What really horrifies cyclists

[tulip]

Oye, I guess it's a good thing I had to leave the ride early...

Everyone leaves their bikes in the grass at rest stops. These are rural areas, rest stops are set up in fields, only cyclists around. I routinely leave my Luna and Bike Friday like that on these rides. Not in the travel lane, mind you, but in the grass.

[OakLeaf]

I just hope they don't give him a hassle about replacing the bike. This is exactly the sort of thing those boilerplate releases are supposed to protect the organizers against. They don't generally stand up in court, but they could really make it difficult for the person who owned the bike.

[Cataboo]

I just hope they don't give him a hassle about replacing the bike. This is exactly the sort of thing those boilerplate releases are supposed to protect the organizers against. They don't generally stand up in court, but they could really make it difficult for the person who owned the bike.

They were assuring him that Bike Virginia and/or the insurance would pay for the bike... Now I don't know whether or not the people saying that really had the authority to say it.

He hadn't left the bike on the grass right next to the driveway or anything like that - he had it on the grass probably about 10 feet from the edge of the driveway - so the SAG wagon had pulled fairly far forward on the grass (I have no idea why when there was a great big driveway) in order to run that bike over.

Up until that, it was my favorite rest stop because the mennonites had made us home made donuts that morning.

Although, the rest stop at the winery with air conditioning at the top of a big hill when it was 101 degrees on Sunday was much appreciated as well.

[Trek420]

During ALC (7 days, 2000+ riders, 585 miles, hundreds of awesome, fabulous, hard working, wonderful, stupendous crew) on most days and at most stops there were bike racks.

Cheap, effective, spartan bike racks.

It scared me to leave my -full custom, hand made for me in Italy by the man with his name on the frame- baby on the racks. Yes, people moosh their bike into yours or if you leave your baby on the ground put theirs on top, racks topple because riders don't balance or alternate bikes, or crowd the rack.

Our bikes are meant to be ridden. Yes we love them, they're expensive, precious, unique/irreplaceable but they are meant to be ridden. Stuff happens.

OTOH If I ever do ALC or another large supported ride it'll be on a bike I feel less "precious" about. My eye's on a LHT for that and other rides in the future

OTOH ... no damage could have been worse than what I did myself forgeting that my bike was on the roof rack

G*d I love steel!