I don't know enough about Central Park, but I get the impression that it's probably not a good idea to be in full aero while riding around. There's not much of an excuse to hit someone in a crosswalk while on your bike. Perhaps if the pedestrian stepped right out in front of you, perhaps, but that's not the case in this situation. From the article, I sense that had the cyclist not been in aero, this would have been easier to avoid. Seems to me that the cyclist wasn't riding responsibly. Sad story and I shudder to think of the anti-cycling comments, such as �These guys think that they have entitlement and they don�t ride in the bike lanes,� one source said. I hope the women gets healed, hopefully quickly.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

On a bike we assume extra responsibility to take care of pedestrians.
When we are in cars we assume extra responsibility to take care of cyclists and pedestrians.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
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First point - the cyclist in this incident clearly appears to be in the wrong. Let's be clear about that.

second point - the inflammatory language / verbiage in that "article" is shameful and only serves to further paint cyclists as the enemy.

Third point - the cyclist in this case will end up with a punishment far worse than if a motorist did the same thing to a cyclist.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

At that time of day, that side of the park is closed to traffic if I remember correctly. I'd guess she just walked out in front of him...that location is busy and a kind of hard to see. Really unfortunate accident.


Not sure if serious...

According to the article, the cyclist had time to see her and yell to get out of the way. Now, it's possible that she simply stepped out in front of the rider. But, based on the story, that seems unlikely.


I'm trying to be optimistic for the victim. I'm sure the chances of recovery in this type of incident are remote at best. But I sincerely hope that something miraculous happens and her brain will function again.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

Clearly, not the case here. Aerobars have no place in Central Park.

yeah, that sounds around right.
i was in Central Park this past summer. Pretty clear that with what's going on, some people are going to get hurt.
But I also compare this to the reaction to so many automobile drivers in NYC who face no punishment at all - NYPD goes out of their way to exonerate them. If this had been a car, the NYPD would have already declared "no criminality suspected" and certainly wouldn't be taping off the area.
The cyclist shoudl face a significant penalty for his actions. I just find it sad that automobile drivers, who kill and injure far more people, do not face those penalties there.

ETA: At the bottom of the article it says
Filed under Accidents, Central Park
And no, it was not an accident. It was a collision. It was an act of violence.

FYI, I wasn't being a dick. When I read "brain dead" and really just read dead. And in regard to the cyclist...and the woman...I'm not going to assign blame without a video, and instead will assume both played a role. That's all. Condolences to the family.

EDIT: Opinion is based on having lived in NYC, riding (recreationally, on my roadie) in CP, and running A LOT in CP. I know from experience that pedestrians are just as reckless as the cyclists...the law is just against the cyclist there and in this case.

I ride in Central Park 3 times a week. Sometimes it can be absolutely nuts. A few facts:

The traffic lane around the park is absolutely legal for bikes to ride in. The running lane is not. The statements about him "being in the wrong lane" shows a misunderstanding.

MOST cyclists biking in central park blow through crosswalks, even when they have a red light and there are pedestrians in the crosswalk. This is definitely a big problem. I try to ride only when the road is closed to car traffic. When there is a red light and pedestrians are waiting to cross or crossing, I stop. Once someone actually told me I was the most courteous cyclist in all of NY. Simply for not trying to run them down. That's a pretty low bar.

MOST pedestrians in central park step out into the road, in and out of crosswalks, whether or not they have a do-not-cross signal. They often just step out right in front of you and looked shocked and angry when you slam on your brakes and steer around them. This is also a big problem.

I have had several very near disasters. The worst was just after the "descent" leading up to "Harlem Hill" I was travelling at about 34mph. There was a group of teenagers standing on the right side of the road holding their skateboards. There is no crosswalk there. They appeared to see me. Then, one of them drops their skate board on the ground, steps on it and kicks off to cross the street and I think, "this is how I die". I slam on the brakes, lock up my back wheel and everything seems to go in slow-motion. My rear wheel starts to swing way out sideways and I am still approaching the skater at break-neck speeds. It looks like he is not going near fast enough to get through before we collide. Amazingly, he gets juuuuust in front of me and I miss him by maybe an inch. But I'm pretty sure I'm still going to die because I'm practically in a full-on side-ways slide. I release the brakes and somehow straighten up and do not crash. All his friends on the side of the road yell out an excited "OOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" in unison and I let out a primal cave man expletive.

