Oh no! Another sad loss :c

Anonymous

Just heard news of Cath Ward who was killed during a TT on Weds night on the A46. Puts a hell of a lot of things into perspective.

Thoughts are with her family.

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/d ... sion-27294

Hibbs

Yes, it's shocking. There's a thread on the time trials forum for people to leave messages of condolence. http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/ind ... opic=48872

Pokerface

2nd person this week. Sad.

Bronzie

That's terrible news - thinking of her family and friends.

Organised by the Beacon Road Club as well - I'm sure BeaconRuth will be devastated.

There seems to be a few riders killed every year now on dual carriageway courses - really puts me off riding anything but sporting courses of which there are precious few locally.

Hibbs

Bronzie wrote:

That's terrible news - thinking of her family and friends.

Organised by the Beacon Road Club as well - I'm sure BeaconRuth will be devastated.

There seems to be a few riders killed every year now on dual carriageway courses - really puts me off riding anything but sporting courses of which there are precious few locally.

Not sure this is the right time for that discussion... but yes, I agree - I made the decision when I came back last year that I was never going to ride on a DC again and since then there have been two fatalities and one near-fatality on the local DC. Back in the mid-90's I'd think nothing of it, but the roads seem so much busier these days, and drivers seem so much worse... although it helps that I'm not a "tester" so don't have that desire to chase times.

Lillywhite

Bronzie wrote:

There seems to be a few riders killed every year now on dual carriageway courses

Yes. The South Midlands section of the RTTC, as it was then called, banned the use of the A14 for time trials following a fatality and another serious accident in an event back in September 1999. The fatality was a riding friend of mine I hasten to add.

Such roads are really not the place to time trial on with traffic passing at 70 mph.

Hibbs

Lillywhite wrote:

Yes. The South Midlands section of the RTTC, as it was then called, banned the use of the A14 for time trials following a fatality and another serious accident in an event back in September 1999. The fatality was a riding friend of mine I hasten to add.

Such roads are really not the place to time trial on with traffic passing at 70 mph.

Is that the A14 between the M1 south Leicester and Huntingdon? :shock: That's one of the worst roads I've ever driven, you have to keep your wits well about you in a car keeping up with the flow... never mind on a bike.

Lillywhite

Hibbs wrote:

Is that the A14 between the M1 south Leicester and Huntingdon? :shock: That's one of the worst roads I've ever driven, you have to keep your wits well about you in a car keeping up with the flow... never mind on a bike.

Correct. Goes from Cathorpe juction MI/M6 to Brampton Hut and bypasses Cambridge through to Ipswich. Time Trialling has been banned on the section to Brampton Hut although they still use the section between Cambridge and Newmarket which is crazy. :shock:
It's a two-lane 'motorway' without a hard shoulder and full of lorries going to Felixstowe container port.
My friend was killed by a 19 year old Dutch lorry driver, early one Sunday morning, in a vehicle that could not be legally driven by a UK driver of that age. :shock:

Bronzie

Hibbs wrote:

Not sure this is the right time for that discussion...

Problem is, it seems to be the only time it ever does get discussed............and it's becoming all too frequent

Lillywhite

Bronzie wrote:

Problem is, it seems to be the only time it ever does get discussed............and it's becoming all too frequent

Unfortunately on dual carriageways any collision between a cyclist and a motor vehicle has very severe consequences with collisions usually from the rear at high speeds and problems at slip roads where vehicles completely misjudge speeds that time triallists can achieve on such roads. The A5 through Milton Keynes also has a bad reputation.

andy83

condolances to family

Heard some guys talking about it last night at a TT and said too many cyclists had got there before him to see exactly what happened

tlw1

not nice.

Thoughts are with her family

Cleat Eastwood

Shocking, so sad. all thoughts are with her family.

SBezza

Such a very sad loss. All my thoughts go to the family, and everyone involved with the event.

richk

A sad day all round and something I hope I never have to see again.

All thoughts are with Caths family & friends.

johndoran

I've just got back from watching some of the BDCA 50 mile TT on the A50 Etwell to Blyth bridge and return,the riders do this twice. Now its 10 years since I rode a TT on a dual carriageway and it was getting busy then.I know they do a traffic count but I don't know how busy a road has to be before it is decided it is too busy. The traffic this afternoon was horrendous (I know it seems worse standing at the side of the road) with loads of large lorries and you could regularly see brake lights flashing as drivers moved over to pass the cyclists. Its funny because the busier the roads get so the more entries an event gets but anyone who thinks that a time on a traffic filled road is a sign of their true potential is kidding themselves . it must increase your speed by a good few MPH and gives you a 25 time minutes faster than a quieter course. Therein lies the problem because its all about times.

Mark Alexander

My condolences.. again. Sadly, I feel that it will not be the last time we read threads like this.

hopper1

I was returning from a 25 TT today, driving home along the A11. Very busy , very fast... All of a sudden, I'm aware of brake lights, and cars moving across the white lines... Then I see the tester! I wasn't aware of any signage as I'd approached, but it was the Breckland CC 12 hour. I slowed down, and eased off for other drivers to move out safely.
Not long after I'd passed a rider was indeed struck, the road was temporarily closed and the Air Ambulance took the guy to hospital. He appears to have had a bit of a battering, but info on the time trial forum suggests he's not too serious, thankfully.
The event I rode today, was not so busy, but still had plenty of large Hi Vis signage, alerting motorists to a 'Cycle Racing Event'.
Must have worked, as we all made it, unscathed...

kilo

I rode a ten on Saturday and a twenty five this morning. I felt the tweny five run on a DC course was safer than the ten run on twisty country lnes with a national speed limit. Better visibility for the passing cars, no blind bends and room for them to move out.

SBezza

johndoran wrote:

I've just got back from watching some of the BDCA 50 mile TT on the A50 Etwell to Blyth bridge and return,the riders do this twice.

You only do it once , well I did on Saturday anyhow

Actually the A50 is one of the busier DC I have raced on, but I don't think it was that busy on Saturday, compared with the last time I rode on the A50.

As mentioned above, a SC can be worse for a rider, cars will still travel down a twisty SC course at speeds approaching 70-80mph, just they have no where to go if they meet you and an oncoming car at the same time.

The guy at the Breckland 12 Hour, was hit at the Attleborough RAB, so would have been going quite slowish, but than again so should have the car that hit him from the rear. There is no reason a car driver should hit you at the rear, unless he is not paying attention to what is up in front.

I do think signage on some events could be alot better, but then you have got to keep the Highways Agency happy as well.

As I mentioned above my condolences go out to Cath's family and friends, and those of Beacon RCC, but there is just as much risk in commuting back and forwards to work during rush hour.