Bicycle Austin forum

I am saddened by such tragic news.  I wish Tom eternal tailwinds, peaceful descents, and puncture-proof tires.  My condolences to his family and friends.

Let me be perfectly clear - I AM NOT IMPLYING the cyclist in this case was at fault in any way.  I am not - period.  However, given the location of the crash and my personal experience, the intent of my comments below is simply to raise awareness and encourage everyone to ride predictably with impeccable conduct.  Doing so gives everyone a better chance of returning home to their loved ones.

Nevertheless, in addition to Brad's point about using daytime strobe lights, I believe we - as cyclists - can do one more thing to increase our safety on the road - control our speed.  The descent on Lost Creek Blvd. is pleasantly long and potentially very fast.  I myself have "bombed" down it too many times with top speeds well in excess of the posted speed limit.  Whatever fun that may be, it is extremely dangerous.  Because a cyclist is so small (compared to a motor vehicle), it is very difficult to gauge his/her speed even when he/she IS seen by a driver.  The difficulty is only exacerbated when a cyclist is travelling faster than expected (e.g., descending at high speeds).  Thus, in addition to using BOTH front and rear flashing/strobe lights during daylight hours, I also encourage ALL cyclists to obey the posted speed limits on our roads - especially on steep, fast residential roads (e.g., Lost Creek Blvd., Barton Creek Blvd., Far West Blvd., Ladera Norte, Mesa Dr., Adirondack Trail, River Hills Rd, Cuernavaca Dr., etc.).

Again, I am NOT blaming the victim and I have no idea whether he was travelling at 5 or 45 mph.  His actions are not at issue here.  I merely ask all cyclists to pause for a moment and consider the possible consequences before screaming down a hill - especially in a neighborhood where there is a high concentration of motor vehicles, children, pets, wildlife, etc.  I know I have had my fair share of close-calls from both cars and deer crossing in front of me while riding way too fast to be able to slow or stop had it been absolutely necessary.  I will use this tragedy to remind myself to ride predictably with impeccable conduct - even if no one is watching.

RIP, Tom.