Steven Kingsley Close - a great guy, Fun and a dedicated runner and cyclist became another victim of the motor vehicle madness we experience in this country.
'Old Man Steve' as he was affectionately called by all in the regular Weekend peloton of racers, performance cyclists and a very few of us elders hanging on in desperation.
We spent a lot of a ride encouraging each other and then greatly enjoying the coffee and conversation in the post-ride sessions.
He was dedicated National level runner and also loved to be in the fast peloton which rode like clockwork, for many decades, in the Santa Barbara area.
He was struck down on a Tuesday Morning, Jan 9 2024 8:30am on a very commonly and oft used road by cyclists from Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. The 150 is a 2 lane road (1 lane each way) and is a main connector between Carpinteria/Santa Barbara and Ojai.
He was struck from behind with enough force to make him airborne, landing on the car's rear window and shattering it.
He will be greatly missed, we often sat together post-ride and had delightful conversation about the ride and many other things.
SO very sad to lose Steve.
https://www.noozhawk.com/80-year-old-carpinteria-man-identified-as-bicyclist-killed-in-vehicle-collision/
We Must
Ride On
Yuri