Is road cycling dangerous?

[Jimber]

Lot's of highway miles with some pretty messed up shoulders here. At times you either take the gravel or the line to avoid the potholes. Quite honestly I've gotten use to vehicles speeding past several feet away. Also have become pretty decent at avoiding the road hazards as well but, I cringe every time a semi truck approaches and you can hear that big slab of re-tread rubber slapping the road getting louder and louder. Yes I think road cycling can be dangerous no matter what color jersey I chose today.

 

[alienator]

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.

Probably is the right word since some people will look right at you and not see you.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Update in the Columbus, Ohio area school teacher that was killed in a hit-skip this summer:

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/11/15/delaware-county-lennon-hit-skip-update.html

DELAWARE, Ohio - Authorities have charged a woman in connection with the death of a teacher in Delaware County.
Mary Paul, 36, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and failure to stop.

Paul is accused of hitting a bicyclist with her car and fleeing the scene.
Bob Lennon, a teacher at St. Francis DeSales, was struck and killed in September while riding on Miller Paul Road in Galena in Delaware County.

A Licking County prosecutor Ken Oswalt has been assigned to look into the case.
The charges carry a maximum punishment of six years, if Paul is found guilty.
In a news conference Friday afternoon, officials said there was not enough evidence to charge anyone else in connection to the crime.
Mary Paul's attorney says his client has chosen to waive her right to have the matter presented to a grand jury and will plead guilty to the charges.

The attorney, Michael Hoague, released the following statement on behalf of Paul: "Words alone are simply inadequate to describe the depth of grief and sadness my client feels for having been responsible for accidently causing Mr. Lennon's death."
Watch 10TV and refresh 10TV.com for the latest news.

 

[dalerb]

Originally Posted by mpre53

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.

Well…no one can argue that no matter what you do, you can get whacked, but I think Campybob and I were referring to statistical probability, and there is no question in my mind that wearing bright clothing improves that calculation. Sounds like you're a believer too. As for "practicing" laying the bike down, no thanks! Like the old Triumph commercial, I practice avoiding obstacles, but I get what you mean. Every car is a rampaging elephant to a cyclist.

On the plus side, I find drivers to be a lot more polite than they were 30-40 years ago. Since returning from an unrelated injury to cycling in mid-summer after a three year layoff, I've ridden about 1,500 miles. Worst that has happened is a couple of pickup trucks that passed closer than I like. At an intersection I frequently stop at to take a drink and avoid cross traffic, cars will often stop for me without my even being close to the crossing (even when I don't want them to). More and more people either cycle themselves or have relatives that do. Back in the 70s I had 16 wheelers push me off the road just for fun!

Lastly, I try to acknowledge every driver who is polite, give them a wave or a smile or mouth a "thank you". Seeing drivers as "assholes", or yelling or gesturing at them might just have ramifications to you or the next rider they encounter. As William James once famously said; "For the moment, what you attend to is your reality". Make it a positive reality.

 

[alienator]

There is always a chance of not being seen on the road especially in the twilight hours, but one thing that can help is the new reflective mask that keeps bugs and other airborne hazzards out of your mouth while helping you be seen by drivers and you can get them at www.bicyclefacemasks.com.

Thanks for the spam, but, uhm, no thanks. Maybe you'd do better selling your stuff at Halloween.

 

[Jimber]

Quote: Later than day Miss Way, of Watton Norfolk tweeted: “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way - he doesn't even pay road tax!”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/emma-way-driver-in-bloodycylists-storm-found-guilty-after-knocking-cyclist-off-his-bike-8949449.html

 

[CAMPYBOB]

London, Merry Old England:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/world/europe/london-cyclist-fatalities-bring-calls-for-truck-limits.html?_r=0



http://news.sky.com/story/1170420/london-cyclist-deaths-sixth-in-13-days

 

[maturner]

I'm glad I wasn't killed (I easily could have been) before I learned my lesson about road biking. There's too many bad drivers and careless bikers. One has to be careful and not tempt fate when riding a bike.

 

[dalerb]

Yeah Alienator…..that bicycle mask thing is pretty funny S---. It might actually make it more likely some one would hit you if they were a little psychotic and thought you were some sort of demon. Some inventions aren't meant to be.

