Another cyclist friend died in the saddle - the 3rd.
 

I got word a couple of days ago that a cycling friend was killed while touring in Nevada- it seems a semi ran him down (and then left the scene) on a highway outside of Las Vegas.

He was an experienced touring cyclist, having ridden all over the US and in Mexico. On this trip he had left his current home in Utah and was headed to points south. He had posted great photos on Strava in the days before - photos of his touring rig, the desert scenery, his camp site next to Lake Mead.... I don't know for certain, but I'll bet he was headed to Baja, as he rides there most winters.

This is the third time I've lost a cycling friend. The first went down in a group ride crash, landing directly on his head. The second lost control when hitting some rumble strips just as he was reaching for a water bottle - landing the wrong way in a concrete drainage ditch. And now this.

The message letting me know, from a mutual cycling friend, said that he died while doing what he loved. And I know this is true.

It hurts to lose friends, and it hurts yet more to lose them this way.

I'm a dedicated road cyclist and I'm not planning to stop. There are risks to everything, including sitting on the couch, and I've accepted that the life I choose has some danger.

(I'm not looking for advice here, so please don't offer any.)

But yeah, it's sobering and sad

Sorry. How old was he?

62. 6 months older than me.

Very sorry about your friend. I hope they are able to catch the driver. Shouldn't be too hard with the damage to the truck.

I really hate to see that. With all his riding experience my intuition would suggest he was doing everything he felt necessary to keep himself as safe as possible.

Condolences for the loss of your friend.

We had a older cyclist run down in the wee hours by a hit and run motorist a year or two ago. It took six to nine months, but they did find the person and charged them. I didn't follow the case to see what the results were.

Maybe they'll find the culprit in this case too. I'll probably start running cameras front and back so my family will know more exactly what happened to me if my demise is to be while cycling.

Sorry for your loss. Lost a childhood friend while we were riding after a failed attempt at CPR. His family was thankful I was with him but I'm still haunted by leaving him out on a local bridge. I gesture at that point for him to ride along. As mentioned, I find solace in that he was doing what he loved and went quick.

Sorry to hear this. 😟

I hate to admit it, but I'm probably heading towards only riding MUPs. It's just not the same world today, as the one we grew up in. I've been hit 3 times now, here in Sacramento, none very seriously, but it sure makes ya think. 🤔

I never know quite what to say. My condolences to his family, friends and acquaintances. Lost several friends on bicycles when I was younger. Many more when I used to ride motorcycles. None of their memories have ever faded, nor would I wish them to.

sorry for your loss. here's wishing you, his friends & family, strength right now, & nothing but the best memories

Thanks for your supportive responses.

It was daylight and he was on a road with broad shoulders - though it's a 4 lane highway and traffic is fast. My guess is that an over-tired or distracted trucker drifted onto the shoulder and clipped him.
I have ridden similar roads in the Las Vegas area because there aren't other choices for key routes. You can be doing everything "right", but when you choose to ride on those kinds of highways, you are putting your life in the hands of others.

He was killed on the same highway (though not nearby) as this tragedy
https://www.velonews.com/news/road/t...ear-las-vegas/

I do far less recreational cycling than I used to, or than I would prefer to, and I am extremely selecting about my routes and times of day.

I honestly believe today's motorists are less attentive (and faster) than their predecessors. I am a vehicular cyclist and not a fan of some of the barriers and other "street furniture" being pushed by the so-called [b]advocates, because these usually increase the odds of collision at an intersection. Having said that, I wouldn't mind some sort of protection along a fast road without intersections.

Very sorry to hear this and I think your guess is the best one.

A couple of years ago I was in a left turn lane and was hit by an overtaking driver on my right side, which means they had to have hit me with the driver's side of the vehicle in broad daylight, me with a very bright rear flasher. The driver never stopped and I was left unconscious on the road. There were witnesses and description of a luxury SUV, but no plate number. I think this had to have been pure distraction and absolutely nothing I could have done would have made a difference.

