wasnt that the one where Gee or Dan got pulled over for speeding on their bike wearing a skinsuit?
Rachel Atherton hit by a truck training
- Thread starter Transcend
- Start date
A guy got creamed here about two years ago by a trailer. It was a morning where it had rained a bit the night before, then got real cold and froze, so essentially lots of black ice. The guy slipped on a road where there wasn't much space, and fell into the path of the trailer. There wasn't really anything the guy driving the trailer could have done, but man later that day and the next people just exploded about unsafe drivers and how the guy in the truck and trailer must have swerved to hit him. I was working in a shop at the time, so I was in tune with all the "local bike chatter". Talk about prejudice, there was no question as to what happened...at least until the real facts came out. Just goes to show that you shouldn't judge until you have the facts, but it's easy to fall into these types of traps.
Definitely sucks! I don't believe the picture was tasteless either....puts the incident into perspective. She's lucky to be alive riding without a helmet, in the wrong lane, etc.
Heal up!
Heal up!
Very lucking indeed. could definitely have been game over.
When I was hit riding my bike (in california) I was riding in the bike lane. I ended up with a broken bone in my hand and my knee was fractured in two places. My bmx/skate lid was scraped & cracked pretty bad.
When I was hit riding my bike (in california) I was riding in the bike lane. I ended up with a broken bone in my hand and my knee was fractured in two places. My bmx/skate lid was scraped & cracked pretty bad.
I bet she changed her opinion skin suits
I've hit cars head-on while riding in Bermuda twice, both times on my first day there. It is really damn hard to remember which side of the road to ride on when you first get in country, especially on something as familiar as a bike. Both times I ended up with only a broken fork and roadrash.
Neither time I was wearing a helmet. I don't wear a helmet most of the time on the road, nor do 80% of the people I train with.
I've been hit or hit cars, the ground, trees, curbs and all sorts of other things dozens of times in 15+ years of pretty serious road riding. One thing I've never hit is my head on the ground... That could all change on my ride home tonight.
Then again;
I think it's fine for someone to smoke profusely, have unprotected sex with multiple anonymous partners, use IV drugs and engage in other public-health no-no's too. People almost always know the risks and ramifications of their actions.
Helmet wearing just shouldn't be the issue people make it out to be. Wearing a helmet wouldn't have stopped Rachel from being on the wrong side of the road.
That being said, people, wear your goddamned helmets. It won't hurt you, and it could very well save your life, or at least your intellectual abilities. I'm a selfish prick who is annoyed by chinstraps, and any day now residents of this Commonwealth might be paying my nurse.
Neither time I was wearing a helmet. I don't wear a helmet most of the time on the road, nor do 80% of the people I train with.
I've been hit or hit cars, the ground, trees, curbs and all sorts of other things dozens of times in 15+ years of pretty serious road riding. One thing I've never hit is my head on the ground... That could all change on my ride home tonight.
Then again;
I think it's fine for someone to smoke profusely, have unprotected sex with multiple anonymous partners, use IV drugs and engage in other public-health no-no's too. People almost always know the risks and ramifications of their actions.
Helmet wearing just shouldn't be the issue people make it out to be. Wearing a helmet wouldn't have stopped Rachel from being on the wrong side of the road.
That being said, people, wear your goddamned helmets. It won't hurt you, and it could very well save your life, or at least your intellectual abilities. I'm a selfish prick who is annoyed by chinstraps, and any day now residents of this Commonwealth might be paying my nurse.
I gotta call BS on that. People think about the risks and ramifications to THEMSELVES, not to their family, everyone that will have to have higher insurance costs, the laws that will have to be enacted to prevent suits, and all the other associated costs (medical, transportation, etc). As a Safety Engineer (there are a lot of names for what role I might be in, but I just finished my Master's in Safety) I would have to recommend rules, laws, procedures and such to either law-making authorities or insurance companies. If I had a situation like the above, what choice do I have but to recommend that there be laws about helmets and seatbelts? Obviously people aren't smart enough individually to do this, so in a civilization or society we have to have laws that "force" people to do this. On the whole people are rather dumb, and society has to protect them from themselves.