If one is going to ride in CP, you need to be ready for each and every one of the thousands of park users surrounding you to do whatever is the most dangerous thing they could possibly do at any time. Other bikers *will* swerve into you while you pass. A cab may swerve into you to avoid a horse carriage. Pedestrians will be stepping out right in front of you with no warning. A pack of dudes on long boards will descend the hill you are climbing, going the wrong way on a one-way road, making sweeping turns across the entire road leaving you with no safe path to continue riding.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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i caught the aftermath of the accident. first, it's unclear whether or not the pedestrian was in the crosswalk. the pool of blood was not in the crosswalk but there was a crosswalk nearby. it's also not clear what color the light was at that nearby crosswalk. cars are never allowed onto that part of the park. what is clear is that (1) the woman wasn't paying any attention (pedestrians walking across the road without looking happens all the time in nyc) and (2) the cyclist was very reckless riding aero at 4:30pm in that part of the park all the way on the right hand side of the road (and next to the curb where people constantly step out from). i also think the guy was on a hot bike because i can't imagine why a guy who has never done a tri was riding a tri bike.

the net result will be that CP will be unrideable for awhile as cops massively crack down on speeding/running reds. the ridiculous thing is that cars still are allowed in the park and speed well beyond the 25mph limit and constantly ride in the bike lane. my guess is that cops won't do anything to a car going past at 40mph but will ticket the bike going 30mph.

i've never done a tri, and i have a tri bike. should i turn myself in?

yep, you got that right. There was a gentlemen's agreement that cyclists would be allowed to train before 8am and after 8pm and would not need to stop at lights. Unfortunately, that agreement will go the way of the legalized drug market "Hamsterdam" that appeared in season 3 of the Wire as it'd no longer by politically feasible. Too bad, really.

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Very sad. I run the park everytime I'm in NYC on business. If you want to see how fast some people ride just look up the Strava segments. Some don't seem possible given the congestion and I can only imagine the risks they take going through some of those crosswalks.

from March to September, there are organized bike races at the ass-crack of dawn. There surely are a ton of idiots riding foolishly fast, but get your facts straight before you cast aspersions.

He's on Strava. Wonder if he was trying to get a segment?

http://www.strava.com/athletes/3168825




Very sad news.

The fact that I live 700 miles from New York City and know of several people who have been run down by cyclists in Central Park points to the fact there is a problem there.

And the problem is not the walkers.

If a similar location had the same reputation from cars hitting cyclists, there would be outrage too.

yes, go ahead and turn yourself in. nyc is full of stolen tri bikes being ridden by random delivery guys and other people who stole them or bought them from someone who did. they usually paint them over or wrap them in tape though. i find it very unlikely that this guy bought that tri bike legitimately.

A tri bike in Central Park?! Trying way too hard for validation. Dude, find a more suitable venue. And lose the cap.

the problem is a lot more complex than just saying it's not the walkers. random walkers CONSTANTLY walk into the road without looking. it's a combination of reckless cyclists riding fast when the park is crowded and walkers/runners/dog walkers paying absolutely no attention. when you have cyclists riding aero in the middle of the day and blasting through every red light without even slowing down with many non cyclists paying little to no attention, you are guaranteed to get a lot of crashes. i wish the cops would start ticketing the cyclists riding the WRONG WAY. talk about being arrogant and reckless. while that woman was being carted off yesterday, there was some guy from achilles riding a hand crank bike that was towing probably 5 other hand crank bikes the wrong way in the bike lane behind the Met with cars in the car lane. it was beyond dangerous and reckless. i yelled at him and he gave me attitude back and continued cranking into bike traffic..

or you can be intellectually honest and say that you bull shitted your initial supposition. I don't doubt there are a lot of stolen bikes out there, but you said that you find it hard that he's on a tri bike despite not doing tris; ergo, a hot bike.

No, everyone is the problem. It's Central Freaking Park. The whole world comes here to check it out. Walkers are also the problem, they just happen to be the ones with the least amount of protection.

RowToTri stated it best. Read what he wrote, it's dead on.

I have done a few duathlons there and its scary as hell. Even at an organized race there are people EVERYWHERE.

Everyone feels entitled. Everyone seems to have forgotten that there are rules of "Man" (pedestrians have the right of way) and there are rules of nature (pedestrians will get dead quick if a 2 ton car hits you whether you are right or wrong).

Runners runnign3 or 4 across in the wrong lanes in the wrong directions. Cyclists going way too fast. Pedestrians walking anywhere at anytime without looking up from their iPhones. Skateboarders. rollerbladers, dogs, horses, squirrels. Noise, distractions, type A personalities. IT's the perfect storm for accidents.

As a cyclist and runner and resident of NYC, I'd be OK with a 10mph speed limit in the park for bikes after 8am. You look silly doing fast loops of the park anyhow. Go do River Road.

The one thing I remember about Central Park on my visit there was the pedestrians not looking when they crossed and fast cyclists. I'm not sure I'd ride there with all the foot traffic.

