Thank you for reading my blog, now the Feed

First up I want to thank the hundreds of you who read my blog. You have no idea how it makes me feel to have an audience like that again, I thought that after my wreck reaching that many people at a single time would be out of my life forever. Now I have that back, and I thank you for it. I also appreciate your support during my dental issues, and promise to keep the news flowing to the best of my ability.

People have been making a mess out there for cyclists, and of cyclists, too. I don’t know what the issues are besides more bicycle and motor vehicle traffic in the good weather, but y’all gotta stop getting hit. I don’t know for sure that any of my readers were injured lately, but I sure hope not.

A cyclist is hit in GA. Bicyclist Injured in Gray Accident There was no grey area in the wreck, the name of the town was Gray. From the comments it appears the cyclist was riding on the sidewalk and was hit by a motor vehicle pulling out of a driveway and directly into the cyclist. This is why you should never ride on the sidewalk, drivers can’t see you until after they hit you and by then it’s a little too late.

Another hit-and-run in the Deep South. Cyclist killed in Rankin County “We are looking for a silver or gray Dodge Dakota with damage to the front left,” Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol spokesman Sgt. James Walker said. “The passenger window will be broken out and the side-view mirror is missing.” Sounds like the driver may have been drunk when he hit the cyclist, and the patrol officer doesn’t know left from right, as in the US the passenger sits on the right side of the vehicle. But still with that much damage to the vehicle there is now way the driver didn’t know he had hit something and should stop. Usual hit-and-run rant applies, make sure he has cat allergies then put him in a locked room with a couple dozen cute kittens, let him die of cute overload. Better than me stomping his body to lifelessness. Not that I would do such a thing, just using that as an example of worse ways to die than anaphylactic shock caused by a cute kitten. And even that’s too good for the vermin that hits cyclists and leaves them to die. And it looks like commenter “cyclist55” rides a Bachetta.

There are web sites for everyone, including bottom-feeder lawyer types. Missouri S&T professor killed in bicycling accident! I feel slimed from the ads on that site, and I run Linux. 😉 Even bottom-feeder lawyers have to make a living somehow.

A fender-bender involving a bike in the UK. Cyclist injured in Burnham-On-Sea road accident Treated at the scene means the cyclist was only grazed and maybe knocked down, but not seriously hurt, Thank (the deity of your choice).

Two reports on a wreck in th4e Mediterranean Isle of Malta. UPDATED: Cyclist killed in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq was training for LifeCycle and also UPDATED: Lifecycle cyclist killed in hit-and-run The found the driver, who is answering questions in custody.

My ABQ colleague from examiner.com has a two part helmet article. Bicycle helmet safety, avoid an afternoon helicopter ride. and the second part Continuation of yesterday’s post, bicycle helmet safety The writer uses some out of date and discredited studies, but the message is this: when you ride off road the only PPE you have is your helmet and gloves which you should wear all the time when you ride. For some riders there is also some body armor, but it can’t be worn on every ride because of heat buildup.

Another helmet-centric “safety” article. Free ice cream for responsible bicycle riders “It takes one incident to change a community, one child with a traumatic brain injury,” he said. “We want to be proactive.” Then try getting rid of the #1 killer of people under the age of 18 in the US, the motor vehicle. Yes cars kill more kids than anything else, by a wide margin at some ages. Under 5 YO cars kill more kids than all other causes. “If it saves just one child’s life” is BS when getting rid of cars around kids will save many thousands of lives directly through preventing crashes, and hundreds of thousands more by preventing car-related diseases, like obesity. At least they are trying to promote cycling, in spite of making it more difficult.

Infrastructure article from Seattle, they are trying to re-do a car-only intersection into one that can be shared by bicycles. Bike lane changes proposed for Ballard Bridge Personally I don’t like any of the choices offered, all are killers just some less so than others. That’s the problem with trying to retrofit car-only infrastructure into a complete street.

MA riders are trying to beat cancer into submission by riding the long way across their state. Riding down a killer I support this worthy cause by telling you to give them money, because I ain’t got none.

