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Bicyclist loses brakes on Mission Hill, crashes into car on Huntington Avenue
By adamg on Mon, 07/21/2014 - 8:41am
The Globe reports on the incident last night at Frawley and Huntington, which sent the bicyclist to the hospital in bad shape. WBZ has photos of the car he hit.
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Comments
Globe bought WBZ?!
n/t
What an idiot
He/She lose his/her feet too? Drag your toes or ride the front tire. A lot of people riding bikes in the city are extremely inexperienced and/or simple lack common sense.
I say the aw thing about drivers...
...speeding and running stop signs and red lights all the time.
compare and contrast
...the benefit of doubt given an eighteen wheeler driver whose brakes "failed" sending him careening through a busy intersection, fence, and into a public park...
...versus the complete lack given a cyclist. But because you saw a poorly exposed picture of a bicycle taken from far away, and despite the fact that the report from police is that the cyclist's brakes failed, not that they weren't present at all... you're all a bunch of experts.
I can't tell whether the bike has brakes. How can all of you? Plenty of bicycles have black anodized components.
NOBR AKES
You cannot see any brake pads on the lighter-colored rims.
No coaster brake arm on the left chainstay.
No brake levers visible.
So back-pedalling or skip-stopping or wedging feet between fork and tire is roughly all he'd have to brake. And it was apparently and quite sadly not adequate. A preventable tragedy.
Truly what is wrong with you?
Truly what is wrong with you? Do you read stories of other people's horrific events and call them idiots? This young man is far from an idiot. You don't have any details of how fast, how far, etc. nothing and yet you feel free to post this judgement. Next time walk away from your keyboard. The world is far better off without your negativity. If you have any common decency think of his loved ones and what they are suffering through right now.
Looks like a fixed gear with
Looks like a fixed gear with no brakes, which can be terribly dangerous on a downhill.
All cool kids take notice, put a front brake on!
Quite
As someone who primarily has only fixed gear bikes, I concur that a front brake is almost a necessity because I have had chains break or come off [even when using heavy duty moped chains]. Plus it does make going down those steep hills a little easier. It's not cheating. Sure you can slalom hop, doing a series of sideways skids down the hill to slow or stop. But sometimes when there is no warning or you're just feeling a little lazy, you need a viable alternative.
It does look like that car has quite a body sized dent in it, and I do hope the rider in question lives to learn from his mistake.
Do old-fashioned "coaster brakes" count as...
"brakes" or "no brakes"?
Yeah But I'd Still Use a Backup
Just like leg locking a fixed gear they do serve as a rear brake. But I have had a BMX with coaster brakes [as a kid] loose that rear brake too. In that instance it was not a chain failure, but the coaster brake's locking arm broke [ depicted here as an example: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-78WBoicq_h4/UOS76vsX4UI/AAAAAAAAHzw/mh9K1lzhm6... ].
Having a front hand brake saved me a serious accident then just as it has with a fixed gear where the chain snapped.
Thanks
I last rode a bike wih ay regularity over 45 years ago (in a FAR less busy place). We had some good-sized hills quite near -- and I don't ever _recall_ any problem baking.
Have you ever ridden that hill?
If you don't know how to use your brakes (panic and grab the front too hard), you could end up in a mess, too.
This scenario is why several west coast cities mandated brakes on bicycles. Boston may have a hill or two, but Portland and San Francisco have had some truly grisly chain break accidents requiring fire-hose cleanup.
HOWEVER, notice who went to the hospital? The person who didn't know what they were doing on a small vehicle. Compare/contrast with when motor vehicles have had driver or brake fail in similar locations.
We already have mandated
We already have mandated brakes:
MGL 85.11b (7):
I don't think dragging your feet on the ground qualifies.
Mass law is too vague
A "braking system" could be argued to include using legs and a fixed gear. Another lawmaker fail.
"Fred Flintstone" dragged his feet to stop!
I Always Use My Foot As An Auxiliary Brake
It gives extra stability and traction on ice and snow, but even on dry pavement it's nice to have one foot on the ground when coming quickly to a stop.
In addition, dragging your foot along the sidewalk provides a subtle audible warning to pedestrians. Although much less alarming than a horn or bell, the scraping sound conveys more information about speed and distance of something approaching from behind.
Still, I would never rely solely on a footbrake.
Please don't let this cause
Please don't let this cause some dumb anti-fixed gear bullshit. Brakes are death but at least a front is essential.
