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Peter Flax

@Pflax1

EIC @ Red Bulletin; Past Features Editor @ THR & EIC @ Bicycling ☞Before: Runner's World & Backpacker ☞ Committed to cycling, longform and a diet rich in gluten

Los Angelesnicetryflaxy.comJoined April 2009

3,017 Following

15.6K Followers

Peter Flax’s Tweets

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The problem with cyclists: -They go too fast -They go too slow -They won't get on the sidewalk -They won't get off the sidewalk -They are rich hobbyists -They are folks who can't afford a car -They are entitled and demand bike lanes -They take the lane when there's no bike lane

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It's weird to live in 2023 and yet certain folks want to insist that the words "spy" and "balloon" belong next to each other.

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Getting a bunch of DMs like this

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For anyone who still has questions about my position on e-bikes. My position is upright.

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I really enjoyed that van der Poel wound up the sprint at the exact moment the announcer said no one would go early. Not because of I enjoy people being wrong but because the rules don't really apply to those two.

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Peter Flax Retweeted

Incredible piece of reporting here by

. So many standouts from how he explores the different angles of bicycles, technology, regulation…to his sensitivity with the family. 👏

E-Bikes Are Booming—And Virtually Unregulated. Will This Lawsuit Make Them Safer?

Twelve-year-old Molly Steinsapir crashed onto the pavement from a Rad Power e-bike and never woke up. With a poorly regulated e-bike industry, who is responsible when a child dies?

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Ecological business idea: van der Poel powered stove.

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Van Aert has already closed like 58 gaps. Only has 29 bullets left!

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Best dependable rivalry since Coppi v Bartali?

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There are few things I love more than a longish social ride with old friends like

and

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Was just on line to check out at Ralph’s and there were two total surf bros in front of me. One turned to the other and said “I fucking love everything about rosemary butter.” I thankfully have no context!

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Peter Flax Retweeted

New York Times Pitchbot

In this Ohio town, it was a tradition: big cup of Folgers, bacon and eggs, then over to the unemployment office to pick up a check. But now Joe Biden’s economy is taking all that away.

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It's interesting how some folks are complaining about the relative affluence of Molly's parents. Meanwhile we're talking about a company that took in $300 million in institutional capital and achieved market dominance putting $40 brakes on a 65-pound bike. Something to ponder.

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Peter Flax Retweeted

1. “This is one of my favorite kinds of magazine feature, the personal story that serves as a lens for a bigger one, which in turn asks people to wrestle with urgent questions.” —

, on

’s nuanced

piece:

E-Bikes Are Booming—And Virtually Unregulated. Will This Lawsuit Make Them Safer?

Twelve-year-old Molly Steinsapir crashed onto the pavement from a Rad Power e-bike and never woke up. With a poorly regulated e-bike industry, who is responsible when a child dies?

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This is some pretty awesome advice.

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Replying to @Pflax1

Well, you’re the pro journalist… I think you might want to do a little homework and talk to some people on the retail side as well as some people who’ve been watching this thing from the beginning. How about talking to somebody who actually has some fabrication history in China?

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Pretty cool photos of Lake Oroville in Sept 2021 vs Jan 2023 highlight how much rain we've gotten in CA so far this winter. The reservoir is up 182 feet. mercurynews.com/2023/02/02/bef

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In 15 years of writing can only think of three topics I've covered that are 10/10 polarizing. Helmets. E-bike safety. Lance Armstrong. (I am pretty sure that a feature on trans athletes could make the list.)

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LOL going to take a break from the discourse for a while.

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what·a·bout·ism noun The technique or practice of responding to an accusation or difficult question by making a counteraccusation or raising a different issue.

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I appreciate the honesty here. It's not like I don't get it, but this is the lens through which a fair number of bike advocates look at a big feature raising questions about e-bike safety.

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Johnson Street Bridge

Replying to @JohnsonStBRDG and @Pflax1

Car manufacturers for their part in all the blood shed on our roads? Why give bike haters even the smallest of footholds to use to try and continue to battle this need for mode shift? twitter.com/tomflood1/stat…

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Peter Flax Retweeted

Warren J. Wells, AICP

There really does seem to be a narrow space between 1. "E-bikes are just mopeds! Ban them all!" and 2. "No regulation for e-bikes until every car has a speed governor!" Finding myself sitting between these two, as Peter does, is an oddly lonely position.

