June 2023

Bike Month may be over, but keep riding your bike to work, school, the store, or nowhere in particular just to experience the joy, freedom, cost savings, or health benefits of riding.

In this month’s Newsletter:

 

• Bike Café is on Tuesday, June 13 on bicycle backpacking, or bike-packing, with Emiliana Stein of New Orleans.

• The events of Bike Month are recapped.

• The next Bike Station Fix Your Own Bike Event is on Saturday, June 24 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Tower District.

• FCBC member Gene Richards describes working with an attorney on a settlement for a bike crash caused by a motorist.

• The next FCBC Board meeting is on Thursday, June 15 at 7:30 pm.

FCBC Bike Café

The monthly virtual Bike Café allows FCBC members and others to socialize and discuss bike-related topics of interest.

Join us on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 7 pm for a unique opportunity to delve into the adventurous world of bicycle backpacking, or as it's often known, bike-packing, with the intrepid cyclist and well-traveled explorer, Emiliana Stein.

From Seattle to the picturesque landscapes of Yellowstone, and Seattle to the vibrant lanes of Rosarito MX, from the cultural depths of New Orleans to the sandy beaches of San Diego,  Emiliana's two wheels have seen it all on multiple cross-country trips with groups and solo. And now, she's ready to share her wealth of experience and expertise with us.  This is a perfect event for both curious beginners looking to embark on their first bike-packing journey and seasoned cyclists in search of fresh insights and inspiration.

Emiliana's talk will focus on her unique concept of bike-packing and offer practical advice on planning, preparation, choosing the right gear, and finding the most suitable bicycle. She'll also touch on how long a bike-packing trip can typically last, potential challenges to expect, and the valuable lessons she's learned throughout her journeys.

Ever since her first bicycle tour in 2014, Emiliana has been pushing the boundaries of what's possible on two wheels.  Over the past decade, she has also been an active contributor to the Warmshowers and Adventure Cycling communities, promoting accessibility and inclusivity in the bike touring world.  Her rich experiences have been featured on 102.3 WHIV radio and the Bike Life Podcast, as well as educational talks at the Dashing Bicycle shop.

Currently residing in New Orleans as a full-time freelance artist, Emiliana embodies the spirit of adventure and freedom.  When she isn't creating beautiful art, she's often pedaling off into the unknown, turning every bit of free time into an exploration of the world on her bike.

If you have questions about using Zoom, registration for the event, or any other questions, email us events@fresnobike.org.

Bike Month Recap

FCBC began Bike Month with a first-ever Comic Book Ride on May 6.  About a dozen bike riders gathered near Fresno State to take a ride to Blackstone Avenue to visit two comic book stores, beginning at Legends Comics and Games near Barstow Avenue and then Heroes Comics on Shaw Avenue.  Free Comic Book Day is an international event sponsored by independent comic book stores to attract new readers.

Also on May 6, FCBC Board members John and Edie Smith gave a virtual Smart Cycling class, followed by an in-person on-bike class in Visalia the next day in preparation for the League Cycling Instructor (LCI) Seminar on June 23-25.  The Central Valley will soon have several new LCIs to provide bicycle education.

On May 10 was a first-ever Ride with the Mayor event in Downtown Fresno.  The event was co-hosted by FCBC and the Fresno Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), and it started at Fresno City Hall with a proclamation for Bike Month.  Attending dignitaries beside Mayor Jerry Dyer were Fresno Councilmember Mike Karbassi and Luis Chavez, Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, Fresno Unified Board Member Keisha Thomas, and BPAC Chair Laura Gromis.  FCBC Chair Tony Molina led the 2.5 mile ride, and it was a great opportunity for community members to rub elbows with important local decision makers while on bikes and discuss the importance of high-quality bicycle infrastructure.

The Fresno Cycling Club led the somber Ride of Silence on May 17 to honor bicyclists who have been killed or injured on public roadways.  The 8-mile ride began and ended at Clovis West High School.

Bike to Work Day was on May 18, and FCBC set up an energy station at the Tower Theater as was the custom prior to the pandemic.  This year they were joined by Jake Martinez of the Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG), who discussed Valley Rides and provided snacks and water.

The Bike Station

A successful Fix Your Own Bike (FYOB) event was held on May 27 in the Tower District.  

The next FYOB event is scheduled on June 24 between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm at 1440 N. Van Ness Avenue.  The Bike Station is sponsored by FCBC and allows bike owners to learn how to repair their own bikes with help from experienced mechanics, including FCBC member Julie Congi and Tower Velo owner Chris Eacock.

