Bicycles

Mary Oster's office is usually filled with wallets, purses, backpacks, jackets, umbrellas, toys and baby shoes. But recently Oster noticed her collection of bicycles growing. The lost-and-found administrator for the Orange County Transportation Authority used to be able to fit bicycles in her Santa Ana office, but not anymore. "I got a couple at a time," Oster said. "Then one day, I was keeping them in the office with me, and I noticed 10 bikes. Soon, I couldn't walk into my office anymore."

In the road war between L.A. motorists and cyclists, I usually side with the two-wheelers -- not because I pedal much myself (I'm more of a scooter aficionado than a biker) but because a contest between a 4,000-pound metal behemoth and a Schwinn cruiser isn't a fair fight. When they collide, the biker is nearly always the one who is going to be hurt or killed.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will unveil a $16-million bike-share program Sunday that aims to put thousands of bicycles at hundreds of rental kiosks across the city. Initial plans are to add 400 stations and 4,000 bicycles over the next 18 to 24 months in areas around downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Playa del Rey, Westwood and Venice Beach. The private investment from Bike Nation will not need any city money, according to the mayor's office and the company. Bike Nation has agreed to a minimum contract of 10 years.

Cycling on the streets of Los Angeles has never been for the faint of heart. The roads are crowded. Drivers are distracted. Potholes can be perilous. So can car doors, suddenly swung open. Even the mayor is not immune. Two years ago, when a taxi pulled out in front of him on Venice Boulevard, he flew off his bike and broke his elbow. It's no wonder some cyclists seek out whatever help they can get — be it designated bike lanes, bike paths or even bike blessings. On Tuesday, as part of Bike Week L.A., dozens of cyclists rode to Good Samaritan Hospital for the ninth annual Blessing of the Bicycles.

"Ride up steep hills without huffing and puffing!" "Hammer at 20 mph without breaking a sweat!" At the recent Interbike trade show in Las Vegas, an explosion of companies touted the Lance Armstrong-like powers of the electric bike -- a pedal-powered bike with an electric motor for extra speed when you need it. Although E-bikes haven't caught on in the United States as they have in Europe and Japan, makers say high gas prices, the obesity crisis, better...

If you buy something from online auctioneer Property Room, you don't have to wonder if it was stolen. That's because it probably was. Property Room, started by a former police detective, gets its items from law enforcement property rooms nationwide. Most of its inventory of jewelry, bicycles, computers, furniture, tools, car stereos, cameras, sports equipment, portable music players and things that could best be categorized under miscellaneous -- or bizarre -- was seized from crooks.

Creative bicycles, long a favorite subject of student industrial design contests, are busting out of art college and onto the streets. This year, there's been an explosion of creative frame designs across the cycling spectrum — road, mountain, electric, commuter — that are nothing short of sculpture on wheels. And unlike a lot of artsy inventions that are good only for mounting on a wall, these two-wheeled wonders not only work but also offer some innovative functional capabilities not seen on bikes with the century-old diamond-shaped frame.

Bicycles are going couture. Ralph Lauren, Missoni and Kate Spade, better known for fashionable clothing, are now taking up a new product line, designer bicycles - and they are selling fast. Three-speed bicycles with the trademark zig-zag and striped patterns of Italian fashion house Missoni nearly sold out the day of their introduction at Target this month, and only a few are still available in scattered stores. Photos: Bicycle shop Adeline Adeline The two-wheelers, which cost $399, got a jump-start from a covetous celebrity tweet by actress Jessica Alba.

A dozen notables mounted bikes outside the entrance to Long Beach City Hall late last year for the unveiling of a metallic bicycle sculpture with a lofty proclamation: "Long Beach, the most bicycle friendly city in America," it reads in bold steel lettering under the likeness of an antique bicycle. It was a little premature, leaders admit. "But we're striving for that," said City Manager Pat West, a longtime cyclist. While other cities spin their wheels, Long Beach is joining the ranks of places such as Portland, Ore., San Francisco and New York City that have made safe passage for bikes a priority, even at the expense of traffic lanes.

