Updated: Hull time trial road death: governing body defends the organisation of the race

I've got to agree with some of the comments above. Having grown up in the area I've done a LOT of miles around there and the A63 is not a place I'd ever choose to ride along the road. It leads onto the M62 and after leaving Hull city centre, it is part of what is effectively a motorway crossing the entire country. The fact that it's an A-road and therefore passable to bikes is not really as important to me as the fact that cars and lorries may be passing at 70mph (or above) and it's therefore really quite dangerous.

All that said, if the article is correct, the irony in this situation is that the speed of traffic there didn't cause the action, rather the lack of speed as the rider hit a stationary vehicle that allegedly had a puncture (there's no shoulder there). Sadly the same rules apply to bikes as cars; too fast to stop in the distance you can see is too fast, irrespective of the TT being ridden in.

for information, this course is very very popular amongst the time trialling fraternity:

it's the fastest time trial course in the country and generated the competition record last year for Michael Hutchinson (4th act Commonwealth games), taking Bradley Wiggins mark with a 17.45 for the 10 mile distance.

As such, it resolutely appeals as a 'banker', for the simple reason that if you ride it you'll likely set a new personal best time. It attracts the strongest riders in the country - so is a very long way away from being a 'local' event, consisting of 'diehards'.

But it does highlight the reckless fascination with fast times.

I've already posted my views on this tragedy. I do agree with the post above - under no circumstances, ever, would i ride this stretch of tarmac under 'normal' circumstances. i avoid the A4 to Bath and the A38 wherever practical. and yet, i rode this course twice last year. Never again.

My condolences got out to the friends and family of the rider thy tragically lost his life....

As a motorist, motor cyclist, motorhome owner and now converting to riding the roads of the land rather than most of the non accessible country tracks, what has happened was an accident, choose however you look at it....

The world goes mad on health and safety, risk assessments, you shouldn't do this, you shouldn't do that, there's a law for this, there's a law for that.... At least with cycling the laws of the land, haven't got there claws into the freedom that we can enjoy....

As far a I know, there are only the motoways, we are not allowed on... it is the choice of an individual, to choose and plan his root or what event he wants to take part in... Lets hope this guy who lost his life, lost it enjoying something he enjoyed doing.... Rather than sitting in his arm chair, where he could have suffered an heart attack...

Respect!!!

latest from the Police rather changes things

Summary: caravan had stopped. Cyclist went into the back of it. Tragic- and by the sound of it, not the fault of the driver.

If a TT is to be run on a dual carriageway then the police/authorities should reduce it to one lane for the duration of the event.

That way the traffic will keep flowing, riders will be safe and disruption will be kept to a minimum.

As an (occasional weekend) HGV driver attempting to deal with a TT safely is a nightmare, in the current format it is not surprise that a fatality has occured.

How many more before CTT grows some courage and reviews every single course, removes the obsession with times (meaningless comparison leading to use of "fast" courses), and has a long hard and very self-critical look at safety. Perhaps the board want to, is it local "diehards" that are the problem?
The event on such a busy, Bank Holiday road that is almost a de facto motorway was simply putting riders in harms way. That's surely unacceptable? Comes back to who sanctions/issues permits for the event.

"I had to pull out to go around them despite traffic passing me in the outer lane. I nearly hit one and I won't have been the only one."

The sheer lack of self-awareness from the driver in those few words sums up what is wrong with much UK driving. It's scary.

"I had to pull out to go around them despite traffic passing me in the outer lane. I nearly hit one and I won't have been the only one."

Where do you start with this statement? It shows up the sheer lack of understanding of basic road safety. It appears to be the prevalent view of the motorist. I am far from surprised that this person refused to be named.

Would anyone here own up to choosing to cycle along that road as part of a 'normal' ride? I certainly wouldn't and I consider myself a strong, experienced rider.

Bank holiday traffic, busy road, small fast moving objects, that combination can only be a recipe for disaster.

Mindyou, I was riding on B and C roads yesterday. Utterly terrifying when you are confronted with cars taking the full racing line round blind corners, their suspension clearly bouncing off the limits.

So much idiocy in those driver comments, however

Quote:

"An accident could happen to anyone riding along the road"

Yes, but any normal person wouldn't cycle along that road, would they? People cycling locally would likely be using the strets through the town, long distance cyclists the NCN65/Transpennine Trail route mainly on side roads or (narrowish) cycle paths along the dual carriageway.

"I had to pull out to go around them despite traffic passing me in the outer lane. I nearly hit one and I won't have been the only one."

Had to read this three or four times to find all the wrong things in these two sentences. Up to five so far.

witnessed some very poor driving skills a while back with a TT on the A19 on a holiday weekend - drivers in outside not giving space for slower vehicles to move out - late braking - dangerously close passing.

I would defend the "right" to run cycling events (and for families to safely cycle)on any public road but the reality is many drivers don't expect to see cyclists on dual carriageways and can't deal with it and despite driver protestations it is the vulnerable that get killed

My impression would be that if you asked people if it is legal to cycle on roads like the A63/A19 i think many would actually say no - they simply don't expect to see cyclists and don't know how to look for them in the traffic - add in holiday traffic (driver who only drive to work/shops maybe odd holiday trip) plus the screw you trend in recent years for outside lane drivers to exceed speed limit and never give way to vehicles wanting to moving out to give space the mix is more dangerous than ever

- not one to say ban - just better signage and some more publicity on what giving space to cyclists really means - "cycle event" means nothing to drivers wo don't know what to do other than carry on
possibly need those mobile matrix signs saying "slow" and "allow slower traffic to merge" "check twice before pulling back in" etc as well as much better education on what giving space means and the dangers of not allowing traffic from inside lane move out for "obstructions"

end of tirade a very sad death

Quote:

"I had to pull out to go around them despite traffic passing me in the outer lane. I nearly hit one and I won't have been the only one.

How about using the pedal in the middle, or left if an automatic and slowing down if there is no space to the outside you halfwit!