Northeast - 9w accident

Riding on 9W today around 5:30 the police had shut down the road from Oak Tree rd until south of the New Jersey state line. There were a bunch of police and two riderless bikes. Heard the cops talking about looking at the guard rail and helmet. Anyone know what happened? Sorry for the potentially depressing thread.

I was home by then. Strange, since that area is mostly straight with a very wide shoulder and in very good shape. I hope no one got seriously hurt. That would suck.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20091011/NEWS03/910110400/-1/SPORTS/Woman-bicyclist-injured-in-accident-in-Nyack

http://benepesbikeblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/female-cyclist-seriously-injured-in.html

Love the comments as usual:

"EdwinRB (http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=pluckpersona&U=0c4843ce206f42779c0ae0b1dd3e6263) wrote:

Well, maybe now she'll change her foolish ways & stop riding a bicycle & start driving a car like everyone else."

"Go ride your bikes somewhere else that doesn't have such narrow roads!"

The internet would be great without comments

There's no information as to what happened to the cyclist but let compassion toward the injured be damned because it's the perfect opportunity for some muppets to add their worthless comments. Sure there are plenty of irresponsible cyclists, I've witnessed plenty, but don't blame someone for an accident where the cause has been identified. I wonder how some of those absurd posters felt if one of their family members were in a car accident and you get internet cowards making comments like "serves them right for driving an SUV".

Muppets.

The two articles I've read make it appear that this may have been a hit-and-run, or even without any involvement of an automobile. Is that the latest?

Regarding the comments: Very often, the anti-bicycle tone of these rants is prompted by the reporting itself, which frequently tries and convicts the bicyclist within the first few sentences. For example, an article will typically read "A bicyclist was killed this morning as he attempted to cross four lanes of traffic on Sunrise Highway," or "The bicyclist was struck and killed as she attempted to cross the very busy intersection of 25a and Main Street as a dump truck was making a left turn." In both examples, there is no indication as to whether the cyclist was riding legally and responsibly. Instead, the wording seems to indicate that he/she was attempting to do something totally crazy and reckless. I've been on a campaign to censor this type of reporting for quite a while.

Anyway, in this particular case, the articles do not appear to make any presumptions about who was at fault. Given that, it surprises me that there were so many rants against the cyclist. They really have a lot of pent up anger toward us, don't they? Perhaps there's something WE need to address in our behavior? (Just a thought, not an opinion!)

What is baffling me is the "narrow roads" comment. That section has got to be the most biker friendly road in the area, if not in the North East. It is wide, has a turn lane in the center, has a side section as wide as another lane on each side, and is clearly marked as NY 9 Bike Trail. NY has set the road aside for cyclists and appears to have made it safe.

If motorist don't think we belong on that road, then they apparently don't believe we belong anywhere but in parks.

>>>>>If motorist don't think we belong on that road, then they apparently don't believe we belong anywhere but in parks.<<<<<

Nah. They don't want us in parks, either. They just think we should stick to the sidewalks, where bikes were MEANT to be ridden! :)

I can understand the anti-bike sentiment from drivers who have to deal with large group rides where people are riding 3 or 4 abreast and hogging up the lane going north, something I've seen first hand on a few occassions. The bottom line is that cyclists and drivers need to ride carefully and respect the fact both are allowed on the road. If cyclists stay on the shoulder and aren't an obstruction to motorists and motorists pass cyclists safely then I would imagine the relationship would improve, but there are always motorists who only want cars on the road.

In defense of drivers, I know that, when I am in a car and I approach a cyclist, it helps me drive a lot better if the cyclist makes eye contact and lets me know exactly what his intentions are. Otherwise, I have no idea if the cyclist knows what he is doing - or if I should be prepared for some sudden, stupid move. Where there's uncertainty on the part of either the driver of the cyclist, there's greater potential for disaster.

I hate to admit it, but the majority of cyclists I come across on the roads of Long Island do not ride responsibly. In a world in which drivers distracted by phone calls and text messages are capable of paying 50% attention to the road, at best, this is a pretty big gamble on the cyclists' part.

In that area it's not hard to travel the speed limit northbound. In that case, I'm not sharing any lane. The driver can wait behind me.

>>>>In that area it's not hard to travel the speed limit northbound. In that case, I'm not sharing any lane. The driver can wait behind me.<<<<<

Still, I don't think non-cycling auto drivers have a concept of when a bicycle is traveling at the speed limit because the driver can always go faster than the cyclist - thus the cyclist MUST be going too slow. It's a head game, but by communicating better with drivers, we can play less dangerously.

Sunday we were coming down one of the little hills on 9W. I was the 7th wheel and we were out of our pace line running single file, but spread out and off axis. There was a car behind me that wanted to pass and kept tooting the horn. I thought it was kind of funny, since the speed limit was 30 mph and my garmin said we were going nearly 40 mph.

