Bike death causes concern...

[Hogmaster]

Wow!

So, just as I make my first purchase of a brand new road bike (FUJI Pro), a long time bike rider here in the Portland metro area was killed on Saturday morning by an 18 year old driver who went into the bike lane and hit him from behind.

Here is a URL to a story about the accident:

Click here for Oregonian story

Although I did not know Eric, he was very well known and well liked in his community. Students at Tigard were interviewed and expressing shock over the loss.

This really hit home with me for a number of reasons.

1) He never saw it coming.
2) He was doing everything "right."
3) He was riding on the same road that I have and plan to ride on.
4) The road surface is wide and the bike lanes are not only clearly marked, but they are wide as well.

When Hog's Nurse heard the news, she immediately reacted by saying I shouldn't ride there. I kind of laughed it off, because there are, frankly, few better places to ride, short of a closed course.

But I have to admit, it hit home with me as well. Did I make a mistake by making a committment to my new bike and riding more? No one has ever been taken out by a 2 ton sedan on the racquetball court...

If I was 20 or 30 or maybe even 40 I might have just shaken this off as a bad draw for the guy. But as I approach 50, it makes me ponder more.

How do you all deal with the foreboding feeling of losing a contest involving tonnage and position? Never seeing it is what really is bugging me I guess.

Condolences to Eric's family and friends...

[Thumper]

Did I make a mistake by making a committment to my new bike and riding more? No one has ever been taken out by a 2 ton sedan on the racquetball court..

Yes you likely did make a mistake. I pulled the sheets over more than a dozen bike and motorcycle riders in my younger years as an ER orderly. NONE (repeat NONE) of the dead riders were at fault. :depressed:

Anybody who thinks that you can mix two wheelers of any kind with real (i.e., big and heavy) motor vehicles is asking to die. It may take a few years, but it will happen. But the good news is that it likely won't be your fault.

[Paddlefish]

Likewise, Gary.

Now that I've been riding -- as a bicycle-reborn adult -- for about 35 years, I find myself asking some of the same questions.

I know my rationalizations, and they're still mostly pretty valid:

1) I'm not actually competing for lane space like motorcycles do. I'm off to the side.

2) I don't travel at the same speeds as the motorized vehicles (well, not quite :grin

3) Of course, we can find isolated and scary examples like this, but figure the odds. (Heck, a friend's son died while flyfishing. A tree fell on him, midstream.) It's just God's own cosmic lottery.

4) I follow all the traffic rules and safety recommendations and I've become a very observant defensive rider. (Remember: 35 years, so far.)

All that said, I hid that section of the newspaper from my wife.

And I did, after all, perform a helmet test, bicycle funeral, and successful skull thickness check myself just last year, due to no fault of my own.

And I'm seriously pre-examining my upcoming opportunities to strap my twin grandchildren into my bike trailer.

Tough questions. Shortage of easy answers.

My sincere condolences to family, friends, and community as well.

[Hogmaster]

Yeah, Jack, I couldn't help thinking about you when I read about the accident, since you ride this area so often.

As you have found that people don't necessarily see you, and I have found ways to try to take out immovable objects, there is an implied acknowledgement of risk if one chooses to ride a bike.

But to be taken out like that, from behind, with no chance to even react. Not even your rationalizations cover that scenario.

Thumper, I appreciate your perspective. But not all riders die.

Here's to safe riding and awarenesss for everyone!

[garyk]

Hog, you just have to minimize the subjective risks where you can (not riding at nite, avoiding bad roads, late weekend afternoons when lots of drivers are sunned & buzzed).... but after that you just gotta live!

I really enjoy my new (used) road bike - Specialized Allez.

On the other side of the balance, the health benefits are so tremendous that if you weren't cycling you'd be a lot more likely to die from heart disease, diabetes, or a stroke induced by bad TV programs.

Go for it!

[Fast Water]

Today I saw some sort of biking event on SR 30 East bound in the Clacksanie (sp) area as I was heading out to GP Wauna.

