Cam Dye says 'no more' to road biking

[93KgBike]

Cam Dye retired from a pretty successful triathlon career at the end of last year, and is quoted in an interview on slowtwitch saying that he will not ride bikes on roads anymore out of concern for his safety.

Probably won’t spend too much time riding on the road, because it is not as safe as it was. And now since it is no longer the way how I pay my bills, the last thing I now want is to get involved in an accident.

It sounds a little Milquetoast, but research actually bares out the claim. The roads are more unsafe for American pedestrians and cyclists than ever before.

I have struggled with my perception of these changes, and challenged myself to be stronger and smarter on the road.

Florida just made the news as being the most unsafe place to walk in America - followed closely by Texas and California. In addition, accidents have become more deadly as vehicles have become larger (SUV & pickups).

Mike Hall's death shook me up.

After 38 years of riding on the road, all over this country, I am beginning to wonder if I have been just cruising along when I should have been letter writing and taking political action.

The roads don't feel safe. They never did to me, but I just bucked up. And things have only gotten worse... I am not ready to 'museum' my bikes, of course. But...

What to do?

[unterhausen]

a fundamental change has happened in the U.S. since I started riding 45 years ago. Back then, it was difficult to get banks to lend to people to build a house out in the boonies. Now, there is building everywhere. And those people are in a hurry to get out of the boonies or back home. It's really sad to see nice roads being turned into high speed arteries. Last fall, I was on a tiny back road south of Frederick MD late at night, and it was like rush hour. No idea where all those people were going, but they weren't happy to see me.

[Ralph]

I share his fear....have been riding the roads now for over 45 years. But now.....Unless I'm tucked into a large group......where I feel a lot more visible and somewhat safer.....when by myself....I just ride the paved trails. We are so fortunate around here to have paved trails where one can go as far as you wish with little side traffic.....with only a few places here and there with dangerous trail traffic. Of course.....on the trail....you don't go as fast. But I can go off for the whole day, have lunch out somewhere, and never mix it up with vehicle traffic.

[Tickdoc]

The road is where I get my joy, so that is where I ride.

Sorry for that dude, whomever he is, but I’m going to keep riding the road.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by 93KgBike

It sounds a little Milquetoast, but research actually bares out the claim. The roads are more unsafe for American pedestrians and cyclists than ever before.

I don't think you read the article you cited. The article shows that cycling in the USA has been getting continuously safer in the USA, and that from 2010 - 2014 (the last time interval in the study), cycling in the USA has had its lowest fatility rate of all the time periods in the study. The main problem this studied identified is that, while the cyclng fatality rate has been dropping in all the countries studied, the fatality rate in the US isn't dropping as fast as it is in other countries.

Originally Posted by 93KgBike

I have struggled with my perception of these changes, and challenged myself to be stronger and smarter on the road.

I think this comes closer to the issue today - the perception of the dangers of cycling has been increasing, even if the actual dangers have not. The human mind is conditioned to assess and react to the dangers it encounters (which includes dangers we have heard about from others). In previous decades, when we got news from local papers and TV stations, or from word of mouth, it was rare to hear stories about cycling crashes that happened far away. Now, in the age of the internet and the 24 hour news cycle, we instantly hear about cycling fatalities that happen half a world away. Even though we may hear about more cycling fatalities today, that doesn't mean there actually are more cycling fatalities today.

[merckxman]

There are 100,000,000 more people in the USA since 1980!

snip, "After 38 years of riding on the road..."

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

I don't think you read the article you cited. The article shows that cycling in the USA has been getting continuously safer in the USA, and that from 2010 - 2014 (the last time interval in the study), cycling in the USA has had its lowest fatility rate of all the time periods in the study. The main problem this studied identified is that, while the cyclng fatality rate has been dropping in all the countries studied, the fatality rate in the US isn't dropping as fast as it is in other countries.







I think this comes closer to the issue today - the perception of the dangers of cycling has been increasing, even if the actual dangers have not. The human mind is conditioned to assess and react to the dangers it encounters (which includes dangers we have heard about from others). In previous decades, when we got news from local papers and TV stations, or from word of mouth, it was rare to hear stories about cycling crashes that happened far away. Now, in the age of the internet and the 24 hour news cycle, we instantly hear about cycling fatalities that happen half a world away. Even though we may hear about more cycling fatalities today, that doesn't mean there actually are more cycling fatalities today.

Thank you for being a reasonable voice of reason ..

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Ralph]

I think it's mostly the distracted driving from texting. Just the other day....and I use a rear view mirror on my helmet.....I watched a pick up with trailer come up behind me....as he passed....he gave me some room....but the trailer hauling his lawn equipment was wider than the truck....and he almost brushed me. When I looked at him....he was using the phone with his hands. Scary!

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by Ralph

I think it's mostly the distracted driving from texting. Just the other day....and I use a rear view mirror on my helmet.....I watched a pick up with trailer come up behind me....as he passed....he gave me some room....but the trailer hauling his lawn equipment was wider than the truck....and he almost brushed me. When I looked at him....he was using the phone with his hands. Scary!

What is the "it" that is mostly the distracted driving from texting? In the '90s, few people texted on their phones, and yet there were more cyclist injuries and fatalities in the '90s than there are now. Before you try to come with an explanation for a phenomenon or trend, you should first check to see if the phenomenon or trend actually exists.

[bicycletricycle]

The discussion section of the paper sighted says that cycling is getting safer.

"In all 11 countries shown in Figures 1
and 2, pedestrian and cyclist fatality rates per
capita fell between 1990 and 2014, but the
smallest reductions were in the United States."

[54ny77]

Cycling is rarely fun for me anymore with where I currently ride (SoCal), unless I'm out at 5 am on a warm weekend morning and the sun just coming out, along with zero traffic.

Have been out here about 5 months (recent move from east coast) and have had so many close calls. Technically, I've been hit, but I managed to stay upright by way of leaning into the car, which thankfully drifted back into the proper car lane and out of the bike lane.

Just this past weekend, I had to officiate in middle of PCH when an old man slammed into a guy riding in crosswalk across the highway, as driver was turning left and didn't stop for the biker in crosswalk. I saw it literally unfold in slow motion. I stopped traffic, got everyone off to side of road, and had to play judge/mediator to get the two to be quiet and move along. Both were at fault, luckily the cyclist was just shaken up, no damage. It was a lo speed impact, thankfully.

My goal in '19 is do more offroading.

[ERK55]

Originally Posted by merckxman

There are 100,000,000 more people in the USA since 1980!

snip, "After 38 years of riding on the road..."

Frightening thought.
When’s the max?

[vqdriver]

i've gone primarily dirt road/mtb after a few close calls. a couple with malice, a few more i'm guessing just carelessness. i don't need to ride that bad.

[FlashUNC]

No one's going to bring up the "I'm older now and my creeping mortality has me more fearful of riding on the road, even if the data shows overall it's safer than it's been in a long time."

We'll go to great lengths to justify a decision that deludes us into thinking it's something beyond our own changing tolerances.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

No one's going to bring up the "I'm older now and my creeping mortality has me more fearful of riding on the road, even if the data shows overall it's safer than it's been in a long time."

We'll go to great lengths to justify a decision that deludes us into thinking it's something beyond our own changing tolerances.

I'm older now, and my creeping fear of mortality has me more fearful of riding on the rode.

It also has me purchase disc brakes and use a 10-42 cassette