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One thing I learned yesterday is that there's a significant number of bike folks who are outright against or suspicious of regulating e-bikes. And also a bunch of folks who think a serious discussion about e-bike safety should be framed in context to the harm car culture causes.

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Part of what motivated me to do this story was reading pretty bad pieces in the NYT and LAT, obviously put together by writers and editors who are from outside the culture and clearly struggled to be properly informed.

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I don't agree with either of those points of view but I certainly do understand where they're coming from. I understand how bike advocates feel embattled and the frustration that the harm caused by motor vehicles doesn't get proper scrutiny.

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One thing I learned yesterday is that there's a significant number of bike folks who are outright against or suspicious of regulating e-bikes. And also a bunch of folks who think a serious discussion about e-bike safety should be framed in context to the harm car culture causes.

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Bike advocates: We are committed to Vision Zero, this beautiful notion that no deaths on our streets are acceptable Also bike advocates: Don't write about e-bike safety issues because cars are worse.

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LOL love the first sentence from the Bike Mayor.

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The Bike Mayor of the Lumpenproletariat كاحسخ

@cathasach4bikes

The writing around this case is generally lacking, and this piece is no exception. The cause of the crash in this article was using a quick release on a front wheel with disc brakes, something that's been a known problem. The solution is easy. 1/2 twitter.com/Pflax1/status/…

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Peter Flax Retweeted

This is a great article on why we need minimum quality standards for ebikes It's unfortunate that it introduces the issue of banning kids from ebikes, when these quality issues impact all users.

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Two years ago today, Molly Steinsapir, 12, was in an horrible e-bike crash. She didn't survive. This is the story of her life and death. The piece raises tough questions about the safety and regulation of low-priced e-bikes. Below: Molly and her mom, Kaye. bicycling.com/culture/a42690

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I understand that e-bikes are transformative and that many critics don’t understand them. So the bike community shouldn’t ask questions about them??

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I also think motor vehicles need more scrutiny and smart oversight. I think autonomous technology poses great hazard. How exactly does that alter the problem of dangerous e-bikes that are not properly regulated?

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I understand cars are exponentially worse. I don’t understand how that translates into thinking we shouldn’t demand safer e-bikes.

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Peter Flax Retweeted

Two years ago today, Molly Steinsapir, 12, was in an horrible e-bike crash. She didn't survive. This is the story of her life and death. The piece raises tough questions about the safety and regulation of low-priced e-bikes. Below: Molly and her mom, Kaye. bicycling.com/culture/a42690

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I knew it would come but still, it’s amazing to see bike and mobility folks respond to my Molly story with some variant of “cool, now do cars.” I’ve been doing that for a decade. Maybe they don’t have kids to worry about?

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Dreams do come true.

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One thing that was on my mind when I wrote the story about Molly was to make sure it was respectful and wouldn't traumatize those who love her. I don't think you should write about people who've been killed if you don't do that.

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Peter Flax Retweeted

This is how you write a story about someone's death that has implications to other people's lives. It respects and honors the person who passed, while objectively focusing on the broader issue at hand that caused the death, and could cause more.

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Two years ago today, Molly Steinsapir, 12, was in an horrible e-bike crash. She didn't survive. This is the story of her life and death. The piece raises tough questions about the safety and regulation of low-priced e-bikes. Below: Molly and her mom, Kaye. bicycling.com/culture/a42690

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I know a couple dozen people who have done this. Many bike shops can help make this happen.

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Replying to @jcwarburg and @Pflax1

We upgraded our Radwagon’s brakes to hydraulic. Easy to do and minimal cost and makes a world of difference

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Molly Steinsapir. Robyn Hightman. Mario Valenzuela. Deborah Gresham. It's a privilege and a heavy weight to tell the story of riders who have died, to meet their loved ones, to try to capture their lives and deaths with respect. These are people who have changed who I am.

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I just went to check on this big warehouse room in the office that I thought was empty and walked in on a WNBA all star draining threes. This can be a fantastically weird place to work!

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The thing that's currently giving me a headache—trying to decide whether to share my e-bike story on NextDoor. In short, what could go right?

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