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With approximately 30,000 participants, it's not unexpected that a few cyclists might get in an accident during the 5 Boro Bike Tour. Still, it's alarming to read emergency wire updates like the report that there was an accident on the Queens side of the upper level of the Queensboro Bridge. Multiple cyclists are down and the extent of injuries is still unkown.
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maybe they should have stayed in the bike lane.
As with many things in NYC, this was a great event that got too popular for its own good. Last time I participated we referred to it as "Walk New York" because it came to a grinding halt multiple times.
But the real reason I stopped participating is that it killed me how unsafe it all was. Not so much for me, I'm highly skilled, but there are many thousands of amateurs on the ride. Which is great, we should encourage everyone to cycle. But throw into the mix a lot of new yorkers who want to prove something by going fast and 'beating' everyone, and you've got many accidents waiting to happen. (And happening, every year.)
Seriously, competitive cyclists, it's time to leave events like this, and places like the west side bike path on a saturday afternoon, to the amateurs. They need to be nurtured. We can go ride up 9W or wherever.
Looks like SPAM by ;
knotknot13 01:46PM
This guy has an ad for some unrelated music gig on the LES!
Creep! No one cares about your little gig.
I may do the 5 Boro again but even though I'm not a speed maven I got bored when it got to be the Walk Boro or even Wait Boro in several spots. As is, I've done it 10 times.
Agreed re the 12th Ave bikeway and also the Brooklyn Bridge: the racers take over, and if you want to actually ride leisurely and enjoy the sights...you have to deal with the speed freaks....
www.forgotten-ny.com
Hmm, I rode by the accident and only saw one guy down, but based on the crowd of Marshalls, EMTs and such, and the way they were very, very, very, gingerly moving him, he was pretty badly injured.
The rubber neckers around me must have seen something because I heard a lot of "oh fuck ...", and "holy shit" comments.
This was the only accident I saw all day.
Most everyone I rode by today was respectful and having a good time.
I didn't witness the Queensborough accident, however it looked as if a bicyclist had fainted/fallen in Harlem, just before entering the Bronx. A few riders managed to fall over randomly too.
The only complaint here would be to reserve the leftmost side of the course for passing. There were far too many leisurely bikers taking up that space, or groups who were riding 4-5 wide on the road and not maintaining pace.
Bikers for the most part are a nuisance and tend to be self centered idiots thinking they are saving the world from total destruction.
When I'm driving my car I don't give them an inch. If the light is green for me and red for them tough shit.
I think the organizers go out of their way to emphasize that this is not a race. It's not the Tour de France; it's the 5 Boro Bike Tour. There is a recommended pace and it's pretty tame, to accommodate amateurs. With 30,000 participants, one has to expect some people who are not as savvy to the unwritten rules of the road. Like tourists, however, you have to appreciate the people that want to get to know the city a little better and do it on 2 wheels.
unkown s/b unknown
Snoopy, no offense, but neither bicyclists nor motorcyclists rely on car drivers to give them room, to observe any rules of the road, or to even know when either exists.
Between your all important cell phone conversations, gizmos in the dash, and the newspaper on your steering wheels, we all assume you a) are oblivious to anyone but yourself and/or b) are actively trying to kill us.
So continue doing what you're doing, and we'll just assume that you'll stop halfway acros a pedestrian crossing, run red lights, and make left turns into the path of oncoming traffic, and we'll make necessary adjustments.
"recommended pace and it's pretty tame."
Fucking pussies.
When I heard "bikers down on the QBB" I thought some had fallen over in the water. THAT would be news. Not because some some retard's training wheels broke.
fafaforza, you can safely assume I'm actively trying to kill you. I just got some spinning rims with spikes for my Escalade. I'm one cell call and a Mochafrappucino from putting you bicycle fucks on a slab.
i was there when the ambulance came. they had to perform CPR on him. he was laid out, looked like he had a heart attack. hope hes OK!!!
I have said my prayers. He's an experienced rider. The 59th street bridge incident is tragic and shocking. The internet is full of idiots like the ones above. I have been doing this ride 7 years running. It's social, and very safe. Rules of the road always apply whether there is traffic or not. With 30K riders you are bound to have bottlenecks. Take it for what it is a social cycling event.
