My brother witnessed this fatality on Sunday

When i was at school a mate of mine got hit and i saw it. He must have flown about 15 foot in the air and landed behind the car that hit him. He only had a broken arm. I still have that image in my mind after 20 years.

Well I only have my brothers account to go on and as with any event like this, memories are far from a perfect retelling of events. As he remembers events, he was passed by the car involved less than a minute before the collision. The driver was driving extremely fast and very erratically, she (the driver) came close enough to him to scare the pants of him. The stretch of road was long and straight so he could see for perhaps a kilometer ahead. He watched the car pass two other riders and then crest a small hump whereupon it hit the rider who was killed. Obviously he didn’t see the collision itself, as it was behind the hump, but he did see the rider fly up into the air and of course he heard the bang.
He couldn’t say where on the road the rider killed had been at the time of the collision, but the driver had apparently hit him directly from behind so it’s possible that the rider had been some way out into the carriage way. Some (likely non-cyclists) will argue that a bike has no right being anywhere but on the far left edge of the road. I am sure all of us here would argue that we have as much right to the road as cars, lorries, motorbikes etc.

Cheers for that geetee.

I suspected it was something like that. What a shame.

If everyone drove that way you’d never make any progress

except of course in reducing needless pedestrian and cyclist deaths and injuries

Hang on guys, sometimes it is our/cyclists fault and sometimes it isn’t. I almost hit a guy on the way to Peaslake or rather he almost hit me; I was going up a steep narrow road to the carpark at the top of Holmburry Hill and he was descending. I was able to almost stop but he was going like a train and only avoided hitting me by swerving out of the way.

He leaves a wife and two young children.

What a tragedy. Heartfelt condolences to his poor family.

No, I ride my bike most of the time, and find your attitude a bit concerning. Sorry for the jibe but it makes me pretty angry that you’re saying that when a cyclist gets run over for doing nothing more than using a road they’re legally entitled to ride on, it’s somehow their fault.

Get off your high horse Anthony (for once). He didn’t say it was the cyclists fault at all. He said that driving along country lanes could be dangerous at whatever speed the motorist is doing.

I find your attitude a bit concerning, but thats got nothing to do with this thread.

and edit/ back on topic: my thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time. rip.

I have to say I wouldn’t ride on the A1 at anytime for any price. This incident explains my reasons better than I ever could.

At 8am in the morning on a sunday id guess that the A1 is quieter than the commute runs most people on here do every day.

Ive had the oppertunity of doing a T-T on a fast/busy dual carridgeway before but the reason i didnt was because i was new to it all and didnt have the confidence in my bike handling while trying to put on a good effort.

There are races like this (on roads like this) going on all the time, get out of bed early (and i mean early, many start around 6am!) and youll see plenty of riders out.

The key point which everyone seems to be missing is IT WAS 8.30am ON A SUNDAY, therefore considerably quieter than many of you have experienced that road.

And as for the ‘wouldnt ride on an 80mph road’ lot, there are plenty of quiet roads ive ridden on where you often get people do 80+.

Condolances to the family,
Rich.

I seriously cannot belive Boardin Bobs comments. If you’re going round a blind corner and you can’t stop in time for whatever is round the corner you are going too fast. Could be a tractor could be a broken down car could be a family out for a walk, you’ve no idea and if you hit them you have no one to blame but yourself. In geetees example yes if the cyclist had hit him (while geetee himself had time to stop) cyclist would have been to blame (from limited info given)

Terrible tragedy. There is still no reason for the TTs not to run on dual carriageways tho aslong as they comply with the law – and if all drivers did the same TT would be prefectly safe sport.

It’s so much easier riding in the woods. No cars, no highway rules, no fumes, no noise, no risk of being mown down by motor vehicles. Numpty is too fat and lazy to venture more than a few yards from his car, so it’s bliss.

Just peace and quiet, nature’s beauty and fresh air. A much safer, more enjoyable place. One that I would rather spend my free time in.

Only an abundance of thick mud drives me onto the roads (which is when we cyclist and other users do the most damage to the trails).

