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Conference noted::bicycle

Title: Bicycling
Notice:Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:JAMIN::WASSER
Created:Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3214
Total number of notes:31946

2658.0. "Cyclists vs. Residents/Cops in Woodside" by ARTIE::ALVIDREZ () Wed Aug 25 1993 23:25

The following is a front-page article that appeared in today's San Jose
Mercury News:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BICYCLE WAR UNDER THE REDWOODS
 
 
HARD-RIDING CYCLISTS AT ODDS WITH LAW, RESIDENTS
 
By MELODY PETERSEN
Mercury News Staff Writer
 
Just before 12, the notorious noontime cyclists gather for a grueling ride
through the hills of Woodside and Portola Valley.
 
At the same time, sheriff's deputies lie in wait for the riders who, residents
say, break laws, curse them and then speed away.
 
This band of 30 to 90 hard-riding cyclists is the most infamous of the hundreds
of riders who pedal through the bucolic towns each day. But all cyclists --
professionals to Sunday afternoon amateurs -- have frayed the nerves of
landowners, many of whom are more comfortable with horses than 21-speed bikes.
 
Tales of terror come from both sides in this war under the redwoods:
 
Vehicles running bicyclists off the road.
 
Residents throwing rocks and lighted firecrackers at passing cyclists.
 
Cyclists dumping water bottles on drivers just trying to get home.
 
Things are so tense that rural residents, who once kept to themselves, are
coming together to fight the bike invasion. And both town governments have set
up bike committees to work things out.
 
Meanwhile, bicyclists grouse and complaints from residents about law-breaking
cyclists have led deputies to crack down on them -- while 100-mph
motorcyclists on Skyline Drive go free.
 
``We might as well be the Hells Angels the way we've been treated by the police
and residents,'' said Brad Anders, an engineer at Intel Corp. who races and
does training rides through the area. ``Residents have sicked the sheriff's
department on the bicyclist. They're trying to harass riders to not ride in
Portola Valley and Woodside.''
 
`ALARMING SITUATION'
 
Robert Page, who heads Woodside's bicycle committee, said: ``It's grown into an
alarming situation because of the antagonism that's shown up. . . . Some town
residents would like to ban bicyclists from the town.''
 
Last Wednesday night, Philip Aaronson, a research scientist at NASA/Ames
Research Center, was pulled over by a deputy while on a training ride. He had
looked both ways at a stop sign but had not completely stopped. His friend had
come to a full stop.
 
Aaronson recounted that when they were stopped, the deputy first said, ``You're
both going to get a ticket because the people who live in the area have been
complaining.'' The last thing the deputy said, added the bicyclist, was: ``Get
the word out to all the other cyclists that you know. We are here.''
 
But it is the noon ride -- a 22-mile loop training ride for racers that starts
on Old Page Mill Road -- that has stirred the most outrage.
 
``They are just out of control,'' said Mary Zvirblis, who lives on Old La Honda
Road, a route the noon group takes on Wednesdays. ``They take over any road
they go on. . . . Townwide, everyone knows about them.''
 
A FEW BAD APPLES
 
``Oh boy,'' Will Patterson, who heads Portola Valley's bicycle safety
committee, said at the mention of the noon ride. ``A few people give the sport
a bad name.''
 
Even the racers agree.
 
``A couple people in the pack set bad examples,'' said Lee Fleming, a Stanford
University doctoral student and former member of the national racing team.
During a competitive training ride, ``egos and testosterone levels get too
high,'' he said, and laws can be ignored.
 
But, the racers say, residents and police have lashed out at the noon riders in
a dangerous way.
 
Andy Tucker, a racer and Stanford doctoral student, said that last summer, a
Chevrolet Suburban passed the group, pulled in front of the cyclists and
slammed on the brakes. One rider hit the vehicle and went down but was not
injured. The vehicle sped away.
 
Also last summer, a sheriff department's car pulled up next to the group and
started moving to the right to push riders to the other side of the white line,
Tucker said, a move that could have caused an accident.
 
OFFICER DENIES HARASSMENT
 
The sheriff's department is not harassing riders, Lt. Terry Mackey said.
Deputies are just trying to enforce the law, he said.
 
``They have to obey the laws just like everyone else,'' Mackey said. ``We're
not picking on anyone.''
 
