And just so there's no confusion, I do NOT mean to trivialize Steven Simms' death, or to be disrespectful. I just figure that if someone is stressed enough to feel the need to vent about something, a little levity goes a long way.

For the record, when the day comes where I'm the guest of honor at a funeral, I hope that afterwards all my friends and family are able to eat, drink, dance, and be as merry as possible under the circumstances. Furthermore I want the hearse to be equipped with a loudspeaker that plays Another One Bites the Dust by Queen on the way to the cemetery. Death sucks, but life is for the living. And yes, this post is 100% sincere; I just hope that the requests are not fulfilled for a long, long time.

There was a minor accident (cyclist/cyclist caused) in a group ride. I mentioned it to a coworker as it was tangentally related to the conversation.
The coworker asked with sincerity about how many riders in the club I ride with get killed per year.
There perception they had was that cyclists regularly get killed when riding on roads, an expected occurance for the 'sport'
Al

Remind them that the leading cause of death in the US is cardiovascular disease. And that you have a much lower risk of getting it because you cycle.

Are we not looking at the underlying issue here? This cyclist's death is in no certain terms his own fault. He was the one riding the wrong way. We can analyse it all we want as to why. It could be everyone he talked to convinced him that is the correct way to ride despite what he thought so he did so. It could be because that is how he was taught & he did not know otherwise thinking it was the correct way. It could be because he did not care regardless of what he was told.

I am sorry he was killed. No one deserves to die that way. But it was due to his own mistake, what ever the reason.

Why are we not looking at it this way? Do we not do this because it reminds of our mortality & what can happen, our fault or not while riding?

"Bicyclist, 23, killed when hit by car

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/2007/04...s/17131310.htm

GREEN - A 23-year-old Green man was hit by a car and killed while riding his bicycle in the 4000 block of South Main Street Tuesday, according to Summit County Medical Examiner investigator Roger Riggins.

Steven Simms was traveling north on the southbound berm ..."



That is too bad, I will really miss TheKillerPenguin...



But in all seriousness, this is a sucky situation. Especially for the family of the deceased AND for the guy driving the car --- although he's not at fault, it's gotta be pretty traumatic for him.

And the image of the fat biddies squawking about "thrill seeking" bicyclists is pretty nauseating too.

And just so there's no confusion, I do NOT mean to trivialize Steven Simms' death, or to be disrespectful. I just figure that if someone is stressed enough to feel the need to vent about something, a little levity goes a long way.

For the record, when the day comes where I'm the guest of honor at a funeral, I hope that afterwards all my friends and family are able to eat, drink, dance, and be as merry as possible under the circumstances. Furthermore I want the hearse to be equipped with a loudspeaker that plays Another One Bites the Dust by Queen on the way to the cemetery. Death sucks, but life is for the living. And yes, this post is 100% sincere; I just hope that the requests are not fulfilled for a long, long time.

I have a big problem for when I die. I only have one person I can trust to buy the keg. I want real beer and I want it to be there on time.

And yes I am serious. Either it will be time to die, in which case people should be happy that I no longer hurt or it will be too soon and people should have a chance to drown their sorrows.

I have a big problem for when I die. I only have one person I can trust to buy the keg. I want real beer and I want it to be there on time.

And yes I am serious. Either it will be time to die, in which case people should be happy that I no longer hurt or it will be too soon and people should have a chance to drown their sorrows.

Sounds like you'll have to qualify another person or two to bring the keg...

This is not really about someone riding the wrong way on the shoulder, that is not why the accident happened. The cyclist lost control of the bicycle and fell into traffic. It doesn't matter which way you're riding when that happens.

Are we not looking at the underlying issue here? This cyclist's death is in no certain terms his own fault. He was the one riding the wrong way. We can analyse it all we want as to why. It could be everyone he talked to convinced him that is the correct way to ride despite what he thought so he did so. It could be because that is how he was taught & he did not know otherwise thinking it was the correct way. It could be because he did not care regardless of what he was told.

I am sorry he was killed. No one deserves to die that way. But it was due to his own mistake, what ever the reason.

Why are we not looking at it this way? Do we not do this because it reminds of our mortality & what can happen, our fault or not while riding?

Just because someone rides the wrong way, on a shoulder, does not mean they deserve to die, nor that it is their fault. What is the difference between a bike lane that requires people to ride against traffic and a shoulder or berm? Not a damned thing except that in some places the law REQUIRES you do ride in that bike lane. None of us know enough about the circumstances to run around placing blame...stuff happens and a human being is dead, at least let the body grow cold and be buried before you start running around pointing the finger and trying to analyze the hows and whys.

I'm always suspicious when someone says a cyclist was killed because they fell into traffic. Never in my life have I seen someone simply fall over on a bicycle.

The problem with automobiles is that people pay with their lives for the mistakes that are made just because they weight several tons and go very fast. It's kind of amazing that people aren't more alarmed by how much automobiles kill people. I guess it's that false sense of security when you are inside.

Just because someone rides the wrong way, on a shoulder, does not mean they deserve to die, nor that it is their fault. What is the difference between a bike lane that requires people to ride against traffic and a shoulder or berm? Not a damned thing except that in some places the law REQUIRES you do ride in that bike lane. None of us know enough about the circumstances to run around placing blame...stuff happens and a human being is dead, at least let the body grow cold and be buried before you start running around pointing the finger and trying to analyze the hows and whys.