I note that City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky has asked the council to consider forcing developers to include parking areas for bicycles in their projects (Times, Oct. 31). Perhaps there is finally a solution for the problems created by too many automobiles in Los Angeles. But will the oil industry stand by and let it happen especially with gasoline at $1.50 per gallon? If they must go the bicycle route, why not bicycles built for two or even three? That would not only cut traffic and congestion, but make for a much more cozy society.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will unveil a $16-million bike-share program Sunday that aims to put thousands of bicycles at hundreds of rental kiosks across the city. Initial plans are to add 400 stations and 4,000 bicycles over the next 18 to 24 months in areas around downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Playa del Rey, Westwood and Venice Beach. The private investment from Bike Nation will not need any city money, according to the mayor's office and the company. Bike Nation has agreed to a minimum contract of 10 years.

When Los Angeles painted a 1.5-mile strip of Spring Street neon green last year, it was hailed as a major step in the city's effort to have cars and bicycles share the road. But now, the bike lane has become a symbol of how hard it can be to reserve room for cyclists in a city dominated by the car. The green lane has been criticized by the film industry, which frequently uses the stretch of Spring Street, in the heart of old downtown, as a stand-in for other cities and eras.

Cities are adding more special lanes and other bicycle infrastructure. The economy is improving, and higher gas prices are prompting people to think more about using bicycles for commuting and quick errands. Such positive trends are helping bolster a small cadre of crafts people who still build bicycles by hand. That's why the mood was upbeat at the industry's annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show, which concluded Sunday. More than 8,000 people attended the three-day affair in Sacramento, ogling the fancy polished and carved lugs, or sleeves that join bicycle tubes together; bicycle bags that would hold their own in a Coach store; and exotic bike frames made from bamboo, wood and other materials.

In the fading evening light, Jeff Snider played catch in the middle of the street with his 14-year-old son, the baseball thwacking their mitts. They stepped out of the way and waved when cars passed. The friendly neighborhoods in hilly Oakwood, a picture-perfect suburb nestled against Dayton, belong in a brochure for the American Dream. But the tranquillity hides a churning discontent. A lanky high school math teacher, Snider worries about the mortgage and the cost of sending four children to college.

Grand Canyon National Park, the 5-million or 6-million-year-old granddaddy of Arizona tourism, logged 4.3 million visitors last year. Rangers say that's a dip of 3.7% from the year before, but the canyon remains among the nation's most visited parks. And despite its age (also a ranger estimate), it does keep changing. Visitors to the South Rim - by far the park's most heavily trafficked area - will find six recently installed water-bottle refilling stations near major trail heads.

A cycling tour through Provence doesn't have to be all about the bike. France-based Cyclomundo offers a self-guided bicycling trip through the southern French countryside that's good for families with children or folks who want to travel at their own pace. The eight-day Provence With Youngsters itinerary starts in Avignon and winds down quiet roads to Graveson, Fontvieille, Les Baux de Provence and other stops before arriving in Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its Roman ruins.

Dynacraft Industries Inc., a bicycle importer that has been the target of several product liability suits and recalls in recent years, is recalling about 4,700 mountain bikes because of defective forks. The San Rafael, Calif., company, whose low-priced bicycles were sold by mass merchandisers such as Target Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys R Us Inc., has received six reports of the forks breaking apart, said Kim Dulic, a spokeswoman at the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Providing for bicycling in a region like Los Angeles is difficult at best. We have a huge area to work with and some of the longest commutes in the nation. Government agencies are forced to [figure out] how, with an already developed, overutilized infrastructure we can provide for bicyclists after the fact. Unfortunately, in many cases, bicyclists lose in the fight for space to provide bicycle facilities. We know the No. 1 reason Americans will not ride their bicycles for transportation is a fear of traffic and being hit by a car. And we know that many have said that the way to encourage more Americans to use their bicycles for transportation is to provide bike facilities.

Los Angeles County supervisors approved an ordinance Tuesday that requires new developments to have wider sidewalks, bicycle parking and other changes to promote exercise and reduce obesity. The ordinance also would make it easier for communities to start community gardens and hold farmers markets. "We are excited," said Susan Tae, the county's supervising regional planner. "This is the first step to address the healthier-built environment at the countywide level. " The ordinance, which affects unincorporated areas of the county, expands sidewalk widths to five feet, requires bicycle parking within developments and increases shade on sidewalks.