Because cyclists aren't required to carry licenses, those stopped by deputies
often give phony names, Mackey said. When stopped for riding two or three
abreast, he said, the cyclists say they were passing each other, which is
legal.
 
``It's games,'' Mackey said.
 
And on the noon ride, the group sends a rider ahead to stop signs so that
cyclists know whether they can blow on through, Mackey said.
 
``They are racing,'' he said. ``They have sprints. If one of those sprints
includes a stop sign, they aren't stopping.
 
``We're going to have to deal with that group, and we will. We're coming up
with new tactics that will result in a whole lot of citations.'' He wouldn't
elaborate.
 
Cyclists offer their own solutions, including new laws that limit the size of
the pack to 20 riders. Also, cyclists could keep to the edge of the road, they
say, if the towns swept debris off the roads and filled in potholes.
 
RESIDENTS UNITE
 
In May, the flood of bicycles onto Old La Honda in Woodside led residents to
form a homeowners association. The peaceful road that winds up to Skyline shows
up in bike books as one of the best routes to the summit.
 
But the road is narrow -- only eight feet wide in spots -- very steep, full of
blind curves and with a high incidence of head-on collisions.
 
Zvirblis said she has seen three or four riders spread across the road as she
has driven around a curve. Sometimes the cyclists swear or make obscene
gestures, she said.
 
The cyclists gather at the bottom of the road where it intersects with Portola
Road, she said. When one resident honked as he tried to turn in, he got a water
bottle dumped on him through the window, she said.
 
``You don't know who they are,'' Zvirblis said. ``They disappear into the
night, wearing their neon.
 
``People on both sides are very, very angry. I just hope someone doesn't get
hurt. . . . The pressure is growing.''
 
This month, the homeowners association asked the Woodside Town Council to put a
sign at the top of the road urging cyclists to use Highway 84 as their route
down -- a move that many cyclists agree with because of the danger. The council
has not yet made a decision.
 
But more than the sign is needed, some residents say. They call for replacement
of the road's shoulders, which have worn away into ruts, and placement of signs
at the bottom of the road warning cyclists to keep right and obey laws and
warning motorists to look out for the bikes.
 
``It's a pretty road,'' Zvirblis said. ``I wish we could come up with a better
way to share it.''
 
Some cyclists don't think the residents want to share the roads.
John Forester, a past president of the California Association of Bicycling
Organizations, said: ``The people who live in Woodside are too wealthy to think
of cyclists. . . . They don't like people filling up their roads, filling up
their space on weekends.
 
``The Woodside crowd are horse owners. For them, bicycle riding is something
done in the flats and not done up here.''
 
But many residents, such as Sam Felix, who lives on Old La Honda, are
cyclists, too.
 
``I don't see it as a we-they thing at all,'' Felix said. ``We're all on the
same side and are concerned about safety.''

<reprinted without permission>

T.RTitleUserPersonal
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2658.1Yeah, but...ARTIE::ALVIDREZWed Aug 25 1993 23:4026
The article is pretty fair and balanced.  

However, there seem to be many, many more stories I've heard about police
harrassment of cyclists in that area.  There seems to be a big double
standard when it comes to enforcing "full-stops" at stop signs.  Cars
rarely come to a full stop and are uncited, but you will get ticketed 
if you stop at a stop sign and don't put your foot down.   And they are
very aggressive at ticketing cyclists for this.

Also, riding two abreast in the bike lane can also get you nailed, even
though a local rider was able to prove in court that riding two abreast
did not obstruct traffic.  Tickets are handed out anyway.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a mail message from Tim Kurreck of Alto Velo,
my local racing club (he is married to Karen Kurreck), who said that
two patrol cars gave the noontime riders a complete police escort up Old La
Honda.  Mind you, this is a very narrow ascending road we're talking about
here, and to unnecessarily mix a group of riders with two patrol cars is
begging for an accident to happen.

From a cyclist's point of view, there is no question that there is an
element of harrassment going on.  Its too bad that the past actions
of a few bonehead cyclists have caused this reaction from the police.
It really is a great place to ride.

AAA
2658.2TWO SIDES...WMOIS::GIROUARD_CThu Aug 26 1993 10:199
     If half the information is true, it appears there are some problem
    cyclists as well. A self governing pack needs to be developed. If
    a group has problem cyclists they should tell them they're not
    welcomed unless the behavior changes. Two sides to every coin...
    
