Nichols Hills Require Bicycle Licenses

RadicalWacko September 13th, 2009

Walter J. posted this interesting little legal tidbit about the bicycle licensing requirements of Nichols Hills to the OBS mailing list:

Sec. 22-221.  Impoundment.

Any bicycle found upon any of the streets, sidewalks, alleys, parks, or public ways, or upon private property not under the control of the owner of the bicycle, and not licensed as herein required, or which does not otherwise comply with the provisions hereof or state law, shall be impounded until compliance is made. Abandoned bicycles shall be seized and impounded for safe keeping by the police department.

(Code 1989, § 20-105)

Sec. 22-222.  License.

(a)   It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person to operate or use a bicycle with a wheel diameter of 20 inches or more, propelled wholly or in part by muscular power, upon any of the streets, sidewalks, alleys, parks, or public ways of the city without first obtaining a license therefor and having the license placed thereon as hereinafter provided.

(b)   Such persons as the city manager may designate are hereby authorized and directed to issue bicycle licenses and attach the license to the bicycle on the upright portion of the frame below the seat or in such other form and manner as the city manager may prescribe. At the time of issuance of the license, the person issuing the license shall record the date of the issuance of each license, the name and address of the person to whom the same is issued, and the license number, together with a description of the bicycle licensed. There shall be no fee or charge for the issuance of such licenses.

(c)   In the event the license becomes obliterated, mutilated, removed or for any other reason, its numbers and lettering cannot be read, the owner of the license shall be required to obtain a duplicate license.

(Code 1989, §§ 20-100–20-102)

Via: http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=12449&sid=36

I have no idea how often this law is enforced if ever.  However, since punishment for an unlicensed bike is having it impounded, I may have to rethink my little trips to the Farmer’s Market on Thursdays.  Anyone ever been asked for their license?

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Edmond Cyclist Killed

RadicalWacko September 12th, 2009

Sad news as yet another cyclist is killed in the metro area:

A bicyclist was hit and killed by a truck on Kelly Avenue near Main Street in Edmond on Thursday.

The victim’s name was not immediately released. He appeared to be an adult male, Edmond police spokeswoman Glynda Chu said. The man was riding a bicycle on a sidewalk about 5:45 p.m. and lost control as he entered Kelly Avenue, Chu said. He collided with a truck and died at the scene. It wasn’t immediately known whether the victim was wearing a helmet.

Via: Six killed by accidents on Oklahoma roadways | NewsOK.com

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Reminder of State Bicycling Laws

RadicalWacko September 6th, 2009

Not that they make much difference, given the woman who ran me off the road a week ago shouting something about me being on “her” roads, but I’m glad to see these articles reminding people about traffic laws in Oklahoma . . .

With a few exceptions, Oklahoma law gives bicycles as much right to use public roads as cars, on the condition that bikes shouldn’t "impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic."

Tulsa World: Roads are for bicycles, too

 

Update:

And just to prove my point . . .

A recent incident involving an Edmond bicyclist hit by a car is sure to stir the discussion about sharing the road.

Nate Gomez said he was out for an early morning ride Saturday when someone in a car pulled up behind him and yelled at him for being on the street. Gomez said the driver then swerved into him causing a collision. He wasn’t hurt, but his $5,000 bicycle was damaged and the driver sped away.

Bikers, drivers clash | NewsOK.com

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Oklahoma Racing History

RadicalWacko September 6th, 2009

OkieBikers Another completely random article.   This one about two cycling friends and competitors in the 1930’s.

During the Depression, two Oklahomans spent three years on the semipro bike circuit. Earl Bigelow and Carl Spencer were notorious for setting sprint-worthy paces in long-distance races. They were teammates, competitors and friends.

. . .

As teens, these two developed strong calves and thighs while competing as messenger boys in Oklahoma City. Bigelow delivered telegrams for Western Union, Spencer for rival Postal Telegraph.

“We became not only close friends,” Spencer said, “but we became a team.”

Today, Americans like Lance Armstrong can gain fame as cyclists. But these reputations are forged in overseas races, most notably the Tour de France. Bicycling has never held a dominant position in American sport, but it had a higher profile in the Depression. Bigelow and Spencer were regional stars when they formed the Oklahoma City Cycling Club in 1937, a year after Bigelow placed in the Texas Centennial race and Spencer won Oklahoma’s state championship.

The course of a friendship

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The Nuts and Bolts of Bicycle Safety (Reminders)

RadicalWacko September 6th, 2009

A nice little article from Bartlesville Live reminding us the ABC+ of bicycle equipment checks . . .

