As noted on Uptown Almanac today, the Wiggle got its very own PSA. And it's a musical to boot! (Let the Smashization of all PSAs commence!) While there's no mention about the pedestrian lane-cyclist lane issue along the route, it is a lot of fun. "Do the Wiggle" is performed by the Real Numbers. Here it is. Enjoy. more ›

At long last a conference will be held in honor of tacos, the superior taqueria treat. Taco Conf 2012 brings together tacos and cycling where one can pedal around both sides of the bay to discuss food, culture, and technology. Attendees will get the chance to ride their bicycles on a tour of some of the best antojitos in the Bay Area. Yes, you're going. What to bring? According to Taco Conf's site. all you need is a bicycle and some cash to buy savory, sublime tacos. You can also bring your kids too! It's a family event. more ›

Palo Alto Senator Joe Simitian, the man who authored the 2008 California ban on using cellphones while driving sans the use of a hands-free device, now wants a similar ban placed on cyclists texting or making phone calls. This means that, similar to drivers, cyclists pedaling while handling their iPhones or Droids or whatever could face a $20-$30 fine. more ›

Chris Bucchere, the cyclist who fatally struck a 71-year-old pedestrian after "plowing" in to a cross walk at Market and Castro Streets, could soon face charges of vehicular manslaughter, the Chronicle reports. According to the mustachioed duo of Matier & Ross and their sources inside the DA's office, District Attorney Gascón plans to file the felony charges that could result in up to 16 months in prison for Bucchere if he is convicted. more ›

During an interview with KQED's Michael Krasny on Monday, SFPD Captain Al Casciato mentioned that the city will launch a traffic school for cyclists — classes that you can take if you're cited while riding a bike, just like you can do if you're cited while driving. This program, according to Casciato, is similar to one in Sausalito. Casciato says, "within the next couple weeks [SFPD will work on] a bicycle training course and also a pedestrian training course for those who are citied for pedestrian violations and also for bicycling violations." more ›

Chris Bucchere, the cyclist who struck and killed a 71-year-old pedestrian and then wrote about it for the world to read, may be staring down some damning evidence. Although he initially justified plowing through the intersection by claiming that the Castro Street crosswalk suddenly "filled up with people," and that he was "too committed to stop", a law enforcement source close to the case says otherwise. They told KCBS that, after viewing traffic surveillance video, there were only three or four people in the crosswalk and that the bicyclist was "hunched down" as if he were racing through the intersection. more ›

The debate rages on about the city's bicyclists and whether or not they should be held responsible, en masse, for the few bad apples who blow through red lights and occasionally kill pedestrians. Following the deadly collision at Castro and Market in which an out-of-control cyclist plowed into the crosswalk and ultimately caused the death of an elderly man, the Chronicle publishes an editorial today calling on the city to stop being so accommodating to the Bicycle Coalition and start doing more to "hold them accountable for rude, reckless and sometimes dangerous behavior." more ›

(Alissa de Vogel) As a cyclist in San Francisco, we're lucky to live in the Panhandle. The lush, mature eucalyptus trees provide shade and make the entire neighborhood smell amazing. The long path of smooth, uninterrupted pavement allows us to move quickly between the Wiggle and our house without the hassle of stop signs and traffic. While biking through the Panhandle is easy and convenient, we'd like to suggest a few improvements. more ›

In this our modern age where Gen X and Gen Y fight over aesthetic and street credibility (hint: Gen Y wins, but only because they have youth on their side), fixed gear bicycles have typically signified the presence of a hipster during this war. What is a fixed gear bike, you ask? Well, a "fixe" will only allow a cyclist to ride using a single gear and the only way to brake the bike is to pedal backwards to skid the bike to a stop. They're also more pleasing to the eye than, say, a Schwinn ten-speed—is that still a thing?—which could be the main reason why so many young chic freaks enjoy riding the dangerous yet unfairly maligned bike. more ›

Mission Mission brings word that Martha Stewart, one of the most critical yet underrated philosophers in these our modern times, fell prey to San Francisco's sensitive cycling community over the weekend. It seems that, while shopping at Paxton Gate's Curiosities For Kids on tony Valencia Street, the (wrongfully!) convicted inside trader/domestic thinker parked her presumably gorgeous vehicle in the bike lane for a scant, very necessary five minutes. more ›

This nifty infographic (which you can click to enlarge) comes from the Christensen Law Firm ("Utah's bicycle lawyers"). It uses data from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute; Bicycle Safety Almanac's statistics on safety, fatalities, and injuries; bicyclinginfo.org; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's bicycle fatality facts 2008; and the American Academy of Family Physicians Bicycle-Related Injuries sheet. more ›

Granted. We're supposed to boycott mega-chain store Target for... wait, are we still supposed to be shun them? It's so hard to keep track here in San Francisco. We need some sort of multi-tabbed Excel spreadsheet to keep track of what corporate American cog we're supposed to boycott or not. So confusing. Whatever. Because we'd be fibbing if we said we weren't slightly giddy about the impending Missoni collection heading to your closest anti-gay Target store. ("Misso-who?" Google it, o' richly-texted DIY one.) more ›

