Even Police can be crazy drivers

[Grog]

I think I might have been unclear as my point is closer to Eden's. But I also think there might have been boneheads on both sides of this accident.

I don't say that the cyclists were going too fast.

I say that it's not a good idea - and it's even an illegal one - to organize and/or partake in a road race without the proper conditions, i.e. closed or partially closed roads, signs, traffic control, etc. It's illegal for cars and it most likely is for bikes as well. I wish someone from Arizona could explain, but it seems like the Shootout "group bike rides" are actually race-style, very-fast peloton riding not quite unlike the event that cost a young man his life in an urban setting recently. We're not talking about a disciplined-double-paceline ride.

http://www.ride-strong.com/shootout-...808-tucson-az/

I have read the whole report and my understanding - but I am not 100% sure - is NOT that the police car passed the peloton and then stopped in front of them. I think he might have been coming from the other direction and stopped in their way, facing the peloton. I might be mistaken. The roads mentioned are not familiar to me at all, obviously, so I got a little lost.

The reckless behaviour is not so much speed-related but peloton-related.

[Eden]

Yeah - its sounds like the police officer pulled into their lane head on! - OK that was even more stupid... no matter what the cyclists were doing that was uncalled for and I'm sure as you pointed out, done out of a great deal ignorance of the stopping distance of a fast moving bicycle.

Since I'm unfamiliar with the particular ride and group I can't say whether or not those particular riders are disciplined or not, or whether or not they obey traffic laws... but the ride really does not sound like an alley cat race.... those are underground races with actual prizes and part of those races (whether the participants want to admit it or not...) is the use and abuse of traffic to get where you are going as quickly as possible. Hitching a ride by grabbing a car or bus is OK.. Fast group rides are not the same, even if some people do put on some speed and sprint for the city limits signs.

I've participated in large informal group rides within the racing community here (there's even one at Thanksgiving that we pass around a waterbottle and raise money for charity) and in tons of team rides. Yeah the speeds can pick up, but that doesn't mean that we can't be doing it and riding legally.

[csr1210]

The deputy's actions definitely seem pretty stupid.

The thing that was mentioned in the police report that people seem most hacked off about was that the cyclists were allegedly riding 3 and 4 abreast, and doing this as a regular thing. Now, that definitely doesn't justify causing cyclists to wreck, but I CAN see how it would aggravate drivers in the community if it really was happening like that every week.

If the police report is true, it seems like a lot of people were pulling dumb stunts that day.