Is road cycling dangerous?



I'm conflicted about your friend's whole cyclist rage - must be the whole karma thing. Not to say I don't fantasize about such things. I like the picture of the WWI battle bike and envision a more 21st century version; perhaps some sort of frame mounted, user guided stinger missile. Not with bullets or explosive ordinance but a charge of paint remover or permanent bird **** would be fine. Seriously, I usually pull over and get off my bike whenever there is any open road amateur racing taking place.
 
Roads? Hell, the trails aren't even safe...


Man robbed of bike on bike trail over the weekend

http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/oct/15/man-robbed-of-bike-on-bike-trail-over-th/?nw

WARREN
A 27-year-old Mineral Ridge man suffered a severe laceration and other injuries at 5:11 p.m. Saturday in an assault and robbery of his bicycle while riding on the Warren bike trail.

The man called 911 from the area of Woodland and Railroad avenues Northeast, near the location of the assault. When police arrived, they found the man with a severe laceration to his head, and he had swelling to his cheek. Police searched the area but did not find the bicycle or the suspects.

He was taken to ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The man said he was riding his 26-inch Schwinn Frontier mountain bike valued at $350 near Charles Street Northeast when two black males threw rocks at him. The next thing he remembers, he was laying on the ground.

His glasses were knocked off, so he didn’t get a good look at them, he said.
 
Well, we don't run much risk of getting mugged on the local paths here, but mile for mile, hour for hour, I've had many more near-misses, and even falls, on bike paths than on the roads. Loose dogs, dogs on 20' leashes (might as well be loose in that case), kids, riding 50' behind blissfully unaware parents, who can barely stay upright, let alone hold a straight line, walkers 4-5 abreast, rollerbladers, scooters, skateboarders, and vacationers who haven't ridden a bike since they were in their teens. Rent a bike, pedal 3 miles into the wind, get gassed, and then decide to pull a 180 without checking their 6.
 
When I was living in Portland OR a few years back (about 2000), I remember wanting to go out for a ride but seeing some ominous looking thunderheads on the horizon so I deferred. Soon, a flurry of lightning strikes were hitting within a few miles of my house. Next day, I read in the newspaper about a cyclist on the road I intended to ride on getting struck by lightning. He said he was 'just riding along and the next thing he knows, he woke up by the side of the road with his clothes in smoking tatters, and his bike lying next to him with both wheels smoldering'. Except for the gap in his memory, he was otherwise unhurt. True story.
 
"Well, we don't run much risk of getting mugged on the local paths here, but mile for mile, hour for hour, I've had many more near-misses, and even falls, on bike paths than on the roads. Loose dogs, dogs on 20' leashes (might as well be loose in that case), kids, riding 50' behind blissfully unaware parents, who can barely stay upright, let alone hold a straight line, walkers 4-5 abreast, rollerbladers, scooters, skateboarders, and vacationers who haven't ridden a bike since they were in their teens. Rent a bike, pedal 3 miles into the wind, get gassed, and then decide to pull a 180 without checking their 6."


I agree on ALL points.

Bike paths, especially the Rails-To-Trails type (in my area, at least) give me great interval practice. and jump workouts. Jumps from 2 MPH back up to 20. Over and over and over. Every mutt, individual and group you describe...and more, you forgot bird watchers and their tripod equipped 20-pound Kowa 120mm spotting scope with digital Nikon attached...makes bike trail cycling an exercise (no pun intended) in keeping your head on a swivel and hands on the brake levers.

I do my best to be considerate and share the trail...
 
Since the temps have dropped into the sub 30's - trail traffic has been pretty light, non-existent around here!
 
Agree with Campy about the bike paths and the need for experienced cyclist to expect to be the responsible party. On weekends especially, when the 'beboppers" are out, I've always tried to take the attitude that if I get in a crash with one of them it's my fault. That said, I had a little girl look right at me the other day and almost back into me for no reason (I clipped her shoe heal with my rear wheel). Parents too often think a bike path is a playground.

Had another experience with the need for bright clothing recently when I almost turned in front of a cyclist in all black, with a black bike, on an asphalt background…never would have happened if he had been in red/yellow/orange. I really don't understand the young guys who seem to think bright clothing is "uncool". Selection of the herd in action, I guess.
 
"I really don't understand the young guys who seem to think bright clothing is "uncool"."