Case closed
I'm glad you could all complete such a thorough investigation from your computers. Guy must have been a complete idiot, there is literally no other possible explanation for what might have happened.
If this was Germany......
The driver would be in jail already.
Based on what?
Was the driver breaking the law? I saw nothing referring to that in the article.
Based on my understanding of German law, if you're breaking the law (e.g. jaywalking), you're responsible for any damage caused as a result. So I would gather that it would be the cyclist who was looking at jail time, or at least a civil penalty.
Default at-fault
When a driver in many EU countries (e.g The Netherlands, Germany, parts of France and Switzerland ...) collides with a cyclist or pedestrian, the burden of proof is on the driver. However, this would be an extenuating circumstance, and Germany does issue tickets to cyclists as well (not having a bike with proper safety features in working order would merit a citation and fine).
Fuji track bike
Yeah, that's definitely a Fuji fixed gear track bike from 06 or 07 -- sold with no brakes. It could've been a mechanical problem (such as the cog breaking off from the hub), but it could also be rider error. That hill can be unforgiving.
Regardless, the guy's got terrible injuries. Hope he pulls through.
Rider error?
I believe the error was "riding a track bike not on a track" a.k.a. "not having brakes." Seriously, I see people riding these on streets and it makes me go from a seasoned cyclists to a WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE??!?!?11-anti-cycling nut in a split second.
Belongs on a track, not the street
A dragster doesn't belong on public streets and a bicycle without brakes also only belongs off public streets, such as on a velodrome. Bicycles are required to be able to stop within 30 feet from a speed of 15mph on a level dry surface.
I did not notice obvious damage to the bicycle, including the front wheel. The car dents didn't look to have one made by a wheel. The rider may have launched or ditched, hitting the car, perhaps even getting stuck in the track well.
Also unclear is who had the right of way, the cyclist or motorist. We do know the motorist is far better protected and safer when crashes occur.
Right of way?
The cyclist was coming off a small side street; the car was on Huntington Avenue. There's no traffic light here.
Edited to add: But, Google Street View doesn't show a STOP sign here. Surely one is needed?
Yield is implicit
Traffic on the minor road is to yield to traffic on the larger road while entering, in this case Huntington Ave. No stop sign is required.
Not necessarily
MA laws are ancient. The driver on the right has the right of way at an unmarked intersection. Unless they enter the intersection first ... or (a late exception) in a rotary.
We are talking 1920s laws that were never updated with modern notions of "major road" or any such realistic and current understanding. Unless there is a light, stop sign, or other control, there is no "major road" right of way.
Much Ado About Nothing
You do realize that a competent cyclist on a fixed gear bike can stop by leg locking in far less than 30 feet. Even going down a hill one can do this with a sideways skid similar to an alpine skiing stop provided one is not barelling down at top speed. The type of bike is irrelevant.
The issue could have been a chain failure or other mechanical problem. Or it turns out that the bike shown may not even the one involved in the crash, since apparently said bike was mangled by a [after the fact] witness. So it might have been a bike with friction brakes and a snapped cable or any number of other things.
I was riding a bike down the street one day and a small spring in the front brake broke and the front brake exploded into pieces scattered all over Washington Street. When it occurred I was able to still leg lock to a stop in a few feet. Needless to say, with so many small parts and such an area of dispersal, that brake was a write off. Cars' and trucks' brakes can fail too, such as the fatal fire truck crash or recent truck on Walnut Street going into the Common.
Bad place for bad brakes
A block away from here, a fire truck lost control of its brakes descending the same steep hill, crashing into a building on the opposite side of Huntington Ave. Fortunately, it didn't hit any cars, bikes, trolleys, or pedestrians on the way.
Misleading headline Adam
The cyclist appears to have "lost" his brakes months or years ago. A more accurate headline would read:"Idiot cyclist without brakes crashes into car". MGL Ch. 85 Sec. 11B(7) specifies how well a bicycle must stop as a minimum standard, though shorter would be even better. Part 8 requires both front and rear lights at night. Only some reflectors are visible on the bicycle. Each violation could subject the bicyclist to a $20 fine, but no consequences for not paying it under stupid state laws written by MassBike. These stupid laws also neglect to have any speed limits apply to bicycles, speed being a contributing factor here.
I am relieved that the cyclist is alive and might learn from his mistakes. The initial tweet about midnight by WBZ/WFXT and referenced by boston.com was that this was a fatal.
