Cyclist dies in race in Portland, OR

[slinkedog]

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-racerkilled&prov=ap&type=lgns

Very sad story. Be careful, all you racing gals!!

[bikerchick68]

man that's just awful... I'm sure he never thought that would be the way he died... ya always assume that if you were to die while cycling it would be caused from being hit by a car or a downhill crash... :( T's and P's to his family and friends...

[LBTC]

OMG! :eek: that's shocking and frightening!! The poor guy! yes, lots of healing and peaceful energy to his family, friends and the cycling fans and volunteers that were witness to the tragedy!

Hugs
Namaste,
~T~

[Lynne]

Yeah, I was just posting in the TE member race results section. I'd just done my first race there the night before. :(

Very sad. It's so hard for me to imagine how that happened...I guess these guys must get too aggressive and forced him off the track? I wish I knew more.

[Dianyla]

Geez, that's terrible. And the guy who just got run over by a MAX commuter train (riding with headphones!) survives? :eek:

[julbee]

This is sad. :(

Lynne, you must be having many different thoughts and emotions... having just raced there? :( :confused:

I'd understood the article to say something about a helmet not being able to take an impact at 30 m.p.h.? If that is true... it's quite disconcerting, as many riders ride 30 m.p.h. or faster! Hopefully helmets are designed to take the impact??? :confused:

Thoughts and prayers to friends, families, teammates, anyone impacted by this recent tragedy.

[Irulan]

This is sad. :(

Lynne, you must be having many different thoughts and emotions... having just raced there? :( :confused:

I'd understood the article to say something about a helmet not being able to take an impact at 30 m.p.h.? If that is true... it's quite disconcerting, as many riders ride 30 m.p.h. or faster! Hopefully helmets are designed to take the impact??? :confused:

Thoughts and prayers to friends, families, teammates, anyone impacted by this recent tragedy.

Even the best helmets do not protect against ALL kinds of head trauma. They are insurance against certain types of injury, within a certain range of speed, mechanism of injury and the laws of physics.

irulan

[alison_in_oh]

Last night my husband was sprinting at faster than 30 mph, had some kind of small equipment malfunction, went over the bars and hit the pavement. Thanks to his helmet, he had a small bruise on his temple and maybe a mild concussion.

That's the kind of injury that a helmet is meant to protect against. Not a full-speed collision with a concrete post. The human body just can't sustain that regardless of protective gear. :(

[Lynne]

I'm going to take a look at the track next Monday and let you know what I see. Honestly, I think the paper has it wrong; there are no exposed poles on the final "sprint" stretch. Everything is behind cement barriers. I can't help but think that the poor guy might have gone up on a barrier and hit the pole behind?

[Irulan]

Last night my husband was sprinting at faster than 30 mph, had some kind of small equipment malfunction, went over the bars and hit the pavement. Thanks to his helmet, he had a small bruise on his temple and maybe a mild concussion.

That's the kind of injury that a helmet is meant to protect against. Not a full-speed collision with a concrete post. The human body just can't sustain that regardless of protective gear. :(

that is exactly right. It's physics and mechanism of injury. A body in motion will stay in motion, and unfortunately when a body in motion hits something stationary at certain speeds, it destroys bone and tissue in an instant, regardess of what happens to the brain upon impact.

Irulan

[RoadRaven]

Ah... this is scarey - I suppose everything carries an element of risk and we have to live to the fullest - but its stories like this make one aware of what risks are "worth it" when reaching the finish line...

Always drumming into my boys, never, ever cross the centre line in a road race - the risk of meeting a car head on are too real and just not worth it

... or to pace themselves for the conditions - high speed around wet corners - not a good plan

[julbee]

It all makes sense... the fact that a helmet cannot protect against all types of head injuries/impacts.

Alison, so glad yur husband is okay! :)

[KSH]

``He was wearing a helmet, but it didn't do much at 30 mph,'' Oswalt said.

Oswalt said the cyclist suffered ``huge head trauma'' and died at the scene.

First off, this is very sad indeed. I would like to say though... at least he died doing something he loved.

