Ride Tragedy

[BikerBabs]

Since I posted details about the ride I did yesterday (Nervous Newbie Thread). I thought I should share the following...

Although the ride my husband and I particiapted in yesterday - the Climb to Kaiser - ended well for both of us - despite brutally(HOT) conditions, we read in the paper this morning, that tragically, one man was killed on the 160 mile ride during the steepest descent on the route. Here's the link.

http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/7199523p-8127930c.html

I'm not sure how I feel about the comments made. I've been thinking about this a lot today. What do you all think?

[Veronica]

Sure would have been nice if they had said how fast the truck was going since they made such a point of telling the cyclist's speed. And just how do they know that the cyclist was in the wrong lane? Were there witnesses other than the driver?

Sounded like the reporter and the CHP were anti-bicycle to me and very unsympathetic to someone's death.

Just my .02


Veronica

[MightyMitre]

What a sad story with a very un cycling-friendly reporter.

My boyfriend and I have done several organised rides in Europe this year but they've all been on closed roads which has been excellent.

While some of the locals in the Kaiser Climb area might not like the idea of having the roads closed for a few hours, I'm sure they'd prefer this to seeing deaths on their roads. Failing that, how about a rolling road closure with sections of the ride closed the as the riders approach and opened again once the riders have passed.

While this is a horrible and upsetting end to your ride I hope this won't put you off riding events again. As cyclists we're all vulnerable to accidents or injury but at the same time we must have the utmost confidence in our skill and abililty . You should be proud of completing your ride and looking forward to the next one.

[aka_kim]

Very sobering. And not what a "nervous newbie", or any cyclist, wants to think about. So, is cycling worth it, given the potential for serious injury and/or death? I think so, if we try to manage the risks under our control -- riding safely and within our abilities, keeping our bikes in good repair, obeying traffic laws, not pissing off motorists...

We'll probably never know whether this guy misjudged a turn with tragic consequences, or was hotdogging downhill (which unfortunately many riders do), or even if it was the truck which crossed over the line. Very scary. But then again, so are SARS, and drunk drivers, and cancer, and....

What's the saying? -- Ride to live, live to ride.

[Irulan]

Originally posted by aka_kim
Very sobering. And not what a "nervous newbie", or any cyclist, wants to think about. So, is cycling worth it, given the potential for serious injury and/or death? I think so, if we try to manage the risks under our control -- riding safely and within our abilities, keeping our bikes in good repair, obeying traffic laws, not pissing off motorists...

We'll probably never know whether this guy misjudged a turn with tragic consequences, or was hotdogging downhill (which unfortunately many riders do), or even if it was the truck which crossed over the line. Very scary. But then again, so are SARS, and drunk drivers, and cancer, and....

What's the saying? -- Ride to live, live to ride.

interesting thread, considering I watched ther DH racers all weekend. How could anyone choose to do something that has such dangerous potential in my eyes? My hubby backboarded two guys off the course, a broken pelvis and a head injury. Part of me thinks they are nuts, the other part of me want's to try easy stuff sometime.

so... how is this any different from road riding where you are a target for vehicles? Not so much, in my eyes. Any of it, what ever your chosen sport ( and my hubby like class V/extreme whitewater) had got to be sitting on a fat *** in front of the television day afer day.

Irulan

[aka_kim]

About those DH'ers --

They're insane! That crux looks like it's a waterfall in the spring! Well, I'll recant, they're not all insane -- they're either extremely skilled (we would hope), and only a few of them are insane. But you're right, it beats listening to your arteries harden while staring at the tube.

[BikerBabs]

Thank you all for sharing. I really improved as a rider this weekend. Though I did bonk in the last few miles - I learned a lot. I had more confidence than ever - mind you still within my skill level. I learned I need to eat better, etc. before and during rides. And overall I was proud of my accomplishment. (I love the suggestion about writing stuff on the back of my picture.) I've also learned a lot from the rider who died.

I went to work and was met with disapproving looks - because my office mates care about me and don't ride. The front page article scared them all until they learned it wasn't me or my husband who met with misfortune. I tried not to be militant about my right to ride - but I did try to explain, matter of factly - that no one will ever truly know what happened (except perhaps the driver of the truck) and that it was an unfortunate accident. No one intends to go out and get killed - but it can and does happen - in all sorts of activities of daily life.

Again thank you all for your insights. Your encouragement & wisdom are much appreciated!

:)

[DoubleLori]

Yeah. When I was a small child my next door neighbor fell down and died in his own shower. Just about everything we do is dangerous in some way. Whenever someone tries to scare me about bicycle riding I always think about my neighbor. You can even get accidentally killed lying in your bed (earthquakes, falling trees, tornados, mudslides, airplane crashes, etc)! Everyone get out and ride!

[Dogmama]

A long time ago, somebody on TE posted a comment about the hazards of cycling. She said that we could not ride because it's too dangerous. And probably stay at home because you never know - you could be mugged or worse. So, we'd have all of our food delivered...

It went on & on. Bottom line - I don't want to be on my deathbed wondering what my life might have been like if I would have ventured out & lived it.

[BikerBabs]

Here's a link to the story about the cyclist who was killed in the Climb to Kaiser.

http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/story/7223271p-8150857c.html

Sounds like he did go doing something he truly loved.

[MightyMitre]

Thanks for the the link Bikerbabs. Like you say, he was doing something he truely loved. Got to be better than never going out and whithering away as life and all it's dangers pass you by.