Some very sad news,

I dont know the chap in question, but its so sad for his family, and fellow cyclists who where riding with him.

Best wishes and condolances to all concerned.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2011/04/14/charity-ride-cyclist-killed-on-a55-in-anglesey-55578-28518511/

And another one here in the NE :

http://www.journallive.co.uk/northumberland-sites/cramlington-northumberland/cramlington-news/2011/04/14/plea-for-witnesses-after-cyclist-dies-61634-28520209/%5B/url%5D

Bloody awful news and it riles me that the driver if proved at fault won’t get life.
Having said that what a daft choice of roads to be on on a bike.

Equally to blame is friggin Norman Baker, Minister with responsibility for road safety, who has recently broken silence since he became a ConDem minister (he was previously a very vocal LibDem) by spouting his absurd views about the libertarian right of cyclists not to wear helmets………..the irony being particularly marked, because in the 6 Counties of Northern Ireland, where the dead Anglesey cyclist came from, they have just voted to make the wearing of bike helmets compulsory.

It’s well established that forcing cyclists to wear helmets reduces numbers cycling.

I’m not sure how well established it is that helmets save many lives – certainly not in these cases.

Equally to blame is friggin Norman Baker

No

Let’s not get into the whole helmet thing, all right?

*shines “TJ torch” into sky*

I really dislike the way that news articles blame the vehicle rather than the driver, as though the car drove off on its own accord.

Condolences to thise involved.

my condolences to his family friends.

I really dislike the way that news articles blame the vehicle rather than the driver

It’s a weird result of reporting on the death of an individual without attributing blame before the law has decided.

The consequence is that it always sounds like the victim was at fault.

What a ridiculous notion to suggest someone who is not even present at the accident is equally to blame just because he chooses not to wear a helmet (a cyclists prerogative).

Condolences to the man’s family.

I really dislike the way that news articles blame the vehicle rather than the driver, as though the car drove off on its own accord.

Bugs me too, when a paper says something like “the vehicle left the road” as if the car did it of it’s own free will but equally, they can’t apportion blame in case it prejudices a future criminal case.

In situations like this there’s always someone (not necessarily on here, any message board/forum) who says “they weren’t wearing helmets” (as if that makes it OK to knock someone off).

🙁

A helmet will not save anyone who is just about to be hit up the arse with a car. But that’s a different matter.

Sad sad news.

Dekadanse – grind your axe some place else please. This has nothing to do with Norman Baker, whatever your thoughts on him may be.

“Equally to blame is friggin Norman Baker, Minister with responsibility for road safety, who has recently broken silence since he became a ConDem minister (he was previously a very vocal LibDem) by spouting his absurd views about the libertarian right of cyclists not to wear helmets………..the irony being particularly marked, because in the 6 Counties of Northern Ireland, where the dead Anglesey cyclist came from, they have just voted to make the wearing of bike helmets compulsory. “

Poor form. I would not use this sort of news to bang a personal drum – there is absolutely nothing in either report to indicate that head injury either occurred or was the cause of death.

Having said that what a daft choice of roads to be on on a bike.

❓

Dekadanse – grind your axe some place else please. This has nothing to do with Norman Baker, whatever your thoughts on him may be.

+1

Having said that what a daft choice of roads to be on on a bike.
❓

It was a dual carriageway.

There’s no way you’d get me on one.

Anyone see Masterchef last night? The station commander of the RAF base they were at was killed on his bike after they’d finished filming; there was a dedication at the end.

In 2008 a woman drove her car ‘through’ two cyclists just near us. The driver made no attempt to brake or avoid the two cyclists and carried on driving after the collision. She was an elderly diabetic, who had not informed the DVLA of her condition, and her driving was impaired as a result of low blodd sugar. She died before she could be prosecuted.

I used to ride on dual cabbage ways all the time, by far the best roads to ride on but did seem to upset the drivers.

Oh, and I loved the idea so much….

