I’ve been biking to work since the 80s, and I have bike parts laying around all over the place. Sitting on my desk at work I have a 1986 Shimano 105 brake lever waiting to be put to use somewhere.

Likewise, I have an inbox of bikey links to share, some older than others. Enjoy!

Mission Bicycle in San Francisco started as a side venture in 2008 selling fixed gear bicycles online. They decided to open a retail presence on Valencia in SF. Read more.

Join Levi Leipheimer for a fully-supported fall bicycle ride in Sonoma County in Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo.

World Car Free Network blog from Prague. I thought I had mentioned this before but couldn’t find it.

Movie: Bicycle Dreams. I’ll more about this later.

BI: Can a professionally run mountain bike organization also be a vibrant social club?

CB: Alberto Contador trivia.

Old cycling photos.

Masiguy: Corny Joke.

More bikey shirts, hat and belt at Pedal Pushers Club.

Photo by Jason Rogers.

I’ve whipped up a script that takes the California Highway Patrol live traffic incident data feed from the 20 CHP dispatch centers around the state and filters for anything mentioning bikes or bicycles. You can see the results here.

At the time I’m writing this post, there’s a single incident between Woodland and Davis, CA: a bicyclist riding in the number 1 lane on State Route 113 just south of County Road 25A is reported to be a traffic hazard. “1097 in the CD” means the responding officer is parked in the center divider. I have no idea if bikes are permitted on this state highway or not.

Right now, this is a rough proof of concept, which means:

• I grab the incidents as they’re available on the CHP server.
• No caching of incidents, by me or anybody else.
• No permanent links of incident reports.
• When the incident ages out on the CHP dispatch center it is gone forever.
• Good probability of false positives. You’ll see reports of motorcycles and anything mentioning “bike lane.” I doubt I’ll change this heuristic much.
• You need to decode the terse radio codes and abbreviations yourself. I may work this decoding into the application.

To make this truly useful, I need to:

• Poll the CHP server automatically every 10 minutes or so and spit the results out to Twitter, an XML feed, or to email.
• Cache the incidents and;
• Provide permanent links to the incident information.

I can do all of these things; I just need to be sufficiently motivated and make time to do these things. Please let me know if this would be interesting / useful for you, and feel free also to leave any kind of suggestion and opportunity for improvement.

In the meantime –> http://www.cyclelicio.us/script/chpbike.php5.

Update: I’ve modified the script so it can take a query string so you can input your own search criteria. Examples:

• To search for fatal accidents in California, for example, use http://www.cyclelicio.us/script/chpbike.php5?q=FAT.
• Search for anything involving Toyotas with http://www.cyclelicio.us/script/chpbike.php5?q=TOY.
• How many Hit and Runs are there right now? Answer: A lot.
• Interested in your commute over Highway 17 in Santa Cruz County? http://www.cyclelicio.us/script/chpbike.php5?q=SR17.
• See the Pedestrians on the Roadway with http://www.cyclelicio.us/script/chpbike.php5?q=PEDESTRIAN.
• Ford? Or Chevy?

Somebody’s setting cars on fire in San Francisco. This morning’s San Francisco Examiner dead tree edition had this big, end-of-the-world headline on the front page: “CAR BLAZE VANDAL TERRORIZES CITY“.

Sure, it’s a big inconvenience to lose your car, and I realize some people depend on their cars for their livelihood, but are people in San Francisco really cowering in fear at the risk of losing their automobiles?

No, not really. Or at least I don’t think so.

What’s funny is just last week I was brainstorming with some co-conspirators about our April Fool’s joke for 2010. I came up with the idea of Flying Pigeon (the old Chinese bike factory) buying a major US or European bike brand. The Chinese have lots of American dollars, and we don’t have any credit to get anything built.

In case you haven’t heard: The rumors are flying today that Campagnolo has been purchased by an Asian company. Shimano strongly denies they’re involved, while Campy remains coy. Long time bike trade journalist Carlton Reid says “zero facts as of yet.”

Update: Campy denies the rumors and advises the rest of us to return to our Mediterranean villas.

Tom Vanderbilt talks about “Modal Bias,” which he describes as the phenomenon in which people who use one mode of travel don’t understand those using other modes.

Cycle Dog has been writing a series of “Why do they do that?” articles for the online Examiner in which he tries to bridge the gap by explaining to a motoring audience why cyclists do certain things.

My ancestral Choctaw great grandfather taught me never to judge another unless I’ve walked the length of a communal maize field in his Keene sandals, so I’ve decided to examine recent motorist vs cyclist incidents from the viewpoint of the motorist to gain insight and understanding.

Incident 1: Campbell, California

Motorist driving West in a white Ford, CA 5ALZ709; Campbell Avenue, 8 AM this morning, California: I need to turn right into my neighborhood on Victor Avenue. If I gun it to 50 mph in this 35 mph zone I just might be able to get in front of that bike up ahead, who is clearly visible in his bright yellow fluorescent jersey! Oh look, he’s right next to me at the intersection, but I still need to turn here. My morning donuts are calling. He won’t mind if I run him over!

The cyclist (aka me) slamming my brakes and quick turn: “Hey!” as I think not very nice thoughts about the driver (white or Hispanic female, 30ish, bleached hair, obese, too tight white capris and yellow top).

I still think that driver is an idiot and a menace.

Next case.

Incident 2: Asheville, North Carolina

Motorist Charles Diez driving on Tunnel Road: Look at that family riding their bikes along the side of the road. Don’t these idiots know that’s dangerous! Unbelievable, that maniac even has his three year old child on the bike with him! I’m going to give him a piece of my mind, pull out my gun and shoot that careless parent!

Cyclist (not me): OMG! I’m glad I’m wearing a helmet! That helmet saved my life!

I’m pretty sure motorist Charles Diez is also an idiot and a menace. Props to Skidmore.

PS: Don’t forget the contest.

The presenting sponsor of the Tri-Flow Menlo Park Grand Prix has defaulted on their $5,000 sponsorship for the race (it wasn’t Tri Flow). Race organizer Lorri Lee Lown made promotion and spending decisions based on that sponsorship, including the addition of a third women’s race this year. At present, Lorri has been able to cover all expenses except one bill to the City of Menlo Park for $4,000. If Velogirls.com can’t pay this bill, Menlo Park will not grant permission to have this race again in 2010.

Please give what you can to help save this event for 2010. Lorri is good people and does an outstanding job with the Menlo Park criterium. If just 100 people pitch in $50, her debt would be covered and she’ll have a little extra to start with for next year.

Click here to give.