A is for air

  • Inflate tires to rated pressure as listed on the sidewall of the tire.
  • Use a pressure gauge to insure proper pressure.
  • Check for damage to tire tread and sidewall; replace if damaged.

B is for brakes

  • Inspect pads for wear; replace if there is less than 1/4th of pad left.
  • Check pad adjustment; make sure they do not rub tire or dive into spokes.
  • Check brake level travel; at least 1” between bar and lever when applied.

C is for cranks, chain and cassette

  • Make sure that crank bolts are tight; lube the treads only, nothing else.
  • Check the chain for wear; 12 links should measure no more than 12 1/8 inches.
  • If the chain skips on the cassette, it may need an adjustment or a new one.

Quick is for quick releases

  • Hubs need to be tight in the frame; the quick release should engage at 90 degrees.
  • The hub quick release should point back to insure that nothing catches on it.
  • Inspect brake quick releases to make sure they reengage.

Check is for check it over

  • Take a quick ride to check if derailleurs and brakes are working properly.
  • Inspect the bike for loose or broken parts; tighten, replace or fix them.
  • Pay extra attention to the bike to keep it in good working condition.

The Nuts and Bolts of Bicycle Safety | BartlesvilleLIVE

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Tulsa Gets Bicycle Friendly

RadicalWacko September 6th, 2009

Good news for Tulsa . . .

Tulsa has become the first city in Oklahoma to receive a bronze ranking from the League of American Bicyclists, designating it as a "bicycle friendly community."

Tulsa World: Tulsa being peddled as ‘bicycle friendly’

 

Given my bad experiences with drivers in OKC this year, I think we aren’t even close to getting something like this.  And of course, Oklahoma as a state ranks 48th in bicycle friendliness according to League of American Bicyclists.

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Possible Changes for Bicyclists and Stoplights

RadicalWacko September 6th, 2009

Generally, I’m not a big fan of changing laws specifically for bicyclists.  I think the best way to improve the relations with bicyclists and motorists is for us to be viewed as normal vehicles on the road and not as special charity cases.  However, given the number of poorly set sensor lights out there, I’m inclined to agree with this one . . .

Representative Chuck Hoskins has authored House Bill 1795, which would make it legal for motorcycle drivers [and bicyclists] to continue through an intersection even if the light is red. The only requirements would be that the driver come to a complete stop and then make sure it is safe to proceed before going through the light.

Bill lets drivers run red light – KFOR

The bill has already passed the house and is currently languishing in the Senate’s Public Safety and Homeland Security committee which seems a bit grandiose for this bill.

You can read the text of the bill here

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When the Fixies Arrive, Polo is Soon to Follow

RadicalWacko July 14th, 2009

PoloPicture
Photo By: Alex Thompson		 I’ve been noticing a lot more fixes around town.  It’s taken a bit of time for the hipster bike culture to get here, but hey, better late than never.  I’ve never been a fixie guy myself (I still like the option to lazily granny gear it up the occasional hill).  In any case, NewsOk.com has an article about a bike polo team in Tulsa:

 

Dillon lived in Los Angeles for a year before moving back to Tulsa in December. And he thought it was too bad no one had started bike polo here.

In Tulsa, he found space in the back of an old warehouse across the street from where downtown’s new baseball stadium is under construction.

Via: Bicycle polo rolls into Oklahoma | NewsOK.com

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Extended Hiatus

RadicalWacko July 14th, 2009

When I started this site, I had dreams of enough spare time to keep it up.  Then I up and switched jobs.  The move has been great but it has eaten up an extended amount of my time for the last few months.  I’m slowly getting back to an even keel on things and have the itch to get back into posting.  I’ve got a bunch of catching up to do so look forward to more frequent updates.

Bicyclist Killed in Accident in Oklahoma City

RadicalWacko February 1st, 2009

A cyclist has been killed here in Oklahoma City tonight.  From NewsOK.com:

About 9:15 p.m., James Smith II, 60, was riding southbound on his bicycle in the outside lane of N Rockwell Avenue near the Northwest Expressway when he made a sharp left turn, Holland said. The minivan was driving behind Smith and its driver could not stop in time or avoid him, and Smith hit the windshield and was then run over.

Bicyclist hit, killed in Oklahoma City | NewsOK.com

It is always very sad to hear about such a tragedy.  This acts as a sad reminder that we should all be safe out there especially at night.

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