Wisconsin Cyclist killed in rear-end collision - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

10-02-2003, 05:17 PM

Quite a loss, both to the cycling and to the medical community.

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10-03-2003, 05:32 AM

He wasn't using any rear lights whilst riding in the dark. I mean a good rear
blinky costs only about $15.

10-03-2003, 05:36 AM

"Zippy the Pinhead" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].gov> wrote in message
news:a5285e452505937e52758269f8a1c56f@news.teranew s.com...
> Quite a loss, both to the cycling and to the medical community.
>
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

This isn't really another "blame the cyclist" question, although it might
seem so. I'm not saying "too bad, he got what he deserved, it was his own
fault, Darwin was right." It's a tragedy, but that's not what my question is
about.

How does anyone that intelligent and motivated ride in the dark with no
lights?

What I'm interested in is the thought process itself, and the underlying set
of assumptions that leads to it. This is an intelligent, educated adult who
is trained to be observant and to account for every possible factor when
making judgements. How does someone like that come to be riding in the dark
with no lights?

I'm just befuddled by stuff like this.

RichC

10-03-2003, 07:06 AM

In article <PXefb.477$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].verio.net>,
"Rich Clark" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> How does anyone that intelligent and motivated ride in the dark with no
> lights?

Maybe those inadequate, stock reflectors mandated on
all new bikes give a false sense of security or
"good-enough-ness"?

And I guess rationalizations like "I'm not going that
far", or "There's no traffic this early" are Famous
Last Words as much as "Don't worry, it's not loaded."

regards,
Tom

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10-03-2003, 07:11 AM

"Rich Clark" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:PXefb.477$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].verio.net...
>
>
> How does anyone that intelligent and motivated ride in the dark with no
> lights?

I bet this time of year people forget the days are getting shorter, and
plan rides thinking it will still be light when their ride ends. Certainly
I've have experience with tennis teams scheduling matches at 6pm
this time of year, even though their courts have no lights. And I
see the soccer teams showing up for practice at 5pm, though I
know it's a bit dark to take headers by 6:30. I wonder if these
type of "no light" accidents are more common this time of year.

>
> What I'm interested in is the thought process itself, and the underlying
set
> of assumptions that leads to it. This is an intelligent, educated adult
who
> is trained to be observant and to account for every possible factor when
> making judgements. How does someone like that come to be riding in the
dark
> with no lights?
>
> I'm just befuddled by stuff like this.
>
> RichC
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

10-03-2003, 08:00 AM

Zippy wrote:
> Quite a loss, both to the cycling and to the medical community.
>
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Very sad.
"Contributing factors in the accident, which was reported at 5:51
a.m., where darkness and lack of rear lighting on the bicycle,
according to the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department."

--Karen M.
going shopping for a replacement blinkie light today (old one stolen)

10-03-2003, 08:58 AM

"Cathy Kearns" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:mkgfb.9075$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].prodigy.co m...
>
> "Rich Clark" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> news:PXefb.477$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].verio.net...
> >
> >
> > How does anyone that intelligent and motivated ride in the dark with no
> > lights?
>
> I bet this time of year people forget the days are getting shorter, and
> plan rides thinking it will still be light when their ride ends.

No doubt. However, the rider in this case was killed before dawn. It was
dark when he left and it was dark the entire time he was riding.

RichC

10-03-2003, 09:05 AM

On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 09:36:45 -0400, "Rich Clark"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

[...]

>How does anyone that intelligent and motivated ride in the dark with no
>lights?
>
>What I'm interested in is the thought process itself, and the underlying set
>of assumptions that leads to it. This is an intelligent, educated adult who
>is trained to be observant and to account for every possible factor when
>making judgements. How does someone like that come to be riding in the dark
>with no lights?

Where I live, there is no requirement to have a rear light, only a
rear reflector as comes on every new bike. The article did not
mention whether the bicycle had a rear reflector (I'm assuming it did)
nor did it state that a rear light is mandated by law in his area as
the article implies.

In some places, a flashing rear light is disallowed:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Given that most of the general population - let alone many cyclists
who should know better - believe that reflectors are a suitable
replacement for lights and given that John Forrester was not able to
convince the bicycle industry and the US CPSC to change the status
quo,

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

my question is why should he be expected to know that reflectors are
almost useless? There are people who buy bicycles who don't frequent
Usenet and who haveen't visted Sheldon Brown's website, believe it or
not.

Incidentally, I see no mention of a helmet as is usually the case
where "the cyclist was not wearing a helmet".

--
Chris Bird

10-03-2003, 11:21 AM

"Chris B." <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 09:36:45 -0400, "Rich Clark"
> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>

> my question is why should he be expected to know that reflectors are
> almost useless? There are people who buy bicycles who don't frequent
> Usenet and who haveen't visted Sheldon Brown's website, believe it or
> not.

Good point, I suppose. Being both a driver and a cyclist, though, and
knowing how hard a cyclist can be to see sometimes, I just have trouble
imagining other people blithely assuming they're safe.
>
> Incidentally, I see no mention of a helmet as is usually the case
> where "the cyclist was not wearing a helmet".

Yeah, makes you wonder if another reporter might have written "the cyclist
was wearing a helmet, but it failed to save his life."

RichC

10-03-2003, 11:49 AM

On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 09:36:45 -0400, "Rich Clark"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>
>How does anyone that intelligent and motivated ride in the dark with no
>lights?
>
>What I'm interested in is the thought process itself, and the underlying set
>of assumptions that leads to it. This is an intelligent, educated adult who
>is trained to be observant and to account for every possible factor when
>making judgements. How does someone like that come to be riding in the dark
>with no lights?

He had to be somewhere, showered, shaved, cooled down and ready to
work at 0730. And, well, summer ended kinda early in these here parts
this year. His blinky was probably in the resident's quarters on the
garage shelf where he put it last Spring. It's very well lit where
his ride started -- like daylight 24/7. That probably lulled him into
his fatal error.

No excuse. I'm sure he'd have wanted it to be a lesson.

I've been caught on the other end. Spring. I used to try to take my
first long ride while there were still those huge icicles on the road
cuts on the river road. Having ridden a trainer all Winter, I was so
euphoric to get out and stretch on real roads that I didn't notice how
late it was getting. BOOM! Sunset. People who live in Northern
climes will know what I mean. It's light out, then suddenly it's dark
out.

Long walk home facing traffic on the shoulder. And still a couple of
close calls. And I had an amber flasher on my left upper arm -- go
figure.

Long story short (I know -- too late) -- y'all be careful out there.
That's what the Doc would have said.