Bicyclists Bill of Rights

Goodbye May. Goodbye Bike Month, Bike Week and Bike to Work Day. But don't say goodbye to biking or your rights as a cyclist. The Bike Writers Collective in Los Angeles has drawn up a Cyclists' Bill of Rights that every cyclist should have in their possession. Download the PDF and share it with your friends who cycle and encourage your friends who don't cycle to saddle up.

Founded by Stephen Box and his wife Enci, the collective - known amongst themselves as the dirty dozen - is drawn from friends and activists who share a passion for cycling and the environment. This passion and activism extends beyond a website and a bill of rights as Stephen and Enci are now both car-free. "We fight for cyclists' rights at City Hall and at the Metro," says Enci. "We are on the Caltrans 7 Bicycle Advisory Committee and work with various city entities to inspire them that biking is not only a sport but, as in our case, a means of transportation."

Alex Thompson helps organize the Santa Monica Critical Mass bike ride that departs from the Santa Monica Pier on the first Friday of every month and he is also the co-founder of Bikerowave. This bicycle repair collective "provides space, tools and equipment in order to effectively teach people how to build, repair, and maintain their bicycles." If you're in the LA area Bikerowave is hosting a party Saturday night.

Most members of the dirty dozen including Bike Girl and Gary Kavanaugh write about the adventure of cycling in Los Angeles on their respective blogs.

So even though Bike Month is over, the passion for cycling lives on and you do have rights as a cyclist.