Taking "responsibility" and knowing the ramifications? Yeah right. Just don't complain when the new laws hard handed down and prices go up, cause those are the people that asked for em. Realistically, living in a society means that you just can't go and do whatever you feel like doing. The benefits are great though, public health, security, protection, education, etc.
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Typical stuff you expect to hear. Not a helmet thread, please, i beg.
fwiw,
I have two friends with "Masters in Public Health From Prestigious Ivy League Scools" both of them have worked for the W.H.O.
Both ride without helmets, and I expect the cute one cruises airport stalls for action. Hell, I used to receive a pay-check from the Mass Brain Injury Assoc to assist in running program they put on for TBI.
Safety is a business just like any other.
Statistical correlation is relatively un-interesting to me. I just want people to ride more bikes (for public health reasons too, a much larger one, obesity and hypertension)
No flaming intended
From what I understand it was just one of those things - an accident. Sven was there taking shots and from what he saw -
From DIRTmag:
I think she got her bell rung pretty hard plus a dislocated shoulder. Jesus... saw the pics on DIRT - assuming it's the same one on Transcend... she looks SO completely bummed and Dan and Gee look pretty freaked...
Damn... Rache - feel better soon. Healing vibes for a speedy recovery... please be careful out there... There are just WAY too many cars in Cali...
From DIRTmag:
http://dirtmag.co.uk/news/category/press%20release/rachel-atherton-crashes-into-car/dirt-1234419.html
I think she got her bell rung pretty hard plus a dislocated shoulder. Jesus... saw the pics on DIRT - assuming it's the same one on Transcend... she looks SO completely bummed and Dan and Gee look pretty freaked...
Damn... Rache - feel better soon. Healing vibes for a speedy recovery... please be careful out there... There are just WAY too many cars in Cali...
Well, it just goes back to what I said. I agree that it's a business, we can't eliminate all risk, and we have to decide what is acceptable. When the bottom line comes to cost (suits, insurance, transportation, etc), rules and regulations will be enacted. I never said that I'm the "safest" person out there, but it's proven that people can't help themselves, and they're not very intelligent on the whole. The same people design systems, and the same people are supposed to catch errors and not let bad things happen, but they do. Someone has to step in or it's chaos.Typical stuff you expect to hear. Not a helmet thread, please, i beg.
fwiw,
I have two friends with "Masters in Public Health From Prestigious Ivy League Scools" both of them have worked for the W.H.O.
Both ride without helmets, and I expect the cute one cruises airport stalls for action. Hell, I used to receive a pay-check from the Mass Brain Injury Assoc to assist in running program they put on for TBI.
Safety is a business just like any other.
Statistical correlation is relatively un-interesting to me. I just want people to ride more bikes (for public health reasons too, a much larger one, obesity and hypertension)
No flaming intended
I realize this is a ludicrous comment, but the bloody totally looks like a pisspoor photoshop job. Weird eh?
She'll be back and kicking the asses of all the other lovely ladies in no time.
maybe it was a Tonya Harding thing and the truck was sent by the other girls...?
DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!
She'll be back and kicking the asses of all the other lovely ladies in no time.
maybe it was a Tonya Harding thing and the truck was sent by the other girls...?
DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!
http://www.littermag.com/2009/video-exclusive-rachel-atherton-on-her-road-biking-accident/
At least she is up and moving and in pretty good spirits.
At least she is up and moving and in pretty good spirits.
Hope Rachel heals up fast!
Also, IMHO riding with earphones is 1) arguably a bad idea and 2) probably illegal in CA (VC Section 27400), but perhaps most importantly for the average joe, even if negligent driving was the only cause of the accident, the driver's insurance company would likely be able to assign some/all responsibility to the rider and make any compensation for damages rather difficult to procure. But this is neither here nor there. Best to Rachel, that had to be one terrifying accident!
Also, IMHO riding with earphones is 1) arguably a bad idea and 2) probably illegal in CA (VC Section 27400), but perhaps most importantly for the average joe, even if negligent driving was the only cause of the accident, the driver's insurance company would likely be able to assign some/all responsibility to the rider and make any compensation for damages rather difficult to procure. But this is neither here nor there. Best to Rachel, that had to be one terrifying accident!
Did anyone else notice the beginning of the video put the date as April 18, 2009?
must be a glitch in the Matrix. try not to let it bother you
18 or older are not required to wear a helmet. It is a bad idea though on both fronts.
