Just in case you missed this month’s issue of Bicycling magazine, there was a disturbing article about a lady named Alice Sherlock who, while riding her hybrid bike on the streets of Philadelphia, was run down by a long-standing cycling training ride called the "Drive." No one is saying exactly what happened but the fact is that somehow she was overtaken by the peloton and it resulted in at least a dozen riders going down, including Sherlock. As the riders tried to untangle the mess, Sherlock lay on the pavement moaning and incoherent with a bloody right eye and black and blue all over. Various members of the ride administered first aid and even took her bike to the shop and fixed it. A couple of months after the accident, Sherlock sued the person who stopped to administer first aid (a cat 2 rider who had been dropped from the pack), the owners of the bike shop who sponsored the ride (who were at the back of the pack not involved in the crash), and the entire peloton.
We’ve all had impure thoughts about car drivers that "buzz" us a bit too close when passing on narrow roads. Whether the driver does it out of ignorance or aggression doesn’t really matter in the outcome, you are scared, injured, or run off the road in either case. As riders of bicycles, we have the same responsibility to use good
judgment as the driver of a car. Was the "Drive" irresponsible when it ran down Ms Sherlock, or did she swerve and clip a passing biker? Does it matter? It probably could have been avoided had the riders in the front of the pack had vocalized a warning of approaching a hazard and slowed down the pack until they all passed the slower rider. Riding bicycles in packs is inherently more dangerous than riding alone, but it is fun and can be done safely if all involved are confident in their bike handling skills and practice basic pack etiquette (see article on group riding techniques in this issue of the newsletter). Riding in a large pack is exhilarating, but there are times when the pack needs to sit up, slow down, and be responsible instead of exhilarated.
What does this case in Philadelphia mean to us as individuals and bike club in the sleepy little hamlet of Montgomery? It should remind us that we are responsible for our actions and that if we ride our bikes in an irresponsible manner, we can be held liable. Not only personally, but the club and the bike shops that support us may be held liable. Although litigation is a sign of the times, it shouldn’t make us afraid to go out doors or make us afraid to ride with others who have the same likes. However, it should make us sensitive to the need to do it in a responsible manner and reemphasizes the importance in obeying traffic laws, being predictable, and using common sense when approaching situations that require us to be responsible, mature adults. Furthermore, it should also point out that to reduce the already low incidence of cycling injuries is to raise the skill level of cyclists. Like with swimming and skiing, training and practice are required to attain competency in cycling. You don’t have to be a super athlete to be a responsible, safe, skilled cyclist; however, it does take education and practice. Do I hear a plug for the League of American Bicyclist’s Effective Cycling Course coming on? This course outlines the basic skills required to coexist with traffic, practices basic bike handling skills, and improves cyclist’s awareness of dangerous situations and how to avoid them. All levels of cyclists can benefit from this course. I hope you’ll consider enrolling in the next course to be offered in
your area. See you on the road…be safe. M
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