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I don’t think dual carriageways are a particularly bad place to ride. I feel safer on the A59 past Clitheroe than I do riding through a local town centre to get there. It’s wide, straight, few distractions, vehicles pass me quickly, there’s space to over take and there’s a good three foot width to the left of the white line (although it’s not great to use on a road bike). In comparison the town centre has parked cars, lots of turnings, mini-roundabouts, traffic lights, pedestrians with ipods, buses stopping and starting and some very stupid on road cycle lanes. I think there’s way more chance of a driver being distracted and hitting me in a town centre, or trying to squeeze past me when there isn’t space or it isn’t safe.

Condolences to those directly affected.

I don’t think dual carriageways are a particularly bad place to ride.

They are when you’ve got doddery 77 year old drivers on them

I think the one in cramlington was a case of her riding across a slip rode exit rather than her crossing the slip road at 90deg and then riding down the slip road. Im not 100% sure though but went past the spot last night and that looked like the case.

They are when you’ve got doddery 77 year old drivers on them

I agree with stumpyjon – I find most driving on DCs much nicer than on the cycle paths next to them or in town centres, certainly had far fewer near-accidents on them and traffic almost always gives you a massively wide berth. You get 77 year old dodderers everywhere, most of them don’t like dual carriageways and stick to local roads… I have no stats to back that up, I’m going off personal experience (of talking to them, not being one).

Condolences also to those who have lost.

Equally to blame is friggin Norman Baker, Minister with responsibility for road safety, who has recently broken silence since he became a ConDem minister (he was previously a very vocal LibDem) by spouting his absurd views about the libertarian right of cyclists not to wear helmets.

Could you expand on what makes them absurd please.

I was on a checkout in Asda Llandudno today, and lots of locals buying the Daily Post, I kept passing the paper past me looking at that terrible photo and wondering -WTF were they doing on the A55?

saying that. I’ve naively found myself the wrong way coming back from Bangor, and thought, oh, I’ll just go this fast road for a bit till I find the next exit. I was on the a55 for 2 miles of the scariest cycling of my life.

They probably used google to plan route, as opposed to local knowledge, andf used the old a5 road or sustrans route 5 to chester.

As said its a horrible open road to drive on and the side winds must be quite bad, ive cycled across anglesey a few times and used the old road, but its not wll signed, as an alternative.

Terrible shame. Years ago we used to do club time trials on the A55 between Abergele and St Asaph. Not the safest location looking back.

Given up road cycling pretty soon after I started driving. Just realised that there were so many cretins in cars that it was just not worth the risk anymore. At least with mountain biking then you are master of your own destiny. If you fall off then it’s generally your own fault – rather than being taken out from behind by some idiot you never even saw coming.

Sad indeed.

The Independent are at least starting to try something tomorrow. Will take a long time I’m sure, hope they keep at it. Unfortunately too late for those concerned.

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/friday-s-indie-cover-save-our-cyclists

Bugs me too, when a paper says something like “the vehicle left the road” as if the car did it of it’s own free will but equally, they can’t apportion blame in case it prejudices a future criminal case.

The vehicle left the road is a statement of fact, that seems like accurate reporting. I don’t understand the issue – without the benefit of the crash investigation evidence the journalist would only be guessing the cause, e.g. drunk driver, excess speed, lack of attention, mechanical failure, swerve to avoid oncoming vehicle, diesel spill on the road, etc.

Whilst I understand why people on here get so emotional about cyclist deaths – there were far too many people willing to point the finger at a car driver who “hit a policeman on a bike” last year – when it turned out the policeman had a massive heart attack in the middle of the road. The job of deciding the guilt of the drivers involved falls to the courts not the STW readers.

Terrible shame. Years ago we used to do club time trials on the A55 between Abergele and St Asaph. Not the safest location looking back.

Given up road cycling pretty soon after I started driving.
No man, just gotta ride more! F*** it…