Now, I tell you what... these flimsy little helmets that we wear worry me. Yes, I said flimsy.

I rode motorcycles for years, and I wear a SERIOUS FULL FACE helmet, that could protect at me low and high speeds. And 30 MPH is a high speed if you ask me!

I wish these helmets that we wore were more like the ones I wore on my motorcycle.

[KkAllez]

I've often looked at my helmets, and I have three now, a Speciailized and two Giro's and thought...hmmm...if I fall right on TOP of my head I am ok but God help me if I fall and hit my face or slightly below my my occipital bone.

I would imagine that at 30 mph he probably broke his neck. I feel sorry for his family. What an awful thing to happen so far away from home. Sort of like our diving friend that died in Honduras last month.

Does anyone have his name yet?

[alison_in_oh]

Here's an update article.
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/112133572691281.xml&coll=7

My husband learned of the accident from old friends on Team Oregon. I didn't want to tell him because of his own accident, but when he read about it his eyes got all shiny. He is always hit really hard by these tragedies; yesterday when I told him I'd been freaked out because of the similarity to his own accident he asked, "Do you want me to quit racing?" I assured him I would make no such demand on him, even though I was really grateful to have him still with me. Later I heard him mutter to himself, "Maybe I *should* quit racing." :(

[latelatebloomer]

[QUOTE
He is always hit really hard by these tragedies; yesterday when I told him I'd been freaked out because of the similarity to his own accident he asked, "Do you want me to quit racing?" I assured him I would make no such demand on him, even though I was really grateful to have him still with me. Later I heard him mutter to himself, "Maybe I *should* quit racing." :([/QUOTE]

He sounds like such a sweetheart...good thing for me my hub didn't hear about this accident - he'd NOT ask me to stop riding, but he WOULD want to drive beside me dragging a mattress.* Meanwhile, he's in NYC today riding the subway, which these days seems a helluva lot more dangerous. To tell the truth, I'm eyeing my helmet, too....

*when I start to ride clipless, this might be a good idea.

[Susan Otcenas]

Lynne,

I've raced at PIR both this year and last. I'm sure it will be very difficult for me to go past that spot for quite some time. It will be hard not to have it somewhere in the back of our minds, especially during the finishing sprints.

I witnessed a spectacular pile-up last year out at Hagg Lake. The men's cat 3s crashed immediately in front of the finish line, right where I was standing. The most seriously injured cyclist, who was unconscious, was taken out on a helicopter. I still replay it in my mind from time to time. The remembered sound of bodies and bikes hitting the pavement stills gives me shivers

I've been trying to persuade more of my female friends to come out to race at PIR. Just after this, a friend of mine sent me an email, saying that she wasn't so sure she was willing to give it a try, given what happened there on Tuesday nite.

As awful as Tuesday was, I reminded her that life is full of risks. Riding our bikes out at PIR is actually one of the safest places we could be riding, especially as compared to riding out in traffic. And, riding in a group at faster speeds will teach you great bike handling skills and help develop faster reaction times. Skills you can put to use on the streets.

I hope to see you at PIR *next* Monday. (I did the short track MTB race there this past monday - what a hoot!) Don't let this keep you away - instead let it remind you how fortunate we are to be able to do what we love. I'll be there on a charcoal grey Felt. Say hi. :)

Stay safe everyone.

Susan

[smurfalicious]

Susan! I'm trying to go to the short track race next week. I saw your results on the website for last week, nice work! I'm not sure how I'll do, but I think going all out for 20 minutes is soooo my style. I'll be there hopefully the 18th, but definately the 25th. I'll be the girl on the blue GF, with streamers, lookin' hella fine in my new TE approved outfit. Meow!

[Lynne]

Lynne,

I've raced at PIR both this year and last. I'm sure it will be very difficult for me to go past that spot for quite some time. It will be hard not to have it somewhere in the back of our minds, especially during the finishing sprints.

