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A Kalamazoo Ride Group's Worst Nightmare

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
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I respect that caution, But something to consider. In addition to my friend, the former pro racer, the Girl Scouts also teach a certain amount of assertiveness. Yes, the Girl Scouts. We did a training with the whole family last summer sponsored by my daughter's GS troop. They explicitly counsel against staying as far to the right as you can. Because sooner or later, you are going to have to get left. And you may very well surprise a driver by doing that. Or they just assume you will yield to them. Or worse, they don't notice at all. I was very impressed with the training which covered all kinds of aspects of safety for riding on public streets, riding in groups, as well as basic agility and control drills. We'll probably do it again this summer as a refresher for the kids.

This and more. Here's the thing. There are a hundred and one things that can distract you and make you twitch in some trivial but unexpected way. A loud noise nearby. Chipmunk darting into the road. Rolling over a big pebble or a little divot in the pavement. Hitting a bit of sand or a damp patch of line paint. Fly smacking your glasses or bee stinging you in the thigh. The rider in front of you brakes unexpectedly. The list goes on and on. It doesn't happen on every ride, but it WILL happen to you, sooner or later. And when you twitch, you're going to go off your line. If you have left a couple of feet to spare, it will be a complete non-event. You will forget about it seconds after it happens. However, if you are too close to the edge your front wheel is going to go off the road and you are going to go down into whatever is there, or you're going to catch the edge of the pavement as you instictively compensate, and go down that way. Even if you don't actually go off the pavement, the fact that such an event is imminent may cause you to over-correct and skid out - possibly under an approaching car ... which would have been leaving you more room if you had been farther out into the lane to begin with.

I coach riders to stay at least 18" from the edge of the pavement at all times.
 

skibob

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I really like how this thread that started with a tragedy has evolved into a (very positive imho) discussion of riding safety. Threadjack of the very best kind.
 

crgildart

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If you see a car approaching from the opposite direction preparing to turn left.. go ahead and assume they don't see you at all and are going to turn left right in front of you or right on you. This is the #1 thing that kills motorcyclists.. Cars just don't see bikes that are right there in front of them, approaching. Was worse before the headlight laws, but still a big problem.
 

scott43

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If you see a car approaching from the opposite direction preparing to turn left.. go ahead and assume they don't see you at all and are going to turn left right in front of you or right on you. This is the #1 thing that kills motorcyclists.. Cars just don't see bikes that are right there in front of them, approaching. Was worse before the headlight laws, but still a big problem.

Not saying this isn't great advice..but the #1 killer of motorcyclists is themselves. Single-vehicle accidents, usually involving high speed and alcohol. But yes, left-turners are, I'd say, #2 on that list. Again though, speed is often a factor. But for sure, I treat every left turner as someone who is trying to kill me.
 

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Not saying this isn't great advice..but the #1 killer of motorcyclists is themselves. Single-vehicle accidents, usually involving high speed and alcohol. But yes, left-turners are, I'd say, #2 on that list. Again though, speed is often a factor. But for sure, I treat every left turner as someone who is trying to kill me.

And what fun does that make the ride?
 

Monique

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And what fun does that make the ride?

It's not that bad. I see it the same way if I'm driving a car, riding a bike or motorcycle, or crossing a road on foot - it's just that the consequences are less dire when I'm driving than in the other scenarios. Maybe "try to kill" is overstatement, but "Assume everyone on the road is at best completely oblivious" is policy with a proven track record. Sometimes the oblivious driver is me. Sometimes it's a cyclist. When we all pay close attention and assume everyone is oblivious, we're taking care of ourselves and each other.
 

skibob

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It's not that bad. I see it the same way if I'm driving a car, riding a bike or motorcycle, or crossing a road on foot - it's just that the consequences are less dire when I'm driving than in the other scenarios. Maybe "try to kill" is overstatement, but "Assume everyone on the road is at best completely oblivious" is policy with a proven track record. Sometimes the oblivious driver is me. Sometimes it's a cyclist. When we all pay close attention and assume everyone is oblivious, we're taking care of ourselves and each other.
This is what I like about driving in Mexico. People think I am crazy when I say that. I've driven in Mexico a lot. Mexico City. Freeways. Small towns. State Hwys. From the Belize border to the California border. Drivers there really do assume everybody else is oblivious. It results in a level of attention that is commendable, even if tempered by a chaotic lack of order.
 

skibob

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If you see a car approaching from the opposite direction preparing to turn left.. go ahead and assume they don't see you at all and are going to turn left right in front of you or right on you. This is the #1 thing that kills motorcyclists.. Cars just don't see bikes that are right there in front of them, approaching. Was worse before the headlight laws, but still a big problem.
Although I think you mean motorcycles, this is a general rule for road biking too. To the extent that just this morning (and it happened one other time too) somebody waited in the left turn lane when in all reality they probably could have turned in front of me. When I see that, I always flash a thank you to the driver. So, kudos to the driver of the black bmw on Sonoma Ave this morning. You know who you are :cool:
 

Philpug

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From USAToday:
Second-degree murder charges were authorized Thursday against a Michigan man suspected of plowing through nine cyclists two days ago, killing five.

