Touring - Randochap Injured by Motorist

Randochap, who posts lots of thoughtful comments on this forum, was injured while riding his bike on monday. He was hit by a thoughtless imbecile in a pickup truck who ran a red light. He is in hospital recovering with compound fractures to his leg.

Randochap, also known as Rando Ray, is a randonneur and organizer of the Vancouver Island 600 km brevet on July 25 (which is now canceled due to Rando Ray's injuries). This turn of events is upsetting to randonneurs because they won't know what to do this weekend. They have also expressed their sympathies to Ray for his injuries and some have visited him in hospital.

Cyclists around here are pretty blasé about these sorts of things (they happen so often) and tend to think "Wow, what a lucky guy - he survived!" That's how low the standards are. It just makes me mad as hell. I encourage all Touring Forum readers to join me in seething beet-red anger on behalf of our fellow cyclotourist Randochap.

Randobarf
Vancouver, British Columbia

Hey neighbor - hope you heal quickly.

This completely stinks. Too much of that going around right now - just wrote another "get well" message for another BFer on another forum!

(Randobarf - if you're a member of the SIR mailing list - have you let them know? )

(Randobarf - if you're a member of the SIR mailing list - have you let them know? )

No I have not. For some reason I am not on any rando club mailing lists except for Randon (despite doing randos in several countries).

For those of you wondering what SIR is, it's the Seattle International Randonneurs, which has many distinguished members, some of whom are also well-known cycletourists:

http://www.seattlerandonneur.org/

Oh, that was Randochap ... I read the emails about it on the bcrandonneur list, but didn't make the connection.

He was struggling with some other health issues or something too, if I recall.

Have you posted this in the Long Distance forum ... probably more people know him there.

He was struggling with some other health issues or something too, if I recall.

I too consider cars to be a health problem. They are transportation cancer.


Have you posted this in the Long Distance forum ...

How about that. I did not even know that forum existed. I will have to participate once I rehabilitate my reputation after the Van Isle Hell Week 600 fiasco I pulled off earlier this year (I got hit by some falling rocks, got quite a bit of damage, fixed up the bike to a rideable state after picking up the pieces and then I discovered I was about 5 kilometers from the lovely Strathcona Park Lodge and I abandoned for the first time in my life and had a jolly time at the lodge with no remorse - Ken Bonner was not impressed!).

In the meantime I am off on a whopper stuipid cycletour to get away from the homicidal motorists in Vancouver. Even Victoria (where Ray lives) is rapidly deteriorating for cyclists. The motorists in Victoria have recently become very aggressive towards cyclists (just like Vancouver).

I am sorry to hear that. Best wishes for rapid and complete healing go out to Randochap.

Ah, that's AWFUL!!! Best wishes for a speedy recovery, and I hope that take the driver's license away.

It always pisses me off when another cyclist gets hit by an impatient and idiodic motorist. Glad he will be ok at least, I've seen lots of good information on these forums by randochap

Here's an interesting newspaper article about Canada setting a new record high for gasoline consumption:

Stepping on the gas, in record amounts (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/stepping-on-the-gas-in-record-amounts/article1226382/) (Globe and Mail, July 22)

So while Americans are reducing gas consumption Canadians have become the worst idiots on earth - with the highest per capita gas consumption of any nation. That's right - Canadians are evolving backwards and becoming a country of apes. Banana consumption in Canada is probably also rising.

Victoria, Ray's home, has a sign on it that says "Canada's Cycling Capital". Unfortunately, it is also the nouveau capital of urban sprawl on Vancouver Island, which now has the worst urban sprawl in Canada, as British Columbia devolves into apes and bananas. Even 5 years ago Victoria was a good place to cycle. Victoria has suddenly turned violent as apes in cars have taken the upper hand, emboldened by their victories over cyclists.

I work in transportation and I like to keep track of what's happening in apeland. One of my hobbies is counting the number of fuel trucks bringing gasoline into Victoria as I am cycling into Victoria. It is absolutely astonishing that the per capita gas consumption in Victoria has become higher than Calgary, the petro-state capital of Canada even though Victoria has virtually no industry other than wealthy retirees purchasing sprawl homes.

Damn, I hope he gets that leg fixed quickly!

Honestly, since I've started commuting, I've only had two incidences of idiot-at-the-wheel where people stop suddenly just in front of me.

Otherwise, all of the motorists I have come across seem genuinely courteous and patient. That will likely change though as I continue to ride, but for now, I enjoy it. I share the courtesy given to me with other motorists. I gladly offer the right of way, if I can, and take it when offered or necessary.