At the core of this issue is that the public sees cycling as a safe and harmless activity. It's not. Bike trails have been rendered mostly useless in many parts because they become inundated with pedestrians and it ends up being a danger to both parties. Bicycles can be just as dangerous as cars, and that is something the cyclist and the pedestrian need to realize.

Amen!

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

also before 8pm, especially between October and April. Barely anyone uses the park after 8:30

No, there wouldn't be

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I've always said that if you want to kill someone and get away with it, hit them with your car. Just make sure to stop and act sad. Having to live with it will be punishment enough. If you flee you'll get dinged for leaving, you get the killing for free.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

No, the core of this issue is that the public sees cyclists as nuisances who clutter up the road

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

There are many reasons not to be in NYC

why are you repeatedly opining on CP when you don't even live in NYC? the park is packed at night until the NYCM and then turns into a ghost town the monday after the NYCM until the spring. to claim that "barely anyone uses the park after 8:30" in october shows how clueless you are. many marathon training groups meet at 7/7:30 and are not done before 8:30. remind me again why you are commenting on something you clearly know nothing about?

Is the picture in the article really the cyclist that hit the woman? I'm sure no racial slurs will come out of this.....

Really can't comment on who's fault it is as we don't know really what the circumstances were, but that article is written so poorly. It is a very leading article with seemingly exaggerated wording.

again, you assume too much.

how do you know I have never lived in NYC? The same six sense that told you the perp in the current story stole his bike? i bet dollars to donuts that i've been out training in CP past 8:30 more often than you ever have

I shared that with a friend of mine - facetiously, of course - and he replied:


You may be on to something

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

you live in VA NOW. i don't care that you might have lived here before. based on your lack of knowledge about the park, it doesn't matter because you clearly do not know the dynamics of the park. a lot has changed in recent years with a new bike lane on the east side, citibikes swarming the park, cop crackdowns on bikes.

i am not assuming anything about you. i am concluding that you should shut your trap about CP because you clearly don't know what you are talking about. go bother the VA people with your wisdom.

you also DON'T know that the bike wasn't stolen so it's a bit presumptuous on your part to now be patting yourself on the back concluding it wasn't. my money says it was hot. rasta guys in nyc who have zero results in athlinks (tris, cycling, running) normally don't drop $4,000 on tri bikes. your experiences in VA don't change that fact.

Oh man, those strava segments were uploaded yesterday.

No way this is the same guy right? Hit someone then upload your device to strava? I don't want to think someone would do that.

Definitely agree. I'm not siding with the Ped or the Cyclist, but that article has an agenda from the get go and only accelerates as it continues.

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The Home of Advanced Running
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w Wow, relax. I don't live in NYC but close enough that I'm in CP a few times a month.

And ease off on the assumptions about the hot bike, which doesn't really matter anyways. If it turns out differently you might regret stating that on an online forum.

I agree though, a lot has changed over the 17 years that I have been coming to CP. I think people have just gotten more entitled and have little regard ofr each other. Just a sign of the times. Also there has been a lot more people out exercising in the park compared to 15 years ago.

And I do feel that other violators in CP are disregarded by police while cyclists are getting nailed for a lot.

Honestly, 9W is not too far to get to so you can drop into the aerobars and go for a good ride.

Aged mom shopping for a present. Yeah, that's not slanted.

John

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Top notch coaching: Francois and Accelerate3 | Follow on Twitter: LifetimeAthlete |

Thank you for clarity. Of course. Americans need to be THERE NOW. Get out of my way because I'm in a hurry. And, traffic IS awful in most areas of the Northeast particularly. Drivers here in NJ are often in a state of high anxiety, dread, fear, loathing, etc. We need to put heavy doses of lithium in the water to calm the seething brains of our drivers.

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

Really sad for the victim and her family. I used to ride CP a lot after work. The only place i felt comfortable going at a decent pace was north of 86th on the east side through Harlem hill. Then it gets dicey. As a cyclist, we can see situations developing most of the time. I ride defensively. Changed my routine to West Side Hwy to Riverside, over GW to the police station and back. That was dicey up until the boathouse but got much better afterwards. Even when i ride in the burbs around dusk, i'll be as close to the center of the lane as possible thinking a deer may pop out.

What's your weekly average?

Avg Rides / Week 19
Avg Distance / Week 291 mi
Avg Time / Week 20h 10m
Year-to-Date

Distance 9,067.5 mi
Time 638h 55m
Elev Gain 310,341 ft
Rides 729

i'm flattered that you are stalking my profile, but all those things were there when i left. I actually couldn't believe it when they milled the roads and actually put in a dedicated bike lane in the park. You may be right that there are still some people who use the park in October past 8pm, but you all but acquiesced that i was correct about my assertion that the usage goes down dramatically from November to April. Apparently, somethings never change ;)



i know you are upset that someone called out your BS detective theory.

