senate Committee's decision, AAA Northern California objected principally to SB 910's provision that motorists be required to slow down when a passing distance of three or more feet could not be achieved.

Paula LaBrie, Legislative Council for AAA Northern California, justified her organization's position by arguing that, "a drastic decrease in speed differentials between the vehicle passing the bicycle and other vehicles on the road," could cause collisions that might jeopardize the safety of a cyclist. 

Paula, while I appreciate your concern for the safety of cyclists, please understand that 18 other states have already passes similar legislation, as well as the City of Los Angeles. You and me should really go on a bike ride sometime. I promise you'll change your mind on this after 10 minutes riding around Los Angeles. But until then LaBrie, we are rivals.

Please join me in supporting the Please sign SB 910 to make our roads safer campaign. It's easy, just go here to make your voice heard:

http://www.citizenspeak.org/campaign/californiabicyclecoalition/please-sign-sb-910-make-our-roads-safer 

Dear Gov. Brown,

I'm writing to urge you to sign Senate Bill 910 so that drivers must give at least three feet of clearance when overtaking a person on a bicycle.

When a passing driver fails to give a bicyclist enough space, the slightest error by the driver or the most minor shift by the bicyclist to avoid trash, broken glass or rough pavement can lead to a collision. This type of collision is the leading cause of adult bicyclist fatalities in California and the U.S.

By requiring drivers to give bicyclists more space when passing, we can minimize a leading cause of deadly collisions and help more people feel comfortable about choosing to ride their bikes. And by making it possible for more people to feel confident about choosing to ride a bicycle, we can begin to achieve some of the state's crucial goals for improving air quality and safeguarding the environment. 

Specifying a minimum passing distance provides a more objective and easily understood measure of what constitutes "safe" and gives law enforcement and the courts a more objective basis for enforcing California's safe passing requirement. Most importantly, it helps emphasize a driver's special responsibility to safeguard more vulnerable road users like bicyclists. It will save lives without imposing any costs on government. 

Please sign SB 910 into law.

Sincerely, 

The Engaged Observer

Bike Shop: Pedal Revolution

While running thru The Mission to a canning demo at Heirloom with Heather and Megan, I passed a bike shop that caught my eye. The simple Helvetica font declaring the purpose of the shop, and a gear above to reinforce the message that this was a place for bikes.



and it was nonprofit at that?



From the looks of it, a bike shop of quality, simplicity and integrity. Pedal Revolution.



and social responsibility?



Linus and Surly bikes commanded premier spots on the showroom floor, reinforcing the simple, quality, integrity theme.



while Jeffrey made a fresh pot of coffee.



This place would be my LBS if I lived in San Francisco.



Do you shop at Pedal Revolution?

Diana

Fiying high above the ocean, looking down on a sea blanketed by puffy white clouds, my mind thinks of Diana. Diana, goddess of the hunt, virginity and the moon. Artemis, daughter of Zeus, sister of Apollo, frozen in marble, her bow taught with tension, her arrow on the precipice of flight.

Like our Diana, standing on a stone perch in Hemingway Harbor, about to take flight across the sea, across the universe, across the mind, across time and history. For 60 hours, she will stroke her way across the ocean, 200,000 pulls of the bow, to bring her across. Diana, pure of mind, at peace, at rest, yet active. YET ACTIVE! Pushing her body and mind beyond the limits we set for ourselves. But not Diana. She had 30 years to think about this moment. What's 30 years to 60 hours? What's 30 years to 103 miles? How lucky she is to be out there, in her element, doing what she loves, with the ones she loves, and the ones who love her.

Today! Think Bike LA Closing Session

Yesterday was my first time ever visiting the Council Chambers at City Hall



I attended the ThinkBike LA Opening Session hosted by the Netherlands Consulte based in San Francisco. How nice of them to come to Los Angeles and share their expertise in designing communities that are healthy, safe and navigable, something Los Angeles is working towards.



Hillie Talens gave an inspiring presentation. Her overview of cycling in the Netherlands was comprehensive and thorough. Here's just some of the insights she brought to Los Angeles:

Cycling is not a hobby in the Netherlands, it's a mode of transport. 

In the Netherlands, 27% of all trips are made on a bike. 

Teenage girls use bikes more than any other group, and it's easy to explain. It's their ticket to freedom! Girls average 4 miles per day on a bike.

Emotions are an important part of why cycling is so popular. People are happiest riding a bike than using any other form of transportation.
The fastest way to get around in Amsterdam is on a bike (and the same for Los Angeles, arguably!)

Cyclists live longer than drivers, 3 years on average, and spend their last 10 years in better health.

Merchants love cyclists because they spend more money in shops than drivers. They come in more often to buy goods.
Why do the Dutch cycle? It's:Cheap
Healthy
Fast
Joyful

Requirements for Bike Infrastructure in the Netherlands rest on 5 key pillars:
Coherence
Direct
Attractive
Safe
Comfortable

Bike routes are given priority over car routes. They design bike routes to be faster than car routes, on purpose!

Roundabouts are safest type of intersections because traffic moves in same direction at a safe speed.

In the case of accidents between cars and bicyclists, the car is always at fault. At best, the driver is always at least 50% at fault. This makes drivers very safe.

Good Stuff! I'll take everything!

At 3:30pm in downtown, the results of a 2 day session with Dutch bikeway design experts will be presented. 3 teams were sent out to ride bikes and then brainstorm on ways to improve cycling in their area of study. The public was not invited.







So I walked around admiring the architecture and symbols adorning the floor



A Spanish Galleon hauling treasure to the old world? How interesting?



I also alerted police to a suspicious package outside Councilman Alarcon's office.


Anyways.... Won't you be curious to see what they come up with? My hope is that the ideas presented will be given the respect and attention they are due.

Join Me!

3:30pm
Los Angeles Police Department
Deaton Hall Auditorium
100 West 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Inspiration Board

While looking at some junk in the garage, I just thought up an alternative to a clipboard, using some scrap plywood, bolts and graph paper from the 99 cent store. I left some extra space on the side just in case.

My First Day of Interbike 2011: Outdoor Demo

Thousands of Interbike images and dozens of videos are filling up my hard drive at this very second. It's taken me all weekend to recover from the Vegas experience and now I have something to share with y'all.






The video you see above represents my best effort to distill my first day of Interbike into 4 minutes. My amazingly talented friend Brad of the band Skull Tape graciously gave me permission to set my video to his music, or his music to my video, not really sure how to say that properly. Anyways, hope you enjoy it. I enjoyed filming it, though I wish I spent more time riding sick mountain bikes instead of filming them.



At least I got to ride the Yeti SB 66, but it was all too brief and hopefully I'll get to spend more time and give a proper review (hint hint Yeti) All I can say is it was a dream to ride and the techs were super friendly after 2 full days of demo-ing out bikes.





Thank you Yeti! Anyways, if you are one of the guys getting all vertical and aerial on the video, I hope you don't mind being on Youtube. Oh, and tell me your impressions of riding those bikes. Cheers!

Interbike Parking: Room 101

Ever wonder what bike your bike dealer rides to Interbike? I do! Here's a sampling of whips and cockpits from some of the elite dealers from around the country. See your bike here? Tell us about your frame, components, stickers and accessories.










Yes, there was rain this morning.



Improvised splash guard, must be from Portland.









Little People?


It goes without saying.


Now get a load of these cockpits! I bet the Bike Snob can identify the zip code, bike shop and trouser length of each rider.















One last note before I enter the floor: Will the owner of the Blue Surly Traveler's Check please return to parking and turn off your pink blinky?





Thank you.