I witnessed a spectacular pile-up last year out at Hagg Lake. The men's cat 3s crashed immediately in front of the finish line, right where I was standing. The most seriously injured cyclist, who was unconscious, was taken out on a helicopter. I still replay it in my mind from time to time. The remembered sound of bodies and bikes hitting the pavement stills gives me shivers

I've been trying to persuade more of my female friends to come out to race at PIR. Just after this, a friend of mine sent me an email, saying that she wasn't so sure she was willing to give it a try, given what happened there on Tuesday nite.

As awful as Tuesday was, I reminded her that life is full of risks. Riding our bikes out at PIR is actually one of the safest places we could be riding, especially as compared to riding out in traffic. And, riding in a group at faster speeds will teach you great bike handling skills and help develop faster reaction times. Skills you can put to use on the streets.

I hope to see you at PIR *next* Monday. (I did the short track MTB race there this past monday - what a hoot!) Don't let this keep you away - instead let it remind you how fortunate we are to be able to do what we love. I'll be there on a charcoal grey Felt. Say hi. :)

Stay safe everyone.

Susan


Hi Susan. I agree with you completely. In fact, it's the ONLY place I'm willing to try racing because I have soooo little experience in the saddle. I went out having only tried drafting a few times and never having done a pace line. But, in watching my BF, I knew they usually have "mentors" and I wanted to be able ask questions and learn as I rode it (ironically, there were no mentors on Monday, so the ladies I was racing against actually helped me, if you can believe that!!!). I will be there Monday, but may not race ONLY because it's supposed to be close to 90 degrees and I have serious problems with heat. That's not to say I won't be there the next Monday (7/25 is dark, from what I hear). Thanks for the encouragement :o I have a little red white and blue Fuji pro and usually wear a Descente top and black shorts. Even if it's too hot to race, I'll still ride around the track for fun before the race.

[betagirl]

Wow, I feel so bad for his family. This and the guy who died on RAIN. It's always a shame when stuff like this happens.

As for the helmet discussion, cycling is a dangerous sport. Period. It has a disproportionate death rate compared to the number of people who actually ride (I forget the percentage). My friend has had 2 crashes with me, and her helmet saved her bean from serious damage both times. First crash she went down on her left side and I was sure she did a face plant on the pavement. For whatever reason, her face was unaffected but her helmet was cracked and she had a nice bump on her forehead. Other minor scrapes and a concussion, she went to the ER just to be safe. She was back on her bike in a week. Second crash was at a lower speed and I didn't see her go down, but I heard it. Again, helmet cracked - head ok. She only had a cut on her elbow that time. Another guy I know got clotheslined by a fallen tree on a bike path from a storm the night before. He was looking down, wasn't expecting it, and wham. He was on the pavement before he knew it and was missing a tooth. In that instance, his helmet did nothing for him. Not that helmets saving your noodle is any sort of news flash to you guys, but I guess my point is that this just comes with the territory of this sport. I do think learning how to fall is imperative if you're going to bike. There are certain things you're supposed to do if you start to go down, and unless you practice a little in a field or somewhere "soft" they won't be ingrained reflexes. #1 rule is not to stretch out your arms to try to brace yourself. Instead try to clip out and tuck. Sounds easier said than done to me :D I read 1 article about how you're supposed to try to launch yourself over your handlebars and run. I was like sure, ok. But you get the idea.

Alison, glad your hubby is ok!

[RoadRaven]

. I do think learning how to fall is imperative if you're going to bike. There are certain things you're supposed to do if you start to go down, and unless you practice a little in a field or somewhere "soft" they won't be ingrained reflexes. #1 rule is not to stretch out your arms to try to brace yourself. Instead try to clip out and tuck. Sounds easier said than done to me :D .

When I crashed badly earlier this year in a corparate triathalon (hit the tarseal at approx 30km/hour -nearly 19 mph) I rolled... didn't conciously think to roll, but I did and I think thats why I could get back on the bike and finish - bleeding and bruised, but I finished.
When I got back and took my helmet off, one of the folks at our tent noticed I had a fist sized piece of my helmet outta the back... I had memory probs for a week.

So yeah, def wear a helmet and let your self roll - don't brace yourself into the crash...

Still feeling awful for the families and friends... such an awful freak accident