     While some laws may appear to be "unfair" they're still laws and must
    be obeyed. There are avenues to pursue change. Rebellion won't work.
    
     Chip
2658.3I've cycled in that area recently3D::ROTHGeometry is the real life!Thu Aug 26 1993 11:3123
    In the 4 months I was in Palo Alto last summer, from July thru October,
    I encountered no harrassment and I rode up Old La Honda, out on Skyline,
    around Alpine, and Page Mill road nearly every day.

    I had heard about Woodstock from several years ago as being unfriendly
    to cyclists and only passed thru there a couple times.  It's one
    diddly little town, and there are tons of roads to explore.

    Generally that area is like heaven for cyclists - the views and
    climbs that you can do on even a lunch hour are spectacular and
    the weather is perfection virtually every day.

    I did see some article in a local paper from some character
    living out in La Honda, asking that recreational cyclists be
    banned from Skyline, particularly on the weekend.  I'd like to
    know what the hell he is doing driving out on Skyline on Sunday.
    Surely not going to work or other essential activity.

    It's just a typical case of a few selfish individuals (on both sides)
    screwing it up for everyone, just like it always is - along with the
    news media making a big deal out of it.

    - Jim
2658.4Excellent points Chip!!!STRATA::ASMITHThu Aug 26 1993 16:3525
         I think the base note covers what seems to be the core of the
    problem with cyclists and towns in many parts of the country.
    Policemen and town officials are going to side with the people who
    they deem pay their salaries ( townspeople ), but it seems that 
    stupid cyclists gives bicycle haters an opening to vent their spleen.
    It seems form my experience that motorist are respectful and 
    accomodating if you show them some respect, it is easy to say that my
    experiences are the exception but I don't think that is the case.
         It is interesting that the woman quoted most often in the article 
    also appeared to have been the most reasonable, she does not want to
    see cyclist banned but thinks there are things which can be done from
    all sides to make things better.
         Chip made some excellent points, people involved in group rides
    are going to have to come down hard on the boneheads in the group.  
    Too often cyclist ignore or make excuses for illegal behavior, it 
    should be obvious that if such behavior continues there will not be
    places to ride or race unless we are willing to get involved in 
    huge legal battles ( I think we will loose, based upon simple 
    numbers ).  Everyone has rights, society works best when everyone's
    rights are respected - cyclists must respect motorist's rights and
    motorist must respect cyclists' rights, there is no other way around
    the issue.
    
       Abe;
    
2658.5YOU TOO, ABE...WMOIS::GIROUARD_CThu Aug 26 1993 16:535
     I'll reciprocate... Abe is right. We won't win any legal battles.
    There are plenty of examples across the country where cycling is
    actually banned (tows/cities)...
    
     Chip
2658.6And Another Thing!!!!STRATA::ASMITHThu Aug 26 1993 16:5731
    To Basenote and .1
    
         Wouldn't it be sad if a cyclist gets hurt in the region of the
    controversy after having been victimized by a motorist and the 
    Townspeople and Policemen find excuses as to why the cyclist was in 
    the wrong.  If it was me ( the cyclist ) in such a situation I would
    be mad, but I would be as mad at the boneheaded cyclist who contributed 
    to the hostile situation as I would be at the motorist who victimized 
    me.
         Maybe you should talk to your friends, neighbors and relatives 
    about what problems they have encountered with cyclist and how they
    feel about the situations.  If you listen who will get the sense that
    the people don't want to get into a situation where someone is 
    endangered and feel fustration that some cyclist do not feel the same
    way.
         I was involved in a situation with one of my neighbors who rides
    a bike just yesterday.  I was coming home from work slowly driving 
    through the driveway on my apartment complex when along comes this 
    woman going at leasts 18 - 20 mph through an area which would not
    support a bike speed of 10 mph.  I spotted her coming and quickly 
    moved my huge jeep as close to the curve ( my right tire was 
    rubbing the curve ) as possible just a fraction before she swissed
    by, with a hostile look on her face.  The next time I see this 
    woman I am going to explain to her how lucky she was that I was an
    experienced cyclist and motorist and also explain how close she came
    to getting badly hurt ( she just missed my jeep, at her bike speed
    she would have been knocked to the pavement toward the left curve
    and a tree ).
    