The riders were riding on what shoulder was available and most were one to to feet into the vehicle lane.

Just plain nuts.

Would a person stand one or two feet in the road while a 100K pound chip truck flies past?

No, you would have to be insane or have some real thrill issues. How is it that for some people, being on a bicycle makes it better? I just don't understand.

At the risk of sounding rude, I think that there is some amount of "I-have-a-legal-right-to-ride-my-bike-here-no-matter-how-freaking-dangerous-it-is-so-I'm-gonna" attitude going on with some of the riders. I would guess that most riders are concentrating on the task at hand and appear to the passing motorist to be oblivious to the near death condition they are in-and-out of as they travel along.



When possible, pick a less traveled road that you might have to deal with 10 vehicles rather than 200 or more.


:smile:

[judyfish99]

Hope those highway 30 bikers have rearview mirrors on their helmets!!

[duckboy]

I used to ride @300-400 Miles per week while i was in training and have never had an encounter with an auto, (My brother and I were confronted by a couple of drunken Mexican dudes that threw a beer at us as they drove by on Easter Sunday out by the Ridgefield High school, and then slammed on their brakes in the middle of the road and nearly caused a truck to ditch, but that has been the extent of our excitement.

I have ridden many many thousands of miles, (Used to ride from Ridgefield area clear into Portland each day, so I had to ride through downtown portland via Vancouver St, and Broadway etc.) I just bank on being totally invisible to other drivers.

I have had people make eye contact with me and pull right out in front of me. So being invisible is not far fetched.

Oh, And I do have one of those rearview mirrors for my helmet, and I would never ride without either.

[Gus Orviston]

I use to ride 15 miles to work, 1 way.. uphill both ways , in the spring and summer from Tigard, to Hillsboro. Anyway, the Cobb rock trucks use to come very very close and you would get pulled off your path by the air suction.. scary.. later I found out the truck drivers like to cut it close with the bikes :whazzup: from a buddy who drove for them.

I also had cars pull out in front of me and my Fuji doing about 25+ MPG and smacked right into a couple of them.

I would get a mountain bike and go hit some logging roads. But then again you can't just hop out of the house and begin your exercise.

gus

[Corkie Monster]

My biggest pet peeve out there is TURN SIGNALS!! Seems like most people don't know what they are. Most of my close calls have been people crossing the bike lane on a right hand turn. I don't think they realize how fast bikes are moving. Another one is Tri-Met. I've had a few busses go past me to only turn into the bike lane directly in front of me. On one occasion it was very close, I could of A) merge out into heavy traffic B) slam into the back of the bus C) hop onto the side walk. I chose C and almost took out the passenger getting off the bus. Bicycles don't stop as quickly as people think they can. They have only 1" of rubber contact with the road at the most. Drivers just need to wake up and put the cell phone down. I commute about 15 to 20 miles per day down Hall Blvd.

CM

[reeldick]

Put that new road bike on a rack with rollers and use it only at home. With your record of biking accidents, you really shouldn't be out on any road that there is a chance of a vehicle, pedestrian, hill, or signpost around.
What are you thinking? You're getting to be OLD! Stick to the safe stuff like checkers or jigsaw puzzles. Just because you have a nice association with a nurse does not mean you should use her training to keep you in one piece.

[Hogmaster]

Ah shucks, Dick, you will probably will get hit by lightning on the golf course!

(Just remember, as Treveno said when asked what he would do differently if caught in a thunderstorm after being hit twice on the course - "I'd hold my 1 iron up in the air, because not even God could hit that!") :smile:

Something about the great outdoors and sweat just calls me I guess.

Sorta like running the Clack at less than 12'! :shocked:

But I'll keep your cell number handy, just in case I need you to come scrape me off the pavement some day...



PS - The nurse is all for me riding, until I ask her where.