You are also profiling just a bit too much, assuming that b/c he looks like a "rasta guy", he stole or obtained the bike illegally.

you are also shoddy at detective work b/c he does have cycling results, as seen here (http://www.usacycling.org/...ex.php?compid=432071). But of course, being the bullying amateur detective that you are, you really didn't look hard enough now, did you? And basically let your "intuition" guide you to the conclusion he stole the bike.

So don't quit your day job just yet and sign up for the NYPD. After all, they are trying to tamp down on hot heads like yourself.

Maybe it was a typo, and he meant "rapha", which is what the guy in the pic (if that is the same person that hit the woman) is wearing. But they do drop coin on bikes....

Pretty much every road cyclist I know that competes has a time trial bike. A few have two, one for UCI legal events and one for non enforced time trials.


Yes, because this is all about how it affects you and your riding.

John

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Top notch coaching: Francois and Accelerate3 | Follow on Twitter: LifetimeAthlete |

The Post and Daily News have been leading an anti-cyclist crusade ever since CitiBike was announced. The language used here is no surprise. That said, what has happened here is awful.

Central Park at 4:30pm is a terrible place for high paced training ride - Central Park is likely too busy for this anytime after 8:30am. Pedestrians, tourists, kids testing their limitations, dogs both leashed and not are everywhere. Regardless of the legality of how they cross the road, it is a pretty hard place to put in a good safe ride.

Heck I have had trouble doing a fast run in CP at that time when I have been in town before I can't imagine trying to do a hard ride.

pretty much every road cyclist i know that competes NEVER EVER would be racing in the park at 4:30pm during the week. they also NEVER do training rides on time trial bikes. in the extreme event that one wanted to do a time trial in CP on a TT bike, he sure as hell wouldn't be doing it at 4:30pm on a thursday afternoon with training wheels on. also, to call this guy a road cyclist who competes is a bit of a stretch. yes, he has done some cat 5 races but got destroyed in them (dfls and close to dfls). i can't imagine putting in the miles his strava says he has and being that slow.

yes, me pointing out that there is going to be a big crackdown in CP is all about me. thanks for that deep thought.

That's a point I was going to make. Jeez, don't they just give you a free bike if you can afford to buy a rapha top?

"Look I don't know about you guys, but I can't see a windshield wiper.... where should I put the ticket?"

Central Park, especially the southern half, is full of pedestrians, joggers, horse carriages, and pedicabs. I don't ride there any more because I feel I get a better workout doing a hard spin rather than going round and round the same six mile ad infinitum. The only only time it might be appropriate to get in your tri-bars would be very early in the AM. Otherwise, you have ride defensively and at a leisurely pace. Except for the early AM, it's really not a place for training rides.

G

Please forward this theory to Major Taylor's cycling team (http://www.majortaylorironriders.com/contact/) - I'd love to see the response your not-even veiled racism gets from them.

His cached facebook page shows he was a fan of: Richard Sachs cyclocross, Omega Pharma pro cycling, Stan'd notubes and others. He favorite athletes are Greg Van Avermaet, Contador, Cavendish and Kittel.

He may be an asshole, he may be guilt of all sorts of things but I'd make a hefty bet that he's a serious (albeit recreational) cyclist and the bike is his. Your assumption that it was stolen because he's black and has dreadlocks and is therefor probably a delivery guy does you no credit.

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"Are you sure we're going fast enough?" - Emil Zatopek

Just got back from a long run that included a loop around the park. I did not see any increased police presence or tickets being given to bikers. No behavior has changed on anyone's part. Even AT the intersection where this tragedy happened, there were news trucks all over and a cop standing right there handing out flyers and talking to people about the incident and I saw two cyclists blow through the light with pedestrians in the crosswalk. The cop did not do anything but he commented on it with a cyclist who did stop for the light who asked him about the guys who blew it.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

quite right - rewritten:
If one is going to ride on roads or trails, you need to be ready for each and every one of the thousands of people and animals surrounding you to do whatever is the most dangerous thing they could possibly do at any time.
Not a CP thing, just a riding thing..

On my last business trip to SF, the taxicab couldn't get to the hotel at 11pm, since the street was blocked off where a cyclist had just killed a pedestrian.. the cop and the taxi driver had a lot to say about cyclists.. I could not think of a way to defend us.. It's clear the cyclist was wholly at fault here too:
http://www.sfgate.com/...-F-crash-4736312.php
looks like a Strava casualty again,
http://www.sfbg.com/...-pedestrian-reckless
"Bucchere was a member of the website strava.com, which tracks minute-by-minute data of cyclists for training purposes. And this source said he was able to use the site to determine that Bucchere was traveling through the intersection � which is at the bottom of a steep hill � at approximately 35 mph at the time of the collision."
might be time for a Strava ban in urban areas, as randymar mentioned..

may their memories be eternal

at first you said this patently absurd line to say


then you qualified it with


and now you moved the goal post a bit more


keep on digging that hole

Wow, you're just chock full of non-brilliance today.