The unwillingness of this fellow human, probably a neighbor in this, wealthy, hyper-educated, liberal community, to stop, still chills me whenever I think about it.

You cant quickly rust away setting in your rocking chair, or you can take your chances doing what is fun, and in most cases prolong your life.

When you posted a while back that you were riding over the highway 37 bridge I worried about both your health and sanity.

Sorry to hear of this happening to another cyclist.

Sorry to hear this. Riding in bright (blinding) morning or afternoon sun this time of year is dangerous. I've been blinded by the sun, and I was almost hit while walking by a driver who was blinded by a low sun.


As cyclists we are dependent on the responsibleness of strangers.

My condolences.

I started getting serious about biking daily in 2009 with a gifted Trek. The unleashed dogs and drivers eventually ruined something I enjoyed. I felt I could never relax. Now days, in a new location, I am able to ride in residential areas where car travel is sparse, and dogs are leashed.

I've had friends get struck by hit and run drunk drivers, and just people not paying attention. One was recently struck by a truck and speed so hard, she came out of her shoes! She was lucky to have suffered only a broken leg and thumb.

The hard reality is that what we do can be quite dangerous, and all the best intentions and practices can only reduce the probability of injury or death. That crash I has a few years ago was an eye-opener. I fractured the bottom of my skull (one of the occipetal condyles), and a little research made it clear I was very, very lucky it was not a displaced fracture, or I would likely be dead or a complete quad. I don't even know how it happened. That's a hard thing to swallow, and especially every time I find myself descending at any speed.

There really is nothing to say except I am sorry for your friend, his friends, and his family. It's tragic.

I'm not 100% sure which bridge that is, looks to be down near Vallejo. 🤔 If it's the one that goes a good ways across the San Francisco Bay, then yeah, I musta been nuts to try that. And the Golden Gate Bridge isn't all that easy, either. 🤪😁😉

But in my own defense, I'm from Pennsylvania, and there's still a heck of a lot that I DON'T know, about the west coast. So I'm not really arrogant or stupid, lol, just blissfully naive. 😁😉

I really don't try to take it for granted, but I've always suspected I have a guardian angel, or two. 🙂✌️🙂

"Died while doing something he loved" is cold comfort. I am sorry for these deaths and your losses.

My last collision with a car was low impact, low speed, and minimal damage. The driver was apologetic and we were both glad I wasn't hurt. And the adjuster her insurance company sent over and I happened to be well acquainted, so we had a good laugh together as she added a little "inconvenience factor" to her estimate. But there are some intersections and curves where I've had close calls and I feel if I keep riding there my time is going to be up. It's a hell of a way to live.

Sorry for your loss.

62 is my age. From what I've seen, even among athletic friends, I could drop dead of a massive heart attack at any minute. Same with a stroke. Cancer can kill in weeks from discovery.

I really enjoy riding, and seeing the world from a bike saddle. I'll take every one of those moments life has to offer. Some people will choose to reduce risks with the hope of more days of living. I think someone touring by bicycle has made a different choice.

Still sad, of course.

Yes, that's where I'm at. (not the touring part, though)

There are also other dimensions to consider. I had this conversation with my wife after friend #2 was killed. I said, if it happens to me, you should know that I would have made the same choice anyway.

she got upset and said that I should consider that that choice could also deprive her of my companionship in her old age.

She's right about that, and I didn't push too hard on the point. But I did say that my companionship would be worth a lot less to her if I lived a long unhappy life, which is how I think it would be if I stopped riding outside.

Edit: I guess I should add that the friend just killed was single- he had one adult child. Small comfort.

I'm very sorry about your friend. I hope they catch the sob who did that. Unfortunately after the invention of smart phones cycling became a lot more dangerous. It also doesn't help that here in US we have the worst drivers among developed countries because of various reasons.
Getting a driver license is a joke here and in any given time there are a lot of people driving with suspended, expired or no license at all because they have no other alternative. Law enforcement basically non existent as well.