Similar to the way electric cars have regenerative breaking, the very attractive Maxwell von Stein, 22, a graduate of The Cooper Union, invented a bike that harnesses your pedaling power. His beta bicycle uses a flywheel (pulled from an old Porsche) spinning between the crossbars to create energy. According to NPR's Science Friday, "The flywheel stores the kinetic energy until Max wants a boost, then he can transfer the energy back to the wheel using a shifter on the handlebars." more ›

NBC Bay Area has an update on the Saturday disappearance of Mike Martin, who had been cycling in the Berkeley hills when he suddenly vanished, dropping his cell phone along Tunnel Road for another cyclist to find shortly thereafter. It turns out Martin was at a bit of a crossroads in his life and career, and was scheduled to move to the East Coast on Tuesday. His girlfriend spoke to him via cell phone just a half hour before a stranger called her from the same phone to say he'd just found the phone on the road. Amaya James says he had been fasting for three days and was malnourished, and she fears he may have made a stupid decision to go off on a long bike ride without telling anyone. more ›

Gee, this is harrowing. Two fools who crashed into each other over the weekend were allegedly both drunk while riding their preferred modes. "Jose Luna, 40, of Redwood City was turning from northbound El Camino Real onto Berkshire Avenue in his Ford F-150 pickup truck when he struck bicyclist Alejandro Chavez, 31, of Redwood City at about 11 p.m. Saturday," reports SFGate. "Chavez, who had been riding against traffic while pedaling in a northbound lane, suffered a broken back and leg." Both were reportedly smashed, if you will, at the time of impact. Oy. [SFGate] more ›

Since our morning commute involves moving from the bedroom to the living room -- don't hate! -- we're (almost) jealous of those of you who get to take part in next week's Bike to Work Day. Last year's ride accounted for 75% of the morning roadway traffic on San Francisco’s Market Street. And this year's ride, happening next Tuesday Thursday, promises to be even better. "Commuters will be enjoying more than a dozen miles of new bike lanes, hundreds of new bike parking spaces, and long stretches of 'green carpet' that are physically separated from car lanes — all of which have been added since last year’s Bike to Work Day," beams the San Francisco Bike Coalition. For more details, or to volunteer at one of the 25 energizer stations, please visit SFBike.org. more ›

To the two-wheeled speed demons who spoke out against the proposed 10 mph speed limit on the Golden Gate Bridge: the Bridge has heard you and the Bridge will reconsider its plan. According to the folks at Streetsblog, several prominent cyclist groups spoke out during public comment to explain they felt they were intentionally left out of the cycling safety study, prompting the bridge's Building and Operating Committee to postpone the vote indefinitely while they seek additional community input. Over at the Weekly, SanFrancycle also speaks out while dropping a little knowledge on what the bridge's accident rate and usage numbers really mean (Hint: there aren't really that many accidents.) In the meantime, cyclists will still need to slow down this summer when the western walkway is closed for retrofit work an they're forced to share with foot traffic. more ›

Not the actual Bridge itself, mind you, but the GGB Highway and Transportation District will be considering a 10 mph speed limit for cyclists this coming Thursday. According to Bay City News, if the plan goes through CHP will be enforcing the speed limit which would carry a $100 fine for violators. While this potential throttling of cyclists is intended to cut down on the number of bike-related accidents on the bridge, it comes just before a retrofit project is set to close the bikes-only western sidewalk (where the majority of accidents occur). When the four-month project begins on May 9th the 6,000 bikers and 10,000 walkers who use the bridge on a busy weekend day will be forced to share the eastern sidewalk, meaning it'll probably be best to avoid strolling over the bridge anytime until the end of August. more ›

On Saturday, candid cyclists gathered in San Francisco to take part in the World Naked Bike Ride. How did it go? Don't ask us. This editor is saddled with red hair and thus diaphanous skin. There's not high enough SPF in the world to get us on a bike at noon with our blinding, milky flesh on display for the world to see. Perish the thought. Immediately. However, according to worldnakedbikeride.org, the fleshy ride was a smash. more ›

A bicyclist suffered a nasty head injury after colliding with a car at 19th Avenue and Ortega on Monday afternoon. "The driver of the vehicle stopped at the scene and cooperated with authorities," reports SF Appeal. The cyclist, whose injures have been described as "non-life-threatening," is expected to make a full recovery. [SFA] more ›

Oh oh! It looks like gas prices are increasing again. At this 76 gas station on California Street yesterday, a gallon of regular was going for a cool $4.39/gallon. What's more, according to USA Today, "GasBuddy has San Francisco now as the most expensive city for gas in the country at an average of $3.93 a gallon, followed by 15 other cities in California." more ›

Saturday evening, a cyclist headed against traffic on Haight Street was struck by a car heading south on Masonic says Bay City News. It's likely the driver, who cooperated with authorities, didn't see the 42-year-old woman riding in the wrong lane. The rider was taken to SF General with a serious head injury and a broken leg. So there's your weekly reminder to please wear your helmets and obey all relevant traffic laws or patterns. Your nervous family members will thank you. more ›

"Force Push" by Bhautik Joshi. more ›