And final report for the day, fundraising for the injured cyclits in that Ottawa wreck has begun. Ottawa man organizing fundraiser for 5 injured cyclists For my readers from the Great White North this is another worthy cause to which I direct your money because I ain’t got none.

I have another church function to attend tonight, first time out since the operation, and I intend to enjoy myself. That means not only will there not be an evening update, I won’t even be thinking about tomorrow’s update until I get up tomorrow morning.

Billed @$.02, Opus

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Silently (HA!) suffering to bring you the Feed

Welcome back to my blog! I’m starting to feel a little better, not as dyspeptic as I was yesterday. I’m starting to eat a little more solid food, still not up to full meals of regular food which both leaves me hungry and a little out of sorts.

On with the reports from the Feed! We have crazy, we have stuff that makes you say “About time!” and we got some “WTF?” stuff.

Going with the good news first, a driver hits a cyclist in Boise and gets a ticket. Driver cited after hitting 18-year-old cyclist in Boise Note that the cyclist wasn’t killed or even seriously injured, just hit by a car that was at fault. “About time!” This was a case where driver inattention or aggression may have played a factor, and the cyclist had the right of way over a turning vehicle.

Continuing with the good news theme, the Corpus cyclist severely injured in a hit-and-run was taken off a ventilator and is communicating with caregivers. Injured cyclist makes progress daily Police still have no leads on the black pickup truck that hit her.

Charges against a drunk driver may be upgraded, and a judge averts a lynch mob. Driver accused of killing bicyclist may face additional charges The judge came off the bench to speak to a crowd of about 50 cyclists that came to the hearing to protest. For those trying to place this wreck, this was the one that the drunk driver claimed the cyclist came out of an intersection and pulled in front of him when the collision was in the middle of the block on a different road.

A teenager in NJ won’t make it to prom, or anywhere else for that matter. Bike rider, 13, struck and killed Not enough information from the article to say what happened. All we know is that there was a trail, whether that was a dirt mountain bike trail, a crushed gravel bike trail, or a paved bike path we don’t know, neither do we know of any signage or any other warning foe the driver that bicycles may be present on the road, nor do we know about sightlines. All we know is there was a kid on a bicycle and an SUV and the laws of physics took their course.

A strange report out of MI on a minivan and a dead cyclist. Saline bicyclist struck by minivan, killed A person on the comments section reports that the van was not trying to pass the cyclist unless he was passing on the right, that the van basically centerpunched the cyclist who then went through the windshield of the van. In other words a classic hit-from-behind scenario. From the description this was not an avoidable wreck for the cyclist, maybe if the driver had slowed down before he got to the cyclist then it could have been avoided but the closure rate combined with the van driver moving to the right on the cyclist removed all escape for the cyclist.

In Canuckistan LEO are warning drivers to stay away from downtown Vancouver this Friday because of Critical Mass. ‘Critical Mass’ bike ride expected to snarl downtown traffic on Friday I love it when LEO allow people to assemble and petition their government for grievances…

And the only “lifestyle” article today was a marriage themed “alleycat” race to celebrate upcoming nuptials of a cycling couple. Bicycles built for love Tell ’em Opus sent you. 😉 And best wishes to the Happy Couple.

And that’s all I got today. I’m going to take a shower (some of the comments in some articles made me feel “slimed”) and have a little lay down.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Stuck at home with a swollen jaw and 3 new holes in my head, The Feed

I know, it’s been 2 whole days without your Feed, and you’re going into withdrawal. I feel your pain. Actually I can’t feel your pain because I’m too busy feeling my pain, but hey pain is pain and I’m feeling it. If you need to know why then just scroll down a bit in my blog from this post and all will be made crystal.