Charles E. Pickett, 50, of Battle Creek, Mich., faces five counts of second-degree murder and four counts of reckless driving causing serious impairment in connection with the crash on a two-lane road in Cooper Township, north of Kalamazoo, Mich. District Judge Haenicke authorized the charges at the request of Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting, who is having a press conference Thursday afternoon.

"As members of the Kalamazoo community we have all been dealt a devastating blow by the deaths and injuries of so many innocent people," Getting said in a news release. "Our hearts are saddened for the victims, their families and friends who are trying to cope with this tragedy.

"As a community, we must reach out to them and give them our support as we all struggle to deal with what has happened," he said.

USA TODAY

Kalamazoo reels after 2nd horror in 4 months


Pickett has no history of traffic violations in the state, according to the Michigan Secretary of State's Office. State records also show no criminal history in Michigan.
A Facebook page for "Charlie E. Pickett" in Battle Creek shows numerous sexually provocative memes and a profile picture with a skull and revolvers that reads, "Never water yourself down just because someone can't handle you at 100 proof." The most recent post, dated May 30: "Pissed because people only care about their bull****. and of course when s*** gets tough the(y) feed ya to the wolves."

USA TODAY

Bicyclists identified in deadly Michigan crash

A news crew that visited Pickett's home in Battle Creek was chased away, WWMT-TV, Kalamazoo, reported. "The family threatened to chase us off the property with a front-end loader, and followed us in a car before a brief verbal exchange took place," according to the reporter, Jessica Harthorn. The cyclists were members of a group, dubbed The Chain Gang, that made regular rides every Tuesday evening. The cyclists were riding up a hill just after 6:30 p.m. ET Tuesday when a a blue Chevrolet pickup plowed into the group from behind, according to authorities.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/06/07/car-hits-bicyclists/85573700/
The five cyclists who were killed:
  • Debra Ann Bradley, 53, of Augusta, Mich.
  • Melissa Ann Fevig-Hughes, 42, of Augusta
  • Fred Anton "Tony" Nelson, 73, of Kalamazoo
  • Lorenz John "Larry" Paulik, 74, of Kalamazoo
  • Suzanne Joan Sippel, 56, of Augusta
The injured cyclists are Paul Douglas Gobble, 47, of Richland, Mich.; Sheila Diane Jeske, 53, of Richland; Jennifer Lynn Johnson, 40, of Kalamazoo; and Paul Lewis Runnels, 65, of Richland. Jeske was upgraded to fair condition Thursday at Kalamazoo's Bronson Methodist Hospital. Runnels, at the same hospital, remains in serious condition. Gobble is in serious condition at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo; Johnson is in fair condition at the same hospital.

Contributing: Andy Fitzpatrick, Battle Creek (Mich.) Enquirer.
 

crgildart

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We have ghost bikes all over town. I don't think they remind motorists to heed the road so much as they alert cyclists that these roads aren't safe for bikes.
 

Philpug

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To think that people were on these bikes when this happened...

13432204_10154298553136522_3603057680094973406_n.jpg
 

SShore

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Although I think you mean motorcycles, this is a general rule for road biking too. To the extent that just this morning (and it happened one other time too) somebody waited in the left turn lane when in all reality they probably could have turned in front of me. When I see that, I always flash a thank you to the driver. So, kudos to the driver of the black bmw on Sonoma Ave this morning. You know who you are :cool:

My daughter was hit by a car a couple of years ago when he turned left right into her. Fortunately she wasn't seriously injured but her bike was destroyed. She was two blocks from home about 50 yards from turning into our neighborhood. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was at her back, there is no way the guy in the car could see her. He said that he couldn't see anything with the sun in his eyes and just turned.

The moral of that is as a cyclist, you have to be aware of the situation and realize that at times you are invisible to drivers and have to be even more defensive and on guard than normal.
 
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Tricia

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My daughter was hit by a car a couple of years ago when he turned left right into her. Fortunately she wasn't seriously injured but her bike was destroyed. She was two blocks from home about 50 yards from turning into our neighborhood. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was at her back, there is no way the guy in the car could see her. He said that he couldn't see anything with the sun in his eyes and just turned.

The moral of that is as a cyclist, you have to be aware of the situation and realize that at times you are invisible to drivers and have to be even more defensive and on guard than normal.
Sun can be a real issue. When I go to work at Northstar early in the morning, the sun is in just the right spot where it hides cyclists riding in the bike lane on the side of the road, and this is a popular road for them to ride. Because of that, I'm on my guard.
 
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Tricia

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Philpug

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Here is a picture of the riders:
image.jpg


 

tball

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