Free Republic

BOCA RATON — A 69-year-old Delray Beach man discovered the perils of not doing enough for bicyclists to think he was sharing the road with them. A group of angry cyclists confronted him last week, accusing him of passing them too closely on State Road A1A in Boca Raton. According to Boca Raton police, one cyclist reached into the car, grabbed Miles Barish and threatened to beat him while other cyclists punched and kicked his 2008 Lexus convertible. The cyclist, Thomas McDonald, 50, of Lighthouse Point, was arrested and charged with simple assault and battery on a person older than...

In some places you don't mess with gun rights. In Portland, you don't mess with bikes. So it was no surprise Friday when Portland's avid cycling community erupted after four Oregon legislators proposed a $54 fee for registering adult bikes every two years. BikePortland, a local cycling blog, was besieged with complaints. The "intention is exactly to discourage and kill cycling," one blogger fumed. Another fretted about the hefty tab for his garage full of bikes. Rep. Wayne Krieger, R-Gold Beach, one of the chief sponsors of House Bill 3008, conceded the legislation probably won't pass, particularly with "everybody struggling"...

A Brentwood physician who allegedly injured two cyclists last summer by slamming on his car brakes in front of them on Mandeville Canyon Road pleaded not guilty today.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A bicyclist was killed early Thursday morning after being struck by a car on the Outer Loop near the I-65 interchange. Police said the driver of a Honda Accord appears to have been following a tractor-trailer headed westbound in the left lane. The driver apparently tried to go around the truck by switching to the right lane, which is where the bicyclist was traveling. The cyclist died at the scene. Detectives are trying to determine who's to blame. "Heavy traffic. If it's true that the person was following too close, that's another contributing factor that can cause...

When gas prices surged above $4 per gallon earlier this year, it didn't take Nostradamus to predict that there would be a resultant rush to carbon-free commuting options—especially in a place like Portland, which is known for its ample network of bike lanes. Cyclists in "Stumptown" are spinning their spokes here in unprecedented numbers, trading in their fuel-guzzling SUVs for stylish 27-speeds. But the cycling surge has created conflict, as the new breed of commuters bumps up against the old, oil-powered kind. First came a drunk cyclist repeatedly smacking the driver of a car with his bike July 6, before...

A car plowed into a bike race along a highway near the US-Mexico border, killing one and injuring 10 others. Police investigator Jose Alfredo Rodriguez says the 28-year-old driver was apparently drunk ... A photograph taken by a city official shows bicyclists and equipment being hurled high in to the air...

One thing that always strikes me about so many of my "fellow" cyclists that Roenfeldt is apparently not cognizant of, is how rude and arrogant cyclists tend to be. I mostly ride the metro area's extensive trails and paths and I try to extend every courtesy to others. I rarely encounter fellow cyclists with the same view, though. Rather, I see them rocketing silently out of darkened underpasses causing elderly strollers to leap into the brush alongside the path and rushing in silence up behind unsuspecting families with pets and small children, never uttering a word of warning From my...

University of Florida student Jeffery Popelka dreamed of bicycling alone from Gainesville to New York, a friend said. Popelka, 26, started that adventure Sunday when he set out to travel north. But it ended suddenly late Monday when he was struck and killed by a semi on U.S. 301 in Georgia. The senior engineering student had been bicycling north on the roadway at about 11:30 p.m. when a tractor-trailer, also traveling north, hit him from behind, said Georgia State Patrol Sgt. Josh Lamb.

Tonight's Critical Mass in San Francisco marks the 15th anniversary of the rebellious rolling ride that locally has propelled the bicycle movement into the political mainstream and globally has been copied by hundreds of cities. What began with four dozen bicyclists riding together up Market Street on Sept. 25, 1992, has turned into a monthly happening that regularly draws thousands of participants pedaling along the streets of San Francisco, at times drawing both praise and scorn. The monthly Critical Mass rides are part political statement and part roving street festival and now are firmly part of San Francisco's cultural fabric....

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2006 – After a brief stop at Ground Zero in New York this morning, 105 bicyclists, some for the fifth time, began the 272-mile trek that will end at the Pentagon on Sept. 11. Mike Depaolis, a New York City police officer and an organizer of the “Tour de Force” bike ride, said his brother Robert, also an NYPD officer, helped start the ride in 2002 as a way to remember the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “My brother Rob … responded the day of the attacks and he was down there, Jesus, for weeks on...

8/1/2006 - CORALVILLE, Iowa (AFPN) -- Tears don’t fall lightly from a colonel, especially in front of more than 120 other Airmen. But when Col. John Clarke presented Pamela Vineyard a plaque, representing a weeklong bike ride across the state of Iowa, the tears were evidence of the inspiring and amazing example of her strength and character. Her strength and character were tested, along with 101 other Air Force cyclists and 10,000 others in the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI, a more than 450-mile bike ride spanning a week. It had been more than 20 years...

SAN ANTONIO, July 5, 2006 – As the city celebrated July 4 with colorful parades and family barbecues, a small group of cyclists rode into Fort Sam Houston marking an independence day of their own. Steve Nardizzi (far right), executive director of Soldier Ride, introduces a few of the wounded warriors participating in the Soldier Ride National Tour 2006 at Fort Sam Houston's Fourth of July ceremony. The cyclists stopped by after a nine-day trip from Dallas to help the San Antonio community pay tribute to the nation. Photo by Elaine Wilson  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The...

When hundreds of protesters take off most of their clothes, coat themselves in body paint and hop on bicycles, they are likely to draw a fair amount of attention. That's the point. The World Naked Bike Ride plans to hit Chicago and at least 25 other cities around the world Saturday as a peaceful protest against international oil consumption, according Chicago ride organizer Aurora Danai. "We don't expect everyone to be OK with this," said Danai, a 26-year-old Bucktown resident. "We're just trying to have a good time and raise awareness." Now in its third year, World Naked Bike Ride...

Why A Naked Bike Ride? Every day we are bombarded with countless messages demanding our obedience to the corporate dictates of a consumption dependent society. Little regard is paid to the future of our planet and generations left with a legacy of waste and environmental contamination. How many countless times each day do our media masters spin the same message: Unless you buy this, you are not worthy. Unless you look like this you should be ashamed. By cruising naked down the spending frenzy capitals of the world, we are saying.NO! ...a fancy new car is not a mark of...

Saturday, July 5, 2003 Cyclists riding across country make a pit stop in Cheyenne By Becky Orr Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle CHEYENNE – The 13 cyclists who rode into town Friday looked tanned and fit and showed no signs of fatigue. So far, they’ve ridden nearly 1,800 miles, some of it across rugged mountain terrain. The cyclists are seeing America in a way that few ever do – from the seat of their road bicycles. What’s more important than the trip, they said, is its purpose. With every turn of their wheels, the riders are raising money and awareness...

From scenic Adirondack village to hog heaven Lake George -- Bikers from U.S., Canada arrive for 20th weeklong Americade festival By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer First published: Tuesday, June 4, 2002 Motorcyclists arriving at the 20th birthday of Americade said Monday that the scenic surroundings of the Adirondacks and the noncompetitive atmosphere of the rally are why the event keeps growing.Less than 5,000 people attended the first weeklong festival for bikers in 1983. By 1990, that number grew to 20,000, and it hit 50,000 last year. This year, that number is expected to increase again -- with more than...