While I was gone a very bizarre report has been making the rounds about a man in NC who was shot at because he was riding his bicycle with his son on a child safety seat on the back of the bicycle, while his wife rode with them. The bullet passed through the helmet the guy was wearing and according to one report left the inside of the helmet and passed next to the man’s head then back into the helmet and out the side. That’s about as close as you can get to being shot in the head without actually being shot in the head, and without the helmet to record the path of the bullet there would have been nothing to show how close the man came to losing his life. How you can avoid a similar situation, how would you even get in a similar situation? The guy with the gun was a nutjob, “You won’t be safe by my standards so I will kill you to make you be safe.” I wear a full face helmet, maybe I could get one with a ballistic level Kevlar shell? Won’t stop bullets, but it does make the deadlier ones mushroom and kills their velocity to levels that will bounce off a normal skull. Aside from that a Madonna del Ghisallo pendant on a silver chain? Mace? An Uzi in a shoulder holster? What will force the nutjobs out there behind the wheels of WMDs to leave us alone and not try to enforce their own made up laws on us?

An update on the CO rider that was hit from behind on the shoulder of the road earlier this month. Injured cyclist upgraded to serious condition and Bicycle-Car Collision in Windsor Leaves Cyclist Critically Injured and what appears to be an identical article to the first one linked Fort Collins bicyclist improves to serious condition at MCR; driver issued citation Kudos for issuing a citation, as weak as it is. And good luck and speedy recovery to the cyclist along with a huge settlement from the lowlife’s insurance company.

A demonstration of the lethality of motor vehicles when one hits you at even 5 MPH. Oak View cyclist struck by pickup, injured Yes getting hit at even 5 MPH when you don’t have time to prepare for it can cause life-threatening injury, and yes in this case a helmet might have reduced the extent of his injuries, but let’s be honest here, who’s more at fault, the cyclist for not wearing a helmet or the driver in the truck for hitting the cyclist in a crosswalk? And for you following at home this qualifies as a left cross. Also as a driver not paying attention to what was in the road in front of him if he was really going 5 MPH.

Another one killed in OK. Bike Rider Dies After Accident The driver drove off the road and a cyclist is dead and the killer gets? Not even a ticket…TANJ!

A drunken driver kills another cyclist in OH. Driver kills bicyclist along Cemetery Road The driver didn’t even know where he was and claimed the cyclist came out of an intersection that wasn’t near where he hit the cyclist. Flog him with bicycle chains until he gets some sense. As for how to avoid drunk drivers on the wrong roads late at night, that’s what the rear view mirror is for. Drunks usually hit you from behind except when they drive through intersections without looking, and there is nothing you can do about drunks that drive through intersections without looking.

Another report on a death in the RAGBRAI. Crash near state park kills Missouri RAGBRAI rider Lost control of his bike in a single vehicle wreck…

And finally is a report from Oz that has a remarkably familiar ring to it, something about shooting cyclists… Cyclist injured, car damaged in Baldivis shooting Given the level of gun control in Oz, this can’t happen, so it must be the car’s imagination that it was shot 😛 Once again this is random violence where the victim just happened to be a cyclist, nothing anyone can do for themselves to prevent it, except not be there. and that really isn’t a viable option, because that cedes places and times to control by terrorists which means they won, they pwn u.

And that’s all for today, more if I don’t start throwing up from the meds I’m taking. Bleah, and BLEAH!

Billed @$.02, Opus

Back from the dentist

I’m back from the dentist with the same number of teeth that I left the house with, just now 3 of them are in a little plastic cup. Bleeding is under control, pain levels are under contorl, control, dammit! adn I still haven’t had to use pain meds. I’m wating for my lips to get some feeling back, but the abscessed area had feeling back within a few minutes of pulling the teeth. For the anime and Iron Chef fans out there the taste was worse than natto and my speeling has gotten really bad today. I need to keep sat up to keep the bleeding down, and my glasses decided this would be a good day to start falling off my nose.

Enough rambling, I may not be on any pain meds, but I can still recognize the typing of a person in mild shock from the trauma of pulling 3 teeth in one session.