      Abe;
        
2658.7...from what I can see...ARTIE::ALVIDREZThu Aug 26 1993 21:3347
Abe,

There is a good amount of self-policing that I seem amonst racers and club
riders.  At my club (Alto Velo), the point is always being made in newsletters
and at club meetings: stop at stop signs, don't obstruct traffic.  Also, in
these group rides, there is a lot of communication going on ("single-file",
"car back", "full-stop").  I think that attitude is the same with most
clubs around these parts.

The problem as I see it is in the extreme fringes.

There are always a handful of s***head cyclists who don't belong to a club
or team and who'll blow through stop signs and lights, ride anywhere on the 
road, and take up the whole road, especially when riding with other riders.  
These riders think any cars on the road are violation of their cycling
rights.  I'm sure you've seen these types.  (You put a jerk on a bike,
and he becomes a jerk biker).

Then you have the handful of motorists and/or residents of the area who 
would just as soon run down cyclists.  *All* cyclists are a nuisance to
them, and they don't seem to give much room to any cyclists on the road.
These folks scare me.

The cops in the area seem to have their own agenda, or are siding with
the fringe, it seems.  Add all these fringe elements together and you have
a recipe for a very hostile environment.

BTW, the article says that group riders will often send a rider up ahead
to check if they can blow through the stops.  What trash!  These guys
on the noontime rides are at the level of Cat 123, and Pros (Robert
Gaggliano of Coors Light rides the noontime ride).  The pace is *very* quick,
you have a good chance of getting dropped early.  It is almost impossible to 
get a solo breakaway from a group that fast.

Keep in mind that the Woodside-Portola Valley area is used by all kinds
of cyclists: racers, mountain bikers, recreational riders, moms-dads with
buggers, you name it.  Trying to spread the word to all these folks is
no easy feat.  (However, I think what might work is some signage on the
uphill portions which can be read easily by riders -- multiple signs,
sort of like the old Burma Shave signs).

I think the publication of that article has increased awareness of the 
sensitivity expressed by all sides.  I think that will have a positive
impact regardless of what solution is worked out.

AAA
         
2658.8First they ban cycling in towns/cities, then...GALVIA::STEPHENSHills are just flats at an angleFri Aug 27 1993 07:494
>> mountain bikers, recreational riders, moms-dads with buggers, you name it.  
    							^^^^^^^
    
    Strange country, America.
2658.9buggers?ARTIE::ALVIDREZFri Aug 27 1993 17:249
Buggers.

Never heard of buggers?  They're child carrier trailers for kids and stuff,
you attach 'em to the rear of your bike frame.  Haven't you seen 'em?

Not to be confused with boogers.  Totally different concept.  (course, 
I wouldn't know about that).

AAA
2658.10A common languageMOVIES::PAXTONWhere to now ?Fri Aug 27 1993 17:568
    Re: moms-dads with buggers
    
    I thought it made perfect sense if you read buggers in the less
    anatomically precise sense, to wit "What are the little buggers
    doing with that kitten ?".
    
    ---Alan
    
2658.11Buggers? I'll pass...USOPS::CLELANDCenterline violation...Fri Aug 27 1993 20:043
    	Across the pond, "buggers" is a bloody different term altogether...
    
    	Cheers...
2658.12PAKORA::GGOODMANRippled, with a flat undersideMon Aug 30 1993 07:457
    
    This highlights the problems with the US making a hash of our language.
    For example, never ask for a packet of fags in the US. Also, if you
    make a mistake in your technical drawing essay, don't ask to borrow
    someone's rubber as it may make a sticky mess of your essay...
    
    Graham.
2658.13been there, done thatARTIE::ALVIDREZThu Sep 16 1993 23:4613
Just did the noon ride for the first time today.  I have to admit, some of 
the comments made about cyclists in the newspaper article are unfortunately
very true.

This is not a well-behaved pack.  There were several instances of blowing
through stop signs and even stop lights where there was cross traffic.
At some stop sign intersections, the were no cars, others had a car or
two.  No excuse, it was stupid!  No wonder all cyclists in this area are 
seen in a bad light.  

Although its fast, and its a workout, its also very embarrasing.

