BIKE RIDER KILLED ON PCH

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

BIKE RIDER KILLED ON PCH

By Debbie Bulloch

NOTE: The story below was written by Stephen Box. He publishes the SoapBoxLA blog. The story was published on Monday, June 29, 2009. The events described occurred a little bit past midnight, Sunday, June 28, 2009.

FATHER AND SON GRAND TOUR DREAM TURNS INTO TRAGEDY

Twenty-one years ago, Rodrigo "Rod" Armas strapped on his helmet, hopped onto his bike and set off on the L.A. Wheelmen's Grand Tour, an annual cycling event that starts and finishes in Malibu, drawing participants from throughout California as well the surrounding Western States. Grand Tour riders typically have an appetite for distance as is evidenced by the route options which range from the 200 Kilometer, 200 mile, 300 mile and 400 mile routes.

The Grand Tour is a fully supported event meaning that there are abundant pit stops and sag teams that patrol the route, offering everything from encouragement and refreshments to medical and mechanical support. The ride starts early on Saturday morning and riders must complete their selected route within 24 hours.

This past Saturday, Rod again saddled up for the Grand Tour, this time accompanied by Christian, his 14 year-old-son. They were among the last cyclists to check in, picking up numbers 473 and 474. Rod strapped on the same helmet he used 21 years before and the father and son team set off on the Highland Double, a 200 mile route that heads up to Port Hueneme and then turns inland over the rural, quieter and hillier back roads of Ventura County.

…

As Saturday turned into Sunday, Rod and Christian had approximately 190 miles behind them including 8500 feet of elevation gain and four very challenging hills. They were riding on the shoulder in ideal conditions. The sky was clear, there was great visibility, the roads were dry and there was a slight off shore breeze. All was well and they were within miles of rolling into the finish line in Malibu.

At approximately 1:30 am, the next SAG (ride support) driver came across an emergency scene with medical and law enforcement personnel at work on the two cyclists who lay on the ground at 34000 PCH. The SAG driver radioed back to the other support teams in order to coordinate the Triple Century cyclists who would soon be riding south on PCH past the emergency scene.

Rod was pronounced dead at the scene and Christian was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center with severe and comprehensive injuries. Their bodies were crushed, their bikes were destroyed, their blood was on the road and yet there was no sign of the person responsible for the mayhem.

Rest In Peace "ROD"

For the rest of the story go to: SoapBoxLA

PCH is a beautiful road – it is also a dangerous road, especially for cyclists. Many times, while riding my bike on PCH, cars have whizzed by me so close that I could almost feel them brush against my skin. It is at times like this that I question my sanity for riding my bike on the roads of Southern California. It is also at times like this that I question the lack of backbone of the politicians who continue to do nothing about bicycle safety.

But I – and my fellow cyclists - must continue to ride (it is a near-addiction for many of us). So until politicians decide to do something to protect cyclists, it is up to riders AND drivers to watch out for each other.

If you are a rider, please watch for your own safety: wear a helmet, wear bright or reflecting clothing, use lights to see and be seen, make sure that you are familiar with the roads you plan to traverse, make sure that your bike is in good mechanical shape, make sure that you are well rested and observe all traffic laws.

If you are a driver, please watch out for riders: don’t cut riders off, don’t follow too close to riders, don’t ride too close to riders and be cognizant of the weight/size difference between your Chevy truck and the Schwinn bike in front of you.

BE SAFE...

SHARE THE ROAD...

HAVE FUN...

And now for something different.

THE WIND MEASURING “THINGY”

As I have previously written, I am usually faced with some stiff head winds while riding my bike. PCH, being right next to the ocean, is on the path of sometimes strong offshore winds. There is not much I can do about the wind – other than riding my bike elsewhere. I am not about to stop riding on PCH but now, at least, I will be able to know how strong the winds are.

Being a gadget lover, I went online to look for a handheld anemometer (a wind speed measuring thingy). After a brief search this is what I found:

La Crosse handheld anemometer