He's in his first year of cycling, according to the results link that was posted earlier. We can't all be like you, coming out and stomping everyone into dirt and making Cat 2 in your 5th race.

And you must not know very many cyclists (I will wait while you regale me with your litany of hundreds of names), as I know quite a few Pro/1/2's that train on their TT bikes for 10-15% of their training on an annual basis, skewed around events and fittings.

Of course, he's just a black rasta dude so obviously he can only affo...er, steal one bike at a time and this one was it.

John

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Top notch coaching: Francois and Accelerate3 | Follow on Twitter: LifetimeAthlete |

This shouldn't be forgotten despite everything else. I have a suspicion that the crackdown may especially be hard as the victim is well connected, but that's neither here or there. Fact remains that the action of some idiot led to a severe injury

I'd say that given this is CP, it's all the more important we tread carefully. We should consider ourselves fortunate to have an urban oasis where we could ride to our heart's content if we go at certain hours. The primary function of CP, long upheld from the times of Olmstead and Vauxhall, through the Moses year, and up to the current day, is the enjoyment of an urban green space for all, not just the very small subset of population who needs to go above 25mph on a bike.

That there happens to be a road around CP is secondary, and for all intents and purposes, if the neighborhood boards petition for a change to the speed limit, there's nothing we can do otherwise. Best not to wear out our welcome, especially considering that back in 2012 one vehicle lane was taken out and converted into a biking lane. I recall a few years back that the neighborhoods around Prospect Park were vehement about removing the newly created biking lanes around the park. It won't take much to galvanize the (powerful) communities surrounding the park.

goalposts? i simply stated that i bet the bike was hot and i still think it was. i don't care that the guy jumped in a few draft legal cat 5 CRCA races this year (which, just so you know, don't allow TT bikes). i often see guys in CP on tri bikes that appeared to be stolen (plenty do get stolen in NYC and they don't get sent to the dump) because the guy riding the former $8,000 bike that now is wrapped in tape has basketball shorts on, no helmet and sneakers on.

since you enjoy bringing up past posts, i'll once again point to this patently false one of yours:

yeah, sure, no marathon training groups are in the park after 8pm in october...

His strava pic looks like it could be the same guy.

He also titled yesterday's ride "Rapha team ride" and rode 32 miles. I'm guessing the collision happened after the group ride?

this was your rebuttal:

here's what i wrote

so i get 6 of the 7 months correct, as you acquiesced in your post quoted above. I didn't make you write that CP is a "ghost town the monday after NYCM until the spring." And for the month October, for which i may be slightly off on the timing by 30 minutes, crowds thin out around 8:30 and are mostly gone by 9pm. Far different from your baseless accusations.

Contrast this to your semi-veiled racist remark, from which you have no basis other than the fact that you characterized the clueless rider as "rasta guy"

you are already seen as a veiled racist. Any further rambling from you will make you look like an bumbling, illogical blowhard on top of being a veiled racist

PS. Also, you don't know what the idiot cyclist was wearing when he got into that accident, so your spiel about basketball shorts, no helmets, and sneakers are unsubstantiated conjecture at best. The bike, as seen in the article, is also not wrapped in tape. so whatever your criteria is is determining something is stolen, you obviously don't have the evidences that meet the criteria. But hey, the dude looks rasta!

in other news, bikesnob opined on this

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2014/09/sorry-we-have-important-things-to.html

I love this statement by bikesnob: The worst kind of cycling arrogance is the notion that the world is going to conform to your sense of what it should and shouldn't do, and then to base your decisions and behavior on that assumption.

There is no reason to put the word cycling in there. This is clearly tragic and by no means am saying the women was at fault but this also makes 100% sense as:

The worst kind of pedestrian arrogance is the notion that the world is going to conform to your sense of what it should and shouldn't do, and then to base your decisions and behavior on that assumption.

You could put driving, running, swimming, golfing, crocheting... all work.


Not saying he is wrong in anyway, just it isn't something remotely exclusive to cycling.

Busy places in general - are not for training. Going fast in a public park (Central Park or any other park) where there are lots of pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers / skaters, dogs, etc., is just an accident waiting to happen. If you want to practice your TT, do it away from busy places. Even if you're riding a road bike where you'll have access to your brakes, it's still not a good idea to go fast in those places.

Or you could just use common sense. Just saying...

it's about recognizing the harm we could do to others more than anything else. At worst, a clueless pedestrians may harm him/herself, but rarely inflict much damage onto others. Cyclists going at 30 mph, that's quite a bit more dangerous. Ditto clueless drivers.

