Every time we get on our bikes, we are playing a game of Russian Roulette. We take care to maintain our machines, to make sure they are in perfect running order, we look after our bodies to maximise our performance, and we, hopefully, abide by the rules of the road to keep ourselves safe from the dangers of other road users. But ultimately, our lives are in the hands of fate, destiny, or even other people. Ours is a sport fraught with danger, and every now and then, and increasingly all too often, we are reminded of the thin black line between life and death.
Such a reminder came today with the news that yet another Pro Cyclist, Kristof Goddaert, lost their life when going about their everyday job. Maybe we are less at risk in our own day-to-day lives than these athletes, but we shouldn’t take with a grain of salt the dangers that are inherent any and every time we cover ourselves with a thin shield of lycra, mount an 8kg piece of plastic, alloy and rubber, then surround ourselves with tonnes of fast-moving metal often operated by less-than-accommodating drivers. We should regard every motorist with caution, never knowing if they themselves are a cycle-aware operator or one of the increasingly common outspoken anti-cyclists that seem to crawl out of the woodwork to vent their disdain for us every time an online article regarding any aspect of sharing the road appears. Make no bones about it, there is a lot of contempt and anger towards cyclists from many drivers.
There’s only so much we can do to minimise our risk of not returning from a ride. Wearing a YJA is not going to help. Having a foam lid half-encasing our craniums will only do so much (let’s not get into a helmet debate here though). Not putting ourselves into a dangerous situation by flouting road rules, running red lights or riding erratically in traffic should be a no-brainer. Yet just by joining the arterial flow of cars, buses and trucks we put ourselves at the bottom of the transport food chain, and like a hyena in a lion-filled savannah, we need to be alert and aware of our surroundings and regard everyone around us a potential predator.
We’ve lost many of our own, and it’s often I think about our community friend @itburns when I kit up. Every time I read about another cyclist tragically killed, the reality of the dangers of our passion hits home, again, hard. Having met Kristof on KT12, when he gave up his time to talk to us before Paris-Roubaix, answering our questions, humouring us as he prepared for one of his most important days at work of the year, it feels that little bit more personal, even though our worlds were so far removed from each other. And now, he is removed from our world completely, a victim of bad luck, a tragic accident of circumstances that we might never consider could happen to us. Which only serves to remind us that it can.
Be careful out there, friends.
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@Ken Ho
Actually it depends on the bike it's on. I quote @Frank "On the commuter anything goes".
If on the race bike, I think you'll find you overstep the mark with the mirror.
@Puffy
Yup. For the daily minefield runs to work, rule violations abound. Mirror? Not for me, but no problem if that's your thing. Beat up fenders? Check. Galactic-scale EPMS and backpack for all the crap I haul to work? Check. YJA? Fuck that. You have to draw the line somewhere.
On the chaingang? Solo 300km training ride? Hill repeats Sunday morning at the park? The Rules are the Alpha and the Omega, and we break them at our peril.
Unfortunately, it's becoming almost a weekly ritual here in Southern California:
http://ktla.com/2014/02/20/bicyclist-killed-in-fatal-hit-and-run-driver-arrested/#axzz2txy0VvH4
@Puffy
The mirror is really about pinch points. When the road narrows abruptly, because of a roundabout, or other road furniture, or even a parked car creating a door zone, then I really like to know what's coming up behind me. That occurs a lot on commuter routes, but also on a lot of longer training routes. There is one 15km section that runs back along the Tweed Coast, where there a pinch point about every 500m, with kerbed pedestrian crossings , roundabouts, narrow verges, parked cars, school zones etc. It's a real circus and doing it without a mirror is a mad gamble. I can no more ride without a mirror on my roadie than I can in my car or on my motorbike. I tried for a bit when one broke, and it drove me nuts.
Most of the fatalities that occur on our roads happen at pinch points, where cars and trucks just force their way past bikes, heedless to the consequences. It was such a death that prompted the successful campaign to have a minimum passing distance law looked at, that of Richard Pollitt.
Now if I'm actually racing, no worries, it can come off.
@wiscot
If you're talking about riding last night, 2/20/14, the real story here is the fact that you rode last night in the whipping wind and driving rain/sleet, and failed to mention that fact anywhere in this post. Chapeau, good sir.
@doubleR Riding at 11pm is not going to work in the favor of any cyclist. Only nite-time training ride that we indulged was the first hour and a half after sunset on a semi-inactive circuit -- always with front and rear lights. I referred to one rider as the "locomotive" -- you could see an enormous beam of light coming up from behind you. He never had a tactful chance to win any sprints.
@unversio
Depends on where you are.
At home on the Gold Coast, I don't need to ride at night much, but here in Mackay, when I'm away working, the day time traffic is horrendous. I've just been on the trainer for an hour, because a combination of heat and traffic makes riding out too unappealing. It's a mining and pig-hunting town, and while there is a strong cycling presence, it pales next to the bogan (think "red-neck") element.
However, at night, there is barely any traffic out on the long ride route I favour, and I can go for 10-20 km with a brae handful of cars passing, most giving me a full lane of clearance, because my flashing lights give me a big footprint and much better than daytime visibility. Night training is very popular here. It works from the time management aspect too.
Requiescat in pace, Kristof.
Puffy's suggestion has merit - maybe with the modification to have all motorists spend a minimum of X days/miles/units as a cyclist before being licensed. An annual refresher requirement for motor vehicle operators has long struck me as needed. In the US mining industry, Annual Refresher Training is an effective tool. Several of us at my company who are cyclists have introduced a cycling and pedestrian safety section into safety training. A good venue and tool.
Last summer. Road wide enough easily for a car and a bike. But I ended in the ditch. The dirver's first response (at least she stopped) was 'I'm sorry I didn't see you'. Which was kind of obvious. But even this sad apology was rather tarnished by her next statement. ' it's a new car and I was worried about scratching the paintwork'. As opposed to my fleshwork, I guess. So that's ok then.
Timely article. Read it this morning, hit by a truck two hours ago. I'm okay, just waiting for CT results. May have dented the hood with my face. Five stitches in my hand. Bruises.
Bike hasn't been looked at thoroughly yet. Hanger was bent on quick look.