Awful news and condolences to any friends and family if reading, 42-year-old from Billinge…
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/bolton/11487592.UPDATED__Cyclist_dies_in_crash_with_motorbike/?ref=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Personally I stopped riding over the hill there on a Sunday afternoon some time ago, too many TT racer wannabes scaring me.

It was only a matter of time that something like this happened. That nearly happened to me, a motorbike lost control flying over the road only meters away from me. As you say, far too many TT racer wannabes on that road. 🙁

Not just motorbikes. Not been up there for years but the number of boy racers flying up and down that hill put me off riding there along time ago.

That’s terrible news. Again, when I lived very close to there, I’d never ride across the hill on a Sunday when the weekly Winter Hill TT was running. Rather depressing first comment on the Bolton News, considering it was the biker who apparently lost control, but then again it doesn’t surprise me.

I avoid it as well at the weekend
Sad loss and be careful out there folks

I have been buzzed and then offered a fight by boy racers while riding up from Belmont actually, but you get that sort of knobishness all over.

But I hope this tragic event will make some of the bikers consider if it’s really clever to ride so fast on a busy, narrow road.

Sad news that Stace, any idea of the bloke’s name? im from Billinge and am dreading knowing him

bunch of lads on big bikes had a go at my gf yesterday at the top of babylon lane, shortly before this happened. she was (correctly) indicating we were gonna turn right but half a dozen of the bellends insisted on getting past us, despite us being less than 10m from the junction. she’d moved over to the centre of the road with her arm out signalling and a couple of them had stuff to say as they passed.
it’s stupid, they had no consideration at all for anyone else’s safety. I’m only surprised this kind of thing doesn’t happen more often around there, it’s so packed with weekend warriors (of all types) these days…

Sometimes come back over that road if we’ve been down San Marino and someone doesn’t want to ride back up it.

It’s an awful road at the best of times with the blind bends/crests etc. The speeds some of the bikes take those bends at are eye watering.

Sad news indeed.

any idea of the bloke’s name?

It just says 43-year-old man, paper will probably get the name later when all family imformed.

🙁

Sad news. Only ridden that road once and it was scary.

Mother-in-law lives over there and I often do a loop from Horwich over the pike, its a nice climb. gutted from the family.

RIP

Oh man 🙁

Sad news. I never really got the appeal of Rivington on a big bike. The roads are crap round there if you want to teararse a bike around. There are infinitely better places to do it. Not to mention safer. As well as the bikes, theres the boy racer Corsa’s too. Its a match made in hell. I’ve had both whistle past literally centimetres away from me. Its a nobhead magnet.

I avoid that road climb and go up the footpath by the Belmont Bull in preference.
Was up that way on Saturday heading towards Leadmines Clough and there were a few lunatic TT wannabees on the road then.
As always, thoughts are with the family of the cyclist.

Sad news.

I go along that road quite a lot on the road bike & have seen many cars as well as motorbikes being driven/ridden by complete arseholes who must think that they’re on a closed road.

Does anyone know if the ‘professional’ photographer still plots up on a bend near the top photographing the motorbikes? That must encourage some to ride irresponsibly imho.

I think that the photographer guy was a bloke who’s car I see parked up and he classes himself as a Motorsport photographer – sums it up really.

Too many clowns up there to even think about going at the weekend, the weeks not too bad during the daytime.

Wonder if this will change the opinion of some of the wannabe Joey Dunlops from the last dead biker thread – this time someone else paid the price for their heroics.

I’m amazed it doesn’t happen round here (Peak), yesterday was barking mad for the Lanc flypast, all sorts of mayhem on the roads.

The rider’s name is hinted at in the comments, if anyone’s wondering if they know him.

Sad to see the usual idiotic soapboxing from commenters on such a story. Some berk even moaning about Strava.

🙁

his name was Dave hitchen and he rode for coveryourcar racing team
https://www.facebook.com/cycleteam?sk=app_2373072738&filter=2
very sad 🙁

Got to say when the local radio announced the news I wasn’t surprised the collision was there.Because of all the boy racers I avoid using the Belmont-Rivington road on a sunday.My mates at work told me about the ‘sports photographer’,talk about encouraging people..

Someone should speak to him.

Someone should speak to him.

Just seen on twitter that the victim was David Hitchen from Billinge and that he was taking part in the Bolton Bash sportive on Sunday.