PSA, Opus

Dental dilemma update

“Here’s the sitch.”Kim Possible

I go under the knife at 1500 CDT to extract 3 teeth, 2 of which broke off below the gum line years ago. Then I get antibiotics and a special mouth rinse (can’t use Listerene) that I have to use for the next day or so. The doc is concerned about not being able to get me numb because of all the infection, but he hasn’t seen how much improvement I made in the last 24 hours. Wolverine may be a comic book character that can heal magically quick, but I’m the real deal. Still haven’t learned how to grow back new teeth though.

PSA, Opus

Three abscessed teeth

That was the diagnosis this morning, 3 abscessed teeth in my left lower jaw, lasting legacy of landing face first after being launched over a pickup truck. No teeth will be removed yet as there is just too much infection to work around, and I’ll have to wait until the antibiotics have done their job. Until then I will have to continue to live on coffee and oatmeal.

Normal posting will resume tomorrow, but expect another shut down at any time for the operation and recovery.

PSA, Opus

Heavy Feed for a Sunday

There were an unusual amount of articles in the Feed today. More wrecks with more “lifestyle” articles because of RAGBRAI and several multi-day charity rides ending this week. And some reports on wrecks earlier in the week that just now made it into the Feed.

Getting to the “Johnie-come-lately” report first is another report on the rider killed by a tanker truck last week. Bicyclist killed in collision on Van Dyke As I suspected from earlier reports this was a right-hook wreck. I don’t know if the truck pulled up on the rider or the rider pulled up in the truck, but I just don’t recommend the second one. If it’s the first one and you get hit it’s the driver’s fault, but if you pull up on the truck and you get hit it’s your fault. As for how to prevent one of these when the truck pulls up on you, well there is a 12 Ga shotgun round designed to go through a rim and tread or sidewall to flatten a tire and immobilize a vehicle. Putting this round in a handgun at least gives you a chance if the truck pulls over on you from a stop, but you would have to have the gun in hand when the truck started rolling in order to use it in time, so that isn’t really a workable solution. But would you be paying attention to a guy on a bicycle holding a gun that could chamber a 12 Ga round (hand cannon)?

Close to home is a rider hit on a service road to an Interstate highway just down the road a piece. Bike rider hit, killed in Burleson No lights, but no mention of reflectors which are the minimum required by TX law. Not that reflectors are enough, but hitting a legally equipped bike from behind would be a point in assigning fault in this case. At any rate a rarely enforced TX law assigns fault for any wreck involving a hit from behind by a passing vehicle.

“They” got another one in IN. Bicyclist injured at U.S. 41 and Riverside Drive Yeah, don’t run red lights, and hurry crossing on the green because it might turn red and you would be “running” the red light (not legally, because you entered on the green, but try explaining that to someone when you’re dead).

And a wreck that got a lot of media attention in OH. N. Canton bicyclist killed in hit-skip accident and Bicyclist Killed In Hit-Skip Accident also Man Charged with Cyclist’s Death in Fatal Hit Skip Accident Drunk driver, hit from behind, then leave the scene. Yeah, this guy gets the rabid badgers, not the cute kittens. I don’t care that he came back, he was drunk and left a fatal wreck, he deserves to die in a painful and prolonged way.

A really bad year for cyclists in Canada, from Canadia to Canuckistan. Cyclist killed in west Edmonton He lost control of his bike? Really? Well I’m going to go on the assumption that the report is accurate, there is not much I can tell you on this one. Don’t lose control of your bike, like anyone does that on purpose. Watch out of big semis the draft off one can knock you off the bike.

An unidentified cyclist is hurt in the UK. Injured cyclist’s identity sought Nothing about the wreck, so I can’t tell you how to avoid a similar one.

Another helmet-centric “safety” article. Delafield Family Preaches Bike Safety Just to correct some of the statements from the article only 46% of bike fatalities are from head injuries, most are from blunt trauma to the torso (50%) with blood loss from extremities most of the remaining 4%.

Another ride for soldiers. Bicycle Ride Honors Fallen Cape Soldiers The son of one of the riders getting killed days before the ride is a weird coincidence.

