Results tagged “bikes”

Scott James of NYT Bay Area did something a bit crafty. He perched a camera at Duboce and Steiner, capturing cars and cyclists during their morning commutes. While not the busiest or most dangerous intersection in San Francisco, it is, as James points out, a complex one where "cars, pedestrians, cyclists and the MUNI N-Line all converge."

DNA Lounge owner and LiveJournaler jwz went riding the other day with his pal netik on Harrison Street. Things did not go well.

The benevolent folks at SF Bike Coalition will help you keep your bike safe and sound while you're at this weekend's Outside Lands Festival. SFBC says, "keep your bike safe and secure at our complimentary bike valet at outside lands this weekend." So, if you can, ditch your car and grab your bike (or walk, roll, take public transportation, etc.) before heading to the festival.

What with last week's cyclist-meets-Muni crash still fresh in our mind, today's Chronicle Watch hit us like a blast of B.O. from a 4-o'clock-hour bike messenger. It seems that San Francisco cyclists, the single most oppressed minority group in these our modern times, fail to pay attention to get-off-the-sidewalk signs. Although cyclists should be allowed on city sidewalks -- because they're doing God's work; really, they should be allowed to ride wherever they damn well want -- they are not. Ultra-cranky Chronicle Watch reader Bill Carroll shakes his fist, saying, "Every day I walk to Aquatic Park (and) every day I and all the other pedestrians are nearly run over by all the bicyclists on the sidewalk...The 'NO BICYCLES' sign is so small and so high that no one seems to notice. The sign should be larger, lower, and state 'NO BICYCLES ON SIDEWALK.' The bicycles are supposed to be on the street." CW forwarded old man Carroll's battle cry to the proper authorities. No word on what, exactly, will be done. Why signs are needed at all boggles the mind. But feel free to implode about it in the comments.

A little after 10:30 a.m. today, a male cyclist "early to mid-twenties" collided with the M Ocean View at Arch and Randolph, temporarily disrupting service. According to SF Appeal, "the bicyclist was traveling southbound (downhill) on Arch Street and struck the right side of the train as it headed inbound (westbound) on Randolph Street through the intersection." No word yet who failed to observe the stop sign. The cyclist was whisked to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for serious injuries. We hope his recovery is a speedy one.

by Chris Jones

We came across this harrowing bit of footage over at Mission Mission. This SF cyclist is, for lack of a better word, insane. And a bit sexy too, in the way that men who risk their lives at very high speeds tend to be.

by Chris Jones

       

Nudity and cycling clashed at yesterday's monthly Critical Mass. Plug1 of What I'm Seeing snapped these choice images, some of them drastically NSFW. (Warning: nudity)

FILM: The SF Bike Coalition is kicking off their summer Bike-In Movie Series with the beloved BMX cult classic Rad, featuring "the amazing and infamous bike dance scene" with a young Lori Loughlin (best known for her role as Aunt Becky on Full House). There will be a complimentary bike valet and several tasty street food vendors, including the Crème Brûlée Cart, the Magic Curry Kart, Gobba Gobba Hey, Sexy Soup Cart, Amuse Bouche SF, Sweet Constructions, and Chez Spencer's "Spencer on the Go."

Self portrait at Third and King, shot by meligrosa / Bikes & the City. (Hat tip: Allan Hough)

Bay Area cyclists, it seems, are riding without helmets. Horrors! At least according to a KCBS report that claims "[m]ore and more Bay Area bicyclists are riding without bike helmets, some because they think it's actually safer." There's some sort of "movement" among cyclists to ditch the helmets for safety reasons. One reason of safety? Some "anti-helmet advocates think drivers are more likely to steer clear of bikers who they see are not wearing headgear." Sounds like a good point. Also, bike messenger Kinto Fannin argues, "people fall down in the shower a lot and they don't make people wear helmets in the shower." A statement that could only be answered by Addison DeWitt thusly, "You have a point. An idiotic one, but a point."

SFAppeal has word that the above (alleged!) bike thief was caught cutting bike lock cable thingies on Market near Fifth Street yesterday. And just who caught him? Members of the SF Bike Coalition who were frolicking about during their "Ice Cream Sunday Ride."

