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I have a great safety tip for Carl Hanlon: Get your bike helmet fitted.
I did not quite understand why the police officer was in the car instead of on the bike. They showed other officers on the bike...
Posted by: Eric_W. | August 07, 2010 at 05:34 PM
At least his helmet was made in the last decade. I'm always shocked by the number of Bell Biker or V-1 Pro's I see folks wearing from the 80's.
Posted by: ontarioroader | August 07, 2010 at 09:12 PM
I like how the mother teaching her kid to ride a bike has to hold him to the side while the officer drives by in a car, to then be told by said officer that it's not a safe trail to teach kids to ride.
Posted by: er | August 08, 2010 at 12:10 PM
I saw a cyclist today on the Georgetown Branch Trail wearing one of the old Bell helmets. Why do these guys always seem to be tall and skinny and have a full beard.
Posted by: John | August 08, 2010 at 03:56 PM
As both a biker and a runner on the CCT I thought Carl Hanlan made some good points.
Posted by: Forest Glen | August 08, 2010 at 08:04 PM
Yeah, if you're on a trail with mixed cyclists and pedestrians, you're INSANE to wear headphones. You're INSANE to step sideways without looking. And yeah, you're INSANE to wear one of those old heavy helmets. Have one, am tall and skinny, and STILL wear a new helmet. Must be my total lack of facial hair.
Posted by: Russnelson | August 09, 2010 at 11:50 AM
Riding into the district on Rock Creek trail this morning, not too far south of Meadowbrook Park, I encountered a lot of runners. Of course, they were all running two and three abreast, and the ones who can hear you are totally taken by surprise when you alert them that you're coming around. Maybe riding a bike just takes a lot of concentration, but a lot of runners seem totally oblivious to their surroundings.
Oh, and I almost forgot about the guy who was running with no lights or reflectors on the wrong side of the road on Beach Drive in Silver Spring (or maybe it was Kensington), at about 5:30 or so, when it was still pitch black out (at least on Beach Drive). I don't want to start my day by running some idiot over.
The simple fact is that these trails are busy, and getting busier. Using them in any way during peak times requires nothing short of total concentration (and basic safety common sense).
Posted by: Thrillhouse | August 10, 2010 at 12:08 PM
"Oh, and I almost forgot about the guy who was running with no lights or reflectors on the wrong side of the road"
Pedestrians are supposed to walk or run against traffic when in the road.
Posted by: J | August 10, 2010 at 03:47 PM
At the speeds many runners go, they would be safer running with traffic. Requiring pedestrians to walk in the against-traffic direction puts the burden on the pedestrian to get out of the way of traffic coming towards them, and I don't think that's right. There is also the fact that if you are moving in the against-traffic direction, oncoming traffic has less time to see you and react to your presence. I HATE it when walkers/runners run in the against-traffic direction on trails. It completely messes up the flow for everyone and is very unsafe.
Posted by: Nancy | August 10, 2010 at 05:13 PM
@J
This guy was going with traffic. Traffic being me. I didn't really come close to hitting him, but he should do something to make himself visible. If we had been on the trail instead, with lots of turns and even lower visibility, it probably would have happened. I actually came within about 20 feet of hitting a huge buck about two weeks ago. I stopped after going around a turn to turn around because I didn't like how dark it was, and I looked up and spooked it. It had no idea I was there until I said something.
Posted by: Thrillhouse | August 10, 2010 at 09:45 PM