EXACTLY my thoughts. This is certainly a tragedy but when a motorist runs down a pedestrian they are neither "barreling along" or "entitled". It is a tragic accident instead.

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Pete Githens
Reading, PA

Does not in anyway change the fact that the word cyclist doesn't help actually make any point other then putting blame on a single group of people, when reality is people as a whole need to realize that it is important to be aware of what is going on around you.

The quote is actually quite good, but ruined by including cyclist or any other single group of people.

As far as pedestrians. Lets say for a second he wasn't speeding, he wasn't in the aero bars, and the light was green, someone steps off the curb against the light while texting and is killed. First of the cyclist very well could also be injured or killed, they also now were involved in a fatal accident, physical damage is not the only possible outcome of an event. People who are in the right in fatal accidents, as in the person who ran the red light dies not the one with the green and those people have issues for many years simply for being involved. Just because you are the only one that might get hurt doesn't mean there are no consequences to your actions.


It is a people problem not a cyclist problem.

No-one disagrees with you. Bikesnob is a blog about cyclists cycling. Every verb, noun and adjective in every post is cycling related - certain points could probably be expanded as commentary on the general human condition but that's not his goal.

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"Are you sure we're going fast enough?" - Emil Zatopek

I understand where it came from, because it came from a cycling blog I can't comment that it has implications beyond that?

So far, the cyclist hasn't been charged;

http://www.nydailynews.com/...sh-article-1.1945604

Let's just hope that somehow the woman who was hit can pull through. Things are certainly going to change soon for cyclists in Central Park.

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

This is awful and gets me so angry. Central Park has always been a disaster waiting to happen. This is exactly why I refuse to ride there.

Pedestrians and cyclists are both inconsiderate and unsafe. Pedestrians cross without looking and without a walk signal. And cyclists blow through red lights and ride through busy intersections at high speed screaming "get out of my way".

One night I was almost hit by a paceline of triathletes, riding their tri bikes decked out with aero wheels and aero helmets. (Why would you do this???? To go even faster and be more dangerous to pedestrians?) I stepped into a crosswalk while I had a walk signal, and saw them coming at me. The leader at the front started blowing a whistle as if to say "get the hell out of my way" and they plowed through the red light without leaving the aero position. Unbelievable.

As I said, it's always been a disaster waiting to happen. People are idiots, whether they are on their feet or on a bike, and the cops have let it be this way for a long time. What a shame.

You mean team Barloworld-NYC? Comprised mostly of a few portly gentlemen on all aero gear?

Their comedic presentation almost makes forget the menace they pose when they do TTTs

A whistle? Really? That is funny. Sounds like a group of wannabes. I can't imagine having the arrogance to actually use a whistle.

He rode around in CP yesterday and there must have been 500+ segments along his route

His last uploaded ride was in the morning yesterday and he has ridden over 9000 miles this year. He was out for at least his second ride of the day when he struck the lady at 4:30 pm.

Actually Strava could probably provide some very interesting data as to the character of the cyclist. I'm imagining that with some simple analysis of the GPS records you could probably establish if it is "likely" that this rider stops for traffic signals.

Ran in the park this morning just after 6am. Business as usual. At that time, very few pedestrians, lots of runners and groups of cyclists that pretty much stay separate. Saw only one news truck, most of the others were at the Apple store. The NY Post article is obviously antagonistic toward the cyclist, heard this on the radio on the way home today. While I agree it isn't a good idea to be traveling in the park at a high speed, especially aero and at that time of day, maybe he wasn't as negligent as the Post article makes him out to be.

A preliminary investigation indicated that Marshall was riding in the park�s bike lane when he struck Tarlov while swerving to avoid other pedestrians, according to the Associated Press.

{http://newyork.cbslocal.com/...ist-in-central-park/}

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Who am I? Why am I here?

"3rd fastest time on Harlem Hill"
WHOOPS!

agreed and well said

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Randy Christofferson(http://www.rcmioga.blogspot.com

Insert Doubt. Erase Hope. Crush Dreams.

prattzc wrote:

Maybe it was a typo, and he meant "rapha", which is what the guy in the pic (if that is the same person that hit the woman) is wearing. But they do drop coin on bikes....

I think he meant both...

His personal 3rd fastest on that segment, but 315th on the leaderboard. Again, this was not the ride where he hit the lady.

We wouldn't want to punish folks for using autos that require oil.

Let's just not forget that there's a woman who is brain dead. Regardless of what the cyclist did, or didn't do, this woman's brain dead. Be it a stolen bike, a poor rider, poorly kept equipment, pedestrian aloofness, she's brain dead.

