FLCC> [Cookies] one person's view of Tuesday night

[Mark Rishniw]

While I was dropped on Hurd Rd, and therefore missed the Sherriff's 
car and the mixing of the A's and B's, I agree that there is way too 
much yellow-line crossing, and 4 or 5-abreast riding, especially in 
the B's.  For that reason, I pushed the pace on the first lap with 
the help of a few others (Cosmic, Shan, Mark S, Emmanuel C) to keep 
the pack strung out along midline, through the corner, and down to 
79.  This seemed to result in a safer first lap, because everybody 
was single-file, or at best, 2-abreast.  It meant that I had nothing 
left for Hurd Rd, but I didn't feel at all threatened by bunching 
riders, or people looking for gaps where there are none.

As for A's and B's doing the same course, so as to avoid co-mingling, 
I don't think that's practical. I doubt that the B's wanted to do 
Yellow-Barn/Irish Settlement Rd/Observatory.  Obviously, the A's 
didn't want to do Hurd/Snyder.  Last Tuesday was an unfortunate 
series of circumstances, where the 2 races met on the Midline 
Corner.  However, the B's race would be the group to give way to the 
A's there, since they have the right-of-way.

Twinkie.

At 10:12 AM 7/12/2007, Sara Barker wrote:
>I would like to second what Nick and Glenn are saying here as this is very
>serious stuff and certainly not to be taken lightly. I have ridden with the
>Tuesday night group for many, many years now and have noticed that this
>year when warming up to the start, riders are not nearly as good at heeding
>the car back call. Often riders who are moved over have to shout several
>times and still people don't move. You can continue to carry on your
>conversation when riding back to front or pause for a second to let the car
>pass. We are becoming very unpopular with the public due to our behavior.
>Also I wanted to relay a story from a friend who raced on the B-dale course
>last week. He is new to our group and was ready to never come back after he
>yelled car back towards the finish, moved over, and no one else in the pack
>moved an iota. The car had to pass a large group that had completely taken
>over the lane of traffic with some riders right on the yellow line. This
>unsafe behavior is not only going to make us very unpopular with the
>driving public, but is also turning off new riders that we should instead
>be supporting in the community. I know our club does not condone this type
>of behavior and we should all take individual responsibility for our
>actions, even if at the very end of a race.
>
>Not even a Tuesday night win should trump safety and the rules of the road.
>I for one want our tradition to continue so let's play it smart and safe,
>please.
>
>Cheers,
>Sara
>
>
>
>At 04:53 PM 7/11/2007, Glenn Swan wrote:
>
> > >Nick Robertson sent this observation of Tuesday night's ride/race.....  He
> > >may not think he has the respect of everyone, but I know he deserves all
> > >that and more.  I think I am glad to have missed this one, since I might
> > >have blown a gasket and really reamed some people out.  I know that many
> > >of the riders who show up for Tuesday nights aren't necessarily on this
> > >listserve, so we will need to "educate" some of them before the next
> > >outing.  We truly are lucky that over the years we have avoided most
> > >serious accidents and traffic incidents, and we have read about the
> > >experiences of enough other clubs who have been shut down or worse,
> > >suffered accidents, injuries, or deaths during their weekly events. It is
> > >up to all of us to instill a strong sense of responsibility in each and
> > >every rider because we are responsible for our own safety, and both
> > >directly and indirectly the safety of those who ride around us while we
> > >race. Stupidity, carelessness, or just plain bad luck on the part of any
> > >one of us can lead to the end of what is now an institution of about 25
> > >years. It is up to each of us to protect it by being smart and aware of
> > >our total situation while we race each week.  We must be better...
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >Riding last night was interesting to say the least.  I think I saw
> > >more stupid riding last night that I ever have before.  I want to
> > >send an email to the listserve, but don't have the necessary respect
> > >of the field to have the message be received.  I think that we are
> > >lucky that no one was hurt, killed, or that we weren't shut down by
> > >the police.  There was almost no adherence to "car back" yells.
> > >Several times while riding out to the start there were cars that
> > >tried to pass just to find a car coming the other way, but had
> > >nowhere to go because the group was filling the whole lane across.
> > >Most of the way out, the whole lane was filled.
> > >
> > >But, the worst part was during the race.  The A's went out yellowbarn
> > >and back up Irish settlement.  B's were doing something that had them
> > >coming down midline.  After Irish settlement I was in a chase group
> > >with Bill Erikson and John Compton.  The A's passed up the intersection
> > >with midline and then the B's came out right before us.  A few B
> > >stragglers never even checked to see us coming, I had to yell to get
> > >them to not blow through the stop sign right into us.  If I had been
> > >a car doing 55 or 60, that could have been bad for them.  But it gets
> > >worse.  As we were approaching the Bs, I looked behind to see a
> > >sheriff.  We yelled car back and I know that others in the field
> > >heard us because they looked back, but did nothing.  For over a mile
> > >the sheriff was behind trying to pass, but couldn't.  Bill and I were
> > >both thinking this was the end of Tuesday night races.  Right in
> > >front of the sheriff, people were going two wide over the yellow line
> > >up one of the short steep hills!  So they were taking up over a lane
> > >on a blind hill.  Finally the sheriff decides to try to pass, but
> > >just as he/she does, an on coming car comes and the sheriff had to
> > >turn their lights on to prevent a head on collision.  Finally the
> > >sheriff was able to pass on the approach down to 79.  To my surprise
> > >they passed and just kept going.  Maybe they had somewhere else to be
> > >or maybe they were just letting this one slide.  Either way, we got
> > >lucky I think.  I thought for sure the were going to stop the field
> > >and put an end to things.
> > >
> > >Finally after the ordeal, I was able to get around the B's and get
> > >back up with the A's.  On the way up to the observatory, people in
> > >the A field were well on the left side of the road nearing both
> > >crests.  I was sitting there watching this in disbelief.  If a car comes
> > >over the top and there is no way there would be time to move.
> > >
> > >All in all, I was embarrassed to be out riding with the group.  I
> > >know that this discussion seems to come up every year, but it never
> > >seems to be taken seriously.  I am afraid of someone getting hurt or
> > >killed at some point if nothing changes.
> > >
> > >
> > >Nick
> >
> >
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>
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