5 replies to this topic

[endoyardsale]

Kansascyclist has good ideas on how to respond to the haters:

http://www.kansascyc...g-to-ignorance/

[billh]

I agreee it's extremely insensitive to the family of the cyclist to use the death of their loved to make his point . . . and I agree with all the points the blogger makes . . . and certainly the editor mirrors plenty of ignorance and intolerance in that community . . . but the basic request seems reasonable . . . especially, since agriculture is the basis of the local economy and it's a special two week period . . . seems like a little give and take is in order.

Quote

So, for the couple of weeks during harvest, we again ask that bicyclists stay off county roads . . .

maybe I'm just in a good mood today.  

[Russian Bear]

I agree with Bill, while responding to a death with this is pretty horrible, it's a reasonable request on its own. I'm sure there are other routes to hit up during the 2 weeks or whatever. To draw a parallel to our area, I use to ride in Augusta quite a bit. I like to stay off 94 as much as I can, but there are some decent climbs that I like doing on it from time to time. During the crush in late august and  september I wouldn't really ride out in that direction (well maybe turn around at schluersbrug and head back north).

[endoyardsale]

I respectfully disagree, Bill and Bear.  Ben Wearing's request was completely unreasonable.  To put it in context, I think riding on 94 is suicidal, because it gets steep and twisty, there is no shoulder, and we are in a metro area with 3 million people.  I haul ass driving on 94 and so does everyone else, and I would be justifiably annoyed and concerned with anyone riding a bike on it.  There are plenty of great climbs in St. Charles with low traffic, e.g. Green's Bottom road, or no traffic elsewhere nearby, e.g. in Wildwood.  In contrast, Salina is a small city surrounded by plains with county roads on a grid, so they are straight and there is very little traffic.  Case in point, the best estimate of the time of the accident in question is a half hour window.  Here is another commentary with more details that exposes the cynicism and wrong perspective of Wearing's editorial:

http://www.kstatecol...ople-with-cars/

This is an internet forum, so devil's advocates and arguments are expected, but I am puzzled why any cyclist would accept Wearings view.

[cleeland]

Even if the cyclist had been riding on a road like 94, Wearing's arguments are nonsense.  People who haul ass on 94 beyond stopping/sight distance on the curves are as much of a danger to implements of animal husbandry and semis as they are to cyclists.

I agree that riding a bike on much of 94 is ill-advised, but it's not the fault of the cyclist, but of the huge number of drivers on the road that routinely violate the law.

[wesboyce]

I love it that Wearing tries to feign concern for the well-being of cyclists after his idiotic comments. I guess cars not related to the harvest should probably stay off the roads, too. You don't want them getting in the way of "semis and other wheat trucks and farm equipment in a hurry to get through harvest" either.