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Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety
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My fiancé just asked me the other day how worried she should be about my biking. I tried to be real about the steps I take to reduce risk:

Bright lights
Obnoxiously visible clothing
Varia
Defensive riding
Liberal trainer use
Being picky on road choices - traffic, shoulder, etc.
Current helmet/ well-maintained equipment

Pretty decent list I think. Am I missing anything?

Still, I hate to see things like this. Details are sparse in this article, but one assumes 7’2” Shawn Bradley was pretty visible. Intellectually I know the risks are low, but anecdote is a powerful thing.

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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He is 7ft 6..

Sad, but sounds like he's dealing with it the best he can.

Also, link to an article..

https://www.cnn.com/...paralyzed/index.html
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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How the heck do you miss a 7'6 dude on a bike and hit him from behind???

The only thing I can think of it was at night (and January is not exactly warm in St. George at night, but who knows). I searched for details of the accident, didn't find anything. Only a few blocks from his house. Tragic.
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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MI_Mumps wrote:
My fiancé just asked me the other day how worried she should be about my biking. I tried to be real about the steps I take to reduce risk:

Bright lights
Obnoxiously visible clothing
Varia
Defensive riding
Liberal trainer use
Being picky on road choices - traffic, shoulder, etc.
Current helmet/ well-maintained equipment

Pretty decent list I think. Am I missing anything?

Still, I hate to see things like this. Details are sparse in this article, but one assumes 7’2” Shawn Bradley was pretty visible. Intellectually I know the risks are low, but anecdote is a powerful thing.

I think actually the most important are:

1. Choose your bike routes carefully, and prefer routes that are known to be frequented regularly by cyclists
2. Ride as early as realistically possible (but not in the dark!). Exponentially cuts down the number of passing cars

I also prefer to use both a take-a-look mirror WITH the varia, but its not required.
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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No multiuse paths near where you live? Even though most aren't close to optimal for an intense cycling session, they are certainly a significant part of my cycling risk mitigation these days.

I'm also a believer in the helmet mirror and looking back at upcoming motorists to let them know I'm aware of their presence.

I've ridden my bike only a handful of times in the past year because I wasn't going to do any tris or commute to work via the bike during the pandemic, but as I return to the roads this spring I'm sure I'm going to be more nervous than when I stopped a year ago. From the stats I've seen, the pandemic certainly hasn't made U.S. motorists more cautious. I never thought I'd go a year without riding on the roads, but I haven't missed the fear. During the past year I haven't substituted riding outside with stationary pedaling, so when I'm too scared to ride on the roads I'm likely done with tri.
Last edited by: Mark Lemmon: Mar 17, 21 20:17
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [Mark Lemmon] [ In reply to ]
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We do have a good trail network - I'll ride my gravel or mountain bike on it, but it isn't good for the tri bike. Great running though! We do have a reasonable network of roads with dedicated bike lanes, and I'm fortunate that Lansing is small enough that I'm 10 minutes of mild city riding from country roads with big shoulders.

I also am very intentional about eye contact. I'll also sit up and use the bullhorns, depending on the situation. I figure 6'4" of bright jacket/ helmet is more visible than being super aero.

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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Whilst you'd think size would aid visibility, drivers pull out of side streets in front of me, roundabouts ahead of me etc most days. And this is when I'm driving my 2.5tonne truck.

When I'm on the bike the only difference is I'm more nimble to ride around them.

I do:-
1) consider routes carefully - theres some places I know are just dangerous and so I completely mitigate the risk there by not riding - for me that's the busiest coffee shop stretch by the beach. Sure its nice, and there's even a bike lane, but drivers are all hunting for the parking space, and so never ever consider looking in a mirror - just avoid.
2) DeFeet bright orange / yellow socks. Socks are a really visible bit as they are moving up and down, so bright shoes / socks more visible than helmet / top that's semi stationary.
3) Flashing rear light - check in a group no-one has vision issues if they're going to be behind you, but as with the socks, blinking visibility is better
4) Be assertive in the road, but don't be a dick. Assume drivers are all out to get you so be defensive where you can, be really clear in owning the lane at roundabouts / turns to stop peoiple overtaking through the junction and squishing you on exit.
5) Ride in a group where you can.
6) Use a gopro all the time - I've added a battery pack back to get 5+ hours recording. So I can record wonderful moments like this from last saturday (and the number plate is clear, so forwarded to police).
7) Ride in a group where you can.