Another RAGBRAI report. Kilen: This ‘ridiculous ride’ keeps 84-year-old Ames man spry Yeah, when in doubt, ride your bike.

There are COPS in Terre Haute. COPS ride stops in Terre Haute As the father-in-law of a LEO I can say that the contingency plans for the survivors of disabled and killed police officers is pitiful.

A timeline of bicycle technology. From boneshaker to carbon-fibre It gets into personalities at the end but it’s still mostly technology.

And the future of cycling, or the future of motor vehicles? E-China: The bicycle kingdom is going electric Just FYI I’m working to develop an environmentally sound e-bike.

And that’s everything for today. There may not be a post tomorrow because I have an infection in my mouth and lousy dental insurance, so I may have to go spend all day in the charity dental clinic in downtown Dallas.

Billed @$.02, Opus

No news from Canada today, but lots of other news

Finally the news cycle on the wreck in Ottawa has passed. That doesn’t mean the story is over just that the media has lost interest in covering it. But don’t worry, there were lots of people getting hit by cars and otherwise having confrontations with cars while the attention was focused on Ottawa.

And one of those hot spots was Sand Springs OK, where the average IQ matches the daytime high temperatures. Tensions brew between cyclists, drivers over Sand Springs roads I shouldn’t be so hard on Okies, because the car-head entitlement mentality isn’t restricted to that state, but daaaang it’s hard sometimes especially living in TX with all the Okie jokes around. But the crux of the issue is car-head entitlement that thinks that roads were all made for meeee! Not for moving goods and people, but for meee to drive myyyy car. And all those people on bicycles are getting in myyyy waaayyyyy!

Lots of news out of Upstate NY. Bicyclist injured in Syracuse hit-and-run remains critical The vehicle in this case was running from police, and they found the vehicle. Unless it was reported stolen I don’t see why they can’t find the driver. When a gun is used in the commission of a crime the registered owner is assumed to be responsible, why can’t the same be said about a car?

Also from Upstate. Two injured in car-bike accidents Yes we have a twofer! One wreck the driver misjudged the rate of speed of a group of cyclists and pulled out in front of them, causing one cyclist to hit the back of her truck and causing serious injury, The other wreck was a hit-and-run that no details are forthcoming at the time I’m making this post. For avoiding the first wreck just assume everyone on the road is an idiot that doesn’t pay attention to where they are going or what is going on around them and plan an escape route.

And our last NY wreck. Cyclist hit by car on Route 6 struck on same road in 2004 Yes another left cross wreck, not a whole lot you can do about those except be aware of what is going on around you.

Another cyclist “swerves” in front of a motor vehicle. Bike rider suffers critical injuries For new readers of my blog, this is what we call a SWSS, in that the only conscious witness tio the wreck was the driver that hit the cyclist. Otherwise this would be a hit from behind wreck.

The name of cyclist killed by the sewage tanker truck and how he was killed were both released to the media. Police ID bicyclist killed in Macomb County accident The mode of the wreck was a right hook, apparently on a stationary cyclist, and the cyclist was an octogenarian. That makes the exchange at the Pearly Gates in yesterday’s blog post even more ironic. Eighty-three years old and he gets taken out by a truck full of shit.

Another report on the cyclist hit outside Boise. Bicyclist injured after hit by pickup on Highway 16 They’re trying to say there was a mechanical on the truck that caused the driver to veer off to the shoulder instead of a stupid driver.

A RAGBRAI rider hits a road grader. Cyclist severely injured after hitting road grader Yeah, watching where you’re going would be a great idea, even on RAGBRAI.

A cyclist is killed in Enn Zed. Christchurch cyclist killed in collision named Apparently the cyclist crossed the centerline on a turn and into oncoming traffic. So, watch your speed and stay in your own lane and you (probably) won’t get hit head on.

And when you ride RAGBRAI you have to eat pie, I think it’s a law. Pie is a must on RAGBRAI Have fun on the roads!

