A grim reminder why ride a recumbent.

Tom Blum wrote:

Like Jose, I shun pace lines. They require total concentration and trust of
your co-pacers. I like to "smell the roses."


All-recumbent pacelines can be fun, though. They're especially handy on
a winter day, with 20+ MPH winds in your face. Been there, done that.

However, I am schitzophrenic about it. I also like performance. However, I
am not strong enough to leave the world in my dust. The old dream of
'cutoffs, sneakers, and a rat-bike' rider who dusted the spiffy looking
wanna-be's never quite materialized.

Heh... I tend to ride faster than the folks out on MTBs and "comfort"
bikes, but slower than the serious roadies. I won't break any speed
records, but long distances are doable, in any case.
--
Russ --kill the wabbit to despam
"The best thing about that show was the number of cars that exploded
into huge fireballs. If only 'twere so...." -Chalo Colina, "CHiPs"

In a paceline, the view never changes. I also have a big fear of shredding
someone with my SWB chainring.

Brad
R40

In a paceline, the view never changes. I also have a big fear of shredding
someone with my SWB chainring.

Brad
R40

(Edward Wong) wrote in message . com...

Now I know it's not proper at this time to preach the advantage of
being able to see better on a recumbent than hunched over a handlebar
on an upright but darn if this alone is one of the best reasons why I
ride a recumbent. We have had several accidents in the club from
people who've collided with others just because they were not holding
their heads up enough to avoid causing the accident. Last year, a
young racer met his death in South Florida when he collided with the
back end of a truck during a training ride. It is speculated he was
not looking ahead far enough to avoid the collision. Combine that
with fast speeds those guys were going and you have the makings of bad
things that can go wrong instantly.

I respectfully disagree that neither of these accidents illustrate an
advantage of riding a recumbent. IMO, they only illustrate the
possible dire consequences of not paying complete attention to what
one is doing. I will admit that most recumbents do put the rider in a
position that offers a more upright head position. However, that
alone does not automatically insure more safety. A momentary lapse of
attention can be disasterous, whatever the head position, especially
when in a situation as that you descibed, heavy, two way bike traffic
on a narrow trail shared with other riders, walkers, joggers and
roller bladers. Having one's head up and looking straight ahead does
not even guarantee that one will not have a momentary lapse of
attention and a fraction of a second is all it takes to cause an
accident.

I am certainly sorry your friend was hurt and pray that he will
recovery fully. However, I sincerely believe that his accident was
caused by his own inattentiveness, which could have also occurred on a
bent, with the same results.

Harry Jiles

(Edward Wong) wrote in message . com...

Now I know it's not proper at this time to preach the advantage of
being able to see better on a recumbent than hunched over a handlebar
on an upright but darn if this alone is one of the best reasons why I
ride a recumbent. We have had several accidents in the club from
people who've collided with others just because they were not holding
their heads up enough to avoid causing the accident. Last year, a
young racer met his death in South Florida when he collided with the
back end of a truck during a training ride. It is speculated he was
not looking ahead far enough to avoid the collision. Combine that
with fast speeds those guys were going and you have the makings of bad
things that can go wrong instantly.

I respectfully disagree that neither of these accidents illustrate an
advantage of riding a recumbent. IMO, they only illustrate the
possible dire consequences of not paying complete attention to what
one is doing. I will admit that most recumbents do put the rider in a
position that offers a more upright head position. However, that
alone does not automatically insure more safety. A momentary lapse of
attention can be disasterous, whatever the head position, especially
when in a situation as that you descibed, heavy, two way bike traffic
on a narrow trail shared with other riders, walkers, joggers and
roller bladers. Having one's head up and looking straight ahead does
not even guarantee that one will not have a momentary lapse of
attention and a fraction of a second is all it takes to cause an
accident.

I am certainly sorry your friend was hurt and pray that he will
recovery fully. However, I sincerely believe that his accident was
caused by his own inattentiveness, which could have also occurred on a
bent, with the same results.

Harry Jiles

Edward Wong wrote in message . ..

Next time someone asks you questions about your bent and why you ride
one, be sure to highlight the safety advantages of a recumbent. You
could be doing someone and yourself a great service.

The problem with you types is that because you look
so silly on those contraptions you will never get the
privilege of riding with top quality roadies such as
myself.

The only cyclists who would been seen anywhere near
you are the squirrelly lower class road riders, not anyone
I would let ride with me.

Believe me, guys like me when riding in a group are
very safe and under control even though we are moving
faster than you could image.

As I've stated in here before, please stay out of our way
when out on the road, we are doing a planned training
session and demand respect from you.

