"I am frightened to go out training": Pro rider’s emotional video after close pass fr

[redir]

It's not like she's a soldier whose job is fighting a war in Iraq or Syria, you know, there are guns and snipers there, you want to be a soldier? Deal with it.

Roads public spaces and as such everyone has equal rights to it. She has every right to be upset about someone threatening her life.

[Bruce K]

I would guess the reaction for someone would be connected to how close the incident was, rider age, and rider experience.

Really close call and younger rider = big reaction.

Really close call and older rider = similar but more controlled reaction (right weisan? )

BK

[zap]

edit

Originally Posted by Tony T

….and I use earbuds when riding and they do not interfere with my hearing what's going on around me.

.

Hearing alone is not sufficient. It's the little tell tale noises like increased pebble pickup and/or triangulating the noise and following the track that can help. On the super rare occasion....you hear you ditch.....no time for anything else like looking in a mirror.

Windy day's are especially difficult.

[Red Tornado]

Originally Posted by unterhausen

reminds me of my carbide scriber on a stick project. "why'd you scratch my car?" "why did you hit me?"

Along that same line....
"You scratched my anchor!", Al Czervik to Judge Smails - Caddyshack.

[sitzmark]

Originally Posted by Tony T

I could never understand why these self-absorbed drivers trying to save a few seconds don't realize how they will lose hours of their self-absorbed lives if they hit the cyclist.
I also have noticed that these a-hole drivers are the ones that I remember, however, they are, in my experience, the minority of drivers in my area, but it only takes one to ruin your day.

….and I use earbuds when riding and they do not interfere with my hearing what's going on around me.

.

It's a two way street. Can't speak to AUS, but in the US it is illegal in many jurisdictions to wear earbuds while driving. At least in those areas cyclists should follow the same road rules. Perception is important - fighting to eliminate distracted driving while engaging in a practice that has a general understanding for being distracting is counter productive, whether or not one is actually distracted. There are ways to use devices in cars that is "not distracting" but emphasis is being placed on no distraction to compensate for a very serious issue on today's roads.

Most vehicle infotainment systems/bluetooth integration are operable by voice and do not require taking one's eyes off of the road. It's possible to send a text without touching or looking at a connected phone. If running late just say text Sally Smith that I'm running late and say send. Done. Then there is no need for a mad, unsafe rush to get to wherever - take 10 secs and be considerate of a cyclist, a pedestrian, a fellow driver. Based on observation most aren't using the technology. Is it enough to stop the carnage??

30,000+ people are dying on US roads every year. 6%-8% of them are not occupants of a vehicle, i.e. cyclists/pedestrians, etc. This isn't just a cycling problem.

[Red Tornado]

Originally Posted by zap

edit



Hearing alone is not sufficient. It's the little tell tale noises like increased pebble pickup and/or triangulating the noise and following the track that can help. On the super rare occasion....you hear you ditch.....no time for anything else like looking in a mirror.

Windy day's are especially difficult.

I never use earbuds on the road or dirt; prefer to hear EVERYTHING going on around me. Some friends will ride with one earbud in, or just play music on their phones speaker. To each his/her own I guess. I would rather err on the side of caution, however marginal it is.

[benb]

Of course she's going to get criticism, she stuck it on Instagram and didn't hide that she was wearing earbuds and all that other stuff.

The earbuds reduce your situational awareness, other vehicles on the road are going to surprise you a lot more and be a lot more scary.

It's basic common sense, it amazes me how often cyclists think they can get away with it.

I feel like my situational awareness is drastically reduced and I have a higher chance of getting hit by a car if I go for a WALK with earbuds in.

But really, Instagram is all it takes... throw your life on social media, you're going to get flak no matter what the content is. It's all a cesspool so you'll always get dirty.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by sitzmark

Can't speak to AUS, but in the US it is illegal in many jurisdictions to wear earbuds while driving.

Ohio has a hands free cell phone law. it's quite common to see people driving with earbuds in. they're trying to follow one law, while breaking another...

as you said, and according to AAA, it's not a country-wide law; it's actually perfectly legal in more states than not. which, for what it's worth, implies it's also perfectly legal for bicycles (in those states) as well.

[rwsaunders]

Originally Posted by redir

It's not like she's a soldier whose job is fighting a war in Iraq or Syria, you know, there are guns and snipers there, you want to be a soldier? Deal with it.

Roads public spaces and as such everyone has equal rights to it. She has every right to be upset about someone threatening her life.

+1...she's a pro and a former Jr. TT world champion too with many more training miles than any of us put in. I read somewhere that she's been seriously injured while racing as well. More power to her for sharing her emotions with the world and the end of the day, we are all cycling brethren so stay safe out there.

[notsew]

This thread is icky.

[Buzz]

We’ve all had tough days like hers out there so I sympathize with her..however as a practical maybe she should find a more appropriate route or area to train on. From the short clip it appears she is on a narrow rural road with no shoulder or bike lane with vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed which equals frustration and higher risk of accidents. We have some roads in my area that are too heavily travelled, higher speed, limited shoulder, etc and you just avoid them.

Re earbuds one of my pro racer friends who competed and won at the highest levels of the sport told me that his ears/hearing were one of the most important assets of his career - like radar to approaching riders or vehicles, mechanical issues with the bike, the sound of a tire screeching on a sharp turn meaning that he was reaching the outer limits of staying upright, brakes screeching, the breathing rate of a competitor, the sudden quietness before an attack...

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by notsew

This thread is icky.

Yup.

[93KgBike]

The thread is fine, some of the responses... not so much.

Bike paths are not on or alongside of roads, they are wholly separate and not legally accessible by motor vehicles. I'd like more of those.

I've spent more than 30 years commuting and training on roads. I have been hit by cars 6 times, all settled in my favor. I have never had an accident on a bike path.

Training hard, whether on a bike path or on the road, requires riding fast and entails risk. Those risks are shared with other users in either place.

I can't think of a rational reason not to empathize with a professional complaining about the risks of getting hit by a car. Nor can I think of a rational reason for arguing against adding more infrastructure to support cycling.

But I accept that, regrettably, other cyclists can.

[rzthomas]

Originally Posted by Gummee

No sexism. I say that to guys that are 'too scared to ride with cars' too.

You want to be a roadie? Deal with it. Part of the day-to-day existence on a road bike is dealing with people who are rude/unsafe/etc.

I don't like it either, but I don't go around whining about it.

M

IMO, we need more "whining" about road conditions. Productive whining has gotten us safer bike infrastructure, awareness campaigns, etc.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by rzthomas

IMO, we need more "whining" about road conditions. Productive whining has gotten us safer bike infrastructure, awareness campaigns, etc.

Agree. "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" leads to stagnation.