And that’s everything for today, I have another church function to attend tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Interesting blog stats and a mostly harmless Feed

Well I was looking over my enhanced blog stats today, and I noticed something interesting. There are a lot of people (?) reading my blog from US Government servers. Well 3 or 4 of you anyway. I wonder how many TX Gov’t types are reading my blog? While there are TX servers, they are mostly registered to commercial providers, so how do I know when the Big Brother in the cowboy hat is watching me? Any of you Net Savvy people out there care to help me on this one? As for the US people reading my blog my lookup system was not precise enough to tell me which part of the Gov’t they were working for like DoT, or DoJ, or FBI, just that the server belonged to the US Gov’t. With my luck it’s probably some minions in the Department of Agriculture cube farm somewhere reading my blog on break from manipulating hog belly futures 😉

The Feed was mostly lifestyle articles today, unusual for a weekday, but we are getting into the slow news time of the year.

Another Boise area cyclist is hit. Bicyclist injured after being hit by car Does the state of ID need to retest drivers on bicycles in the roads? Fortunately the cyclist was not too seriously injured in this wreck, and I’m still wondering why the driver left the road before he hit the cyclist. Nothing mentioned about drinking so maybe talking or texting? Given what we now know about cell phone usage in cars being more dangerous than drinking, what is the holdup about making using a cell phone while driving a crime? I would say the same thing that made getting tough against DUI such a battle 20 years ago, too many legislators use their cell phones to make their cars a mobile office now, and too many used to drink and drive before. What is needed is a comparison for legislators, have them drive sober and undistracted on a closed course, then taking a call on a cell phone, then get them drunk (.08 BAC) and do it again. and compare drunk and distracted against the baseline and each other so that they know drunk and distracted aren’t much different on the road. Too many people have died already where we know they weren’t paying attention because of a cell phone, like that train wreck in LA last year, and many minor bus wrecks all over the country in the last 6 months…

Des Moines investigates a cop on cyclist wreck like they would a shooting. Des Moines police launch probe of officer who hit cyclist I have to commend the officer in this case, he stopped immediately and rendered aid to the cyclist and summoned medical assistance. I’m sure he didn’t hit the cyclist on purpose he was just focused on catching the speeder. Driving over the limit endangers cyclists, too. Something else to be positive about was the insistence that the cyclist get checked by medical professionals for injuries that could have been hidden by shock. And I’m also glad the wreck is being investigated so carefully, not because I want the cop crucified but because understanding this wreck can help prevent others. As for how you can avoid a similar wreck, it’s back to Situational Awareness. Be aware of what is going on around you, like the cop sitting in a speed trap. As cyclists we have a much better view of what is going on and those of us not wearing full face helmets (almost all) can hear better too. Use those attributes to keep yourself alive. And BTW don’t ride on the sidewalk.

And I can just see this exchange at the Pearly Gates: “How did you die?” “I got hit by a tank truck full of raw sewage.” “doood!” Bicyclist killed in crash with tanker truck At this time there is nothing on the cyclist or how he died.

And one of the biggest stories in Canadia and Canuckistan continues to be the wreck in Ottawa that injured 5 cyclists. Olympian Kershaw trades in skis to help keep cyclists safe and Nothing cyclists could do, enthusiasts say At this point anything I have to add would be redundant.

The UK is starting to get with the program of what to do with drivers that are a danger to anyone else on the roads, especially us cyclists and pedestrians. Court places curfew order on pensioner who killed cyclist I would have rather seen a prison sentence, but a curfew is better than nothing. For my US readers, this was the UK equivalent of a left cross, because they drive on the wrong side of the roads over there 😉

A CT writer writes about transportational cyclists from when he was a kid and one of them/us. The (Other ) Bikers Then he gets into a profound lack of understanding of the nature of professional cycling.

A NYC writer with an odd penchant for changing fonts and font sizes in the middle of a paragraph posts about bike parking and education. Brooklyn’s Mourning Rider Gives Green Cities a New Rule I don’t know what knowing truck schedules is about unless it’s from a bike hater that doesn’t like bikes “slowing down” trucks.

