Two more terrible cycling deaths today

There were two more terrible cycling deaths today.

One along the M4 near St. Marys, another not far from Canberra.

And how did the Sydney Moaning Herald report this?

Did they alert the public to the dangers of cyclist face? Did they urge
motorists to take care around cyclists?

No, all they did was seek to blame the dead cyclist for causing a traffic
jam.

"Cycling accident causes M4 delays"

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cycling-accident-causes-m4-delays/2005/09/24/1126982257674.html

No wonder motorist treat us with contempt when that pathetic rag seems to
think that a cycling fatality is no more serious than a "[traffic] delay".

Bastards

Scotty


PS. Channel Packer just reported the deceased cyclist as a senior (NSW)
policeman. Maybe the cops might start taking anti cycling road rage a touch
more seriously now. May he rest in peace.

This is sad news.

I was reading the link which you had on your post ...

Did the accident happen when two cyclist collided while riding along the breakdown lane? Does that mean one cyclist was riding against the traffic?

What is the road cycling rules regarding this?

Its always terrible to read of cycling deaths ... someone just went out for a ride, and then they dont make it home ... its sad.

Nope, the other cyclists was his riding partner (from tv coverage) riding in the same direction (as given by all the newspaper sources). It was probably an unfortunately clash of wheel that caused this accident.

it is a shame & they should do something about safety and drivers attitude... though, it is not all doom and gloom with cycling as we know

i know people get killed/injured from cycling but also there are many benefits too

rarely do you see news stories about the positive benefits of cycling.

i read this interesting article

Sydney and Cycling

Saturday July 23rd 2005, 10:54 PM (PDT)
Filed under: Sport
Sometimes insignificant things produce a totally inexplicable feeling of elation.

Many years ago when I was riding my bike to work through the Sydney CBD, very early one Saturday morning, avoiding the stumbling Friday night drunks, the vomit and the broken glass, I heard a trumpeter taking the opportunity to practice before a day's busking. He or she (I couldn't tell) stood on the footpath of Elizabeth Street near the entrance to St. James Station, opposite David Jones. It was a freezing morning, totally still and slightly damp, and the notes echoed across Hyde Park, up and down Elizabeth Street, across hundreds of metres of the city. First major and minor scales—pap-ap-ap-ap-ap!—then some other more complicated musical exercises for which I have no name.



Then, just as I rode past on the rusty, broken-down bike I used to abuse (pictured above) the trumpeter played the grand triumphal march from Aïda, and made my morning. To ride at five o'clock in the morning, alone, through empty city streets, imagining yourself on the back of an elephant, is a glorious feeling. I've never forgotten it.

There's a fascinating thread by Phil Gomez up right now at Larvatus Prodeo. Is bike riding more dangerous than riding the bus, are you more likely to be run over or knocked down than blown up? I've been riding bicycles around Sydney for over ten years and never been run over yet. To ride through a city is one of the things that carries its own mythology. Bicycle couriers are blessed and cursed for the necessary job they do and the ridiculously dangerous way they do it. Ride to work as a non-courier civilian, and you'll find yourself commented upon. Notice the shaken heads.

It is dangerous, no doubt of that. In Sydney I've had doors opened on me from parked cars, catching me behind the left knee and knocking me flat into traffic. I've crashed into the back of taxis braking fast to a stop to pick up fares. I've had close encounters of the impactual kind with buses, trucks, poles, signs, bins, all kinds of things. I've slid my rear wheel out on gravel or glass more times than I can count. I've left bits of blood and skin across the Inner West, the CBD and odd places further off.

Undoubtedly I could have reduced the pain by being a bit smarter. I learned modern life's most important lesson, about never being drunk in charge of a moving vehicle, thanks to a parked ute on the wrong side of the road that I clipped going downhill at 40-50km/h, at 2am one morning. I've still got the scar on my shoulder to show for it.

