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.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@KW
I've only spent three weeks in the US, but I suspect it's worse there in some ways -- Germans love cars, but they also love making rules (which each individual thinks should only be applied to other people, but still, the rules are there...). The arrogant sense of entitlement is what scares the bejeezus out of me where I live -- "The right-turner has priority? Right, I'm taking my bomb-proof Audio A8 and flying around the corner of this here tight little urban intersection, and I'm not taking any prisoners."
Of course, in most of the places I visited in the States (Wyoming, Idaho, California), there seems to be so much more space a lot of the time -- more shoulder on the road, etc. (The Olympic peninsula being an exception Chrissy and I mentioned in another thread).
Gas prices will be one thing that can change people's minds; they seem to have already shut down HumVee production and shifted some people into smaller cars from what I hear. Though seriously, cars and trucks over there are freaking enormous.
@Pedro Actually it's Yellow Jacket of Authority
@copaking
Mount to the saddle rails.
@andrew
I've been meaning to post a photo of a typical ride for ya'll. There's a stretch in particular that's a long, lovely road in the outback, 15 foot shoulders on both sides - which are sadly rough gravel. The paved shoulder consists of the fog line and approximately 3/4 of an inch beyond. The speed limit here is 45 mph, but as it's in the sticks, most drivers do 60. There's a reason I haven't paused here to take the photo. ;)
No kidding. It's absurd. And pointless. These are driven by people with esteem issues and polished to impress others. Almost none of them are used off-road. They mostly carry groceries.
@Mike_P
75 lumens for 9 hours makes a big impression for a light of that size.
Not asking for a physics lesson here, but how do you comparison-shop for lights when some manufacturers give specs in lumens and others give specs in watts?
@ChrissyOne
One of my biggest pet peeves is the size of automobiles that many people deem necessary, especially in urban/suburban areas. I understand that farmers or ranchers need their trucks. Soccer moms do not need giant SUVs or even minivans for one or two kids. My wife drives a Honda Civic, and I drive a Toyota Matrix (that's our big car--if I can't fit it in that thing, I likely don't need it). Great gas mileage with each, but I still can't wait til the snow is gone and I can start making my daily 40km round trip by bike again.
Around here, it's easy enough to get out of town to find less traveled country roads, but it can get a little congested in the city/suburbs. I personally add 3km to my bike commute to avoid some of the busier streets.
@KW
Stroopwafels from Gouda and weed are good in Holland. The law isn't unfortunately.
You might need to use a car one day and if something bad happens you're fucked.
@PeakInTwoYears
I think the answer is: badly. You normally need more info for any sort of comparison, and there's no standard, from what I can see, for what information manufacturers provide.
@andrew Yes. And how the light is focused matters an awful lot.
@TommyTubolare
But isn't the point that you will be more careful/aware so that you'll not be in a position to get fucked in the first place?