A RAGBRAI article from something other than the Register. RAGBRAI ride eases on fourth day That sounds like it would be wonderful. One day I’m going to RAGBRAI.

And when you start feeling down about your situation think about these guys. Amputee bicyclists make cross-country trip to share hope Yeah, no legs from the knees down or above the knees, and still riding a bicycle from coast to coast, including 2 mountain ranges. The rest of us are all pansies by comparison.

A day of the COPS ride is canceled due to rains. C.O.P.S. ride in memory of others across Indiana I still say support this ride…

And that’s all of it today, I have things to do tonight away from the house, so no late night posts.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Redundency, and repetition, too

The Feed had lots of updates, and additional reports, on wrecks that to be honest have generated a lot of traffic to this site already. To be recognized is nice and all, but to be honest this is not the way I want to be remembered. So all you guys stop getting hit by cars so I can talk about my cats and riding Gigi to the grocery store, and get like maybe 3 hits a week instead of close to a thousand a month.

Continuing with the Big Story of the week, they’re still talking about that wreck in Ottawa. ‘Cycling is still safe in Ottawa’ Politicians and LEO are trying to calm nerves and frayed tempers as more than an average year’s worth of wrecks happen in less than 5 days, with cyclists taking the brunt no matter which side is at fault. Lots of comments, some actually used good grammar and spelling.

Another report on the NC SWSS that injured a man, not the driver of the vehicle. Bicyclist injured in collision with pickup near Mooresville Still nothing from the cyclist on this wreck…

More from Chattanooga on their ongoing conflict… Chattanooga Is Not Bicycle Friendly – And Response (2) Yes, calling Chattanooga not bike friendly is like saying carrying a blue bandanna in your pocket is not a good idea in Bloods’ turf, pure Dee understatement. And I love the comment, that because one cyclist broke the law all cyclists are now to bear the consequences, unlike drivers who break the law all the time with little or no consequence (look at the furor caused by red-light cameras for an example of that)

Then there is this wreck. I’m totally at a loss for words with this one and it has nothing to do with my brain damage. Dix Hills Bicyclist Killed By Alleged Drunk Biker If I’m reading this right, the cyclist had a flat tire on a portion of a bike trail that was parallel to and a few yards away from a highway, and while stopped on the bike path was hit by a motorcycle that left the highway at a very high rate of speed. This is like the cyclist in Houston that was crushed at a stop light by a fire truck that had been hit by another fire truck going to the same alarm, I mean what are the odds? Still better than hitting the PowerBall, I guess, but really? Just minding your own business on the bike path fixing a flat tire and here comes this quarter ton of Harley flying through the air and hits you square in the chest and head, and Bang! you’re dead, sorry dude. This would be a Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot moment for sure. Just once I would like to see a bunch of drunks sitting on the hoods of their cars when a speeding bicycle kills them all, or even just one. Lady Ghisallo, are you listening on this? Can we get a bike wreck where the bicycle takes out a drunk driver and the cyclist stands up and says “Whoa, what happened?”

Madison WI cyclists are saying there is some anger against cyclists on the roads. Cycling enthusiasts say Madison’s bike friendliness has gone a bit flat And other stuff is going on out there on the roads, too.

I’m not sure on the politics of this one, pro-bike, anti-bike, anti-government spending on bikes? Kevin Hoover’s So-Called Thoughts: Bicycle cultism isn’t responsible community participation – July 22, 2009 Somebody help me with this one, is he pro-bike and just anti-spending on anything that comes out of his tax bill, or what?

And finally is a report on the people that are riding RAGBRAI with a Wally World bike and a whole lotta grit, but not much training. Kilen: Tennis-shoe brigade pedals hard to keep up Hey, if you have to have special clothes to “protect” you from your bike seat, maybe you are riding the wrong kind of bike seat? I ride Gigi in soft-soled shoes and gym shorts all the time, now that I have the right cushion and a decent seat cover over it I’m fine.

Billed @$.02, Opus