AAA
2658.14A global viewSNOC02::PERTOTI come from a land down underWed Sep 22 1993 05:5620
    It's interesting to read this note, and realise that the same argument
    goes on in the rest of the world. As a motorist, I'm amazed at the
    sheer stupidity of some cyclists who disobey road rules, and then abuse
    the poor driver who has nearly hit them. On the other hand, as a
    cyclist I see some murderous manouvers by drivers who almost seem to
    go out of their way to endanget cyclists' (and others') lives.
    
    I'm not sure of the situation in the US and the UK, but here in
    Australia a cyclist is subject to the same rules and privileges as a
    motorist. Despite this, there are motorists who think all bikes should
    be banned from the road, and cyclists who think that their right to use
    the road extends to flaunting the law.
    
    Strange thing is, I would bet that the chances of a cyclist also being
    a driver must be close to 100%, so you would think that there must be a
    lot of common ground to meet on.
    
    
    	Happy trails (as you say in the US)
    		Rudi
2658.15RATIOS...WMOIS::GIROUARD_CWed Sep 22 1993 09:5611
     Ahh true Rudi... Big - But, I wonder the % of motorists who are not
    cyclist... My guess - very low.
    
     As a cyclist (and motorist) I never develop an attitude even when I
    see a cyclist being suicidal. As a cyclist, I obey more traffic laws
    than I probably do as a motorist. 
    
     I'll admit not being 100% clean in each behavior, but I do not blow
    through traffic lights and stop signs, etc...
    
       Chip
2658.16A few words to rememberVMSNET::WSA122::LYNCH_TIs it time to ride yet?Wed Sep 22 1993 18:131
Gross tonage always wins.......
2658.17SX4GTO::OLSONDoug Olson, SDSC West, Palo AltoWed Feb 08 1995 20:1190
    another incident evidently happened with the woodside noon ride last
    week; the pack collided with a guy on a Western Wheelers club ride.
    There's been some discussion in the mailing lists about it; the
    following seems to be a response to email sent by the president of the
    Western Wheelers, by one of the pack riders.
    
    DougO
    -----
    Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 10:04:00 -0800 (PST)
    From: Torsten Heycke <heycke@camis.stanford.edu>
    Reply-To: Torsten Heycke <heycke@camis.stanford.edu>
    Subject: RE: Noontime Ride runs over cyclist
    To: SVBC@aol.com, ww@cycling.org
    In-Reply-To: Wile E. Coyote (the ULTIMATE engineer!)'s message of Wed,
    8 Feb 199
    5 09:36:37 -0800 (PST): <Pine.3.89.9502080937.A6480-0100000@gargantua>
    Message-Id: <XLView.792269629.899.heycke@hpp-ss10-4>
    Mime-Version: 1.0
    Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
    X-Sender: owner-ww@cycling.org
    Precedence: bulk
    
    Hi Folks,
    
    >  Hi Folks,
    >
    >  I'm president of Western Wheelers, and of the Silicon Valley
    >  Bicycle Coalition. A few days ago, a Western Wheeler on a
    >  ride with the Club was run over by the noon-time ride. As I
    >  understand it, he was southbound on Junipero Serra at the
    >  time. Though a group of cyclists were identified as having
    >  there at the time of the accident, no one would "talk".
    
    I'm not sure that "talk" will help, but I will offer what little
    information I know and a big apology from all of us as well.
    
    I was among the noon-riders, probably 15 riders back from the accident.
    From my angle--and I must stress that I didn't have as good a vantage
    point as perhaps others-- it seemed like one or two riders at the front
    made a last-second reaction to get clear of the Western Wheeler rider.
    This seemed to be too sudden a reaction for the following riders and
    one or more of them collided with the Western Wheeler rider. I'm not
    sure anyone knows who the lead riders were. Assessing blame is
    difficult and perhaps not fruitful (was it the fault of the lead
    rider(s) for not leading the group around with room to spare, or the
    rider who collided first?) Personally, I think it's the lead rider(s)
    who are most at fault, but ultimately the entire group bears some
    responsibility. At least one person I know who was closer to the
    accident doesn't seem to know who the lead riders were. I'm not sure
    that anyone really knows. It's even possible, I suppose, that the 
    lead riders didn't know what they had precipitate. At any rate, a
    responsible rider would have stopped to at least help. This is what is
    embarrasing to me. Only a handful of us stopped to help.
    