There is no stipulations from sponsors that they have to wear helmets when riding any bike? If I were a company putting down a good amount of money on a pro rider I would have that in bold on my contract.
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18 year old or not for helmet, still probably not supposed to wear headphones.
so Gee's name is Geore huh....i didnt think someone could name their kid Gee.
its such a bad idea on so many levels to wear headphones while riding on the road or even in the mountains
His middle name is Willikers.
thats peculiar...Gee Willikers Atherton...
Thats good she seems in good spirtis. Glad she is walking and alive. Could have been SO much worse.
Somewhat related note - saw Gee and Dan on the local trails this morning on my early am DH ride.
Somewhat related note - saw Gee and Dan on the local trails this morning on my early am DH ride.
I disagree...Riding with one in is generally fine. I ride road with my right earbud in.
If you follow pro road racing at all, you'd note that in pics of training camps and such, many and sometimes most riders on ProTour teams train without helmets in normal conditions. I did just read, however, that Rabobank has fines if riders are caught training without a helmet. Perhaps other teams have similar policies, but it seems that most don't.
In any case, I think it's pretty dumb not to wear a helmet. People are free to do as they wish, though. I have only crashed a few times on pavement, but have broken a helmet in those few times. Seen a lot of cracked lids at bikeshops and from friends too. It seems like in this case, helmet or not, it was completely Rachel's fault. So, I guess the "stupid drivers" theory doesn't always work.
that would be a headphone then....i guess one isnt bad, but having them both in is jsut asking for trouble
I just use the cheapie ones that came with my iPhone. I also have some nicer Skullcandy earbuds, but they cancel out the ambient noise too much. Hell, I was a bike messenger doing this and lived...
f-that skullcandy bs ....i should send you some real headphones.
I don't. It is good to hear that teams might fine some riders for not wearing a helmet. They are ambassadors to the sport.
I don't like when people ride bikes and don't wear helmets. Pretty sketchy. Kinda like driving a car without wearing your seatbelt. Some people care, some don't. I have more people to think about other than myself, so i wear a helmet every time i ride. I'd hate to get in one stupid crash that makes me a veggie that my fiance and kids would have to take care of for the rest of their lives. The last thing i want to become is a burden to them. I'm sure wearing a helmet isn't really going to hurt your chances of coming out a little less hurt.
All this helmet discussion is total bullsiht.
Rachel is tough as nails and I'm sure she'll heal up fast.
Rachel is tough as nails and I'm sure she'll heal up fast.
I was amazed when I heard/saw the pic's on pinkbike.com she looked pretty banged up and the winddhield of that truck is completely shattered from the impact with her head! I was even more amazed when i found out the accident took place down the street from me on Amesti Rd. in Watsonville/Coralitos! I actually remember seein CHP and ambulances flying down the road and at the time not knowing where they were going but now I know where they were goin!
So the whole story is out now, it was an accident, and nothing more. I hope she heals up, and learns a lesson. Im not going to badger on about helmet this helmet that, but I will rant for a sec about paying attention. This is a prime example of how it only takes a moment to be out of control, offline whatever and have an accident like this occur.
If your on two wheels, I dont care if you have a throttle or not, there are a few thing to remember
Your Invisible
You are the only one repsonsible for your own safety
if someone can, they will
Always have an escape
If your on two wheels, I dont care if you have a throttle or not, there are a few thing to remember
Your Invisible
You are the only one repsonsible for your own safety
if someone can, they will
Always have an escape
helmets are a fad and they'll pass soon.
Check this out.......James really knows a thing or two about producing athletes, and his take on Rachel's accident is but intelligent and ammusing...rage on e-folk! James hit the nail square here..... hahaha!
http://bikejames.com/cardio-training/why-was-she-out-there-in-the-first-place/
http://bikejames.com/cardio-training/why-was-she-out-there-in-the-first-place/
I can't say it enough. That guy is a slimy demagogue.
Demagogue! What a word...hahah! I thought the US of A is all about dem ther' demagogues!
Ha, yep, I just got that email.
The only problem with it though is that trying to tell a world champion how to train, along with her brother who is also a world champion.
"Oh, I would listen to your advice, but these rainbow stripes are just so awesomely loud that I can't hear you."