That is weird and I've noticed this trend also. All-black seems to be the new black. All-black, even with an 1100 lumen headlight up front and little blinking tail light in the rear, is still difficult for many drivers to see from behind

My hi-vis may scream 'old fart' and I generally knock off around dusk, but it's kept me (mostly!) I one piece over the years. Cycling is damned dangerous under the best of conditions. I try to tempt the gods as little as possible.
 
Originally Posted by dalerb
Agree with Campy about the bike paths and the need for experienced cyclist to expect to be the responsible party. On weekends especially, when the 'beboppers" are out, I've always tried to take the attitude that if I get in a crash with one of them it's my fault. That said, I had a little girl look right at me the other day and almost back into me for no reason (I clipped her shoe heal with my rear wheel). Parents too often think a bike path is a playground.
Click to expand...
An individual needs to be the responsible party for their own safety at all times. Imagine walking down a crowded street with the mindset that any one of these people could sucker punch you at any given time. The samurai mindset. That's the mindset needed for anyone riding a two wheeled vehicle amidst four wheel traffic, especially the faster variety that can circulate among highway traffic. The Emperor's assassin's can arrive in many forms. You got clipped by a little girl on a bike path. Figuratively there's not much difference.

Edit: Some years back I got taken down on my ZX-11 by an old lady running across the street against the red light, literally broadsided. We both ended up fine, my rear brake pedal and right side fairing not so lucky. Danger can come from where and when we least expect it, especially when on two wheels. Riding is risky business.
 
Good points. Riding for me is an exercise in immediate awareness and focused attention, I try to be aware of everything around me, relaxed but not distracted. Something like a Buddhist meditation (which I do also). Not surprisingly, when I'm in a car with other drivers I notice I usually am more aware of other distracted drivers and dangerous obstacles than the drivers of my car are. It can be a little disconcerting, both to the drivers and me! "Is road cycling dangerous?" damn straight it is.
 
Originally Posted by dalerb
Good points. Riding for me is an exercise in immediate awareness and focused attention, I try to be aware of everything around me, relaxed but not distracted. Something like a Buddhist meditation (which I do also). Not surprisingly, when I'm in a car with other drivers I notice I usually am more aware of other distracted drivers and dangerous obstacles than the drivers of my car are. It can be a little disconcerting, both to the drivers and me! "Is road cycling dangerous?" damn straight it is.
Click to expand...
Yes, the calm in the eye of the hurricane. Awareness without anxiousness or paranoia.

Now riding in a car as a passenger and noticing danger signs without the driver noticing them is another matter all together. In those cases I find it's better just to fiddle with the radio, have faith in the seatbelt, focus on releasing the tension in my right leg as it tries to jam itself firmly into the wheel well area, and simply ignore what I see ;)
 
My guess would be that as many cyclist are unaware that the rules of the road apply to them as are motorists driving unaware or impaired. Ignorance and attitude are the biggest factors here.
 
"An individual needs to be the responsible party for their own safety at all times."

Well stated. A simple fact everyone needs to know and internalize.

"Imagine walking down a crowded street with the mindset that any one of these people could sucker punch you at any given time. The samurai mindset."

Situational awareness. Head on a swivel.


There are signs on most of the area hiking & biking trails and Rails-To-Trails that state the cyclist yields to ALL other trail users. As much as a pain in the ass as it is to unnecessarily slow to a crawl for life's retards...it's the safe and courteous (even if it an unnecessary courtesy to experience trail users) I try to do that for all.

On the 88-mile round trip on the Western Reserve Greenway during a day of heavy trail use that can rapidly get...old!
 
Psychopath: That (irritating/welfare-loafing/politically-opposing/etc.) cyclist is violating the law! That means I will only get a $50 fine if I run them over! Here's my chance!
 
You can be decked out like a rodeo clown, lit up like a Christmas tree, and sometimes it won't make a damn bit of difference. An asshole driver still has to see you. Don't assume that even a stopped vehicle sees you. There are dozens of things that can distract a driver. It only takes one asshole, or even a good driver who is momentarily distracted, to put you in the ER or the morgue. You will never win an argument with two tons of steel and sheet metal. I walked away from my one bad meeting with a car. Many aren't as lucky. I try to make eye contact with any driver at an intersection, or one turning across my route. You see his or her eyes, the probably see you. But you're still betting your life on it. Practice panic stops or lay the bike down if you have to. You can replace a bent rear mech or right shifter. Stop first and don't think about unclipping first. You won't kill yourself in a 2 mph fall. Hands on drops approaching, so you can use full braking power. By the way, the jersey in my profile picture is probably the most understated one I own. Most are a lot more gaudy. I'd rather look like a live dork than a dead stylist.
 
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