How odd - cyclist hits car (and dies)

[Gooby]

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8813537.Spee...

[Kermit power]

Why odd? Very sad, certainly, but given the typical posture of a cyclist on a time trial, not completely surprising, I suppose.

[KrazyIvan]

Very sad indeed.

However, having had the misfortune to be "caught up" in a time trial, when out driving, its not that big a shock, as many of them seem to forget that they are infact on a public road and still need to abide by the rules of the road, regardless of their "time".

[Gooby]

Knowing the road very well (at points of my life 3-4 times a day), the cyclist would have to not look up for at least a mile (minimum) to not see a hazard such as this, it is a very long and pretty straight road and where there are bends the view across them makes blind spots hard to find.

I dont do time trials but is it really a sport of staring at your front wheel and pedaling like crazy?

Please understand I am not saying that this is not a sad accident, just trying to understand how it could happen.

[OneDs]

Gooby said:

I dont do time trials but is it really a sport of staring at your front wheel and pedalling like crazy?

How sad, I know the road too and I can only concur it must be this, there are plenty of TT's around the area and I do see guys with their head down for a few seconds at a time but any longer on an open public road no matter how straight is being a bit reckless, I hope the life ins etc still pays out for the wife & 6 kids he's left behind.

[okgo]

My gf did this.

Wasn't paying attention and went into the back of a black cab. Smashed her face to bits.

[ratbane]

He was 76!!!!

[klimakool]

just shows, even at an age of 76 theres no holding back

very sad story tho

[Chicken Chaser]

Fair play to the guy at 76 to be doing those kind of figures. Such a shame that it ended in tragedy

[AndrewM]

I remember seeing this in the Echo when it happened last year - very sad. Apparently, one of the rules of time trials is to make sure you look ahead for this very reason. I fancy doing a time trial or two this year but the Upton by-pass is not one I'd like to do.

[Gooby]

thegavster said:

Do you go on swimming forums and ask if swimming is just staring at the pool floor and flapping like crazy? Or howabout sprinters, stare into the middle distance and run like fk?

I have not seen many inquests for pool swimmers or sprinters.....

[OneDs]

For swimming, I can personally state that I have on a few occasions swam into the end of the Pool during a training session or race, predominately on backstroke when I fked up my stroke count from the flags or for a prank someone took them down half way through a race/training set, not exactly the same impact or potential for disaster as pedalling at 20mph+ and not looking up on an open road TT race.

Edited by OneDs on Friday 28th January 14:40

[ally_f]

If that cycling group is anything like the morons around here who choose to stage their time trials at 5pm between Coventry and Rugby (using a combination of B roads and dual carriageways), then it's of no surprise that one of them got hurt, regardless of how it happened.

I've not got a problem with people who want to dress up in lycra and stare at their front wheel (no...wrong forum for comments like that?)... just don't willingly impede and irritate everyone else on the road who just wants to get home from work.

...and when they cone off half a lane for a rest point, that really is like a red rag to a bull, I like to work on a 10 points per cone basis.

[Gooby]

ally_f said:

If that cycling group is anything like the morons around here who choose to stage their time trials at 5pm between Coventry and Rugby (using a combination of B roads and dual carriageways), then it's of no surprise that one of them got hurt, regardless of how it happened.

I've not got a problem with people who want to dress up in lycra and stare at their front wheel (no...wrong forum for comments like that?)... just don't willingly impede and irritate everyone else on the road who just wants to get home from work.

...and when they cone off half a lane for a rest point, that really is like a red rag to a bull, I like to work on a 10 points per cone basis.

I have a lot of respect for the local time trialers, they usually run very early on a sunday morning, it is well signposted with lots of marshalls. It is very professionally carried out, which makes it hard to figure out how on a road with excelent viz, an experienced guy kills himself in this way.