CALIFORNIA BICYCLE NEWS AND CYCLING SAFETY TIPS BLOG

Are My Disc Brakes Safe?

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Dudek Law Firm

If you purchased a TRP mechanical disc brake caliper last year, you should get it checked out at your nearest bike shop. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has ordered a recall of 2,000 TRP disc brakes. Consumers can send in their malfunctioning disc brakes to receive the improved version for free. TRP also released a similar brake caliper under the moniker Spyre and Spyre SLC. The recalled brake discs can be identified by a six-pointed fastening screw and a 3 mm adjustment screw on the side. According to a representative of TRP, “[t]he Spyre caliper uses a dual piston design in which ball bearings move within opposing ramps. We have discovered that in a specific scenario, the balls can be forced from the ramps if the actuator arm is fully activated to its stop with excessively worn or no pads installed.” This is a safety concern for cyclists because…
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Will this Supreme Court Ruling Result in the Loss of Bike Paths?

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Dudek Law Firm

The Supreme Court decided eight-to-one in favor of the plaintiffs in the Wyoming case, Marvin Brandt Revocable Trust v. United States. The plaintiffs sued the federal government over the addition of bike pathways that ran through their property. However, the federal government granted the Brandt family the land which was previously a part of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest because they produced railroad ties in their sawmill. In the mid-20th century, many American families and businesses working in the railway or auxiliary industries received land grants on the condition that trains would have the right-of-way on the land.  With time, most of the railway land grants were abandoned with the decline of the railway industry, so in 1983 the federal government started converting the abandoned land into hiking and biking trails through the Rails to Trails program. The Brandt family sued over the federal government’s right to repurpose their land…
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Is Pershing Drive Bike Safe?

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Dudek Law Firm

Pershing Drive has the potential to be one of the most popular bike routes in San Diego. The road is well groomed, travels through idyllic scenery and connects North Park to Downtown. Yet, cyclists often avoid traveling on Pershing Drive, because the road has a reputation for bicycle injuries. After the intersection with Florida Drive, Pershing essentially becomes an entrance ramp for the freeway. As such, motorists begin speeding up in preparation for the freeway, increasing the possibility of fatal collisions with cyclists. If cyclists want to exit Pershing to ride to Downtown, there are two dedicated crosswalks; however, these crosswalks are located past the Florida intersection and near turns in the road. Consequently, motorists driving at freeway speeds are unlikely to see a cyclist crossing the street until it is much too late. Changes in signage, adding interior bike lanes, merge transition zones and/or a separate bike signal on…
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