Edward Wong wrote in message . ..

Next time someone asks you questions about your bent and why you ride
one, be sure to highlight the safety advantages of a recumbent. You
could be doing someone and yourself a great service.

The problem with you types is that because you look
so silly on those contraptions you will never get the
privilege of riding with top quality roadies such as
myself.

The only cyclists who would been seen anywhere near
you are the squirrelly lower class road riders, not anyone
I would let ride with me.

Believe me, guys like me when riding in a group are
very safe and under control even though we are moving
faster than you could image.

As I've stated in here before, please stay out of our way
when out on the road, we are doing a planned training
session and demand respect from you.

"Samuel Burkeen" wrote in message .. .
This is one of the primary reasons I ride a bent. It is not like you
cannot have an accident on a recumbent. I have gone down twice, but the
injury has involved loss of skin, and of course you can experience leg suck
if your foot comes off the pedal. However, I can always see ahead - 100% of
the time- and the only way I can go over the handlebars is if I ride over a
cliff.

What seems to amaze me is that most people I talk to consider recumbents to
be less safe than uprights. I have had two discussions with bike shop
mechanics who take the view that recumbents are less safe because you cannot
disengage from the bike as fast if you have a collision. I have always
found this reasoning similar to that offered against using seatbelts in
cars.

It can get a little frustrating how ignorant some conventional
cyclists are about the greater safety offered by a recumbent. Yes I
agree we're not invincible on any bike but given that cycling is an
activity that has it's risks, I'll be darn if I'm going to lay the
odds against me. I find however that the most common concern of non
benters is the "cars won't see me" so I find most amusing the argument
of your bike shop mechanics about not being able to disengage in a
collision. Tell them that this is not mountain biking:0)

I'm going to add something here while we're talking about safety.
Thank goodness our club demands the use of approved helmets. I can't
even begin to imagine how much more devastating the injuries would
have been to my fellow club member who suffered the accident yesterday
had he not been wearing one. Who knows what would have happened. I
hope your bike mechanics don't have some bias against helmets. That
would be irresponsible.

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

"Samuel Burkeen" wrote in message .. .
This is one of the primary reasons I ride a bent. It is not like you
cannot have an accident on a recumbent. I have gone down twice, but the
injury has involved loss of skin, and of course you can experience leg suck
if your foot comes off the pedal. However, I can always see ahead - 100% of
the time- and the only way I can go over the handlebars is if I ride over a
cliff.

What seems to amaze me is that most people I talk to consider recumbents to
be less safe than uprights. I have had two discussions with bike shop
mechanics who take the view that recumbents are less safe because you cannot
disengage from the bike as fast if you have a collision. I have always
found this reasoning similar to that offered against using seatbelts in
cars.

It can get a little frustrating how ignorant some conventional
cyclists are about the greater safety offered by a recumbent. Yes I
agree we're not invincible on any bike but given that cycling is an
activity that has it's risks, I'll be darn if I'm going to lay the
odds against me. I find however that the most common concern of non
benters is the "cars won't see me" so I find most amusing the argument
of your bike shop mechanics about not being able to disengage in a
collision. Tell them that this is not mountain biking:0)

I'm going to add something here while we're talking about safety.
Thank goodness our club demands the use of approved helmets. I can't
even begin to imagine how much more devastating the injuries would
have been to my fellow club member who suffered the accident yesterday
had he not been wearing one. Who knows what would have happened. I
hope your bike mechanics don't have some bias against helmets. That
would be irresponsible.

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

Edward, I'm happy to report that the bicycle events I attend around here in
South Florida "All" do require the use of a helmet - or you don't
participate in the event.
Even the impromptu Banzi Group, I use to ride with on the weekends, will
harass a helmet-less rider enough, that they will finally relent and wear a
helmet.
In my major vehicle accident years ago (That screwed up my back) the top of
my head hit the middle trim on the caddy, that I flipped over onto. My
helmet was smashed; but it could have been my head. On my GRR Ti crash a few
years ago, where I blew out a front tire and careened into a curve, my head
glanced off that curb. With no helmet; I'd surely sustained a concussion.
Helmets (Although not 100% goof proof) do give a rider a hedge from
sustaining serious head injuries.
EZ Biker :-) Pompano Beach, Fl. (GRR Ti and SOON, Bacchetta Aero Pilot)



"Edward Wong" wrote in message
om...

Thank goodness our club demands the use of approved helmets. I can't
even begin to imagine how much more devastating the injuries would
have been...
Edward Wong
Orlando, FL