Guest Contributor:  Gene Richards on Hiring an Attorney for a Bike Crash

Members are welcome to submit articles, photos, or artwork for potential inclusion in the FCBC Newsletter.  This month, FCBC member Gene Richards describes his experience with being in a crash with a motor vehicle and enlisting the services of an attorney. Gene has generously offered himself as a resource to FCBC members on this topic, and can be contacted by email at ignerichards@gmail.com.

Been injured? You know the ads:  TV, billboards, everywhere. You’d think that personal injury law was a booming business.  For me, yes and yes.  I did call, but not to someone who advertises like this. 

Brief background: a little over a year ago, I was hit on my bike just around the corner from my house, in broad daylight, the morning after a rain but good visibility. I had the right-of-way at a stop sign on the residential street. The driver was stopped, but I, not wanting to take chances, moved to the other side of the street and crossed in front of her–surely surely she sees me, right?!  I had to be directly in front of her when she clipped my back wheel and sent me sprawling and bouncing onto the frame and the street–geez..

You know it’s going to hurt but you’re not sure what’s going to give, I lay in the street a few moments, in shock, trying to gain my senses, before I crawled to my feet, trying to see what part of my body was going to pay.

I was actually banged up worse than I’d realized – large edema on my leg, abrasions all over and serious pain in my right hand, which broke my fall. I walked home after refusing a ride to Kaiser from the EMTs, but the swelling in my shin made me change my mind–you know, bravado, right?

I guess I was “fortunate” as the driver, an older woman in an SUV, stopped to check on me.  Very fortunately, there was a witness standing about 10 yards away, just getting ready to go to work, and he immediately called 9-1-1.  The ambulance got there quickly, but the cops didn’t arrive for about 45 minutes, and they didn’t even bother to take a report even when they did arrive!  Nope, not done anymore, HC! (I later got an “incident number” from a traffic cop I know). Also fortunate, the driver took responsibility and wrote down her personal info and insurance company, which accepted liability. So, who to get as my “hired gun” to go after a settlement?

Anyway, long story short, I got several attorney recommendations. First to an attorney who spoke at an FCBC Bike Café (see notes below).  I also got a recommendation from Dennis Ball of the Fresno Cycling Club* for Robert Williams, who I would highly recommend. 

It took about a year for the attorney’s office to get the settlement, which was more than I’d expected because the medical costs were not that great, so mainly “pain and suffering,” of which there was a lot, and ongoing joint damage to my primary hand.  The attorney has a paralegal who is a bulldog dealing with insurance companies.

What did I learn from this experience, because if you’re not learning from life’s negatives, you’re wasting your time, right?  I do not pass cars stopped at stop signs, even when I have the right-of-way, without looking very carefully to see if they are looking at me, and I pass very slowly now.  AND, if I see anyone creeping up, I yell at them to knock it off…or worse–that has got to stop!  I’ve heard drivers say some nonsense like, “I saw you!”  Oh yeah?!  How do I know you’ve seen me?!  In fact, I’m even more vocal with other miscreants on the roadway, considering myself an ambassador for all cyclists.  And I think all of us should be.  I’m also concerned with polite road etiquette, like signaling and thanking drivers for looking out for us–slowing down and making wide passes, or letting us take the right-of-way when they could turn in front of us–right hooks and left crosses.

Anyway, don’t call it an accident–it was a collision, which I’m calling 100% the driver’s fault.

My notes from Jim Pocrass' Bike Café talk to FCBC:

1. Lie on the ground and take a deep breath and think about your injuries

2. Check to see if the perp is still around

3. Check to see if any witnesses

4. Call police–tell them you’re hurt and need assistance and ambulance (but see my note on this above)

5. Get appropriate medical treatment

6. Give police salient info and make statement for self, but be careful how much to divulge

7. Take picture of perp’s license plate

8. See if any surveillance video

9. ER–be brief in explanation of what happened–no details necessary but…go into detail on injuries

10. Don’t post to social media (I removed my FB post on this)

11. Don’t talk to insurance company or investigator

12. Get best lawyer you can find–a lawyer who specializes in trials

13. BTW, it’s ok to ride the wrong way in a crosswalk

14. It’s perfectly ok to sue for pain and suffering, PTSD, emotional trauma, etc.–we should be compensated for this

*Thank you to FCC which maintains a helpful listing of Bicycle-Accident-Attorneys under its Rider Resources page 

nnnNext Board MeetingNext Board Meetin

Next Board Meeting

The next Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 15 at 7:30 pm via Zoom.  Everyone is welcome to join the virtual meeting.  If you would like to participate in the meeting, register here, and you will immediately get the Zoom link.

Membership

If you are not yet a member of FCBC or need to renew, please visit https://fresnobike.org/join to become a member or renew your membership.

Have a comment or suggestion?  Contact us at info@fresnobike.org.