Get off your high horse Anthony (for once). He didn’t say it was the cyclists fault at all. He said that driving along country lanes could be dangerous at whatever speed the motorist is doing.

Not the way I read it. There seems to be an attitude that if you ride your bike in certain places you’re deliberately putting yourself at risk and deserve all you get. I don’t want to let that sentiment go unchallenged, neither do other people here, and I couldn’t care less if you think that’s OT.

Spongebob, do you not have to ride on the road to get to these woods?

related to Boardin bobs comment about speeds and mixing traffic. I don’t know how many people know the A417, it is the main link from Gloucester to Swindon. most is Dual Carriageway. but not all. The horrifying section for me is the Air ballon climb whilst driving in a car, limit is 60, you come round a virtually blind corner and often find yourself closing on the back end of an artic doing less than 20mph.

Should we ban lorries from steep hills as well?

End of the day it is education and common sense. something that is sadly lacking on all sides.

I would guess using big roads for time trials is intended to help motorists by giving them plenty of overtaking space and a lot of visability for both motorist and cyclist, aside from the technical needs of the cyclists.

Also realistically, you cant send a mass of cyclists round 1 car wide, low visability, pot holed country lanes at 25mph plus. It would be more of a death trap than the main roads are.

Spongebob, do you not have to ride on the road to get to these woods?

No! I ride in the cracks in the pavement.

Good man. 😀

If you want to do something positive in response to this issue, then the best thing we can do is raise the public’s awareness of the issue of cycling and safety.

My brother told me that on the time trail forums, people are already arranging to wear black arm bands on Sunday March 10th for any race they may be entered into. This has been warmly received by the family of the man that was killed:

Black Arm Bands
Thread about Gareth Evans

Perhaps it’s something that the STW community can also do to try and generate debate about the issue. If everyone that went out to the north downs did so wearing a black arm band then I’m pretty sure there would be enough questions down at Peaslake Local Stores from locals etc, to get word around and start people talking and thinking. Similarly at Derwent Resevoir visitor centre or Cwmcarn visitor centre.

We are all part of the same community after all.

The horrifying section for me is the Air ballon climb whilst driving in a car, limit is 60, you come round a virtually blind corner and often find yourself closing on the back end of an artic doing less than 20mph.

Should we ban lorries from steep hills as well?

No, as DONK and everyone said, you shouldnt be driving at a speed where you cant safely stop. Would you drive at 70mph on a motorway in thick fog? its the same thing afterall…

Perhaps it’s something that the STW community can also do to try and generate debate about the issue. If everyone that went out to the north downs did so wearing a black arm band then I’m pretty sure there would be enough questions down at Peaslake Local Stores from locals etc, to get word around and start people talking and thinking. Similarly at Derwent Resevoir visitor centre or Cwmcarn visitor centre.

Sorry, I think it’ll have absolutely no effect. I reckon that until a popular celebrity is killed while out cycling, no one will ever care about us – or at least not until we hit a critical mass of people cycling that people out cycling aren’t seen as ‘cyclists’ but just normal people in the same way that people driving cars aren’t thought of as different to the main population.

Would you drive at 70mph on a motorway in thick fog?

Unfortunatly if my experiance is anything to go by, when visability is reduced people seem to drive closer with out slowing.
My condolances go out to the family.

Someones died – perhaps not the best time to finger point and discuss blame?

My thoughts are with his family.

I completely agree.

Last year a friend of mine was killed on the roads, someone put a link up here and said I hope it was no-one from here. I replied saying it was my friend and still the usuall retarded numpties decided to start arguing about whether people should ride on this road or that road etc… now is not the time. Someone has died and a lot of people will be hurting and some of them might read this thread. Think about what you say.

anagallis_arvensis – I completely agree, no need for argument here, just think about it, about the guys family and about your own safety.

Not nice when anyone dies prematurely, especially with a young family. The initial reaction from many on boards like this is anger towards the driver and cars in general. I am different in some respects as I really enjoy driving and cycling, it is easy to focus anger on the driver but clearly they will be having a terrible time and would not have deliberately caused something as tragic as this.

