Cyclist killed on PCH again...
 

Happening way too often.

http://ocbike.org/2012/09/cyclist-ki...newport-beach/

=(...on my favorite shortcut to bypass the CDM deathtrap too

That's nearly the same exact spot! And a pedestrian too, earlier, dang.

Be careful out there! :(

http://www.ocregister.com/news/bicyc...-hamilton.html

Looks like it was a royal blue metallic Jamis with white trim. It also had white bar tape, saddle and pedals. Looks like very little damage to the bike. Condonlences to her friends and family.

http://www.coronadelmartoday.com/309...bayside-drive/

right hooked, comments on that site incite rage.

Identity is now known, Sarah Leaf age 29

http://newportbeach.patch.com/articl...-coast-highway

The article says she works at Shape-up Fitness and Spa. That would be on PCH between Avocado and MacArthur, just further down PCH.

Ride in peace, Sarah

I wonder if the cyclist was going straight in the right turn lane. Looking a map it's not clear since going right on Bayside looks like it takes you to Shape Up Fitness via side streets. The google street shows no bike lane or shoulder on the bridge leading up to that intersection.

I was wondering the same thing....about whether she was attempting to go straight thru and was on the right side of the right turn lane instead of on the left side allowing for right turn traffic to proceed and for the cyclist to proceed straight.

I wasn't there so my speculation does not mean much....

RIP Sarah.

The witness in this article says they were both making right turns and the truck cut it too close.

My thoughts are with her family.

From what the witness said, it sounds like the truck tried to pass the cyclist while turning. I thought that was a no-no.

Sad to read this thread. Apparently a second cyclist was killed in NPB this weekend.

Holy smokes! 2 women in two days, same area! :eek:

I know....so tragic and sad. Makes riding SART, SGRT, LART etc a bit more attractive even if they might be boring.

What's up with truck drivers? :rolleyes:

Not to mention GMR.....felt rather safe climbing GMR the two times I've done it

True! Although I don't consider SART boring, it is much safer and with Gina, I feel safe than sorry is a motto to live by. Mix in GMR whenever we like, we're not bored. Funny though that many that consider SART boring get a big thrill out of Santiago Cyn but won't do GMR, go figure.:D

We really quit riding PCH a few years ago while riding to Seal Beach. A huge motor home got a little too close to Gina (in the bike lane), that was enough to make me think about her safety. Riders were getting killed back then too but I wasn't on the forum to read about it. It's nothing new, just lots more riders and lots more drivers so we're taking fewer risks.

That's for sure! :thumb:

Rage is not the word....I want to take the first commenter and throttle him/her. Ignorant, imbecile, moron...:notamused: :notamused: :notamused:

BG, I ride PCH on a regular basis. I usually get on PCH at Pt. Mugu and go on to Zuma Beach (or beyond if I am in the mood). I've always felt relatively safe on that particular stretch of PCH. Lots of riders on that stretch of road.

Not sure how safe "my" stretch of PCH compared to the particular stretch of PCH where Sara was killed. It seems, however, like an awful lot of cyclists have been killed in, or near NPB.

Do you know what's going on out there? :(

I don't personally feel SGRT is boring....Cuz I don't find riding my bike to be boring. :)

No doubt....just seems like a rash of incidents but that may be I'm more aware since I ride now where I didn't a few years ago.

this makes me feel so sad and mad!

Eja, not sure but there is an area on PCH in Newport Beach that is complicated IMO. when I did the Big Ring Metric Century there was a last minute route change to avoid this area due to the dangers in negotiating the street/highway there.

Have ridden with my group thru here and have been yelled at for "being in the way" when we had moved to the right most thru lane allowing for vehicles needing the turn lane unblocked access...

Just last weekend a truck went by us on our left, crossed in front to get on the transition to the right...with the passenger leaning out the window yelling....when they had the right lane exit to the transition freely AVAILABLE to them because we had moved over to allow that...they chose to go to our left and try to cut us off while yelling at us because the driver and passengers were jerks (would use stronger language but the BF profanity filter won't let me). I guess for some...the mere sight of bicycles causes dangerous behavior while in a several thousand pound vehicle.

There are some drivers who just seem to hate bicycles no matter what. We were riding in a rural farming area with almost no traffic. Two separate pickups whizzed by yelling at us to get off the road. No oncoming traffic or any traffic. Just the two of us riding single file to the right on a two-lane road. Sometimes I just don't get it.

Blind spots!!

I think this is Sarah Leaf's page. What a pretty girl.

http://www.leafnutrition.com/

Pch
 

I've been hit and run twice on Pch. Once in HB and once in Sunset Beach. Both were from behind, one sent me onto my handle bars where I sat on them and tried to stop gracefully. Didn't. Watched the pickup driving away with the guys girlfriend hitting him from the side and screaming at him. I did not catch him. Second was in HB. Hit as I was slowing to a stoplight. I crossed over the right turn lane and was slowing into a group of riders when I was picked up from behind and speared into my helmut was the bolt holding a big mirror. I went a couple of feet haning on this until I dropped off and rolled. My bike kept going and I jumped up and chased it. Tough with clip ins. He might of stopped but in my addreniline rush caused me to jump on the bike and give chase. I only lasted about a hundred feet when I collapsed from loss of blood. Almost became a statistic. Some might wish I had. Still ride at least 150 miles a week. I try to stay with a group if I can but we know its dangerous out there. My worst accident though was on SART. Coming home in the late afternoon I was hit by a bicycle coming out of the blind turn at the end of the trail right before you go under the PCH bridge. That was July 3 2011. Head on, it was horrific. I am 6 foot and 215. The kid that hit me going the wrong way was all of 5 6' and 150 pounds. He want to the hospital. I got back on my bike and rode home. I couldn't get off my bike though so I dropped into the grass in front of my house. Two broken ankles, two broken wrists, and four broken ribs. His helmet outline was visible in the X-rays I later had. No insurance and four months of lost work. Hurt like hell. The worst was the road rash, like a blinding third degree burn. One year and three months later I still feel my ribs aching sometimes. Be careful out there. Sounds like I'm not but this is all that has ever happened to me in forty five years of riding.

I was on Newport Coast Dr around that time yesterday and didn't see any police presence or sign of an accident. I may have just missed it. So sad.

The executive director at my intership's husband was a colleague of the older lady cyclist.

The 'Sarah' accident: Assuming she was heading southbound on PCH, she would ahve just crossed over the harbor bridge and going downgrade. PCH over the bridge and heading south is quite wide. There's a l-o-n-g and w-i-d-e dedicated right turn lane for cars that want to turn onto Bayside. I ride thru there alomost every weekend ( 7AM-ish) and haven't had any problems, just need to watch the traffic and negotiate it as you approach Bayside and cross over the right turn lane to go onward along southbound PCH. I always thought heading north and approaching that intersections was more dangerous on a bicycle, especially so on the other side of the bridge when you're northbound and get to the Dover/PCH intersection. I'm going south to do some repeat hillclimbs on Newport Coast Road . . .

The Newport Coast accident seems to be on the inland side, after you crest and start heading downhill towards the UCIrvine area (I turn around at the Pelican Hill/Ocean Vista light and head back down to PCH for uphill 'reps'). Not a lot of slope or intersecting streets there, so its a mystery what happened. That stretch of road is usually has light traffic, and its wide, too.

And going through CdM - just take it easy since its really tight on the street through that area.

Just be careful and watch the cars. Cheers

You are a warrior to continue on after those incidents. I havent been involved in an accident, but its probably only a matter of time. I hope that I can pick up the pieces, and get back on and ride again after taking a bad spill.