I don't always agree that riding in the light is safer. In the dark the flashing rear lights are more visible in my view. I certainly chose to run in teh dark at 5am over 6am as in teh rural area I am in with no footpath I can see the car headlights earlier to jump onto the grass verge - in daylight I get no warnign as they come round the corner. But this is situation specific, not telling anyone else to follow the appoach.

Finally, we will all die someday. For me I know there's a risk everytime I go out. And so does my wife. We are also both well aware after several years' injures that if I don't ride there is a high chance I will die from her killing me as I am a pain in the arse if I've not had my 'me time' on the bike. And yes, serious crashes happen too that don't lead to death. I've had 3 mates airlifted to hospital after separate bad bike crashes which didn't involve cars - two just missed corners on descent the third when a rider ahead went down and they hit the rider on the deck and went over the bars. We're riding at 50kph + in swimming togs. It's going to hurt. I'm way way more at risk on the cycle in lycra than when on my motorbike at double that speed because of the gear.
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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The only time I ride the tri bike now is in tris.
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [Mark Lemmon] [ In reply to ]
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Mark Lemmon wrote:
The only time I ride the tri bike now is in tris.

I'm pretty much at this point...

heck, even running is getting dangerous
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [Mark Lemmon] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
I'm also a believer in the helmet mirror and looking back at upcoming motorists to let them know I'm aware of their presence.


I use mirror (on bars). Never heard of looking back at over taking motorists as safety measure. Can you elaborate please. Do you notice that you tend to get more room when cars pass when you look back at cars?

Edit: I'm not a newbie been riding 30 years and read the whole Highway 1 thread.

________
It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev
Last edited by: H-: Mar 17, 21 20:54
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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What does getting hit from behind by a driver have to do with bike safety? Did his bike malfunction in some way?

Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [Mark Lemmon] [ In reply to ]
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Mark Lemmon wrote:
The only time I ride the tri bike now is in tris.

Just curious what makes you consider the tri bike significantly less safe? In terms of the tips listed here I think all can be applied to tri/TT-bikes as well?
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [DrTriKat] [ In reply to ]
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When I don't know if someone is trolling or being pedantic, my general approach is to treat the post as sincere.

No idea about the global usage, but in my corner of the US the term "bike safety" in this context is generally understood to encompass a wide range of aspects related to cycling. These could include (but aren't limited to) clothing choices, equipment, habits/ practices or, as you suggest, what I would term maintenance. I don't know if Shawn Bradley's bike malfunctioned in a way that contributed to being hit from behind by a car.

Whether he was taking all reasonable precautions or drunkenly weaving into traffic wearing all black in the dark, it is awful for him and his family. It inspired me to consider my approach to cycling on the road and solicit thoughts from others. Do you have any other suggestions or personal habits not yet mentioned in this thread?

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [Duncan74] [ In reply to ]
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In my neighbourhood (central Poland - Warsaw area), driver behavior has improved somewhat over the recent years, but:

1) Traffic is up,
2) We have more and more "walk-cycle lanes" which are compulsory to use and, mostly, terrible/dangerous for road cycling. (Local governments convert sidewalks to "walk-cycle lanes" get EU funding - no funding when you're simply trying to fix a sidewalk, yes funding when you label the side walk a "walk-cycle lane"). When a walk-cycle lane exists along the road, you're not allowed to use the road. Police sometimes hunt for cyclists violating this law, but angry/aggressive drivers are worse.

Local cyclists now use the remaining roads without walk-cycle lanes, drawing weird shapes on Strava.

