[Alaska Mike]

<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-biker_fatal_26feb26,0,533633.story" target="_blank">http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...0,533633.story</a><br><br>
Mike

 

[LookiLoo]

How very sad.<br><br>
What I don't understand is this....<br>
"It's an event inherently designed to have people break rules and break laws,"<br><br>
That can't be good.

 

[xflbk43]

Since it is an unofficial, unlicenced, unsanctioned race with no roads blocked and the riders competing in traffic, running lights, etc. I'd say that qualifies as a race designed to have people break rules and break laws."

 

[LookiLoo]

<br>
And that makes it that much more sad to me.

 

[Tri_coach06]

Sad for everyone.<br><br>
I hope Chicago puts an end to this, right quick. The cyclists are being idiots and putting themselves at risk.<br><br>
CS

 

[RunningForT3]

No, they should keep doing it. It's the best advocacy for safe riding. When accidents happen at this race, they should be shown on TV in prime-time.

 

[Alaska Mike]

I understand your logic. I have a pretty laissez-faire attitude when it comes to what people choose to do and I figure that that those who do dumb things (and I've done more than my share of dumb things) get weeded out of the gene pool.<br><br>
The problem I have with these events is that they create an incredible amount of animosity towards all bicyclists. These yahoos do something stupid to someone in an SUV and the next bicyclist that driver sees, they are going to go out of their way to make it uncomfortable or downright dangerous for them. I deal with enough driver animosity (and just downright stupidity) without having unsanctioned street racers really pissing people off.<br><br>
Mike

 

[teacherjen]

And I feel bad for the SUV driver as well....s/he didn't do anything wrong, and now has to live with the fact that s/he killed someone. Sucks-- I know I'd die if I hit a cyclist, even if it was their own stupid fault.

 

[Tri_coach06]

HUGE, BIGFAT 1<br><br>
CS

 

[RunningForT3]

You can preach safety 24/7, you can make laws, buy newspaper advertisements, have a Superbowl ad, and still pretty much won't change the opinion of more than 1% of those yahoos (who are insane to start with, they're not the regular part of the population - the one that rides safely). But showing some mangled wackos on TV, maybe replace the non-stop Natalie Holloway or Scott Petersen coverage with this, and you might have a bigger impact (maybe 10% ?)

 

[bcc594]

Yeah, you might reach a broader group, but I fear the reaction would be more along the lines of "Ban bikes from the road". Have you read some of the comments left about that story? There are already a few calling for cyclists to be banned from riding on the road, since they "are all so dangerous", or something along those lines.<br>
I agree that this 'race' should not be run again, and that more should be done to counter the wackos ruining the reputation of cyclists everywhere. I know that I'm safe while riding, and that I behave like a car. Until all drivers know that all cyclists are safe, there will be a huge amount of distrust and animosity between the two.

 

[CCRaces]

Yeah, that's what I was just thinking. Some of those comments are venemous. There is clearly a huge amount of distrust between drivers and cyclists, and incidences such as this, certainly don't help.

 

[pcsronbo]

and chicago is, basically, a very friendly bike city. Now, as much as a MAJOR city can -but we have bike lanes all over the place, city sponsored bike parking w/ showers and lockers, bike racks on buses and trains and all that.<br><br>
I am not sure what the city can do except infiltrate these groups and bust 'em as they start.<br><br>
The bike messenger culture is a bike one. These guys are a huge industry getting documents back and forth in amazing time for pennies. They are hardcore. It's negative and many are still out there, pants rolled up and all... Makes a polar bear like me shiver!<br><br>
This is sad, not only for his family, but for the cycling community in general. The common-folk will rebel against paying for these cycling-friendly-intiatives.<br><br>
If the city cracks down, then the city looks like a bad guy<br><br>
When really, who is at fault is 50 idiot cyclists IMHO

 

[Alaska Mike]

Or... the cops could just look at the web site and show up at the scheduled start. Although it looks like this is from 2006.<br><br><a href="http://tour.chicago.il.us/" target="_blank">http://tour.chicago.il.us/</a><br><br>
Mike

 

[pcsronbo]

they're sneaky!! <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif"><br><br>
Mike - did you know there are TONS of bandit-cyclocross races in our area? Found out about them late last season. invite only kind of deal. Get busted up about 25% of the time <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[Alaska Mike]

Uh... until last year, reading JR's reports, I didn't know that something called cyclocross existed.<br><br>
Mike

 

[jroden]

It that one of those bike messenger races? Here's an example, it makes my skin crawl:<br><br><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWf2JyIKrN4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWf2JyIKrN4</a>

 

[RunningForT3]

I don't know why, but some of those people deserve to be doored.