PT is correct, a car will automatically think a bicycle is going too slow, even when we are way over the speed limit.

It didn't change my path down the hill. He got to wait because I needed to protect my team mates. If I had moved over the car would have crowded me and then tried to move on the others. You can't give them the chance to put you in danger.

Sunday we were coming down one of the little hills on 9W. I was the 7th wheel and we were out of our pace line running single file, but spread out and off axis. There was a car behind me that wanted to pass and kept tooting the horn. I thought it was kind of funny, since the speed limit was 30 mph and my garmin said we were going nearly 40 mph.

PT is correct, a car will automatically think a bicycle is going too slow, even when we are way over the speed limit.

It didn't change my path down the hill. He got to wait because I needed to protect my team mates. If I had moved over the car would have crowded me and then tried to move on the others. You can't give them the chance to put you in danger.

I'm pretty sure that the speed limit on most of 9W once you leave Englewood is at least 40mph. The stretch in Rockland where the accident happened I'm pretty sure has a limit of 45. Most drivers feel it is ok to exceed the speed limit by up to 15 mph.

>>>I thought it was kind of funny, since the speed limit was 30 mph and my garmin said we were going nearly 40 mph<<<<<

Another thing I've found as a driver is that a fast-moving bicyclist can be more confusing than a slow-moving one when you're behind the wheel. Drivers can pretty much judge how long it's going to take for me and my pannier-loaded mountain bike chugging along at MAYBE 15mph to get to the next point where they can easily pass me; but you guys who tear up the pavement at 30-40mph are just mind-boggling to a driver. I think drivers become like dogs when they see a bicycle fly by at 40mph. Instinctively, they just want to give chase, catch them, and eat them.

>>>I thought it was kind of funny, since the speed limit was 30 mph and my garmin said we were going nearly 40 mph<<<<<

Another thing I've found as a driver is that a fast-moving bicyclist can be more confusing than a slow-moving one when you're behind the wheel. Drivers can pretty much judge how long it's going to take for me and my pannier-loaded mountain bike chugging along at MAYBE 15mph to get to the next point where they can easily pass me; but you guys who tear up the pavement at 30-40mph are just mind-boggling to a driver. I think drivers become like dogs when they see a bicycle fly by at 40mph. Instinctively, they just want to give chase, catch them, and eat them.

Comment of the day- definitely sig material!

>>>Comment of the day- definitely sig material!<<<<

I don't know whether to be flattered or offended. What is "sig" material?????

>>>Comment of the day- definitely sig material!<<<<

I don't know whether to be flattered or offended. What is "sig" material?????

Sometimes, particularly good quips are put in peoples signature lines. You should be flattered!

Does anyone have any updates on what really happened or on the condition of the rider?

>>>>Does anyone have any updates on what really happened or on the condition of the rider?<<<

No, but I guess we got off subject a bit, huh? Of course, we all hope the woman is OK.
(http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X129555&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbenepesbikeblog.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Ffemale-cyclist-seriously-injured-in.html)

I could care that we are off the subject (in fact the discussion is fun and interesting), but I am quite curious about what really happened and of course concerned and hopeful that the injured woman recovers.

She was not struck by a car - she experienced some kind of mechanical failure and was thrown off her bike while traveling downhill.

From what I gather, she is from New Jersey and is in serious condition in a NYC hospital. She suffered head and chest injuries.

>>>Comment of the day- definitely sig material!<<<<

I don't know whether to be flattered or offended. What is "sig" material?????

This

Hey, you'll be hearing from my lawyer!

Anyway, this woman is in my thoughts. We EXPECT to run into situations with automobiles, but rarely do we expect our own bikes to betray us.

Hey, you'll be hearing from my lawyer!

Careful, he is a lawyer. :D

I only expect my body to betray me.

Car or bike, its never a good thing. Hope she comes out ok.

(As for the quote, it's properly attributed, so lawyer away. That said, it's a very nice turn of phrase, maybe it'll get you a book deal.)

Considering where it happened, she may have lost control while going down the hill. What I worry about is that if this accident was operator error, so to speak, 9W could become less bike friendly by people advocating that it is unsafe for bicycles. Condolences to her, of course.

Considering where it happened, she may have lost control while going down the hill. What I worry about is that if this accident was operator error, so to speak, 9W could become less bike friendly by people advocating that it is unsafe for bicycles. Condolences to her, of course.

With that thought in mind, there are a lot of places were the inexperienced can easily go WAY too fast on a bicycle, not just 9W. I would hope that everyone making decisions understands that.

As experienced and skilled as I am (or aren't, depending on who I'm with) there are still times when my skill is taxed to the extreme by my missing experience.

I just hope she heals to ride again and gain more skill.