I use a solid set of lights even during daytime. There is anecdotal evidence (coming from me and a few other folks) that this improves driver behavior, i.e. you're less likely to have a car pass you at a cunt hair's breadth (excuse the turn of phrase, but I've just finished watching Deadwood The Movie).

"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [kajet] [ In reply to ]
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I prefer cycling in the early morning when it's dark.

1. I believe my blinking lights are more visible
2. There is significantly less traffic
3. People don't appear to be texting & driving (or staring at their phones) early in the morning
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [H-] [ In reply to ]
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Just to add to what others have said on precautions. I do similar - choose quieter roads where I can, use good blinking lights even in the day time (I don't ride in big groups, maybe only 2 or 3 mates at the most).

One other thing I do / have. I've got a good bright light on my helmet (an Exposure Joystick - a good powerful beam) when it's cloudy, dusk or dark. I purpose look at the car that's approaching or in a side road at a junction, so my light actually lights up their interior to make sure they've seen me (assumes of course they are half looking and not totally fecking about on a phone, head down - but even if not looking properly the general lighting up of the interior is noticed).

I do also assume everyone IS out to kill me when riding. (Time on a motor bike soon tells you that is true).

Sitting up can help as you've got more visibility (down in an aero position your body is hardly visible. And most folks wear black shorts / tights that are not easy to see.

Great point about bright socks though as the up and down makes it more noticeable.

I've just taken delivery of a lovely bright mango coloured Showers Pass jacket too.

https://showerspass.co.uk/...ens-elite-2-1-jacket
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [hbog12] [ In reply to ]
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You could miss a neon elephant riding a scooter in the middle of the road if you are looking at your cell phone and not the road. The infuriating thing is the amount of victim blaming and negative comments drivers put out when ever the topic of sharing the road with bicycles is raised on any public forum.


Pete Githens
Reading, PA
Last edited by: Mr. October: Mar 18, 21 4:50
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [Mr. October] [ In reply to ]
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Mr. October wrote:
You could miss a neon elephant riding a scooter in the middle of the road if you are looking at your cell phone and not the road.

This, 100%. Despite hands free driving laws, people are on their cell phones as much as ever and it's just getting worse.

I was hit by a car's side mirror out on a ride last year. It was 11am on a Sunday. Quite rural road, narrow but dead straight. I'm riding as far to the right as I can get. The only car in sight other than the one hit me was a police cruiser that had just passed me a few seconds before, giving me a very wide berth and waving as he did so. I'm wearing bright clothing, a fluorescent yellow shirt and socks, and I have front and rear blinking lights on, even in the middle of the day. I hear a car coming up behind me but I don't think much of it and besides there's really nowhere I can go or anything else I can do. As the car is passing me I can tell it's really close. I glance left as it's passing me. I'm about even with the door at this point and as I'm glancing left the side mirror hits my left arm. I was riding on the tops at this point and my hands weren't really gripped on the bars very tightly. Fortunately it was just a glancing blow so it only knocked my arm forward and off the bar a bit and didn't cause me to swerve or fall. Because I had glanced left as the car was passing I could see into the window and the driver was looking down at her phone in her hand. Had she been even just 2 or 3 more inches closer the hit would have likely been much more forceful and I probably would have hit the deck.

I noticed she pulled into a lot about 200yards ahead so I pulled in after her. When I confronted her she never even realized she had hit me. She said she never even saw me, and I believe her. She was too busy looking down at her phone.
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [Vegaskid] [ In reply to ]
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Vegaskid wrote:
Mark Lemmon wrote:
The only time I ride the tri bike now is in tris.


I'm pretty much at this point...

heck, even running is getting dangerous

Another vote for trainer rides. And I love riding outside. I virtually don't do solo road rides anymore. Group rides yes. Gravel with a lot of non road stuff yes.
Otherwise, on the trainer. I have 2 little ones and I want to see them grow. And they want their papa with them.
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [H-] [ In reply to ]
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H- wrote:

I use mirror (on bars). Never heard of looking back at over taking motorists as safety measure. Can you elaborate please. Do you notice that you tend to get more room when cars pass when you look back at cars?

