Is It O.K. to Kill Cyclists?

New York Times ^ | November 9, 2013 | Daniel Duane

[nickcarraway]

EVERYBODY who knows me knows that I love cycling and that I’m also completely freaked out by it. I got into the sport for middle-aged reasons: fat; creaky knees; the delusional vanity of tight shorts. Registering for a triathlon, I took my first ride in decades. Wind in my hair, smile on my face, I decided instantly that I would bike everywhere like all those beautiful hipster kids on fixies. Within minutes, however, I watched an S.U.V. hit another cyclist, and then I got my own front wheel stuck in a streetcar track, sending me to the pavement.

I made it home alive and bought a stationary bike trainer and workout DVDs with the ex-pro Robbie Ventura guiding virtual rides on Wisconsin farm roads, so that I could sweat safely in my California basement. Then I called my buddy Russ, one of 13,500 daily bike commuters in Washington, D.C. Russ swore cycling was harmless but confessed to awakening recently in a Level 4 trauma center, having been hit by a car he could not remember. Still, Russ insisted I could avoid harm by assuming that every driver was “a mouth-breathing drug addict with a murderous hatred for cyclists.”

The anecdotes mounted: my wife’s childhood friend was cycling with Mom and Dad when a city truck killed her; two of my father’s law partners, maimed. I began noticing “cyclist killed” news articles, like one about Amelie Le Moullac, 24, pedaling inside a bike lane in San Francisco’s SOMA district when a truck turned right and killed her. In these articles, I found a recurring phrase: to quote from The San Francisco Chronicle story about Ms. Le Moullac, “The truck driver stayed at the scene and was not cited.”

[FredZarguna]

Nobody is "missing the point" but you.

Cyclists are not obligated to ride on the shoulder of the road for your benefit. When they do that, they do that as a courtesy, FOR YOU.

Bicycles are vehicles under the vehicle code. READ THE VEHICLE CODE; it will tell you explicitly that the shoulder of the road IS NOT for moving vehicles. If you come around a curve and kill a cyclist, you'll be guilty of vehicular homicide, and your belief that cyclists are required to accommodate your poor driving skills will not keep you out of prison.

[pigsmith]

All I’m saying is that three objects (two heavy machines at speed and one bicycle) cannot occupy the same physical space simultaneously. Driving a wide truck on a narrow road around a blind curve in the mountains only to be surprised by an oncoming vehicle on the left and bicycle riding the stripe will be a very ugly collision and the biker will lose that battle even if he ‘only’ gets smacked with a mirror. The only one with room to maneuver is the bike.

[SouthParkRepublican]

I’d became a Horner fan after the wreck he had during the TDF where he climbed back on his bike and finished the stage. They had him on a stretcher in the finish area and the camera picked him up asking if he had finished the race. That’s an insane level of conditioning.

Watching his attacks on the summit finishes at the Vuelta had me on my feet cheering at the TV. Nice to see someone my age kick like that!

[Baynative]

In the Vuelta he won a stage and was off the front on the final climb, most of which he rode out of the saddle. The long standing rule of climbing has always been to stay in the saddle, hands on top of the bars and conserve every bit of energy possible.

But Horner's style of using a few more gear inches and getting on top of them with some weight has served him well. A friend of mine used to copy that and could shed chasers like crazy. He'd get out of the saddle and people would treat it like an attack and use some fuel to catch his wheel, then relax thinking they'd reeled him in. But, he'd stay up and keep churning that bigger gear as he dropped them one by one.

I was never a good climber, but I'm a big guy and that technique helped me. Sadly, I learned it too late.

[SouthParkRepublican]

Maybe you should try and be a bit more lucid when attempting to make a point.

You lost me at:

"I have lost count how many times I have rounded a blind curve to find both oncoming traffic and yet another bike fool on the SHOULDER STRIPE, smurking over his shoulder at me"

So I'm to infer from your statment that where you live, it is de rigor for cyclists to intentionally try and impede the progress of three ton trucks for sport? And they all turn and smirk at you? Really?

Reread my post. The only reason a cyclist will knowingly ride off the shoulder when he knows there is fast moving traffic approaching from behind is that there is something on the shoulder that is making it unsafe to travel on.

I also drive a full size pick up with large mirrors. When I see a cyclist in front of me on a narrow road and there is opposing traffic, I take the few seconds necessary to slow down and pass when it's safe.

But your plan for nearly clipping them as you buzz by has some merit too. /sarcasm

[Nickname]

“....although for now I’m sticking to the basement and maybe the occasional country road.”

Please don’t.

I hate encountering cyclists on country roads. Especially bike clubs. I’ve seen people do stupid things trying to get around them as they ride 2-3 abreast on 2-lane, 55 mph roads that twist and turn.

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.

[MortMan]

QWERTY ergo TYPO, eh? ;-P

[Darksheare]

Yes.
Happens quite often in proximity to my lurking.
Don’t know why.

[Darksheare]

Tagline material too.

[AU72]

I can specifically remember being 11 years old, taking my old “Western Flier” bike and riding 7 miles to town, riding around there for a while then 7 miles back

I remember when I got my first 3 speed bike for Christmas when I was 14 I waited for the first warm day in February and rode it 30 miles to Buzzards Bay. For 12 miles there was a new stretch of highway not yet opened and I had it all to myself.

[Baynative]

Bicycles were our first real taste of freedom. They made us mobile and independent. They got us off our block, out of our neighborhoods and gave us access to a world of adventure and wider social involvement.

[SouthParkRepublican]

When I saw him do it I almost couldn't believe he could stay out of the saddle for that long.

I'm 6'1" and at 210 lbs have trouble generating the kind of power necessary to get up anything over 10% while spinning so I took to mashing larger gears.

Now I pretty much stand until I have to sit, try and recover as best I can and then it's back to standing.

[Baynative]

I'm a little taller than you at 6'4", my riding weight at 11-13% body fat was 214 and I echo your remarks.

For whatever reason I found that I could get up and concentrate on lifting the back side of my pedal stroke allowing my body mass to work naturally on the down stroke and even though the theory might not suit everyone, I could maintain a somewhat steadier cadence and noticeably lower heart rate at (for example) 39/17 than I could sitting and trying to spin a higher cadence at 39/21.

I'm remembering back to grades around 6-8%. On steep stuff I was forced out of the saddle because of my ability and usually had smaller guys dropping me. But, when courses suited that style of riding I was sometimes able to take a bit out of more talented riders in lesser climbs and foothills. That gave me a chance to help my team out and [hopefully] recover in time to do some work heading to the finish.

I always felt that most tactical training was geared to guys with innate talent and didn't seek enough ways to exploit riders with less obvious skills that could aid the team. But, in every way, I loved every mile I logged, hurting or not.