My concern is how come there has to be blame every damned time a cyclist dies and is talked about on this message board?
If I were to meet my untimely demise while riding my bicycle I hope to [INSERT DEITY] that it is not brought up here. Disrespect me while I'm alive, but when I die leave me the hell alone. :D

This guy was the nephew of one of my co-workers, so of course I am catching hell today for 'riding in the street'.

Wrong way pedaling and he loses control all by himself and cannot get out of the street fairly quickly? With such outrageously poor cycling, I have to ask if alcohol was involved.

how come there has to be blame every damned time a cyclist dies and is talked about on this message board?
Religion is a strange thing...

If I were to meet my untimely demise while riding my bicycle I hope to [INSERT DEITY] that it is not brought up here. Disrespect me while I'm alive, but when I die leave me the hell alone. :D

No such luck...you ain't getting away from the disrespecting here that easy. When you are down there pushing up daisies, feeling a little trickle and thinking it's raining up top side...it isn't, it's just me and you know what I am doing. :D

My concern is how come there has to be blame every damned time a cyclist dies and is talked about on this message board?

I think we cyclists want to feel that we have some control over our safety. We want to find some reason that this is unlikely to happen to us, due to our decisions. Or, if the cause is unlawful motoring that we have no control over, we want to hear that some form of punishment has been delivered to act as a deterrent.

Unfortunately, such threads often increase cyclists' fear more than is warranted.

I'm always suspicious when someone says a cyclist was killed because they fell into traffic. Never in my life have I seen someone simply fall over on a bicycle.

The problem with automobiles is that people pay with their lives for the mistakes that are made just because they weight several tons and go very fast. It's kind of amazing that people aren't more alarmed by how much automobiles kill people. I guess it's that false sense of security when you are inside.


He could have hit an expansion joint, some gravel or mud. It happens.

No such luck...you ain't getting away from the disrespecting here that easy. When you are down there pushing up daisies, feeling a little trickle and thinking it's raining up top side...it isn't, it's just me and you know what I am doing. :D
Pouring one out for your dead homey?? ;)
Ahhh, piss on my grave if you want, it's not me down there, just the meat, the rest of me lives on in memory and recycled energy.

My concern is how come there has to be blame every damned time a cyclist dies and is talked about on this message board?
If I were to meet my untimely demise while riding my bicycle I hope to [INSERT DEITY] that it is not brought up here. Disrespect me while I'm alive, but when I die leave me the hell alone. :D
Remember the context: this is the advocacy and SAFETY forum.

The only legitimate reason to discuss crashes, fatal or not, here, is to play Monday morning quarterback: to speculate about the factors that contributed to the crash, and discuss cycling practices that are likely to help a cyclist avoid such a crash.

In this case it is reasonable to speculate that riding on the wrong side of the road was likely to be a significant contributory factor, and that riding on the correct side of the road is a practice that is likely to help a cyclist avoid such a crash.

What's wrong with that?

Remember the context: this is the advocacy and SAFETY forum.

The only legitimate reason to discuss crashes, fatal or not, here, is to play Monday morning quarterback: to speculate about the factors that contributed to the crash, and discuss cycling practices that are likely to help a cyclist avoid such a crash.

Wrong HH - you want to play Monday morning quarterback, go start your own thread. This thread is to highlight a cyclist fatality and to discuss some of the zany things that happen as a result...including those who feel the need to second-guess and blame the cyclist before the body has even grown cold. Think of it as an Irish wake, not as an autopsy or MMQ session.

Technically, riding a bicycle is the direct cause for this persons death. Maybe we should advocate against riding a bicycle.

Technically, riding a bicycle is the direct cause for this persons death. Maybe we should advocate against riding a bicycle.

I disagree with that. IMO the direct cause was the car that hit him.

Or maybe the direct cause was the mutation of carbon that allowed life to propogate this planet.
Let's blame God* for this one and call it a day.

* Jehova, Mother Nature, Odin, Pazuzu, etc...

I don' t know pj7, I really think Cthulhu had more to do with it than anyone else. :D :p

I think we cyclists want to feel that we have some control over our safety. We want to find some reason that this is unlikely to happen to us, due to our decisions. Or, if the cause is unlawful motoring that we have no control over, we want to hear that some form of punishment has been delivered to act as a deterrent.

Unfortunately, such threads often increase cyclists' fear more than is warranted.

Sadly, crash/death threads these days just make me roll my eyes because of what the discussion usually decends to. There is always symapthy for those directly affected (from me, even if I dont post it).

Does a crash/death thread make me feel less safe? Nahhh, I dont tend to worry much about that kind of thing. People die when they die. The main thing is to live when you live (if you know what I mean). Like many others who posted here, I sincerely hope that when it is my turn, that people will remember me and think kind thoughts and have a party. Cry if they want, but laugh more.

This thread is more interesting cause it focuses on the reactions towards a cyclist who is just minding his own business and is getting flack from greiving people rather than yet another painstaking series of speculations about what happened based on little to no direct evidence. Good luck with the patience Chippy...