 

[go4sporting]

I think road cycle in accordance with the safety standards for production isn't dangerous，but if you take it to am/dh they are dangerous,you can see go4sporting,it take safety product

 

[swampy1970]

Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB
"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.

I don't get the trend of wearing so much black - and not just at night. If you're out and it's late in the day, it's easy to blend in with the shadows and if you've got the hammer down trying to get home before dark and you're not paying full attention then that increases the risk of a quick trip over the hood of a car or through the side windows greatly.

Then you have the thing with riding in black in very hot weather. If I wore one of those fish-net fronted gimp shirts that Froome wore in the mountains I might stay cool but I'd likely be arrested or sequestered by the patrons of the local Blue Oyster Bar.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

"I don't get the trend of wearing so much black - and not just at night. If you're out and it's late in the day, it's easy to blend in with the shadows and if you've got the hammer down trying to get home before dark and you're not paying full attention then that increases the risk of a quick trip over the hood of a car or through the side windows greatly."

Yeah, head down and going hard only increases the size of the danger zone. Especially during those times when we should be using extra caution.

 

[hyperliterate]

Here's an interesting item: http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/The-Invisible-Bicycle-Helmet.htm?cmp=276&memberid=52211742&lyrisid=42533231&[email protected]

 

[dalerb]

Like the helmet, maybe wait for the cheaper version to come out however. In the meantime, the "little devil" in me really likes this option. Every now and then it would be very useful.

http://store.qbike.com/bullet-ventures-horn-hornit-electronic-hb-mount-140db.html

 

[dalerb]

In fact, I couldn't resist and ordered one!

 

[twocups]

Nathan, you should listen to your mother ;-)
The most careful cyclist in the world can't legislate for carelessness on the part of car/truck/bus drivers and, sadly, in a one-on-one confrontation, the cyclist will *always* lose!
I personally will not cycle on a road where I'm unsegregated from other road traffic when the speed limit is higher than 40mph (sometimes 30mph if the road is bad enough).
Fortunately, in the part of the world I live in, this isn't too much of an issue because it's a relatively new town and there's plenty of built-in (ie, segregated) provision for cyclists.

 

[swampy1970]

In fact, I couldn't resist and ordered one!

140db, in industrial situations, requires double hearing protection (ear mufflers AND ear plugs). The volume of that horn will likely not be a good thing for your hearing and will likely surprise people nearby leading to situations that may be very bad for you. Then again, you might just be spamming, in which case you should be tied to the railroad tracks at night while wearing black, on a busy highway

 

[dalerb]

Not spamming, and I do think one has to be judicious in the use of such a device, but I can think of 2-3 situations in the last four months where it would have been both useful and appropriate. Startling someone who is not paying attention is the precise point of a horn, and not necessarily a bad idea. I'd like to throw cold water in inattentive drivers faces, but that's not an option…yet.

 

[alienator]

Not spamming, and I do think one has to be judicious in the use of such a device, but I can think of 2-3 situations in the last four months where it would have been both useful and appropriate. Startling someone who is not paying attention is the precise point of a horn, and not necessarily a bad idea. I'd like to throw cold water in inattentive drivers faces, but that's not an option…yet.   

Just remember that startled people are unpredictable, and that's something that could work against you.

 

[swampy1970]

Not spamming, and I do think one has to be judicious in the use of such a device, but I can think of 2-3 situations in the last four months where it would have been both useful and appropriate. Startling someone who is not paying attention is the precise point of a horn, and not necessarily a bad idea. I'd like to throw cold water in inattentive drivers faces, but that's not an option…yet.   

If something on the order of 140db goes off in the vicinity of my noggin the first thing that's gonna happen is fingers in my ears. It's likely just something that'll happen instinctively. I don't think you have a concept of how loud that is. If it means the steering wheel is let loose and you become road fodder/mobile speed bump then it's all on you... Personally, I think that those horns are nowhere near 140db. The ones on the oil tankers that dock at our refinery are under 130db - and those are impressively loud at a mile away - and the ones one the Golden Gate Bridge are just over 100db.