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Brake failure believed to have led to cyclist’s death at notorious Yorkshire bridgeDibbles Bridge (Google Street View).png

Brake failure believed to have led to cyclist’s death at notorious Yorkshire bridge

Safety barriers were installed at Dibbles Bridge after two other cyclists lost their lives there in recent years
by Simon_MacMichael
Wed, Aug 19, 2020 20:43
9

Brake failure is believed to have led to the death of a cyclist at a notorious bridge in the Yorkshire Dales where two other bike riders have been killed in recent years, those previous fatalities leading to the council installing safety barriers.

Craig Barnhart sustained fatal injuries when hit a wall and was thrown 20 feet over the parapet of Dibbles Bridge, near Hebden, on 22 April this year, reports the Yorkshire Post.

He had been riding his e-bike from Pateley Bridge, near the home where he lived with his wife in Bewerley, to Grassington, an inquest heard.

The 66 year old, originally from Colorado but living in Yorkshire for 20 years, is believed to have lost control of his bike after his brakes failed on a steep descent towards Dibbles Bridge from Fancarl Top.

Jonathan Heath, assistant coroner for North Yorkshire, has adjourned the full inquest into Mr Barnhart’s death to a future date.

One issue that the inquest is likely to examine is the safety barriers that were installed at the bridge following the deaths of two cyclists there several years ago.

> Safety features on way for North Yorks bridge where two cyclists died

In August 2015 consultant cardiologist Dr George Ballard, 41, died from multiple injuries when he was thrown over the bridge parapet into a ravine.

His death came a year after that of James Nelson, 32, from Skipton, who was killed in similar circumstances.

Dr Nick Hayward, who had been riding in a group with Dr Ballard, told the inquest into his friend’s death that he had warned him of the hazardous descent as well as the bend in the road at the foot of it.

He said that he “was slightly concerned” when Dr Ballard overtook him on the descent. “I remember him coming past and thinking is he going to slow down?

“He seemed to do so - his bike seemed to be slowing towards me and then I saw his back wheel lock and I thought he would go down but he held the slide.

“I thought 'wow, he's done it'. Then I saw him hit the wall.

“The bike careered along the parapet and the next thing I saw his feet going over the bridge.”

North Yorkshire County Council confirmed at the inquest that it would be fitting an interlocking rail and barrier on the left-hand parapet of the bridge to prevent similar fatalities in the future.

The previous year, an inquest into Mr Nelson’s death had heard that he too was thrown over the bridge parapet into the dry river bed. His body was not discovered until the following morning.

The bridge is particularly notorious for two coach crashes that claimed multiple lives, with seven people killed in 1925 when the brakes on the coach they were travelling in failed on the descent.

Half a century later, in 1975, 33 people on an outing to Grassington died when the coach driver lost control of the vehicle, which then hit the parapet of the bridge.

Dibbles Bridge
Craig Barnhart
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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9 comments

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iandusud | 4 years ago
2 likes

I've riden that wat often and although steep there's good line of sight and no reason to get caught out really. On the other hand going west from there down Greenhow Hill is very dangerous and I've seen cyclists being attended to one more than one occasion. I've often passed cyclists doing the C2C who I assume may not be familiar with it, and I always warn them about it, particularly the bottom bit where the already steep gradient gets steeper and the bend tightens up. 

Avatar
eburtthebike | 4 years ago
2 likes

A tragic incident, but I'm not sure about ascribing the cause to brake failure.  If the rear wheel locked up, the rear brake was clearly working, so unless there is evidence that the front brake wasn't working, brake failure doesn't seem to have been a factor.

Avatar
kevvjj replied to eburtthebike | 4 years ago
4 likes

As I read it, the brake failure refers to the most recent death (April this year). The 'lockingup of rear wheel' refers to a previous death (2015).

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to kevvjj | 4 years ago
3 likes

kevvjj wrote:

As I read it, the brake failure refers to the most recent death (April this year). The 'lockingup of rear wheel' refers to a previous death (2015).

Thanks, you're right, must read more carefully next time.

Avatar
handlebarcam | 4 years ago
6 likes

That bridge, approached from the east, is a death trap, especially for cyclists. There's not much that can be done about the gradient, and limited space to change the layout so the bend comes before the bridge. But they could easily:

  • Regularly sweep the road of grit and loose stones that a cyclist coming in a few kilometres per hour too quickly can easily find themselves forced out on to.
  • Build an escape track, wide enough for cyclists, but not so wide that car drivers would (inevitably) park there.
  • Install deformable barriers, designed to absorb the impact of a cyclist or motorbiker.
  • Add warning signs at 100m, 200m, and 300m.
Avatar
ride2smile replied to handlebarcam | 4 years ago
3 likes

handlebarcam wrote:

That bridge, approached from the east, is a death trap, especially for cyclists. There's not much that can be done about the gradient, and limited space to change the layout so the bend comes before the bridge. But they could easily:

  • Regularly sweep the road of grit and loose stones that a cyclist coming in a few kilometres per hour too quickly can easily find themselves forced out on to.
  • Build an escape track, wide enough for cyclists, but not so wide that car drivers would (inevitably) park there.
  • Install deformable barriers, designed to absorb the impact of a cyclist or motorbiker.
  • Add warning signs at 100m, 200m, and 300m.

Warning signs is a very good suggestion. Rider speed, experience and road conditions all critical. It's a stretch of road I treat with a lot of respect.

 

Avatar
Rick_Rude replied to handlebarcam | 4 years ago
4 likes

This isn't motogp and this isn't a circuit intended for high speed use.

I've never found myself going down a hill, not realising I was going some. There's a buzz from speed and I get it but if you don't know the road then don't teararse. I've done the crime myself and done the time in the hospital. Lesson learnt from painful experience.

 

 

Avatar
WDG replied to Rick_Rude | 4 years ago
2 likes

Rick_Rude wrote:

This isn't motogp and this isn't a circuit intended for high speed use.

I've never found myself going down a hill, not realising I was going some. There's a buzz from speed and I get it but if you don't know the road then don't teararse. I've done the crime myself and done the time in the hospital. Lesson learnt from painful experience.

 

 

This is a deceptive hill.  It's not the steepest but you really gather speed.  I hit the fastest I have ever gone going down here, and I wasn't pushing anything. So heavy on the brakes and brought it under control. But there is a reason why this hill was the scene of the worst ever road accident in British history, the bridge at the bottom is a tight corner if you lost control of your speed like these poor souls.

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism replied to Rick_Rude | 4 years ago
2 likes

Rick_Rude wrote:

This isn't motogp and this isn't a circuit intended for high speed use.

I've never found myself going down a hill, not realising I was going some. There's a buzz from speed and I get it but if you don't know the road then don't teararse. I've done the crime myself and done the time in the hospital. Lesson learnt from painful experience.

Hmm, seems to be a contradiction. However even if you are not, surely you are showing you are only this careful because of experience, others could be finiding out from this one for the first time.

I'm assuming this descent, like the one in the Whitton is deceptive and by the time you realise the issue, it is too late or the wheels are overheating trying to control the speed. 

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