boozergut

Im currently riding with a 60's guy in fairly good shape but he just cant keep his head pointed straight ahead. Last year he had his head bent around to tell me some unimportant story went off the MUP, tried to get back on and crashed. He ended up at acute care. Yesterday he was infatuated with two blue herons at the edge of our local lake. He road right into a metal sign at speed. He crashed hard, the sound of his body hitting the pavement was very alarming. In both cases his helmet saved his bacon, but I really dont like "drama" when Im cycling. Can anyone relate?

necx

No..

Iride01 

I don't think that is a sign of ADD. At least not if you are talking about attention deficit disorder which is actually not the proper term for it today.

Bearhawker

Maybe he'd prefer zwift?

Altair 4

I wouldn't need that kind of drama but, on the other hand, you do get some interesting stories out of it. Sounds like a guy that shouldn't be allowed to ride alone or at the least, use something like the RoadID app to notify someone when he's down.

t2p

Can you be placed on his insurance policy as a beneficiary ?

gthomson

I almost always ride alone so can't say I can share the experience but maybe he/she is just having troubles multi tasking? I've noticed this is something I'm struggling with as I get older especially working in a fast paced envt. It's understood in todays business world that one can talk with someone on the phone while having a completely different conversation with someone else using chat. I know I sure can't, so maybe I would have the same problem riding and talking?

Bald Paul

Sounds like that person would make a good stoker on a tandem.

peterws

That guy sounds like me. I've had so many crashes last few years; down to my eyesight and lack of judgemen/balance,/concentration and cars which insist on being where they shouldn't be. On the road at the same time as me!
A trip to the Optometrist might be my best bet; (I have the most peculiar eyes, but I can stil see out of them) if I can get there in one piece.that is.

_ForceD_

Maybe your friend needs blinders. - Dan

big john

Yes, I can relate. I ride with 2 road clubs, one of them for 33 years. Some people lose concentration or something and get in trouble. One of my friends in the club has had several crashes from inattention or unexplained things. He got hurt a couple times and broke a nice frame.

Another woman rider takes incredible chances sometimes. I've seen her almost get hit a few times and it always feels terrible. She still rides but not with our club.

I wonder if some people would be better off not road riding. One guy I really liked had to quit because of 3 bad crashes. I was there for 2 of them.

Wildwood

When I ride with friends, I prefer to enjoy the experience of riding separately from being with friends at stops and before/after the route.

If a person is riding off the trail or road repeatedly, they either have a medical issue needing attention or are too careless to be trusted. The next incident might involve other vehicles. In any case, how to convey that tactfully may be too difficult to broach. Please try not to be a part of the next coming inattentive mistake.

big john

This is the question I have. The first guy I mentioned is still very active with the club, he was on our ride Saturday. We were exiting a parking lot with a bit of a steep drop to the street. We had a red light and he wanted to go to the front so he crossed into the oncoming lane and a car turned in and started uphill toward him. I thought he was going to run into the car but he drifted back just in time and I don't think he noticed the car at all.

What could I say to him? He's already run into things in front of me, he must know there is a problem.

2manybikes

Been there. Guy (ADHD) was right next to me trying to talk to me and went straight into a big hole. Just a flat tire, no injury thankfully. I don't ride with him anymore.

Wildwood

Blunt is best.
the guy knows it already
or
he is clueless.

rsbob 

Other than him hurting himself, my major concern would be him plowing to you and taking you out with a bad injury.

I would keep him either behind me or at a considerable distance.

boozergut

That happened last year. He turned to talk to me about something unimportant while just ahead of me. Went off the MUP, caught the lip trying to get back on and went down right in front of me with me on top of him.

andrewclaus

There was a guy I rode with one time, a neighbor with a 'bent. I watched with horror as he passed a car on the right, slowing down with a right turn signal on. He cussed out the driver who almost turned into him. Remember he's on a 'bent, can't be seen below window line--it was a miracle he didn't get creamed. Then I saw him on the roadside once, changing a flat, sitting on the white line with a 10' shoulder available. He told me stories about all his falls, multiple accidents, and a lawsuit. Why did I ever agree to ride with this **** magnet, even once?

A few years later I started riding with a friend who chewed me out for cycling no-handed for a few seconds. He's even safer than I am. He's ten years older than I am and has never been in a crash or serious fall (as an adult). I like riding with him and have learned a few things about aging. You can choose your riding partners.

stephenmcateer

I'm wondering what 'MUP' is?

Bald Paul

"Multi Use Path". A bike or walking path where cars are not allowed.

stephenmcateer

Ah. All is revealed. Thank you.

Bob Ross

A couple weeks ago I joined a Club ride that was primarily dirt/gravel roads. A number of the folks who signed up for this ride were brand new to unpaved riding, so before the ride started the ride leader offered some excellent points about how dirt differs from normal road riding. One of his tips was "We'd rather you don't take your hands off the bars to point out obstacles when you're riding on rough dirt or gravel; rather than use hand signals just call out hazards."

So this one guy in the group would consistently get out of the saddle and turn his entire torso around nearly 180° to face backwards every time he would yell "HOLE RIGHT!"
:facepalm:



Yeah, those are definitely the folks you want to give a really wide berth to!

rumrunn6

how about if you are the front rider? go a little faster, so he has to concentrate more on following you

boozergut

Didnt work he was behind me saying "Ahhhhh look at those Blue Herons!" SMACK! Right into the metal sign post.

oldbobcat

I used to train with a guy who sucked my wheel all day. Then when I'd slow down for a hill, he'd sprint to get in front of me, and then he'd blow up and stop pedaling. Had to tell him to pull off before trying to coast uphill.