    (I stopped and helped divert traffic in the Southbound lane and a few
    others did the same in the Northbound lane. I waited until I was
    relieved by police.)
    
    >
    >  We know about harassment from law enforcement for folks
    >  not putting their feet down at stop signs, but this kind of
    >  behavior simply *begs* for a strong response by law
    >  enforcement, something I think you all will agree is
    >  undesirable.
    
    And this seems to be what's happeing, at least on that last two group
    rides I've done, we've had "police escorts."
    
    >
    >  I'd appreciate pointers to the leaders of local racing groups...
    >  I'd like to discuss this matter with them. Hopefully, this
    >  kind of nonsense can be dealt with by the racing community
    >  itself, without other cycling clubs, or worse, law enforcement
    >  becoming more involved.
    
    I appreciate your rather benevolent approach (all things considered). I
    hope this works. I know that measures to change the noon ride will be
    difficult as the "noon ride" consists of riders from dozens of teams
    and many (perhaps as many as half) who are not affiliated with teams.
    
    Many of us are very ashamed of the behaviour by some on that ride that
    day. This represents the worst accident that I know of since I started
    riding on this ride in the early 80's.
    
    Some of us are exhorting our fellow riders to ride more safely. Others
    have given up and are now abandoning the ride (Monday's ride was
    approximately 1/4 the normal group). Others (myself) are also forming
    new group rides with limited numbers.
    
    Torsten
2658.18NOVA::FISHERnow |a|n|a|l|o|g|Thu Feb 09 1995 07:026
    So the pack ran this guy over from the rear?  I did that once,
    lessee now it was Aug 11, 1987.
    
    other than tarnished images, what are the injuries? damages?
    
    ed
2658.19SX4GTO::OLSONDoug Olson, SDSC West, Palo AltoThu Feb 09 1995 15:4412
    Its kinda hard to tell, I'm fortunately getting only a small smidgeon
    of the mail-blasts; evidently the discussion has become a major flame
    war and is escalating to several mailing lists.  The guy that got run
    into was severely injured, and a bike (not sure his, but I think so)
    was totalled- frame broken in three places.  Ambulance and police were
    called, he went to hospital.  WRT the flame war, everybody regrets the
    accident, several have apologized for the actions of the few who were
    careless enough to lead the pass too closely, but there is widespread
    disagreement about the tactics a fast training ride should or shouldn't 
    be using to share the road.
    
    DougO
2658.20WRKSYS::ROTHGeometry is the real life!Thu Feb 09 1995 18:209
   How much has cycling increased around there than the summer of 1992
   that I spent there?

   Up in the hills was not bad, I didn't meet too many people and it
   was some fantastic riding.  I wish I was still there... instead
   of this frozen s***hole.  [But this year wasn't bad here till last
   weekend.]

   - Jim
2658.21more stuffMTVIEW::ALVIDREZShe makes me write checksThu Feb 09 1995 19:21124
No, Jim, not really.  You might see a lot of riders on a Sunday morning
or Sunday afternoon, but it is not that congested with riders.  I'm sure
that I might get some disagreement from local residents.

The following is a post from a participant in the ride in which a cyclist
was hit.  I've gone on the noon ride in recent months, and it is a much 
cleaner ride, but accidents can always happen.  Based on what I read, I
tend to side with the poster of this message.  Unfortunately, this incident
is triggering a flame war between recreational cyclists and "racer types".

What exactly is a "racer type"?  What distinguishes one from the other?

Titanuim???

AAA
-------------------------------------------------------------------

From:	DECPA::"chase@gargantua.stanford.edu" "Wile E. Coyote (the ULTIMATE engineer!)"  8-FEB-1995 15:52:03.10
Subj:	Re: Training Rides



	Apologies in advance since I realize that you did not write this 
letter and only posted it for someone else.......My comments are 
addressed to the public at large and as such I have sent this to all 
those lists on which I have seen it discussd or sent.

