If you have a crazy idea, chances are that Red Bull will sponsor you. Take this guy in Costa Rica. It looks like Red Bull gave him a ride to the bridge in one of their Niacin-powered mini cars, outfitted him with branded protective gear, and then made him ride across the bridge. It might not be a terribly difficult ride in terms of skill, but the consequences are steep. Drivers in Costa Rica must be used to this kind of lawlessness; none of them even threw garbage at the rider.

The latest president took to Martha’s Vineyard on a family ride. It took the L.A. Times a few minutes to throw together an opinion on how he’s ruining the world by not wearing a helmet. As with most LA Times opinions, I’m having a hard time telling if it’s a serious article or it’s meant as parody.

I would argue that Obama doesn’t really need a helmet since he’s not going very fast. Determining a rider’s speed based on still photos is an imprecise science, but as luck would have it, one I’ve mastered.  Based on the framing, colors, and fact that his daughters are actually walking their bikes instead of riding them, I’d guess that he’s riding at a speed lower than 65mph.

Obama’s bike isn’t as cool as the last president’s, but I’ll gladly take the trade.

via Copenhagenize

Everyone’s favorite biking blogger Stevil Kinevil started All Hail the Black Market this week. It looks a lot like his former blog for Swobo, How to Avoid the Bummer Life, but this time he’s struck out on his own. We look forward to the new line of gear-you-can’t-live-without that Stevil is sure to launch shortly. Until then, we’ll content ourselves with his hilarious posts on All Hail the Black Market.

Even though fewer people are getting hit by cars as more cyclists take to the streets, it’s still important to know what to do if it happens to you. First of all, if you ever get ‘doored’ by someone (they open the door of their parked car right into you), it’s always, always the motorist’s fault. City law in Minneapolis states that drivers can only open their doors if it’s reasonably safe to do so. A cyclist riding next to them is a good example of a time that it wouldn’t be safe.

Some cycling advocates at Bike PGH have put together this list of things you should do if a car hits you:

• 1. If you are in pain, stay put. Don’t try to move. You could end up injuring yourself even more.
• 2. Call 9-1-1 or tell someone else to do it for you.
• 3. Make sure to get the driver’s name, license plate, insurance info and contact info.
• 4. Get a police report.
• 5. Contact a lawyer.
• 6. Contact your city councilperson and tell them your story and that you want safer cycling conditions in the city.

It’s also not a bad idea to get names and phone numbers of people who saw you get hit.

via Urban Velo

Chrome has begun selling shoes that look like a cross between All Stars and Vans. Not a surprising choice considering their two biggest customers are likely hipsters and skaters. The shoes look pretty badass, and they’ve designed them with things like waterproofed codura for riding in the rain and wrap-around toe that pops in and out of toe-clips easily. I’m expecting a pair in the mail any day, so I’ll let you know how they hold up after a couple weeks of riding.

This video reminds me of that scene in the Kevin Bacon movie Quicksilver. It’s the one where he leaves a high-paying Wall Street job to become a bike messenger for a company called Quicksilver. Then he finds out that some of the messengers are dealing drugs. It’s fairly accurate, though I doubt these two German girls deal drugs. Fast forward to about 2:29 if you want to see some really crazy stuff. I hope the hipsters riding fixies around town switch to this style of dress soon.

via Wend

Designers at Renovo figured out a way to make hollow-tube wooden bikes strong and light enough without using bamboo. They built this $2,300 Renovo R4 Pursuit frame from hardwood; it weighs about 4 pounds and looks like the wall of a 70’s ski lodge. I’d love to have one of these things, but it’s impossible for me to imagine myself in a situation besides whimsy where I’d want to own an insanely expensive bike that I’d take on Sunday rides. The wooden Renovo bikes come with a 10-year warranty, though it doesn’t cover friends trying to light your bike on fire.

via Gizmodo

As more people ride bikes fewer of them are getting killed while commuting. Conventional logic would point us in the opposite direction, but it’s been found in New York that drivers are more on the lookout for bikers as more cycle commuters take to the streets. Awareness has been raised; safety in numbers, that sort of thing. People are using this graph to push a bike-sharing model that would put casualties even lower. While there’s no info out specific to Minneapolis, there’s no reason to believe the trend wouldn’t be the same. Hopefully we see something out of the bike share Federal grant give to Minneapolis sooner than later.

via Treehugger

Olympic cyclist Chris Bordman unveiled what he thinks will be the bike everyone rides around while wearing futuristic, metallic jumpsuits in the year 2030. The Bike of the Future is made from one carbon fiber and lacks a chain, spokes, and cables. Solar panels run the bike’s built-in computer, and they also charge a battery-assist motor and powers the calorie-counter on your dashboard. I wonder if the Future Bikes will float when Dutch people steal them and toss them into canals?

A road sign in the Everglades gives cyclists a difficult choice. This would not be a fun place to have to change a flat.

via Wend