Be carefull on group rides - one very lucky cyclist

Yikes.

After falling 50ft he has a little headache.  One lucky guy.

Yikes! but what a story for an 18 year old now when/if he goes to college!

Did anyone see some of those comments on that article? Here's one that stuck out:

We tie up 25 firefighters and rescue people for hours, block the main road for hours too all so "Lance Jr" and company can play in their spandex. And they wonder why motorists don't respect them? They need to make the person responsible for this foot the bill. Had they been driving a safe distance apart it wouldn't have happened. If a vehicle had done this to another car someone would have been held libel for their mistake. Want to play on the roads? Then they need to adhere to the same set of rules we play by.

Why are people so anti-cyclist? This past weekend I was honked at several times, while obeying every road law on the books in my state. I was buzzed a few times. And one minivan driver tried to run me off the road instead of using the other (same direction) lane to pass me (on a 4-lane road!). Then last evening I had an argument with my roommate over cyclists' rights to use the roadways. Why must cyclists be the redheaded stepchild of transportation/sport?

Okay I'm done ranting. Glad the kid had an accident he could walk away from. 

Seriously? Yes even cyclists pay. IT'S CALLED TAXES. We pay them.

What's up with the hate for redheads?

I think Kick a Ginger day is coming up soon. They're warming up.

Scary bike accident but he was so lucky where he landed.

I guess I might get flamed mercilessly for this, but here goes.

FIRST AND FOREMOST:  I'm glad that the cyclist is OK.  That's a pretty amazing fall to come away from with minor injuries.  (Many years ago I was a rock climber, so I've had occasion to think about these things first hand.)

SECOND:  Your (puckstopperga's) experiences are certainly not what I'd like to see from drivers.  Honking (without cause), buzzing, not to mention attempted running off of the road, are all actions that are condemnable, full stop.

THIRD:  There are loads of truly unconscionable anti-cyclist comments on the internet, 'backed up', alas, by actions on the road.  Scary.

FOURTH:  It is not obvious to me, however, that the comment that you (puckstopperga) quoted is particularly anti-cyclist.  We cyclists ask to be treated as other vehicles on the road.  We ask for the same consideration that cars and motorcycles get -- safe following distance, safe passing, etc.  And we should.  In exchange, we need to respect the same laws that apply to those other vehicles on the road.  One of those laws is 'safe following distance'.  As much as we might enjoy following another cyclist 2 inches behind his or her wheel, we have to admit that this is NOT SAFE, in the sense that if the cyclist in front makes some slightly erratic move, the odds of reacting in time are very very small.  Just watch a few pro races and you are virtually guaranteed to see a wreck that occurs for this reason.  And just as one might be (quite rightly!) upset about having to pay for the actions of some cardriver who suddenly fancied himself or herself a Formula 1 driver and was driving a few feet behind the car in front, so also it seems not unreasonable for someone to be upset about a cyclist doing essentially the same thing.  (PROVISIO:  I have NO CONCRETE EVIDENCE that the cyclist here was following extremely closely, though it does seem a good bet.)

FIFTH:  The fourth point does not, however, imply, that, for example, the firefighters should just give up on this kid because he was following too closely.  Rescue services don't work that way.  They rescue.  That is their mission, and they don't ask WHY the person is in need of rescuing; they just rescue.  Should a person who 'should have known better' be made to PAY for the cost of rescuing him or her?  I think I'll take a pass on that question, because it is very difficult, and any decent answer (or at least an that I could give) would require more than most are willing to read (if anybody has read this far!).

Wonder if the same guy will rant next time they shut down a local freeway for a fatal motorist accident? I fail to see how this is any different than a car accident that ties up traffic and emergency personnel.

Hahahah.  I love it when holier than thou people leave comments on news clips showing just how much they understand...