**warning: 33-cross post**

today I .... saw a dead cyclist on my way back to work after my workout

the police had blocked off the road on the way back, presumably because of an accident. they let me through, but asked me to stay on the sidewalk.
"we've already had one cyclist get run over today" the cop said.
I didn't know he meant 200m ahead of me.

when I rolled through there were two cars stopped, with a bunch of sobbing and stressed looking kids around my age standing on the sidewalk.
weird that there wasn't any body dmg to the cars I thought.

upon passing the cars I saw a body on the ground (fortunately covered up) with blood everywhere, still, lifeless.
mangled road bike a few meters ahead.

that **** made me sick. I know alot of you have experienced stuff like this but I've never seen anything like it.
makes you realize how fragile life is. i feel so young and strong and healthy, but that could have easily been me.
or anyone.

be careful ppls.

:<

indeed

Damn dude, that's really scary. I can't imagine how I would have reacted in your shoes.

I have seen a head-on collision, it was terrible, pulled guys out of a car, a very sobering experience indeed.

When riding assume you are invisible and everyone is going to do dumb **** around you.

That's quite sobering.
Here's some details:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/...balboa-avenue/

And a picture which is too surreal to Tmonk's post.
http://media.utsandiego.com/img/phot...053cbc530c46a8

this is the approach I take... not just with riding but w everything in life.
I don't expect anything from anyone, and when someone does behave courteously towards me in any manner I am very grateful and pleased.

just caught this: ***EDIT: Leuky beat me***
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/...balboa-avenue/

seems like he had it coming riding like such a jackass, but still sucks big time. from the dent on that SUV it looks like he was not only riding the wrong way on the street but in between lanes too... idoit.

i feel sorry for the ppls in vehicles involved in the accident. hopefully they don't feel too terrible or have srs legal consequences.

I am amazed the comments on that article aren't all typical bike hate

It doesn't really say that he was riding the wrong, the wording is a little deceiving.

But looking at that map, he may have pulled to the left to go straight. The SUV may have been in the lane to exit on the ramp, and probably on her phone, and hit him.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=balboa...gl=us&t=h&z=20

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=balboa...64.82,,0,16.36

Bad place to be.

Looks like the cyclist was heading west against traffic and tried to jump the on-ramp to get to the relative safety of the shoulder, in front of the Explorer. Or was heading east with traffic and was moving to switch lanes as the one they were traveling in turned into an on-ramp for the interstate and got hit from behind.

I think the media is trying to make it look like this ^

But I think this is what probably really happened.

I think so too. It doesn't make any sense for the cyclist to be where they were if they were traveling West. But if they're heading East? They're doing exactly what they'd have to do (move to outside of the lane and prepare to switch lanes) because that lane is fast becoming an on-ramp.

This x1000. I absolutely loath on ramps and how idiot motorists believe that the on ramp and the stretch of road before it is part of the highway and that they can accelerate in anticipation of freeway speeds.

I have to deal with a street like that to get home, luckily it is not a freeway ramp! It is confusing enough for drivers there to see me and try to merge, it must be **** with drivers getting off the freeway who still want to be going 70mph.

I wonder if it has something to do with the commenters being logged in through facebook, as real people, instead of the anonymous comments that usually accompany articles.

Yeah, i hate on/off ramps too. I just moved to a street with them and I seriously notice how much faster and more dangerous people drive around them. They also think the surface streets adjacent to the interstate are an extension of the interstate.

On to lighter topics...

I pulled an emergency skid last night and when I got up this morning I realized I had skidded through the rubber on my tire. Suck. So, Schwalbe Durano, Gatorskin, Armadillo, or some other 700x23 semi-slick or slick with puncture protection?

same advice mom gave me when she taught me how to ride a motorcycle.


so sad....

Soma everwear. I practically swear by them now; they can sure stand up to take numerous beatings/ harsh skids.

gave the '09 Fuji League (red/black) to a local bike charity today (teaches kids to build as an afterschool program). didn't have many miles on it when i finished my first build.

paid around $450, getting $1200 off my taxes for the donation. good deal and now someone will use it.

How does THAT work? The amount off of taxes seems nuts.

@RGNY...i thought you are a cop?

fyi, what you just mentioned is actually income tax fraud.

Today I spotted some dear on my ride before work.
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...32637580_n.jpg
And I also pulled an emergency skid so I could stop and grab a picture of this dapper little man.
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...04394049_n.jpg

cop? you should see "replacement cost" on items "damaged/destroyed on duty", wanna talk about a racket....

told the charity what it was, signed a paper saying i was the actual owner, they looked up msrp, signed the paper and handed it to me. i'll give it to my portfolio manager/tax preparer and see what he wants to do with it. if he tells me to chuck/change it, so be it. the kids still get the bike.

no longer a cop, governor said so. "streamlining overlapping services". lateral transfer into the same pay grade. basically doing the same job, but w/o the gun/badge.

Oh, so they gave you the dollar amount?