[Paddlefish]

Things I have learned:

There's little to be gained in joining the debate between the "I've got a right to the road so I'll block it all" bicyclists and the "It's my road so I'll wing you with my mirror so you'll get back on the sidewalk where you belong" responders. The first group makes it harder for me to be a responsible and safe rider. The second group . . uh . . makes it harder for me to be a responsible and safe ider.

As I said earlier, however, I've been bike commuting for more than 30 years. For those who are newer or considering similar, I've gained some experience and opinions:

Mirrors:
I'm blind in my left eye, so the little helmet-mounted ones don't work for me. I use larger ones, mounted to handlebar ends. I LIVE by my mirror! Statistically, auto drivers have trouble turning around to look and continuing in a straight line at the same time. It's far more difficult on a bicycle. Jsut this morning, I found myself coming upon a bike lane-blocking delivery truck. A quick mirror check revealed just one approaching car -- EXACTLY where I didn't need one. (Sigh.) I backed off a bit, sat up and waved her by rather than insisting on my right-of-way in the only remaining lane. (I'm sure she would have waved a thank you, but she was busy on the phone. )

I've become so dependent on my mirror that I've found myself glancing down to it even when paddling a canoe or driving a shopping cart a couple of times.

Do I watch it enough that I would have spotted the sudden hazard which took this unfortunate rider's life this week? Hmmm . . .

Situations:
Learn to spot situations which will get you in trouble, then either be extra alert at those times, be ready to give way, or take another route. This is the essence of defensive bicycle riding. One of my commute options is a spot where 2/3 of all the impatient, rush hour traffic on my left wants to choose an I-5 entrance ramp on my right, leaving me in the bike lane in-between. I actually choose not to go there at all. I ride an extra distance, throwing in a U-turn, and approaching from another direction.

A classic situation is the car waiting at a STOP sign, waiting to enter a busy road at a break in the traffic. Murphy says I'll be coming along precisely at that break. Here's a spot where I use my mirror a lot. Am I going to be in the middle of that break? Will that driver even see me? Will that driver care that I'm there? My morning commute takes me past Schneider National Trucking's Tualatin headquarters, full of 18 wheelers with 53-foot trailers trying to get into traffic. When appropriate, I ease up, wave one out, and -- hopefully -- make a new big friend on the road.

Oncoming left-turners are another favorite, especially when a "good samaritan," going my way, stops to let one cross in front of us just when I'm legally and invisibly passing on the right. Ouchie Booboo. That's what did me in last year, then nearly again twice more in the months to follow, including once in the exact same spot as my original T-bone. The second time, extra vigilance on my part saw it developing and I stopped with a few inches to spare.

The aforementioned right-turners who pull just in front (or almost through) us are always fun, especially since, as mentioned, you can't count on turn signals. I deal with a couple of those risky spots myself, where at least half the traffic turns right. In this spot I try to insert myself directly in the middle of their lane, right behind a car. If he turns right, with or without a signal, I won't be in his way and I can go immediately back to my right (with or without a quiet thought about his grandmother's heritage.) If he proceeds straight ahead, fine. I'll retake my own lane.

Eye Contact:
Many bicycle books recommend "making eye contact" with drivers, just to let them know that you're there. I don't do that any more. I'm convinced that many drivers figure, "He sees me. He can stop. He's only a bicycle." I don't ignore them totally, of course. I still watch their actions out of the corner of my eye, just in case.

Visibility:
Can't be stressed enough. It's true of motorcycles as well as bicycles: many accidents occur because well-meaning motorists simply "didn't see them." Do what you can to make yourself VERY visible. All my bicycle jerseys and my rain jacket are now fluorescent neon chartreuse. I don't especially like the color and my wife despises it but she won't let me wear anything else. My heart might prefer making a statement with the NASCAR-looking race team jerseys or the gorgeous "Iguana - Reptile Dysfunction" jersey, but my head insists that I just make the statement, "Don't hit me!"

