Advocacy & Safety - Safer than the roads? A funny

I ride up to a local lake called Lake Miramar and it's a nice little loop to take a breather before heading back. Anyway, I see a guy way back on what looked like a nicer road bike and he's going pretty fast. Speed limit 15 mind you.

The guy passes me and I kinda chuckle and make a mindful note to drop this guy when back out on the road. Just as I was anticipating some zoom zoom the guy is headed back around again, OMG this guy is doing laps on the lake?hahahaha.

Does anyone really do laps on these lakes covered with kids/runners/joggers and the such? How could anyone think it would be safer?

I ride up to a local lake called Lake Miramar and it's a nice little loop to take a breather before heading back. Anyway, I see a guy way back on what looked like a nicer road bike and he's going pretty fast. Speed limit 15 mind you.

The guy passes me and I kinda chuckle and make a mindful note to drop this guy when back out on the road. Just as I was anticipating some zoom zoom the guy is headed back around again, OMG this guy is doing laps on the lake?hahahaha.

Does anyone really do laps on these lakes covered with kids/runners/joggers and the such? How could anyone think it would be safer?

If you are saying all collisions, regardless of severity, are equal... then no, there is no difference... but... Hitting a jogger at 15MPH is going to do you a lot less damage then having an SUV hit you at say 30MPH. (not that I recommend either).

But rather then use Lake Miramar, go a bit further north to hiway 56 and use the bike path there... you should be able to hit at least 25MPH on that wide path.

If you are saying all collisions, regardless of severity, are equal... then no, there is no difference... but... Hitting a jogger at 15MPH is going to do you a lot less damage then having an SUV hit you at say 30MPH. (not that I recommend either).

But rather then use Lake Miramar, go a bit further north to hiway 56 and use the bike path there... you should be able to hit at least 25MPH on that wide path.

Good point. I'd rather have some road rash from hitting a jogger than be dead from being squashed by an SUV....but maybe some folks prefer death by SUV? Live dangerously.

Good point. I'd rather have some road rash from hitting a jogger than be dead from being squashed by an SUV....but maybe some folks prefer death by SUV? Live dangerously.

Ask the jogger if he agrees with your assessment.

Ask the jogger if he agrees with your assessment.

Of course he doesn't. But this is where we get into a bit of hypocrisy ourselves... You as a cyclist are more than willing to take a lane and slow down a motorist, but what, you cannot see slowing down for pedestrians? Nope, sorry, just doesn't fly.

Try slowing down, announcing yourself, and then pointing to the right side of the road... maybe mr jogger will take the hint on your next trip around.

No reason for us to act like ahole motorists when using an MUP. Life is already too short.

But certainly running into the jogger is "safer" than running into an SUV.

Ask the jogger if he agrees with your assessment.

If he has half a brain he will be safe. Stay to the right and look before you change your line...it ain't rocket science.

Good point. I'd rather have some road rash from hitting a jogger than be dead from being squashed by an SUV....but maybe some folks prefer death by SUV? Live dangerously.

I think the this dead cyclist in Vancouver would disagree with you.. but he's dead..

Cyclist in critical condition after collision with in-line skater

Kelly Sinoski,
Vancouver Sun
June 21, 2007

NORTH VANCOUVER - A cyclist is in hospital with critical head injuries
after colliding with a female in-line skater on a trail in the Seymour
Demonstration Forest on Tuesday afternoon.

North Vancouver RCMP say the 42-year-old man was cycling downhill at
about 60 km/h when he and the skater collided on a blind corner at
2:45 p.m.

The cyclist, who was training for a triathlon on a "very good bike,"
was going so fast his helmet was ineffective in preventing the injury,
Const. Michael McLaughlin said.

He is in Lion's Gate Hospital where he underwent surgery after the
crash.

"He's critical. He's not doing well at all," McLaughlin said.

The 24-year-old skater received minor leg injuries but was otherwise
unharmed, police say.

Although the trail is paved, police say it does not have posted speed
limits or dividing lines.

McLaughlin said it's unlikely charges will be laid in connection with
the mishap, which occurred at the nine-kilometre mark on the
10-kilometre trail.

The collision has prompted RCMP to warn cyclists to be careful on
mixed trails throughout the Lower Mainland.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=53269ed5-0779-427e-90dc-0086ac4fd4ef

I think the this dead cyclist in Vancouver would disagree with you.. but he's dead..

Cyclist in critical condition after collision with in-line skater

Kelly Sinoski,
Vancouver Sun
June 21, 2007

NORTH VANCOUVER - A cyclist is in hospital with critical head injuries
after colliding with a female in-line skater on a trail in the Seymour
Demonstration Forest on Tuesday afternoon.

North Vancouver RCMP say the 42-year-old man was cycling downhill at
about 60 km/h when he and the skater collided on a blind corner at
2:45 p.m.

The cyclist, who was training for a triathlon on a "very good bike,"
was going so fast his helmet was ineffective in preventing the injury,
Const. Michael McLaughlin said.

He is in Lion's Gate Hospital where he underwent surgery after the
crash.

"He's critical. He's not doing well at all," McLaughlin said.

The 24-year-old skater received minor leg injuries but was otherwise
unharmed, police say.

Although the trail is paved, police say it does not have posted speed
limits or dividing lines.

McLaughlin said it's unlikely charges will be laid in connection with
the mishap, which occurred at the nine-kilometre mark on the
10-kilometre trail.

The collision has prompted RCMP to warn cyclists to be careful on
mixed trails throughout the Lower Mainland.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=53269ed5-0779-427e-90dc-0086ac4fd4ef

So if the cyclist died on a road would you then remind us of the 700 cyclist deaths a year that did not occur on paths?

Well, it's a posted 15 mph route and the guy was doing around 20. I just thought it odd that someone would think that it would be safer to do road speeds on a path designed for any and everything on feet/wheels and even cars. Most of the time you have to brake just to find an open spot. I'll take the open road any day over peds.

I've always treated that path as just a relaxing scenic route while on a bike, not a place to workout.

Well, it's a posted 15 mph route and the guy was doing around 20. I just thought it odd that someone would think that it would be safer to do road speeds on a path designed for any and everything on feet/wheels and even cars. Most of the time you have to brake just to find an open spot. I'll take the open road any day over peds.

I've always treated that path as just a relaxing scenic route while on a bike, not a place to workout.

Paths vary widely in their nature. I know of a local path that could easily support a cyclist doing over 25MPH... it is well over 10 feet wide and has a stripe down the middle...

I also know of local paths that must be walked... they have stairs.

Boardwalk? LOL

ANY collision can have a tragic outcome. One is less likely to be killed in a MUP collision than in a traffic mishap, but the chance of having a collision on a busy MUP is arguably higher, given the chaotic trajectories of typical oblivious pedestrians and 'bladers.

ANY collision can have a tragic outcome. One is less likely to be killed in a MUP collision than in a traffic mishap, but the chance of having a collision on a busy MUP is arguably higher, given the chaotic trajectories of typical oblivious pedestrians and 'bladers.

OK I'll accept that... but what I won't accept is giving the same weight to a collision with a 'blader as a collision with an SUV. And that is where the "MUPs are more dangerous" issues come from... just counting collisions vice severity of a collision.

And yes, one may find that on an MUP, you the cyclist has to do exactly what we ask motorists to do... temper your speed for the conditions.