See, if you want to argue that the OP was as a matter of fact adequately visible and fulfilling his road-safety responsibilities then fine, go for it, you may even have the right of it and I don’t have a problem with that. But then you want to be all:
which in my considered opinion is complete bollocks as an argument, because we surely accept that a woman does not have the moral or legal responsibility to dress appropriately or admit that her rape was her own fault, whereas there is most certainly a legal requirement for road users to ensure that they can be seen by others. You can’t get away with that equivalence and it amazes me that you would even adopt so base a tactic which in my view is a crass insult to rape victims.
Then he was not in proper control of his vehicle. Apparently he likes booking it hell for leather down a steep-ish hill and accepts that he can’t even scrub off enough speed to bail out safely in an emergency, and if I were in his shoes you can bet those same shoes along with your own that I would ride slower.
I really don’t know why the OP would figure being sideswiped by the guy’s mirror as no better than a head-on collision, but I know when I’ve been on two wheels and in a situation that’s turning bad I’ve been looking for a way out with everything I’ve got, not just waiting for the good fairy to step in and save my ass.
I finally went and Googled the road, read the cycling pages, the grade reports, used G Earth to view the road in several different manners, etc.
There are some more than 7° sections.
Lots of cautions posted about riding there.
Would be a blast down hill with the road blocked for the occasion.
The few goosey sections I did see, maybe not all of them, well, with no other vehicle involved, anything happens to the biker is just bad judgement of one sort or the other.
Some of the sections, with NORMAL legal operating traffic, if ridden as described, would put most of the blame on the biker rider. First time on the road or old hand, that fast in those sections is BAD judgement. IMO
As far as I could tell, the driver was putting me into a position where all my options were bad unless he pulled over before we met. If you want to call that “dead right”, fine, but it’s not going to get much traction among cyclists. BTW, you talk like you’ve never descended a steep hill on a bicycle. Or climbed one.
As far as taking this route, I normally don’t come down that hill that way. I usually climb that way (and did so on the day of the incident) and then go past the state park and down to meet a state highway that crosses a pass in the same range of hills. It meets the highway about halfway down on the far side of the hills (near Newberg, for those familiar with the area). I then take the state highway back over the hills. The state highway has gentler grades and wider lanes, so it’s safer.
On that particular day, I felt a bit funny as I was approaching a very steep climb just before the park. The heat was getting to me. So I decided to turn around and come home directly.
As for the passing markings on the road, I usually don’t pay much attention to those, but I think the other poster is right in that it’s all no passing except for a flattish section at the bottom of the hill.
It’s easier to put as much blame and responsibility on you for the crime of legally riding your bike than to suggest any fault with a car culture that results in abhorrent, dangerous behavior like this SUV driver.
Oh My !!!, You are so wrong… Just one example, 13 months with only a bicycle fro transportation, as an adult, could not dress as a cyclist, had to dress for work, rain, shine, snow, every day and many weekends, all temps. And that is just one thing.
I am 71, been on bikes in many places over the years so I do know a bit. I also have been deliberately rammed, run over and had cars leave the roadway in an attempt to hit me.
Anyway, just for a tit for tat, you talk li9ke a person who has never been bad hurt by a vehicle while on a bike, actually, you sound like never have been run over. Hope you never do.
As for Mr M, your snide insinuations about my wants or what I think of in the blame game, which I am not playing, just talking about common sense things us on two wheels should be doing IMO, are just mean spirited with no useful content.
Rolling my eyes at myself for even looking at this thread again.
Yes, at the San Jose bike party they had lots of youths wearing all black, at nite, with no lights or reflectors. When asked about it they said “You can’t hit what you can’t see!”. :rolleyes:
Nope, it isn’t it’s basic safety. And note he said "They too should take some responsibility for BEING visible." ** SOME. Not “more”. Cars need to turn their lights on and make sure they are working, and cyclist bear similar responsibility. In many places* it’s the law. *
If I said I was speeding down a dark road at midnite, going twice the posted speed, with my car’s lights all off, then someone made a illegal left turn in front of me- part of the blame should go on me.
Safety is a two lane street, both sides need to follow the laws and basic safety regs. Was the SUV violating any law (assuming he didnt see the bike)? Maybe, likely not. So, why didnt he see the bike? Clueless asshole or was the cyclist hard to see as his bike wasnt marked as the law requires? Now, I think- Clueless SUV asshole, but it’s not blaming the victim in this case.
