Damn, I ride out that way all the time…can’t ever be too careful out there.
My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
I just went out that way this past sunday to swim in lake del valle. It was no nice looking and i said to myself, i gotta come back here to do some rides. It just reminds you of how vulnerable you are out there on a bike.
Definitely have to be careful on Mines Road…great riding in near complete isolation from traffic and other things human, but for much of it the road is a single lane. I don’t know that I would be riding it at 7:25 P.M. as was the case with this tragedy, but that doesn’t exonerate anyone.
Most of the vehicular traffic out in that area and in the Altamont hills is used to bicycles being on the road, but as always one must go overboard in being aware of the surroundings. Any thread talking about wearing IPods or the like on the bike always crack me up…“hmm, let’s see how many different inputs I can jam into my senses before I kill myself?!”
Jep,
Yesterday evening I was riding home after dark. Dark road, almost no lighting. I get ready to make a left turn across 2 lanes.
No car lights in sight…Looks like I am good to make my turn-------wait a minute-----what’s that low humming sound appoaching from behind ???
I hesitate and try to figure out where the low noise comes from. 1 second later a car coasts by doing 45 mph, no headlights; with the driver (as I see in my front light) fiddling with something on the passenger seat.
With earphones (even only one earbud) I would be dead now.
I live in Livermore and ride past the spot he was hit at least two times a week. There are a lot of trucks out there but they almost always drive slow enough to be safe. It the spot he was hit is one lane and always a little scary on the way back down hill. I have had that thought of what would happen if a big ass truck was coming the other way almost every time I ride out there. Past 7 PM it is too dark for me to ride out on Mines this time of year. The canyon walls are so high the sun is blocked at least an hr before sunset.
After Tom’s bloody sunday article this hits way too close to home. Makes the computrainer sound better every time somebody goes down.
Dave
MattinSF said: as soon as I saw a Ford F-150 was involved I could picture the dumbass redneck idiot driver in my head.
The Article said:Excessive speed and alcohol do not appear to have caused the crash, which occurred south of Tesla Road, according to the coroner’s office.
The Article said: while bicycling on Mines Road near Livermore around 7:25 p.m.,
Someone with actual KNOWLEDGE of the area said: Past 7 PM it is too dark for me to ride out on Mines this time of year. The canyon walls are so high the sun is blocked at least an hr before sunset.
MattinSF said: You hate to jump to conclusions before any of the facts have been released
Some of the facts were released and you jumped to conclusions anyway. I know you are a liberal and therefore have a monopoly on rationality, non-judgmentality, the moral high-road, etc., but did you know that some people have one vehicle and they need a pick-up for their work? I know you would probably not want to associate with these people because they have not read the works of Lenin, but they are for the most part honest and hard-working.
Yeah, it’s funny how we can associate cars with people. I just recently met this guy Steve, and he just seemed hippie to the extreme, which I dug. He’s on the cutting edge as far as renewable resources goes. He and his wife home-schooled their four children. He builds custom homes that take advantage of the natural resources of the area. They currently live in a streamliner that is fully powered by wind energy. Anyhow, I met this guy randomly while out riding, and we talked for about 2 1/2 hours. I ended up going by his house to talk to him again, and it turns out he drives a Humvee. Totally cracked me up. He figures since there are six of 'em, and they live off the grid in a fairly remote area, it’s the perfect vehicle. So yeah, sometimes people actually buy things because of the utility of them.
I’ll have to get my buddy Matt to post a picture of his run-in with an Explorer. Looks like a B-movie horror flick makeup job.
You hate to jump to conclusions before any of the facts have been released, but as soon as I saw a Ford F-150 was involved I could picture the dumbass redneck idiot driver in my head.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/baycitynews/archive/2005/04/27/bikefatal27.DTL
what happened to the peaceful tribe dude?
Hey matt, whats your problem, I drive a F150 and am definately not a redneck,
as far as your stereo types go I think you may be riding a fat cock to work?
Hey matt, whats your problem, I drive a F150 and am definately not a redneck,
as far as your stereo types go I think you may be riding a fat cock to work?
I love a public execution. Glad I could be a part.
ohh hang them at dawn. I still think the F-150 is the best cycling vehicle I have owned, I will give a powerbar gel to the person who tells me how many bikes I can put in the bed of the truck and have a nice clean drive home. I start you with its more than 10! Try that on your latest smart car or toyota prius.
Double hangin’s too good for him!
I’ve got a pick-up with a 1.8 litre engine and it is a 4x2. Guess what? It can still take 10 bikes and give me a clean ride home without running at 8 mpg.
Why on earth would you need a V8?
its not a V8, mine is the smaller F-150, and coming from england I didnt think that was possible. at any rate I didnt pay for the car, it goes with the job, I work with refineries and offshore platforms and unfortionately the parts for compressors are not light, clean or small
That’s cool. My beef is with people who buy the V8 to drive their kids to school or throw a surfboard in the back.
I would have to take a bike out the back to fit a board, mind you rincon is just 45 mins down the road!!! tempting, but only managed about 4 hours surfing due to training. anyway …
…
Since I started triathlon my surfing has gone downhill, my rotator cuffs are f*cked after every surf.
my v8 silverado gets better mileage than many v6 powered trucks.
its’ about matching the engine to the vehicle.
the v8 purrs at 2k. it idles at 10mph.
and gets 20mpg on the highway.
a v6 would just have to rev higher and burn as much or more gas to move the same truck
please don’t generalize about this.
my other car is a miata.
Why on earth would you need a V8?
What business is it of yours?
Why would anyone need their own plane?
Why would anyone need a 20,000 square foot home on the ocean?
Why has “need” got to do with it?
Hey matt, whats your problem, I drive a F150 and am definately not a redneck, as far as your stereo types go I think you may be riding a fat cock to work?
Holy sh.t! Gloves are off and going for the jugular… perhaps inappropriate and out of line but I must abashedly admint… pretty damned funny (spewed my coffee on the monitor - thanks).