I don't know for sure if drivers take action to give me more room and/or slow down when passing solely because they see me looking back, but it can't hurt and it gives me a sense, at least, of having a bit more control. Looking back and keeping the bike from drifting to the left requires me to slow so it doesn't help my average speed. Of course, there are some motorists that don't slow or move to the left but since I've been paying attention to the approach of the vehicle and have slowed, it gives me a bit more opportunity to safely get off the road if needed. This is basically a survival technique to attempt to get safely from my house to the multiuse paths. I've even stopped and pulled off the road when a vehicle appears to be approaching me in an aggressive manner or there are vehicles coming at me from both directions on a rural road. Obviously, this effort is basically futile when I'm riding on a road where I'm continually getting passed by cars.

Ssys wrote:

Just curious what makes you consider the tri bike significantly less safe? In terms of the tips listed here I think all can be applied to tri/TT-bikes as well?

Mumps wrote that he doesn't ride his tri bike on the multiuse paths. I agree that when you're on the aero bars and in a more forward position when riding on a multiuse path you don't have quite the same ability to make evasive maneuvers as you do on a road bike. I don't think a tri bike is significantly less safe when riding on the roads or a multiuse path with little traffic. I mainly just ride my road bike when training because I enjoy it more and don't care at this point that I'm not riding my tri bike enough to go as fast as possible on it in races.

So sad about Bradley, especially that it happened on a road so close to his home.
Last edited by: Mark Lemmon: Mar 18, 21 7:04
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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If you do one thing get a rear blinking light (aligned) is a necessity. I cant believe how many I see aimed into space or the ground

Most rear LED lights have a focused field of view; up, down and side to side. I had my wife hold up my bike on the right margin of the road and I walked back a few car lengths and found that adjusting the beam slightly to the left and down made it most visible to drivers. Placing it as high as possible using a slight downward angle seemed to be the best, it gave the most distance to the beam.

Also, use the most random light mode, an even pattern/beat is less noticeable.

Ron W.
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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I don’t really buy into the notion that seeing a car in a mirror or even hearing a car (I’ve worn headphones many times - though often it’s nothing playing other than to stop wind noise) will make any difference most all of the time.

If a car is inattentive or loses control (from behind) I see almost no instances where I can react in time, not knowing what’s happening behind me. Unless you spot some car swerving to come in for a hit and run. Otherwise my fate is in their hands.

Same goes for noise. I’m not about to pull off the road any time I hear tyre noise. Tyres sound the same whether they are in the gutter or 4 feet from it. Until it’s about 20 ft back in which case too late to do anything.

So instead I ride assertively. I don’t be a rule breaker. I try to be courteous such as stay in the queue at lights.. I use lights in the dark but don’t worry about the clothing as much. If it’s my time so be it.
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [Mark Lemmon] [ In reply to ]
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Yep, lots of great points.

Our trail is often very busy and much of it follows the river, so it has a fair amount of turns. Additionally, the pavement is really rough in lots of spots. I figure if I’m on the horns the majority of the time, what’s the point?

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [rjsurfer] [ In reply to ]
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Ron, good points on the randomness. That makes sense. I took my second rear light off for my last race in the fall and need to put it back on.

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
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Re: Shawn Bradley paralyzed/ bike safety [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
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One other thing.

Last year we had a long period of covid restrictions where it was solo riding only.

Now the roads were blissfully quiet for a few months. But as I was out on my own I got a Specialized helmet with their 'Angi' impact detection.

I totally know it doesn't stop a crash. But at least if I'm in a ditch unconscious, my wife and a couple of friends get an alert and a location. Rather than being unfound for hours or days.

(2 or 3 years back a racer went into a ditch on a local tri. Nobody saw it. Nobody knows if he was taken out by a car. He was only found an hour+ later when another racer happened to go off into the same ditch... and found him, unconscious and in a bad way. Scary.)
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