Darkness:
If you're strictly a recreational rider, with enough planning ability to get yourself home before the sun goes down, this might not be an issue for you. If you're a commuter like me, however, you'll spend half the year coming or going -- or both -- in the dark. Take my "visibility" comments above and double the emphasis. I shudder at the number of riders I see at night wearing black. (Can you say "death wish?") The other factor in the darkness discussion is the next topic.

Lights:
There's only one rule: You can't have enough. (One commuting buddy uses two very good headlights, plus at least two warning strobes up front and still has cars pull out in front of him.) If you ride on mostly lighted streets where you don't need a headlight to find the road, your own visibility to traffic is the most important feature. If you need a functional, pothole and obstruction-illuminating headlight for total darkness or off-roading, that's a still more serious upgrade.

Sorry, but truly good bicycle lighting is mostly wildly expensive. The best high beam headlights may cost you $400. (I know: "What does a night in the ICU cost?) I ride with one which is marginal for lighting a dark street but offers pretty good visibility to traffic. It was about $120, I think. My teenage son recently bought a great bang-for-the-buck Cateye headlight for $35. It has 5 white LED lights and runs on four batteries (AAs, I think.) It won't light up a dark roadway but it's got a bright, bluish light which is pretty impressive from 1/4 mile away.

For taillights, the battery-powered LED strobes are good and inexpensive. Get several, with multiple LEDs. Seven is brighter than 5 is brighter than 3. Mount them on your bike, your helmet, your jersey, your rear rack -- everywhere you can think of. Change the batteries when they seem dimmer than perfect. It's still only two or three sets of AAAs per year.

Be safe. Have fun. Be thinner and healthier. Set a good example. Enjoy the whole different point of view that riding in an enclosed oil burner doesn't provide.

(Oh, and it seems that we're about ready to start up a new "Fuji road bike" sub-group here.) :grin:

[Corkie Monster]

Very nice tips PaddleFish

I ride with a 15 watt digital Night Rider ($200) and run it on the strobe mode. That thing is so bright I swear it changes the traffic lights some times. Also I run a red led flasher on my rear and I'm equipped with Illuminite clothing. The Illuminite stuff is pretty awesome!!

CM

[Hogmaster]

Yes, those were very helpful.

The only thing I see you missed was what I didn't:

Watch out for sign posts!

:blush: :shocked: :grin: :grin:

[Paddlefish]

Hog,

I still wince every time I think about your story.

As I remember it, however, you were looking behind, checking for traffic at the "time of impact."

Hence my devotion to my mirror.

[Corkie Monster]

Yes, I met up with a metal road reflector once doing the same thing, looking over my shoulder. I wound up bending my forks into my frame and and badly cutting my hand and fore head. A few years later I tried to take out a barrier post on the Spring Water corridor trail at night. I got caught in the dark with out a light. Figured the bike path would be a safer route, boy was I wrong. Once again...smashed forks and a sore shoulder from the sudden over the handle bars impact.

CM

[Corkie Monster]

Oh, and watch out for the curbs that appear to be painted yellow lines. They like to hide out in the alley ways near parking areas in downtown Bend. That one left a mark too .

[judyfish99]

Hogmaster, every time I cross the old 99 bridge going east to west, I think about ya...

[Paddlefish]

That one left a mark too .

Has that line been set to music? I think we're three quarters of the way to a barbershop quartet.

Do ya wanna hear about the time I was riding home from a night class, riding with only one hand because the other had been incapacitated and plaster-enhanced by another of those little "don't ask" mishaps? While I was climbing a modest hill, my chain dismounted, causing me to suddenly do likewise. My girlfriend, riding behind me, helpfully screamed, then crashed her bike on top of the wreckage.

[Hogmaster]

I think we're three quarters of the way to a barbershop quartet.

Yep.

I have never ridden a bike with step in pedals before my new one. When I asked the helpful sales clerk about it, she said, "Oh. You'll fall over twice. Then you'll figure it out. We recommend you do it in your neighborhood."

Yeah right.

Like I was going to do that!?! Embarass myself in front of the neighbors?

Besides, I ain't gonna stinkin' fall over!

Yeah right.