It looks as though the format for the TT needs a rethink to reflect changing traffic patterns. If any legacy from this could lead to a better way to manage the format with less risk it would at least mean a lesson had been learnt.

I was not aware TT stuff took place on open public roads like this, it does seem dangerous to me given the commitment and speeds TT guys reach, mixed with live traffic.

anagallis_arvensis – Member

Someones died – perhaps not the best time to finger point and discuss blame?

My thoughts are with his family.

I completely agree.

Last year a friend of mine was killed on the roads, someone put a link up here and said I hope it was no-one from here. I replied saying it was my friend and still the usuall retarded numpties decided to start arguing about whether people should ride on this road or that road etc… now is not the time. Someone has died and a lot of people will be hurting and some of them might read this thread. Think about what you say.

Maybe not blame but this should and has sparked a discussion. Lessons should be learnt and actions taken otherwise it will just continue to happen.

It looks as though the format for the TT needs a rethink to reflect changing traffic patterns.

They have, all events have to be presented to the local police and council (i think, might be highways). There are scores of hoops to jump through before an event can go ahead, including signs on the roadside/sliproads to warn drivers of cyclists on the road (even tho cyclists could be legally on the road at any time).

I was not aware TT stuff took place on open public roads like this

Thats becuase youve never been up at 7am on a Sunday. Why do you think they (are now forced) to race at this time of the day?

it does seem dangerous to me given the commitment and speeds TT guys reach, mixed with live traffic.

Have you seen some of the standards driving/cycling at rush-hour, that is dangerous!

What a terrible thing to have happened. Condolences to the family.

STATO, a danger in threads like this is assumptions: I stated my ignorance of a fact related to this – you stated you knew why I was ignorant and you are wrong. Three children and my Sunday homage to Peaslake means I am never NOT up at 07:00 on a Sunday and have seen many roadies on the drive to Peaslake.

If we start making these jumps from statements of fact to what seems like an emotional assertion, I think we lose the integrity required to put forward different ideas that can avoid such incidents in the future.

I travel public transport to the City every day, the standards of cyclists I see are usually terrible in terms of highway code standards – far worse than most drivers I witness.

As a TTer on a fast duel carriageway (A31) I find it very sad that it takes a death before people start to realise the way drivers behave around racing cyclists.

Duel carriageways may be fast roads but are the safest to TT on, the cars get a lane and a half to overtake. Yet people continuously drive like idiots. Shutting the road is not a practical idea, we have 3 TT’s a week on the A31 during the summer months.

Drivers simply need to drive safer around bikes and concentrate on what they are doing. I really feel for this guys family and hope it is the last fatality, but until drivers sort themselves out I feel it won’t be.

I think it’ll have absolutely no effect.

You could be right, but I think anything that raises a bit of awareness has got to be a good thing. It isn’t like TTers are doing some semi-legal thrillseeking activity like jumping off cliffs or breaking into electricity substations, but look at some of the comments on here…

Second bit of bad news i have heard today.

I was sent a link to another cyclist dying today 🙁

Be carefull everyone, especially those sitting on their high horses.

Time trials are run on open roads. Many are deliberately run on fast roads because it makes for fast times. The fastest riders on such courses will probably be taking advantage of the traffic to break the air for them and will therefore be deliberately close to passing vehicles.

The risks of this activity quite simply cannot be wholly eliminated. They are (presumably) regarded as manageable and/or worth running by those who take part.

No-one deserves to be hit by a careless driver, but it has to be accepted that some drivers make errors, and when they do people sometimes get hit. It seems to me fairly remarkable that so few do get hit, and very heartening that most people take the risks soberly and without being put off by them.

No issues re where the ride was or when, other than stated above that it would not be my personal preference.

However, surely the real issue here is the sad loss of a fellow cyclist, and the fact that in all liklihood the penalty for the driver will in no way reflect the seriousness of the crime. (Think Rhyll Cycling Club 4).