There is NEVER a safe time to ride in Central Park. It's either too early, and you'll get a ticket, or it's too late, and you'll hit a dog, attached to a stroller, attached to a mommy group. I still think riding the trainer is the safest, but is you really must be outside, the West Side Highway path, and 9W are significantly safer. Prospect Park isn't any better. I was doing the Al Goldstein Summer Series a while back, and a jogger not with the race literally got ridden over. She was jogging in the bike lane, but the cyclist wasn't paying attention as he was talking to his crew behind him as she jumped out in front of him.

Finally, you don't have to be going that fast to 1) knock someone over, and 2) have that someone lose their balance and hit their head. We don't know anything besides the rider, the woman, and the people that were right there. The article written purely from one point of view, and it unfortunately paints a further blemished picture of cyclists.

"hit by a cyclist"
Don't they mean an out of control bicycle? I hear about out of control cars killing people every day, but never a driver, I would assume cycling must work in the same way.

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http://www.onelesshiker.com
http://www.twitch.tv/1horsepower

The article is confusing. I do not know if the journalist is using the term "brain dead" loosely to imply a serious traumatic brain injury, or whether the woman is truly brain dead in the medical-legal sense. In most states, brain death = death, and brain death is an irreversible condition, and legally means that the person is deceased. Thus a person who is "brain dead" cannot "cling to life."

This is a tragic and sad accident. My thoughts are with the victim and her family and friends.

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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.

NY Post is mentioning Strava in their articles today:

http://nypost.com/2014/09/20/central-park-cyclist-veered-into-wrong-lanes-before-tragic-crash/



His blazing speeds are uploaded � precise to the 10th of a mile per hour � onto a competitive running and cycling Web site.
�New Chain, brakes and RD(7800gs),� he had boasted earlier Thursday on the Strava site, referring to a new rear derailleur for his bike. �All systems go.�
Hours before he slammed into Tarlov, Marshall had logged 32.2 miles of cycling during a predawn spin through the park, the site says � and listed his top speed for that ride at 35.6 mph, well over the 25mph speed limit for bikes and cars.
His maximum speed during five sprints on that same downhill stretch of West Drive during his Thursday-morning ride was 28.9mph, his data on Strava says.

This reminds me so much of the press coverage of the Dr. Sam Shepard murder trial. Why don't we just put him in jail without the benefit of a trial, witnesses, facts, law, etc.?

Sheesh.... This appears to be an unfortunate accident, and it does appear pedestrians were in the cycle lane. Let the police do their work. The NY Post is a tawdry rag.

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

I don't know, they seem fair and neutral to me.

"They�re terrorists on wheels. Assassins in Spandex."

"The bicycle menaces must be stopped.

...

Then near an intersection at 63rd Street on West Drive, a hellion named Jason Marshall, 31, who�s a baritone-saxophone player from Harlem when he isn�t terrorizing the citizenry, was riding a loaded weapon. It was a $4,000 Jamis Eclipse racing bike. That�s $4,000 for a pimped-out children�s toy! Was it worth it, dude?.

...

Throw kamikaze bicyclists in jail! "


http://nypost.com/...rtless-speed-demons/

Can't remove the stink even if you burn it. The Post is a disgrace, as is this particular op-ed writer.

I didnt quite believe what matto posted until i clicked the link and saw how biased it was from the get go. Yeah, the choice of photos were meant to be neutral...

Only good thing is that attention span is short, and this fine piece of "journalism" would be soon forgotten

Lol!

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

And so the crackdown begins. The dog looks embarrassed.....



http://nypost.com/...horrific-bike-crash/

The dog isn't in the crosswalk.....

And another prize worthy piece from the NY Post... I take it they are gunning for the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service?

Smh...

The best line by far is the one about clueless Belgian and Italian cyclists. When you have nothing else to fill up the pages, a dose of xenophobia goes a long way.

I had a very interesting conversation with a cop in central park today while out on my run. He said that pedestrians had the right of way AT ALL TIMES. Even in the bike lanes they can run wherever they want when they want "because it is a park" so in the policemen's minds parks are for walking and running - NOT biking - seriously this was the tenor of the conversation - it was very enlightening.

I would love to hear from any legal experts - is this true? so when I am commuting on my single speed going maybe 10 mph and runners are all over the bike lanes and cars are in the park I am just screwed?

in central park, yep.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ-ΛΑΒΕ
we're doomed

Pretty certain that cyclists are at the bottom of the heap for the NYPD. Cars, long boarders, pedi cabs are all allowed to do whatever they want. Anybody on a bike that looks remotely nice is asking for trouble.

"5 sprints" + "downhill" @ 28.9 mph max = blazing speeds???

On a mtb, perhaps.
Fantastic journalism, NYP.


This is in no way to make light of a terrible accident.
Just the ridiculous, inflammatory, shoddy reporting of same.