So on my inaugural bike ride, I re-created my infamous 21-mile 4 boat ramp tour route.

All was fine until I got over to OC and came to my first stop sign. Right in front of a pack of car salesmen and customers, I gracefully pulled up behind a VW and then decided I better take my foot out of the pedal clip.

Dang!

Kersplat!

I did a world-class Artie Johnson off the trike move and promptly dropped about four vertical feet while both feet were still attached to the bike! Fortunately, I was only going about 1/2 MPH.

Only slightly wounded, except my pride, I immediately got up, rode to the next stop sign at the other end of the dealership and managed do DO IT AGAIN!

The gallery was looking on with incredularity. The supressed Guffahs were permeating the air like a fog on the Golden Gate.

The second time I managed to get a little knee and elbow rash. Well, OK, so the knee sorta swelled pretty good for a day or two.

But then there was the mark. I will leave it to you to figure the location. That was Sunday. This shot is Thursday morning. It's looking much better.




Take the feet out of the pedals BEFORE stopping?

Corkie, why didn't she tell me THAT at the store!??? :grin:


I think I have it all figured out now.

[Paddlefish]

I immediately got up

Hogmaster:

Define "immediately."

I'm sure there was a nanosecond I can only imagine and which I'm truly sorry I missed: that brief moment when you were flat on your back , still in the pedals, with "wheels up." :grin:

I can jest about this because you were -- at least on the Hogmaster scale -- relatively unharmed.

Personally, I'm still riding with toe clips and toe straps. (It helps me to maintain my dinosaur status. Plus, I don't have to wear "special shoes" which give me that "Clydesdale in point shoes" sound and prance.)

I still have some of the same balance and support issues, however. For example, "1. Approach stoplight. 2. Release and extend right foot. 3. Tip bicycle to left."

The last time I attempted such a spectacle, I saved myself from going Hindenburg by catching myself with my left hand on the front fender of the car waiting next to me. Judging from the look I received from that driver, however, I believe she expected me to pay for her suddenly mandatory car wash and decontamination.

P.S. Swab out your fishbox, Hog! I tried PM-ing some reflective information regarding mirrors but I was rebuffed by your mailbox capacity.

[Corkie Monster]

Hogmaster

You should try to learn clip-less pedals on Mt. Bike trail . I had many many embracing tip overs. It's the worse feeling in the world! I will let Sandy (your sales lady) that your mad at her . Hey, were you the guy that got caught in the down pour on his test ride? Some test rider got soaked that day :grin:. Also, did you get the 2004 or the 2005 Fuji pro? The 05 model is the full carbon bike. Oh, and one more thing, Performance bike is having it's customer appreciation sale this weekend, everything in the store is 15% off. Maybe you can find some knee pads or something to help ya out :grin:.

CM

[Hogmaster]

Oooops. I guess I had too many saved PMs. The capacity should be clear now.

I discovered that while upside-down on my backside the feet come out of the pedals quite quickly, so it was pretty immediate that I was back up. In fact, I think the second horizontal pronouncement came next to the same VW!

That kick out right, lean left thing has me a tad concerned, since I haven't quite mastered the getting the shoe out of that left side yet in general. :blush:

And yeah, for moi, what's another mark?

CM, I'm not mad at Sandy. She was quite accurate in her description of what was going to happen. I just hope she was right! :shocked:

And yes, that was me test riding (and buying) the 04 in the Noah-worthy downpour that night. Rode right into the storm. At least I didn't have clips on that night, but I had to convince the lady in Lake Grove that;
A) I was willing to risk her tree getting hit by lightning as I huddled under it
B) No, I had not heard there was a severe thunderstorm warning
C) I promise I will not sue you if my head and feet start smoking because lightning does indeed hit your spruce.
D) No, thanks for the offer, but it is not neccessary for you to put me and the bike in your SUV and take me back to the bike shop. Really, the rain is quite refreshing.

As far as the accessory sale, well, I think my wallet area is bruised enough!