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter85/Sect...
You're doing a bad job containing your glee Markky
The fault here lies solely with the cyclist that chose to ride with a fixed-gear brake setup (which would fit into the "vague" definition of braking systems that you alluded to earlier in this thread but curiously omitted from this post.)
We get it, you don't like bikes on the road and this event just adds fuel to your "every cyclist breaks the law" attitude so you can jump on your soap box and make asinine comments about reflectors, MassBike and speeding laws.
Try and understand that you're not wrong, you're just an asshole.
More to the Point
Such suicyclists take themselves out on a fairly rare basis.
Bad drivers kill other people on a fairly regular basis.
One idiot fixard reenacting locomotive breath doesn't change that.
I hate bad laws
Like the bad ones passed in 2009, poorly overhauling bicycle laws with excessive influence from the local bike lobby. Track bikes belong on tracks. Racing of cars, bicycles, and motorcycles belong on closed courses. Having a front and rear brake
What I object to are double standards. No fines for ignoring road rules by bicyclists, considerable ones for motorists. I also object to the wasteful allocation of roadway to much sparser use and low demand compared to the higher demands of citizens preferring motorized transport, including public transit buses. Thus, taking away roadway for bike lanes is often a waste of roadway (unless surplus) besides being unhealthy for cyclists for all the air pollution they breathe in (heavy) traffic. Where traffic is sparse, bicycling is healthier and doesn't also waste road capacity.
So Al Gore must be an asshole too for expressing an "inconvenient truth". BTW, I agree there is global warming, but to date so many ineffective and overpriced "solutions" are about promoting various interests, not realistic ways to slow global warming on a global level.
Somebody call the
Somebody call the waaahmbulance.
Oh lord--save us from the all-powerful bike lobby!
I hadn't entirely realized that Markk was our very own homegrown Dorothy Rabinowitz. http://live.wsj.com/video/opinion-death-by-bicycle/C6D8BBCE-B405-4D3C-A3...
You obviously hate cyclists...
Speed limits? That's laughable. And your tone makes it clear that you are 100% pro-vehicle and anti-bike.
Fundamental Speed law
is always important: going a reasonable and proper speed, based on the vehicle and conditions.
Does not exist in MA
In some states that is known as "violation of the basic rule".
MA is not one of those states.
Not quite
The opening sentence of MGL Chapter 90, Section 17 reads
And before you cry "but that's only for motor vehicles" the opening sentence of MGL Chapter 85, Section 11B reads
I came across this last night
I came across this last night heading to JP after work around 11:30, just before first responders arrived. Glad to see the cyclist survived, based on the condition of the bike I feared the worst.
There was almost a vehicle accident as well. Car in front of me suddenly decided to turn as a Boston EMS SUV was approaching rapidly in the oncoming lane. Guess they didn't see the lights or hear the siren, but the EMS SUV missed them and a parked car by inches.
"condition of the bike?"
The bike in the photo actually looks relatively unscathed. Do you mean the condition of the car? Or is the bike in the photo not the one that you saw?
That's not the bike I saw
That's not the bike I saw last night. The one I saw was very mangled sitting in the road.
Maybe there were multiple bike accidents on Huntington in Mission Hill that sent cyclists to the hospital last night?
fixie is not the bike involved in crash
Thanks for that. The unscathed bike might belong to a witness.
Bike pic incorrect
Agreed. Was on the 39 bus that came across the incident and called it in. The bike he was on was twisted nearly in half.
Jimmy Kimmel report?
I love the segment Jimmy Kimmel does where they ask people on the street what they think about some nonexistent, future, or untrue event. The photo of a bike leaning against a cruiser doesn't look so damaged, if at all.
Why is the Globe report on WBZ's website?
correct link
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/07/20/crash/AWN9gochKbVCMVftkytzYP...
Saw it happen myself...
Saw this on my way home on the 39 bus last night. Really glad he made it to the hospital...he 100% did not look alive, poor guy. Also the bike shown is not correct. His was legit twisted in half.
CNN challenger
Now, aren't we like a bunch of CNN commentators speculating endlessly based on very few facts!
Idiot
You made your post in response to an eye witness's report. Do you ever even read before you bloviate?
An easy way to lose your brakes on a bicycle
is for the brake cable to fray and break. This has happened to me -- fortunately not while I was descending a steep hill.