This article featuring Bob Mionske has been reproduced here for our media archives. To access the original article, follow the link.

Streetsblog New York City: Jury Applies No Penalty to Speeding Driver For Killing Cyclist Jake McDonaugh

by Ben Fried on October 28, 2011

A Brooklyn jury has found defendant Michael Oxley not guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the 2010 death of Jake McDonaugh, the Post reports.

Oxley was speeding behind the wheel of a Dodge Caravan when he ran down cyclist McDonaugh at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Duryea Place last April. The investigation and prosecution were unusual for a vehicular violence case — police followed up with witnesses, and the Brooklyn District Attorney applied a felony charge. But the jury cleared Oxley of homicide as well as reckless driving, a misdemeanor. A closer look at the case is in order.

At 9:20 a.m. on the morning of April 14, Oxley was driving on Flatbush when he struck and killed McDonaugh, who was bicycling eastbound on Duryea. Oxley, 28 at the time, was observed traveling at an excessive speed, and a witness saw him run a red before killing McDonaugh, according to court documents [PDF]. He was driving with a suspended license and according to the Daily News had racked up three license suspensions for failing to pay fines for speeding and improper turns. [More]

Source: http://www.bicyclelaw.com/blog/index.cfm/2011/10/28/Jury-Applies-No-Penalty-to-Speeding-Driver-For-Killing-Cyclist-Jake-McDonaugh

hobby bikes bike size chart for kids stider bike toddler balance bikes

This article was originally published on Cyclingnews.com.

Mark Cavendish (Team Sky) claimed his third Giro d’Italia stage win in what was the best bunch sprint of the race so far. It also demonstrated the Briton’s ability to remain cool and plot a way to the front when for several moments it seemed that his chance had gone.

After his Sky lead-out train had taken over the pace-making 1500m from the finish in Cervere, Cavendish found himself trapped against the left-hand barriers going into the final 500m when Orica-GreenEdge came through very close on their right to set up Matt Goss. For a couple of seconds, it looked like Cavendish would get lost in the pack behind the Australian and his team-mates, but the Manxman showed why he is a master at getting out of a tight situation as he picked his way through half a dozen riders.

With two Sky riders still ahead of him but not able to allow him past as Goss’s train steamed by, Cavendish moved across onto the wheel of Garmin’s Robbie Hunter as the sprint was launched. The world champion then jumped into a gap that opened up alongside the left-hand barriers, freewheeled momentarily as the gap closed, then once again saw daylight ahead and was off towards it in an instant.

At the line he was more than a bike length clear of Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), with Mark Renshaw (Rabobank) third. Goss finished in sixth place and lost significant ground on Cavendish in the battle for the red points jersey.

“It’s taken me a week to recover from the crash that I had but every day I’m feeling better and better,” said Cavendish.

Rodriguez – can he defend for another eight stages?

There was no change in the overall standings. Joaquim Rodríguez retained the pink jersey going into a crucial weekend of racing, featuring back-to-back summit finishes. In fact, the shortest road stage of the race was also the quietest so far, run at a steady rather than a frantic pace and with few incidents of note until the closing moments.

Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Francesco Failli (Farnese Vini) went clear in the opening kilometres, opening a gap of five-and-a-half minutes with 40km covered. That was as much leeway as they were allowed. Sky and FDJ joined forces to set a steady pace behind them. The two-man escape was finally nullified with 21km remaining.

From then on, the main interest was in seeing which sprint line could dominate the pace-making. In fact, no one team could for very long as all of the sprinters and overall contenders seemed determined to stick close to the front. At times there were three or four separate trains spearheading the front of the bunch.

The only break from this fascinating duel came on a rise with 6.5km left. Fabio Felline (Androni), Julien Berard (Ag2r) and Julien Vermote (Omega Pharma) went away, but were reeled in by the bunch after just 2km of freedom. Saxo Bank briefly took over at the front, only to lose out to Sky, who didn’t get their lead-out right but still came away with the win thanks to their sprinter’s quick thinking and blistering acceleration.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BikeRadar/feeds/~3/oUA5Gekr6uo/story01.htm

glide bikes mini glider tootscoot kids bike reviews balance bike review

Three feet to pass. Increasingly, it’s becoming the standard for the minimum distance at which motorists should pass cyclists—and increasingly, it’s becoming the law. When a state passes a “3 foot law,” the existing legal requirement to pass at a “safe passing distance” is changed to a requirement to pass at a “minimum safe passing distance”—typically 3 feet, but sometimes more, some times less, depending on the state. When a state establishes what a minimum safe passing distance means, motorists, police, courts, and juries are all given guidance about the bare minimum requirement for making a safe pass. Even with a minimum safe passing distance, overtaking drivers are still required to pass cyclists at a “safe distance,” and depending on conditions, that “safe distance” may be greater than the minimum distance specified by the law. But no driver can pass closer than the minimum distance specified in the law and argue in court that the pass was legal. [More]

Source: http://www.bicyclelaw.com/blog/index.cfm/2011/11/17/Sending-The-Wrong-Message

chopper black blinking light wooden bike scoot bike

Tested by Matt Kasprzyk

Since mid-summer, these Syncros wheels have been on my downhill bike. They have taken a lot of abuse, from all-day sessions at bike parks to downhill racing. These aren’t disposable race-day wheels. I rode Syncros FR/ DH wheels from July through October 2011 and they are still rolling tight and true. I’ve been told that one reason for their trueness is Syncros’ patented True Track Technology. It relieves stress, hardens and straightens the rim after it is shaped into a hoop. The process eliminates the compression and stretching of the alloy during rim shaping. What does this mean for riders? A wheel that requires less maintenance.

The FR/DH wheelset is available with matte white or anodized black rims. The 32 DT Swiss Champion 2.0mm spokes are laced three-cross with DT Swiss nipples. This wheelset uses Syncros DS32 sleeved rims, made from a proprietary alloy blend. The previous version of this wheelset used a bead lock to minimize tire and tube rotation under hard braking to prevent flat tires from rolling off the rim. Unfortunately, Syncros found the bead lock increased sidewall tears and removed it in favor of a more traditional bead hook.

The FR/DH front hub spins on four bearings, two per side for stability and durability. The rear hub uses three pairs of oversized bearings, two at each end of the hub body and two more at the base of the freehub. The freehub has a mild “killer bee” click. Not obnoxious, but they certainly give a bit of that expensive wheel sound. Three pawls provide 10-degree engagement, which was quick enough for my needs.

In the world of cycling components, gaining reliability and robustness often coincide with gains in weight. The FR/DH wheelset is no exception. The 150×12 rear wheel tips my scale at 1,360g. The front wheel comes in close behind at 1,120g. Not the lightest DH wheels on the market, but they might be some of the most durable, stiffest and affordable. Did I men- tion they come in white? Price for the front wheel is $280. Prices for the 135mm QR and 150mm thru-axle (tested) rear wheels are $320 and $300, respectively.

If you’re an enthusiast-level rider looking for a wheel upgrade, or in need of a sturdy replacement, Syncros FR/DH wheels are a good combina- tion of price and durability. Not to mention they also look and sound pretty good. All Syncros wheels come with a five-year, limited warranty.

Price: $580

Weight: 2,480 grams

Country of Origin: Taiwan

Source: http://www.dirtragmag.com/reviews/review-syncros-freeridedownhill-wheelset

wooden bikes watermelon helmet training wheels hover bike