I stopped to help him for a little bit and it did not look like he fell (or hit another biker). The Daily News actually has an article about him. He had a heart arrythmia that caused him to pass out and was revived by EMS and is actually doing OK now.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/05/05/2008-05-05_stricken_five_boro_tour_biker_owes_his_l.html
As for the ride itself, it was absolutely awesome, safe, and everyone I saw respected all road rules. There were one or two bottlenecks, but for the most part, it was really smooth.
The guy had a heart attack. They were administering CPR when I went by him. The ambulance came and they got him on oxygen, so hopefully he's okay.
The ride was great otherwise. Rode the whole thing, no issues to report. Hope they do it forever.
PS: Snoop, sorry your dad never taught you to ride, but I'll take you out anytime and we'll see if we can get this irrational anger thing taken care of.
Rode the 5 Boro at least 10 times and stopped as the tour was getting too large. Not sure how 'safe' it is considering I was crashed into from by people not paying attention or late braking. For many people it was their first (maybe only) ride of the year, so the risks weren't worth it anymore.
The unsafe conditions during this event are not created by the tourists or "leisure riders." It's a "tour" not a race. To all the Greg LeMonds and Lance Armstrongs who participated, and who create hazards daily on the Central Park and West Side bike paths - please create your own website, raise some cash, and build a fucking velodrome so you retards can speed around it like you are practicing for the Olypics(which you will never ever make).
You bought yourself a bike and you like the idea of riding on 2 wheels rather than 4, that's great. But this is not France and you are not racing against anyone - other than the little voice in the back of your mind that reminds you how much of a failure you are at everything and how come no one likes you.
So take off the yellow jersey and way too tight bike pants and all the other lame ass gear that are meant for people who are actually professional riders competing for trophy or cash prizes, because YOU are the asshole - not the guy who is enjoying his/her time with friends getting to see the city and its boroughs while the streets are free of cars, trucks, and lunatic cab drivers. YOU are the jackass who ruins everything for everyone. Take a step back and examine your life, stand in the mirror(wearing your bike outfit will help best in this exercise), and ask yourself, "Is it me or everyone else?)" ITS YOU!!!
He is doing ok and getting better. Right now it looks like he will be home in a couple of days.
That's good news. Thanks for the update.
The only time I saw dangerous stuff happen, it seemed due to inexperience. Children should be held exclusively to the right side of the lanes during the tour. They tend to not hold lines really well, and when the start peddling really fast and that bike gets to waving around on the faster parts, it can unnerve the typically inconsistent adults around them. Coming of the first big decline on the BQE where 27 merges with it, we were hitting about 23mph coasting. I remember looking up and seeing a girl on her bike that was hovering around the center lanes. She wasn't quite keeping up with the pace of the people coming off of that hill. People were having to figure out if she was going to suddenly come over in one direction or another. Right after I got past her on the left and another rider on the right, there was a dull thud and rattle. At first I thought somebody dropped something from their bike. I glanced back and realized that I'd just heard what a bike pileup sounds like. She wasn't in it, but somebody got hurt.
While riding through Central Park, I saw some people trying to pass who got all the way over into the run/walk lane and had to stop pretty quick for some rather indignant run/walkers. I, admittedly, was using the bike lane to pass the pack, but I was also able to judge when to get back in and never got that far over. that didn't end up in anything too bad, but it could have.
Another problem is dealing with pedestrians. There aren't marshals at every cross street to stop people from trying to cross when they shouldn't. I saw one rider/walker collision happen in BK RIGHT after a stop. The walker seemed fairly oblivious to him. The peds also seem to do a really bad job of judging bicycle speed for some reason. Some people seemed to expect us to be stopping for the lights. I think, if the city is going to keep letting this take place, it needs to do a better job of organizing safe crossing points and signage alerting pedestrians to the nature of the event.
And yes, those pack riders seemed to be drawn to the left side as well...
I know this organization doesn't want to discourage riders, but it seems like this thing would go a lot smoother after people have been on their bikes for a couple months before they dive in. Given the shifting weather patterns, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to move this thing forward a month.
He is on his way home as i type this.