SFist reader and commenter uggie sent us the above image. It's a newly installed "walk your bike or scooter to the parking area" sign on a city government building parking lot, which is about 8 feet from the ground in English and in Braille.

Yesterday morning, PT Cruiser allegedly plowed through a red light at 18th and Valencia streets, striking an "adult riding a grey steel frame bicycle which had a blue childrens add on tandem bike ridden by a four year old boy." Also, one cyclist's spine was fractured. Ow.

The plan will go ahead, folks. It seems that 15 or so minutes ago, according to a source, the SFMTA Board of Directors "unanimously voted to adopt The SF Bike Plan." And while not every one of the 60 or so projects will get done -- there are at least 15 still "on the back burner/needing further study and community input," yada, yada, uada -- all systems are a go. However, they removed the 2nd Street idea because "it would remove left turn lanes and received huge neighborhood and resident opposition.

                          

We hear today's Sunday Streets in the Mission was a success. Evidently lots of kids came out of the woodwork, too. The next one is July 19, also in the Mission.

DIY, fashion, cheese, and pride -- who could ask for anything more?! Here are just a few events going on this weekend:

This just in from the SFBike mailing list. "Does anyone know if this guy is OK? No Darwin jokes please. 'Park Station Officers responded to Divisadero and Golden Gate Ave with regard to a injury accident bicycle versus vehicle. The officers contacted the bicycle rider who stated he was riding his friend's "track bike" that does not have brakes down Golden Gate Ave. The bike is stopped by skidding...'"

CBS 5 reporter Joe Vazquez, who took to the streets with critical massers last month, posed a question: Why isn't critical mass paying its fair share for the cost of their monthly ride? After all, according to Vazquez, an event permit would be $1,000 (that's $12,000 for the year), required portable bathrooms (?!) are another $500 each time ($6,000 for the year), a $1,000 cleaning deposit ($12,000 a year), police protection at 20 officers comes to more than $112,000 a year, and another $13,000 for two sergeants. This makes a grand total of $155,060 tax dollars.

Just a friendly reminder that our monthly bike orgy, Critical Mass, will take place at around 6 p.m.. Ish. It starts at Justin Herman Plaza, but you can pretty much just start riding from anywhere. Spirit of the cause, etc. Anyway, you've been warned.

Happy Critical Mass Friday, y'all. Here's some happy bike-related news for you: The San Francisco Unified School District is encouraging students to cycle to school. SFUSD and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition have recently installed new bike racks at Francisco Middle School and teamed up to teach students basic street safety, bike courtesy, and how to blow the perfect snot rocket. According to Leah Shahum of the Bicycle Coalition, "This is really about working regular exercise into your everyday lifestyle so [that] when kids grow up they are living healthy active lives." And while the paranoid, hysterical mother in us wants to take little Cody to school in a monstrous but protective Hummer, the rational cool older brother in us thinks this is a great idea. Kudos, SF Bike Coalition and SFUSD.

Amgen Tour of California: around 9 a.m. this morning at Ocean Beach along the Great Highway at Judah.

Just a reminder that today is Critical Mass, wherein bike riders pedal up Market Street. And other places. Seeing as how it's an unseasonably warm day today, it's bound to be crowded so please use extra precaution, drivers and riders. Remember, the right-of-way pecking order is as follows: kittens, old ladies in wheelchairs, pedestrians, cyclists, joggers, and then automobile drivers. Have fun. The action starts at 6 p.m. at Justin Herman Plaza, Market at Embarcadero.

The controversial plan to remove the bike lane at Market & Octavia was denied by Judge Peter Busch. At least for now.

       

Today's rally to keep the MTA from removing a bike lane on San Francisco's main strip went well this morning. Leno, Ammiano, Dufty, Mirkarimi, Campos -- the usual suspects were in attendance. Loads of cyclists too.

We typically poke fun at coalitions. You know, for giggles. But not SF Bike Coalition. Because they do good work. Great work, in fact.

Because this infamous intersection isn't dangerous enough, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors have "unanimously endorsed its traffic engineer's plan to eliminate the eastbound bike lane on Market Street at Octavia Boulevard" despite protests from cyclists who don't want to die while riding Market Street. Yes, really.

Aw.

Oh oh.