Author: Charlie Thomas
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A Comprehensive Guide to E-Bikes in Louisiana: Laws, Tips, and Choosing the Best E-Bike
E-bikes are popping up everywhere. If you’re riding one in Louisiana or thinking about getting one, you may have questions about the laws, safety tips, and how to pick the right bike. That’s exactly what this post is here for! We’ll break down what you need to know about riding e-bikes in Louisiana, from legal…
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The Lisa Torry Smith Act: A Win for Cycling Safety in Texas?
The Lisa Torry Smith Act brings important changes to Texas law. It makes clear that cyclists can ride in crosswalks and now requires drivers to stop and yield before entering a crosswalk with a pedestrian or cyclist. A gap in Texas law is allowing some drivers who hit people in crosswalks to get off scot-free,…
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One Million Dollars for Texas Road Defect
The Texas Department of Transportation had offered cyclist Mike Bagg $0. Recently, attorneys with the Bike Law network took a case to a trial against a titan of a defendant: the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT was represented by the Attorney General’s Office, one of Texas’ largest legal teams. We had a great client, but it was…
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Dooring Case Goes to Trial (and Wins)
Louisiana has the first trial verdict assigning 100% fault to the passenger who did the dooring and 0% fault to bicyclist who was doored. Buena Batiste did not plan to be “doored.” She was knocked off her bike by a car door and then yelled at by the woman who opened it. Fortunately, we were…
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Texas Debating 3-Foot Passing Law
Make your voice heard in favor of a 3-foot passing law to protect Texas cyclists. It happens all the time: Someone emails me video footage, clearly showing they were biking along when a car buzzes past, coming within inches of a horrible crash — and there’s nothing I can do about it because we don’t…
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Virtual Bike Racing, Part 2
This article follows Part 1 about virtual bike racing in a time of COVID. How the Tour of the Gila went virtual. For the past 33 years, the small southwestern New Mexico town of Silver City transforms into a bicycling bonanza during the final weekend of April. That’s when bicyclists from across the U.S. and internationally descend on…
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Virtual Bike Racing, Part 1
How cyclist Eric Hill brought virtual racing to America’s top bike races. As a result of COVID, I’ve spent significantly more time riding indoors. Many of our group rides have temporarily disbanded, not to mention our pleasant spring weather in Texas and Louisiana has been pushed aside by harsh summer heat and humidity. I / Bike…
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VIDEO: Unleashed Dog vs. Cyclist vs. Unrepentant Owner
Dog owner apparently gives phony name and number. Help us identify him. What is worse – the underlying act or the coverup? A few days ago, we received a request for help from Eames Bennett, a Ph.D. Candidate at Texas A&M University. Recently, Eames was riding his bike home in College Station, Texas. At the…
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VIDEO: Texas Pickup Comes Within Inches of Children
Texas Still Doesn’t Have a Safe Passing Law. It is NEEDED NOW. One look at this video is all you need to see why this parent reached out to Bike Law with serious concerns about a Dallas driver. Even as a bike accident lawyer that has dealt with many cases of dangerous driving, this video made…
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CO2 Cartridges are on the No-Fly List.
Bike Law Charlie Nabbed by TSA, Practices Loving-Kindness, and Is Cleared for Take Off If you ever leave a bike trip and land in a TSA interview room because of your stowaway bike accessory, reading this blog first may help. On bike rides, I try to never leave home without a CO2 cartridge just in…
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Louisiana’s Vulnerable Road User Law is being resuscitated
Louisiana Legislature previously voted a VRU Law down in 2016 by only 5 votes. Recently, I was in a spirited discussion about whether Louisiana needs a law to act as a middle ground between serious criminal charges and petty traffic tickets when a bicyclist is hit or killed. Someone asked whether Louisiana law should hold…
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Uber as Bicycling Motorcade? Absolutely.
Faced with a perilous bridge, Charlie summons a motor-pacing escort. Know this $8 ride-hack! I often find myself wanting to ride on a roadway corridor that doesn’t want me there. At best, I could make it across alive with some close calls and a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. At worst, I…