This incident sounds to me a wee bit like the Dunwich Dynamo where the fella was killed in 2007. Anyone who was there would know that there was no way that any driver on that road could have been unaware of cyclists, yet the driver on the DD came round a corner and managed to take 3 over the bonnet. To the best of my knowledge no charges were ever raised. (Interesting to compare those two incidents to the witch hunt for the fella on a mountain bike last year who knocked down and killed the pedestrian, Lynch mob or what?)

Best legacy for all these people would be to campaign for justice for cyclists.

Duplicate deleted 🙄

Sad for the riders family, and the club who organised the race on the public highway, lets just hope they have legal cover, to pursue or defend the rider, but cyclists do get killed, 3 in the last 3 weeks, 2 hit and runs, and luckily they got the drivers, sorry but any sort of time trial should be BANNED on any open public road, due to possible lack of skill and or training of cyclists and motorists.
I hope your brother has made a ful statement to the Police and is willing to go to court and say what he saw, as hopefully all the other cyclists that saw something.

The Tour of Britain is on next month and look at the marshalls and police involved, and still idiots drive into the cyclists as was seen a few years ago.

If you want to race ,buy and race a mountain bike, on private land, with ample first aid and safety built into the design of the course which is usually one way and controlled.

Project, why should cyclists get penalised because drivers can’t drive properly?

Alwyn, im a road and mountain biker, and a car and van driver, i respect other road users, i dont race, i dont drive erratically, i look where im going, sadly some roadies dont have the ability to do either, as its a race, the fastest one wins, so youre likely to take chances, and motorists will also take chances overtakeing you, and this causes accidents.Resulting in the death or injury of the cyclist, sadly.

@ alwyn because you can’t prevent some accidents. if you could stop accidents then great but you can’t so instead adopt a defensive policy.

It is great that the little community of bicyclists has people such as project in it, standing up for our interests. 🙄

The vast majority of road races and time trials on open public roads go off without the slightest incident. Sometimes riders get a bit carried away. Sometimes drivers are a bit careless. Things happen.

Amazingly, things also happen in mountain bike races. Slippery crossover bridge at Malvern anyone?

It actually doesn’t matter that the rider was on a TT, he was occupying the same space on the road that any other cyclist would use. I have ridden up the A1 when on a tour to get through part of the country quicker.

Drivers should drive at a speed where they can stop for the unexpected. Cyclists have a right to use that road, therefore drivers should drive in the anticipation that there may be one over the crest of that hill or round that blind corner.

Hope she goes to jail.

I regularly see them doing TTs on the A19 around Crathorne it’s easy enough to see them most times but on a couple of occasions I’m seen them out in very poor visibility where I believe the organisers should have stopped it
I also used to see them on the A66 near Darlington they used to turnaround & head back on a very busy roundabout where I’ve seen a few near misses.
I thought the roundabout was particularly dangerous as a lot of the riders were reluctant to stop for traffic coming from the right & seemed to take some very risky chances.

If the woman drives like GeeTee described it could have happened to anyone: a normal cyclist, pedestrian, other car, moped or motorbike.

You cannot blame this on the fact it was a TT, most TT riders I ride with are very conscious of cars and most car drivers are good. But there are by far more idiot drivers than TTers when I race, probably because they know they won’t be injured if the hit a bike.

Banning TTs is a stupid idea; it makes drivers think they own the road and no other form of transport deserves to use it. It will also kill the sport, I have to drive miles to my nearest closed track.

Education of drivers and tougher penalties for people driving like idiots is the only way to make roads safer for cyclists.

I grew up a few miles from the A1 in Lincolnshire and to cross it at the point nearest my house you had to ride 2-300 yards up the hard shoulder. There is now a bridge over the A1 nearby, but to get to it you have to ride along a 3-mile section of NSL road where drivers regularly hit 70mph. For all that, it’s a brilliant part of the world to go road cycling in with miles of quiet lanes through nice countryside. It’s possibly the crappest place on earth to go mountain biking.

In one sense it would be safer to stay indoors and become a drain on the NHS, but I’m glad there are people who don’t feel this way.