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float , hammer , and jog

Glad the New York newspapers are not tracking you max speeds racing Kalber down to Keene. Fortunately that road is less crowded than Cental park.

I bet he deletes his account soon

not that this wasn't unexpected, but s*** just got real.

From a post on CRCA Foundation's facebook page


someone need to take a radar gun to see how fast all the cabs are going...

Yeah, some genuine concern there. Why only worry about it for the next couple of weeks, immature attitude IMHO.

Just heard on tv that the woman has passed away.

Condolences to her family and friends.

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couldn't agree more.

wishing the woman a good recovery... it saddens me to hear about these accidents....

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website/blog | Instagram

Wow, very tragic and sad news to read.

To your point, I've always wondered why people ride in the park. Laps and laps of a 6-mile loop with runners/walkers all over the place and unpredictable cross traffic. I enjoy running in the park but if I lived there and wanted to go for a ride, I would hit the West Side path and head north. I ran a fair ways up it once and it seems like it would be a great ride.

Watching the video on the morning news, it's amazing to me that anyone would build up that much speed on a bike. Foot traffic seemed to be relentless and in the hundreds, if not thousands of people to dodge.

Truly a tragic accident and my condolences on the family's loss.

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DFL > DNF > DNS

indeed. Condolences



what do you think is a safe speed on a multi-use path that is barely more than 10 feet wide? The section between 59th and 96th and the section between 135 and 155 are royal clusterf*** in the summer time, too, as those are prime picnic areas.

the only place would could otherwise train is 9W, which is an 45 min away one way.

My only bike/ped collision happened on the west side highway a little north Chelsea pier when some guy sauntered into my path without looking at all. Luckily neither of us got hurt and my bike just ended up with an out of true front wheel. IMO, the whole thing is much more dangerous than the park

He could be facing 2nd degree manslaughter if they press charges.

Side note, is this Larry David?

OK. But that entire section is only ~5 miles. Pretty good distance for a warmup and/or cool down.

For most, riding to 9W in NJ is quite a trek and thus only suitable for long rides. It is 14 miles from my apartment downtown to the Jersey side of the GWB which takes nearly an hour given that you can't get up to speed on the West Side Highway (WSH).

The WSH path is extremely congested - even more so than the CP Loop. People walk, skateboard, jog, you name it - in the narrow-ish bike lanes even when there is a perfectly suitable multi-use path closer to the Hudson River. There is no way I would ever go aero on this path except for certain times - before 5 or maybe 6 am, when there is absolutely no one on the road. Much more dangerous than the CP Loop, simply because the loop has 3 full car-length lanes for you to spread out in and the WSH path is about 10 feet wide.

Due to the distance, logistics and other safety problems of riding to NJ, the CP loop is the safest and most convenient outdoor training option in the city for rides less than, say, 2 hours. However, I NEVER ride on any afternoon, period, and if I must do a long ride on the weekend it has to be over by 8 am. I am on my trainer for 80-90% of my rides and typically only ride in the park on weekday AM rides when there are close to zero tourists in the park. Typically there are just a handful of joggers and other riders such as myself and I have had next to zero close calls during this time.

Sad story and condolences to her family. Hope this raises the attention level of both cyclists and pedestrians in the park.

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Strava

That sounds like the group from Danny's Cycles. I can't believe a shop endorses such reckless behavior. I've seen it many afternoons in the park, the group does interval training in fully decked out TT gear.

With regards to Central Park - there is no reason to do a training ride in the park after 7am. It simply gets too crowded. From 5-7 the park is primarily comprised of runners & cyclists.

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Thoughts on being an Urban Triathlete

Ran early AM in CP last week on thursday and friday. I don't know if they were issuing tickets but cops were out with radar guns and pulling over cyclists by the dozens one morning. This was before the park was open for cars during the peak group ride time.

a little more info:

http://cyclistsinternational.com/...with-bicyclist-dies/


absolutely agree no way do I ride past 7AM in the park (other than commuting to work on single speed). And I have only been on TT bike once in the park I choose to only use road bike there and keep TT on trainer or for rides out of the city.

eta

and one more: http://cyclistsinternational.com/...in-pedestrian-death/

Not sure if this was posted yet, but CBS actually did a very good job reporting the accident. Tragic that it's the same company that the widower is a Senior VP of.

Here is the link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/...ies/?ftag=YHF4eb9d17

It's very fair I think.

The article is quite fair.

The comments on the other hand... ooof.

The top one is my fave (I didn't scroll down very far - didn't want to risk losing more IQ points):

Yes, speeding cyclists should be JAILED.
Just like they do for speeding drivers, right? Since cars/trucks/taxis/buses are actually many, many times more dangerous to pedestrians than bikes.
Oh, wait.

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float , hammer , and jog