On Wed, 8 Feb 1995, Bill Hoff **posted for ACTC**:

> Last week in Palo Alto an Almaden Cycle Touring Club rider was knocked 
> down by a training ride that passed him on both sides. He was riding in a 
				^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	Please get the facts straight. He was passed on one side (the
LEFT) too closely. Perhaps due to the fact that the rest of his group was
camped about 50m up the road in the entire bike lane, and as a result he
was not noticed immediately due to the larger obstacle ahead. This is not
an excuse, however, as he should have been given enuff clearence by the
leading few riders and was not. But, since I was actually there and have
followed this thread in several arenas I can say that the story of what
actually happened as passed on by several people who were NOT there has
changed and grown rapidly (like the number of people at Woodstock) into
something entirely unrepresentative of the truth. In one area it was
stated (as fact) that the riders deliberately swerved into this rider and
hit him (not true btw). 

	The simple fact is that he was passed too closely by the lead
riders ON THE LEFT and the following riders were not aware of him until
the rider in front of them swerved LEFT to avoid him. As might be expected
one person eventually did not get enuff time to react given the high
closing speed between the 2 groups and the collision ensued. At that 
point *2* riders did pass the man on the right although he was down at the 
time. These 2 riders were 3 or more feet into the dirt off the side of 
the road and just trying to avoid piling on. I was the first of those 2 
riders having been about 5-7 riders back of the initial collision and on 
the inside with a clear view of the entire incident. Even *I* cannot say 
with clarity who the leading riders were.

	As for the part about his being older and a widower it implies, to
me at least, that you feel that the racers involved somehow don't mind
crashing, and that we should be more respectful of others in this regard.
In fact quite the opposite is true. We have all crashed enuff to have a
very healthy respect for it, and ...

	***all those involved were quite upset at this incident.*** 

Noone likes to see a crash like this, or any crash for that matter. In the
2 years I have ridden the noon ride it has grown significanlty safer and
more respectful of traffic laws. Is it completely safe? No, I still have a
great amt. of respect for what can happen in a large group of riders
moving at speed, but it is a training source for racing in such groups
that is largely unavailable otherwise. Not an excuse, just the way it
is...Yes, it could be made safer and several of those who do the ride 
regularly are trying to do so. 

	I would also like to point out that this mans riding partners did
absolutely nothing to help him contrary to what has been reported in other
areas such as ww@cycling.org.  They *did* take the time to tell me that
*I* should be sued for this accident as I was leaving after the police and
ambulances had arrived to take care of the riders. I do not think that
this did their friend much good, and it certainly doesn't do much to 
foster any form of goodwill or cooperation. 

	All help at the scene was given by other racers, and an
orthopedist and nurse that stopped when they saw what had happened.  I was
involved with 2 other fellows in directing traffic until the police came,
while others helped clear the debris and tried to comfort the downed rider
until medical help came. I have read (with great distress) many accounts
where quite the opposite is said in this regard in an effort to jump on
the bandwagon of trashing the racers .... Racers, like ALL groups of
people, are a diverse group with the standard collections of jerks, and
non-jerks (to oversimplify). To categorically generalize and lump them
under a single collective banner is naive at best... 

	For myself I am very sorry that this incident occured. We have 
been passing that ride for several years and not had an incident. This 
time should have been the same. Sadly, a small bit of carelessness, or 
simple oversight, on the part of a few people led to this accident. I 
speak for myself and others when I say that many (if not all) riders 
on the noon ride are very sorry that this crash occured.


					Sincerely,

						jgc


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                --o       /                      J. Geoffrey Chase
               `\<,      /                	 Dept. of Civil Engineering
               0/ 0     /  \e/                  
 __o              __o  /    I                    Escondido Village
`\<,             `\<, /    `\\,                  Quillen #5J
O/ O       --o   O/ O/     O/ O                  Stanford  CA  94305
          `\<,      /
          0/ 0     /                             office: Blume Center Rm. 549A
                  /                              Phone (office): (415) 725-0361
                 /
                /
               /                                 chase@gargantua.Stanford.EDU
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2658.22What's the Pack Size on the Open Road?LHOTSE::DAHLFri Feb 10 1995 12:159
How many riders take part in the "racer's noon ride" as discussed here?
Specifically, how large is the largest more-or-less contiguous pack of riders?