Getting from point A to point B is only half of the attraction of cycling, I feel. Some people, I understand, ride for convenience, because their destination is close enough to make any other kind of transport pointless. Some ride for politics, like Greens upper-house member Lee Rhiannon, who, as I found out the one Critical Mass ride I went on, needs to learn how the brake levers work (ouch). Some people ride because they're trying to lose weight or get fit. Some people reverse the concept, and don't ride even if they'd like to, because they don't think it's safe.

To my mind all of these reasons miss the point entirely. I don't think I'd bother riding if I didn't live in Sydney. Unlikes the fit freaks, it's not the monotonous pushing of the pedals that keeps me riding. Unlike the politicals, I don't mind that there are cars on the road, and in fact I quite appreciate large trucks for their slipstream. Riding a bicycle is not the social solution to end traffic problems; not everyone can do it. It's certainly, in my experience, far less safe than riding public transport, on which I've never been injured.



The glorious thing about being on a bicycle in the city of Sydney is not the riding, but being entirely surrounded by one of the more beautiful cities in Australia. Like a twenty-year old movie star, it's young, selfish, overpaid, stupid, greedy, petulant, self-obsessed, mean and inevitably bound for the gutter, but still—despite all that—keeps you breathless with sheer good looks. Nasty, distasteful and not at all suited for riding, Sydney still amazes me every time I get on the pedals.

To ride a bicycle in Sydney is not fun. But it can be sublime.

__________________
Rob

www.bikenorth.org.au

'07 Giant OCR Composite 3 - R550s with Michi Prorace2

'06 Giant CRX1

'96 Apollo Himalaya commuter - Rigid Fork, slicks, fully racked

DMR Switchback Reynolds 520- Velocity Cliffhangers, SRAM X-9, Easton bar/stem


DMR Trailstar 2 4130- Mavic117, Dice Whiplash, SCUD DH bars, LX 9spd, DMR Crisis Cranks.

'04 Giant VT3 frame - SOLD

We have a clown at... who I know... who quite happily states that he will drive his 4wd close to riders, as they have no right to be on the road. (he rides a motorbike..) On this day I happened to ride to work, and so do two others, and we got into quite a heated arguement over his childish and down right stupid actions. Still, he thinks he is right. Might find a side mirror or two missing if he tries it with me..

On to the sad deaths. Motorists need to be aware that we have the same rights on the roads as others. People need to be aware that not every road has a cycle lane, and we do like a little room for comfort.
As I understand it, the death on the M4 (I heard it was Mulgoa Rd/ GWH ??) was a terrible accident, and the car driver was not at fault. I hope both families, that of the passed, and the motorist, get the adequate support they need.



(my first post )

Leo, u live in Penrith.... cycle around there?

i've had such bad multiple experience cycling around there, i just won't go back

drivers around there not only have no respect for cyclists, but try to mow you down....

i wondering what percentage of drivers out there still try to "scare" cyclist....

thank goodness, i got some degree of alert for drivers... my zound horn is nice and loud

__________________
Rob

www.bikenorth.org.au

'07 Giant OCR Composite 3 - R550s with Michi Prorace2

'06 Giant CRX1

'96 Apollo Himalaya commuter - Rigid Fork, slicks, fully racked

DMR Switchback Reynolds 520- Velocity Cliffhangers, SRAM X-9, Easton bar/stem


DMR Trailstar 2 4130- Mavic117, Dice Whiplash, SCUD DH bars, LX 9spd, DMR Crisis Cranks.

'04 Giant VT3 frame - SOLD

robalert, I guess you mean me. Leoj is Joel spelt backwards. VS is the car I drive. Everyone calls me Leo though, so it dont matter....
To be honest, on Mulgoa rd, its not that bad. I ride out to the Regatta center, do laps and come home. 95% of the time, people will give me heaps of room. Its the odd few that dont. Yes it is scary, but Im riding out there at about 6am, and coming home at 8-9am, so the traffic isnt to bad at that hour. If its any later, I ride to Springwood and back. Up L-a-p-s-t-o-n- hill. Its a long one that one

__________________
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy