Kenneth C. Martin Blogs: The Monday Roundup: Baller bikes, cycling cheat sheet, car ad comedy, and more

Monday, January 14, 2019

The Monday Roundup: Baller bikes, cycling cheat sheet, car ad comedy, and more

*This week’s Monday Roundup is sponsored by the City of Portland, who reminds you that the Eastbank Esplanade will close for maintenance on February 1st.
See the Better Naito detour and more details at the project page.

Welcome to the week! I’m sure many of you have sore muscles in your face from all the smiling about the sunny weekend we just had. I saw so many people on out two wheels! Let’s start the week with a look at the most noteworthy items we came across in the past seven days…

Here are the ways. Where is the will?: Free bikes, filtered permeability, lower speeds, strict liability — this list from The Guardian on how to boost urban biking is like a cheat code to a happier city.

A mayor that bikes is not enough: Not satisfied with progress on cycling infrastructure, activists in New York City are calling on City Hall to appoint a Bicycle Mayor.

Baller bikes: State Bicycle Co worked with Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker to create custom bikes he used as Christmas gifts for his teammates.

Transgender competitor: First-ever transgender UCI World Champion Kate McKinnon has become a lightning rod of scrutiny and now she’s become an outspoken advocate for other transgender cyclists.

Car commercials skewered: YouTuber Damien Slash set his talents on the car commercial genre in this hilariously accurate bit of audio from the BBC.

Burst of self-driving bubble: Americans so want to believe that AVs will solve all our problems, yet even an industry CEO says their capabilities have been oversold. Surprise, surprise!

Lower age, lower price: The City of Vancouver BC has lowered the legal age for using their Mobi bike share system to just 12 years old. They also unveiled a $20 per year price option.

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The trouble with the Census: Every year we need to remind you that the U.S. Census bike commuting numbers are not an accurate picture of our nation’s habits. Here’s a solid breakdown that explains why.

Big cars kill: Research from Canada proves what you’ve probably already speculated: That those ever-popular, absurdly large trucks are dangerous by design.

E-scooter laws: The city of Denver is adjusting their laws to clarify how e-scooters can be used. With Portland about to release a final report on our first pilot, we’re looking at how other cities are handling the era of micromobility.

Video of the Week: If you’re a pro cycling fan — especially of a certain age — you’ll appreciate this old footage of the legendary Morgul-Bismarck race.