I was a member of a racing club in New Hanpshire for a year. This club had a
weekly training ride which attracted fifteen or twenty riders. This group
always split up into two or three packs, with five or so minutes between each
pack, to avoid unsafge conditions with large packs. That way no single pack
ever had more than about 10 people.
						-- Tom
2658.23basenote story says 30-90 riders!!!SX4GTO::OLSONDoug Olson, SDSC West, Palo AltoFri Feb 10 1995 22:0516
    There are times the noon ride has gone by me (fortunately they seem to
    do the loop in a different direction than I usually do, so they go by
    on the other side) where it looked like they had over thirty riders.
    I think the news stories that started this topic might have some
    numbers, too.
    
    JGC's note that Artie posted has had one particular error of fact
    corrected by other posting followups; the injured rider's companions
    *did* render assistance; the nurse was a Western Wheeler on the ride.
    
    Seeing the mentalities exposed by the flame war, I think I'm glad I
    haven't felt much like pack riding since I started cycling six or so
    years ago.  Solo or with a few friends has always been enough for me.
    Some of those people (on all sides of the issue) sound seriously bent.
    
    DougO
2658.24MTVIEW::ALVIDREZShe makes me write checksFri Feb 10 1995 23:5928
DougO

It is interesting the perspective you get based on the what information
comes across from the mailing lists or from newsgroups.  I hadn't heard 
about the nurse being on the same ride.

My source of information has been the Alto Velo mailing list.  I also
picked up some from the rec.bicycles.racing newsgroup.  The overwhelming
opinion on these sources is that the lead riders on this particular ride
were jerks for (1) not calling out the slower rider they were approaching,
(2) not responding by moving away from this obstacle.  Also, the fact that
they left the scene after nailing the poor guy didn't score any points
either.

There are ways to make a pack ride safe, yet still get a good workout
in.  The noon ride around Mission College practices fast yet clean
riding, and the better riders chastise other riders who hammer without 
regard to safety.

In subsequent noon rides after this incident happened, there has been a lot
of chatter among the riders about how to clean up the ride and make it
safer.  Policing seems to be happening from within, and that's where
is should be.

Mebbe that'll slow down the pace enough so I don't get dropped on the
hills.  I'll try it next week and file a report.  

AAA
2658.25PCBUOA::KRATZMon Feb 13 1995 13:515
    Not totally unexpected; after all, the Bay area is 6.5million folks.
    By comparison, that's similiar to taking the entire population of
    Mass, plus invite another .5-1 million down from New Hampshire, and
    cramming them into a strip of land not much bigger than Cape Cod.
    But the weather is warmer.  .02 Kratz 
2658.26today's reportMTVIEW::ALVIDREZShe makes me write checksTue Feb 14 1995 19:1428
It was a bright, brisk day today, so today's noon ride drew a good
turnout, about 60+ riders.  Notable celebrities today were pros Roberto G.
and Shari Rodgers-Kain.

I couldn't tell if the events two weeks ago were still being discussed
before the ride, I arrived just as we rolled out.  It sure didn't put
a damper on the pace, it was pretty high as always.  The pack overtook a 
number of Western Wheeler riders up Arastradero and passed them on the 
left with plenty of room.  (The fellow who was nailed by the pack two 
weeks ago was a member of Western Wheelers as part of *their* noon ride).

The group split into two at the intersection of Alpine and Portola.  I went
with the group continuing up Alpine and almost got dropped.   The pack
continued on Alpine to Wrightwood (I think that's the name).  Here's where
the pack had a scare:  A woman was walking a leashless German Shepherd on 
Wrightwood while the riders were trucking down at a speed of 38+ MPH when 
the dog barked and started to lunge at the paceline.  The dog was about ready
to move into the direction of my front wheel but backed off and became
entagled momentarily with another rider to my right -- the rider was able 
to stay upright, but that's all it took to separate us from the pack.  When 
we reconnected with the the rest of the group at Portola, the pack was able
to get across the street before oncoming traffic, and I was dropped for
good.  And since I was dropped, I didn't notice if there was any police
presence on today's ride.

I soloed back to work at a fast clip, imagining I was still with the pack.

AAA
2658.27NOVA::FISHERnow |a|n|a|l|o|g|Wed Feb 15 1995 13:105
    hmmm, "got dropped" and "didn't notice police presence"...
    
    What do they do? lead the pack?
    
    ed
2658.28MTVIEW::ALVIDREZShe makes me write checksWed Feb 15 1995 16:035
     
     they've been known to.

     ...and I'm not talking about the guys in LA Sherrifs jerseys, either,
     these are patrol officer in squad cars.