My thoughts and condolences are with his friends and family in such a tragic time for them. I would also spare a thought to the organisers of the sportive in Bolton who must be feeling pretty distraught themselves right now. Its so easy to take for granted the efforts that people put into organising the events that I (and many of you reading this) enjoy entering. Generally the role is purely voluntary and this is a hell of a burden that these volunteers will feel they are now carrying.

Best wishes to all.

tragic accident, I don’t ride that road on a weekend for the same reasons as stated above

Epic Events LTD is a registered company, registration number 7360596

doesn’t look voluntary

the truth will come out in the inquest

Very sad news, I understand that the guy had a wife and daughter.

It always makes me sad that when a cyclist dies and people jump on the blame band wagon stating that “cyclists run red lights” and calling them “wiggo wannabes”.

Here however we see the blame game has already begun from both “sides” – as far as I am aware the cause(s) of the accident are not yet known yet we have already decided that the rider was reckless in his/her actions and have begun spouting diatribe about “TT racer wannabes”.

I am a MTB rider, cyclist and motorcyclist. I have made mistakes in all 3 disciplines and in 25 years of motorcycling I have had 1 accident when I hit a pot hole on a roundabout, lost control of the bike which subsequently mounted the kerb and narrowly missed a man walking his dog. I was doing around 20 mph at the time, hardly reckless but a bike in the face doing 20mph will do no end of damage and I was left shaken by the experience.

Maybe the biker was at fault, maybe not but it’s foolish to begin spitting bile before the facts are known.

My condolences to the family but people should let Police to do their jobs, though I am quite ashamed to call myself a cyclist after reading some of these comments – this thread has made me realise that humans, regardless of their mode of transport, can be quite vile.

I am quite ashamed to call myself a cyclist after reading some of these comments – this thread has made me realise that humans, regardless of their mode of transport, can be quite vile.

Sorry, I’m completely confused. Can you explain further. Some bloke on a motorbike killed a bloke on a bicycle and you’re ashamed to be a bicyclist.

How so?

Sorry, I’m completely confused. Can you explain further. Some bloke on a motorbike killed a bloke on a bicycle and you’re ashamed to be a bicyclist.

How so?

Certainly, I’d always assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that given the level of stick cyclists get in the media and on the roads that the cycling community would produce a much more balanced view and would refrain from tarring one set of road users with the same brush. Especially when not in possession of the facts.

You yourself have stated “some bloke on a motorbike killed a bloke on a bicycle” – were the actions of the motorcyclist the reason for the accident?

What we find here are comments which are a mirror image to the ones cyclists are subjected to all over the net. Perhaps it was a bit silly of me to expect a higher standard from the cycling community….

Granted the death is a terrible shame but I won’t join in the condemnation of the biker/motorcycle community when as of yet (again as far as I am aware) there is nothing in the press to suggest that the motorcyclist was reckless.

Anybody who knows that road knows it is in a terrible state and whilst I am happy riding down there on my MTB, I wouldn’t want to on my motorbike. The tarmac is full of nasty little pot holes etc. which are easily enough to cause an accident if you find yourself on the wrong line, even if observing the speed limit. A few cyclists have been caught out over the years too. This is the reason I gave the example of my accident on a motorbike some years ago, I was lucky I didn’t kill someone, yet I wasn’t breaking the law.

I won’t presume the motorcyclist is guilty or innocent just as I won’t assume fault in this case http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/did-a-cycling-app-contribute-to-bike-death.html

…but am ashamed to see such Daily Mail style comments on a cycling forum and to be associated with such a group. This thread is ranking quite high on google for anyone searching for info re the accident and doesn’t paint a good picture of the cycling community – it simply says “we are no different from every other 4×4 driver, motorcyclist, whatever”

Snide remarks won’t bring the cyclist back nor will sounding off/name calling a large number of other road users on a public domain. It will just make matters worse and perpetuate this “them versus us” attitude.

I was riding up there about 2 weeks ago and the flowers were all tied to the fence marking the spot.

About 100m up the road was a photographer taking his snaps and the motorcyclists duly obliging him with ultra low cornering, wheelies and as much speed as possible.

It riled me so much that i told him that he was out of order and that he was, in some significant way contributing towards accidents such as the one that led to the fatality.

He laughed in a sneering sort of way at me and refused to be drawn into a discussion. I’d like to think that he may have reflected on what i said later, but i doubt it…

local papers asking for witnesses to the accident

You did the right thing but they are proper nobs at the top bit and the police should do something about it.
I just avoid tit at the weekend tbh

I went over the hill from the Rivi side yesterday and noticed 30mph signs at the top, where the district boundary signs are.

Looked new, or did I just never notice them before?

Must be new