Category: Biking

A Cyclist Was Killed Here


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Originally uploaded by tufts_of_tafetta

Last night I rode on the memorial ride for Tracey Sparling, the young woman who was run over by a cement truck while trying to cross Burnside on her bike. The ride was mostly silent except for the constant tinkling of sad bike bells in the still night. None of my photos came out as well as this one which shows the “ghost bike” adorned with notes, flowers, candles, etc. See my earlier entry for more details about the accident. A number of people took pictures and posted them on Flickr.

Deadly right hook

The photo in the article is disturbing but quite telling.

Although the investigation is ongoing, it appears that a young woman died as the result of the right hook, which I have talked about here previously. The photo in the article is disturbing but quite telling. The Oregonian also has a story and a similar photo. Somebody has already placed a “ghost bike” at the scene and a memorial ride is schedule for tonight.

Update: The Oregonian now has a profile of the victim.

Evening Bike Commute

Now picture this: me in the bike lane at that moment had my bike tire not gone flat 15 minutes before.

Distance: 19.3 miles
Riding time: 109 minutes
Max speed: 32.6 mph
Average speed: 10.6 mph
Temperature: 75º
Soundtrack: Science Friday
Route:

  • Alder to 1st
  • 1st to Salmon
  • Salmon to Hawthorne Bridge
  • Hawthorne Bridge to Springwater Corridor
  • Springwater Corridor to Powell Butte
  • Various trails over Powell Butte to 162nd
  • 162nd to home

What a glorious sunny afternoon to ride my bike the long way home. It was a tremendous effort to climb Powell Butte – one that found me laying down, gasping for breath on the side of the trail at one point – but it was well worth it. On my way down the north side of the Butte, I wondered how hot my brake pads were getting. My rims were plenty hot when I got to the bottom and as I touched the front rim, I heard the distinct sound of air leaking from the front tire. At least it didn’t blow out when I was flying down the hill at 35 mph.

It took me about 15 minutes to pull the tube out and install my spare. I was actually pretty refreshed when I got back on and pedaled towards home. How surprised was I when I came upon this at 162nd and Division:

The picture is pretty blurry (you can click on it to get the full-size version), but it’s a car that had run up a telephone pole and came to rest in a vertical position. Somebody at the scene reckoned he must have been going 100 mph or better. I asked around and they said it had happened about 15 minutes before.

Now picture this: me in the bike lane at that moment had my bike tire not gone flat 15 minutes before. Freaky, huh? More pictures on my Flickr page.

Morning Bike Commute

Distance: 11.0 miles
Riding time: 55 minutes
Max speed: 27.2 mph
Average speed: 11.8 mph
Temperature: 72º
Route:

  • 162nd to Halsey
  • Halsey past I-84 overpass
  • 80th to Glisan
  • Glisan to 76th
  • 76th to Everett
  • Everett/Davis to Floral Place
  • Floral Place across Burnside to Ankeny
  • Ankeny to Grand
  • Grand to Burnside
  • Burnside to Broadway
  • Broadway to office

This was the second morning in a row that I took this route (instead of jumping on the Max). I mostly felt good but lagged on some of the hills. All the aches and pains from the weekend are gone and it was much cooler than yesterday (when I looked down to see 93º on the bike computer). Overall, a beautiful ride.

Bridge Pedal Pictures

I only snapped a few photos during the Bridge Pedal yesterday. Fortunately, someone on Flickr was smart enough to start a group for everyone to share pictures of the event. Here’s a few favorites: