Bicyclist going 45 mph hits bear in Boulder County
Shaun Boyd, CBS4 News
Published June 26, 2008 at 7:10 a.m.
Updated June 26, 2008 at 3:19 p.m.
BOULDER — A cyclist in Boulder County was injured after a run-in, literally, with a bear.
Tim Egan, 53, was riding on Old Stage Road Tuesday afternoon when suddenly a bear appeared in front of him. Egan hit the bear and ended up skidding across the road.
"This bear looked at me with a look of terror on his face and sort of made a noise," said Egan. "I looked at him with a look of terror and we went, 'aaaahhhhh.'"
He cracked some ribs, suffered cuts on his head and had road rash. Egan said he and the bike flipped and flew over the bear, hitting the pavement hard.
The bear ran away after the accident when a deer appeared.
Egan's nephew ran to help the injured cyclist.
"When I tell people, they say 'Right, are you kidding me, who hits a bear?'"
Egan estimated he was going about 45 miles per hour at impact. He said the bear was about 6 feet tall and probably weighed 500 pounds.
His bike was OK so he got back on it and pedaled to the hospital.
Egan said he was relieved his kidneys weren't damaged because he plans to donate one to his sister later this year.
The accident was the second involving a bear and cyclist in Left Hand Canyon in the past two years. A woman in the Boulder Triathlon ran into a bear in the same area last year.
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June 26, 2008
7:32 a.m.
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LingLingfor_prez writes:
Would have made a great youtube video. Maybe they need a bear crossing sign, always solves the problem. LOL
June 26, 2008
7:44 a.m.
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FlyfishDude52 writes:
Hey! How come this guy isn't in jail for violating the bear's space. The Boulder SPCA is surely going to be all over this one!
June 26, 2008
7:48 a.m.
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max12 writes:
500 lbs?? That is a BIG BEAR! How in the world can you be riding your bike and not see 500 lbs of bear in front of you? Oh, wait a minute..Boulder? Never mind. Maybe it was a marmot and just looked like a bear..that looked like 500 lbs
June 26, 2008
7:58 a.m.
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Elwood writes:
I hope he received a speeding ticket, the speed limit is 35 there.
June 26, 2008
8:11 a.m.
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AnAngelDisgraced writes:
LingLing how do the bears know to cross at the sign?? ;)
June 26, 2008
8:16 a.m.
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nicktaste writes:
"How does one pass high school English and say something like that?
"
"ahhhhhh" is what you say when you don't have time to say
"oh no Im going to hit this 500 pound bear head on, this is going to stink"
=================================================================
(rmn are nazis for not letting me use several non profane 4 letter words , Watch your mouth! The word "s---" is not allowed here., so any word s then _ _ _ is not allowed, retarded
June 26, 2008
8:17 a.m.
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mt writes:
How long does it take to stop a bike when you are going 45 mph? Too bad the bear didn't eat your dumb a$$ for driving so wrecklessly. Hope the bear is ok. Perhaps you should donate more organs then your kidney when you have the operation.
June 26, 2008
8:22 a.m.
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rickg19611 writes:
"The bear ran away after the accident when a deer appeared."
Must have been a real manly bear.....
June 26, 2008
9:09 a.m.
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thechraveler writes:
I'm sick of these constant bear attacks! It's like a freeking country bear jambaroo around here!"
June 26, 2008
9:29 a.m.
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kodijack writes:
Man, I sure wish the bear had killed him. Jackass cyclists. There is a reason that the speed limit is 35 mph there, obstacles like that. And since the bike hit the bear I sure hope that the bear is okay.
June 26, 2008
9:34 a.m.
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Newenergycommie writes:
The bear must not have known the biker rider has the right of way.
June 26, 2008
9:45 a.m.
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Miss_Kitty_Kat_Girl writes:
artstarzz writes:
ha ha ha . Who is this guy Homer Simpson ? Doooo
=================================
It's "Doh!"
June 26, 2008
9:56 a.m.
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JluvDC writes:
actually since the bear is a pedestrian it would have the right of way, not the bike rider :)
June 26, 2008
10:11 a.m.
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Newenergycommie writes:
JluvDC,
That's a relief. I'd hate to the have the bear tied up in law suit. He(she) can't spare the time in court since there are only 5 months left to bulk up for the winter.
June 26, 2008
10:17 a.m.
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temurlan writes:
"When I tell people, they say 'Right, are you kidding me, who hits a bear?'"
That would be idiots like you going 45 in a 35 on a road with lots of wildlife. Imagine if that had been a big buck with an 18 point rack. The headlline would read:
"Cyclist's Organs Harvested Early After Hitting Elk"
June 26, 2008
10:18 a.m.
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ISKIFREELY writes:
I can only say that this must be Bush's fault. He and Cheney. They must be complicit in this rash of bear/cyclist related incidents. Protect the children! Blame pregnant teenagers. Pot smokers too. Aaah aahh the sky is falling!
June 26, 2008
10:19 a.m.
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Newenergycommie writes:
Miss_Kitty_Kat_Girl,
You've got to love a person with an attention to detail. Good catch.
June 26, 2008
10:41 a.m.
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happymike44 writes:
Poor Yogi I bet he was real upset that Ranger Smith did not take this idiots cycle away from him.
Now he will probably start eating random and unwary cyclist who cross his path.
What I was wondering is how did this guy ride a cycle and not have a brain to operate it with.
Well maybe with a little luck this guy will be abducted by the bear country jamboree and we will never see him again.
In the words of nelson muntz ha ha .
June 26, 2008
10:41 a.m.
Suggest removal
happymike44 writes:
Poor Yogi I bet he was real upset that Ranger Smith did not take this idiots cycle away from him.
Now he will probably start eating random and unwary cyclist who cross his path.
What I was wondering is how did this guy ride a cycle and not have a brain to operate it with.
Well maybe with a little luck this guy will be abducted by the bear country jamboree and we will never see him again.
In the words of nelson muntz ha ha .
June 26, 2008
10:50 a.m.
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joggle writes:
I doubt that he was actually doing 45 mph. He was probably doing 35-40 tops. Even going down Flagstaff on the relatively straight sections it's hard to get over 40 mph and that's the steepest road I know of near Boulder where it's straight enough to build up speed.
The bear's probably OK although might have some bruised ribs. They are very tough animals.
June 26, 2008
11:10 a.m.
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CaptainObvious writes:
Heck, joggle, I bet his actual speed was lower than that! He was probably doing high 20s or 30 mph. One doesn't get up and ride anywhere after hitting the deck at 45 mph.
June 26, 2008
11:15 a.m.
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Francesca writes:
Yeah. May feel like 45 on a downhill straightaway... prolly not though. And the bear was likely not 6' and 500 lbs either. Got himself a brain rash along with the road rash, me thinks.
June 26, 2008
11:21 a.m.
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squeakywheel writes:
They usually give you an extra 10 miles per hour, so 45 in a 35 zone wouldn't necessarily require a ticket.
So my question is "how fast was the bear going?"
June 26, 2008
11:21 a.m.
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Chadley25 writes:
"Egan said he was relieved his kidneys weren't damaged because he plans to donate one to his sister later this year."
____________________
One of the better lines of prose in a news story that I've read in awhile. "Gosh, I'm glad my kidneys weren't injured!" Probably the only time you'll see such a line in the news all year.
June 26, 2008
11:26 a.m.
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Squatch writes:
I would have to say that the bear was protesting "bike to work week".
June 26, 2008
11:38 a.m.
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temurlan writes:
Chadley25,
I agree, it sounded really weird and out of place.
Now, these two things I find interesting.
1. "He said the bear was about 6 feet tall and probably weighed 500 pounds."
2. "bike flipped and flew over the bear, hitting the pavement hard."
So he hit a six foot wall of bear and flew over it. Just what kind of bike was this guy on. Must have been one of those really old ones with the big wheel in the front and a tiny one in back.
June 26, 2008
11:38 a.m.
Suggest removal
O_TRAIN writes:
The next important Supreme Court ruling - the right to arm bears.
It's getting crowded in the forest.
June 26, 2008
11:41 a.m.
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FlyfishDude52 writes:
Did anyone know that the bear was on a bike, also? His only had one wheel & he's an escapee of the evil circus-master known to capture itinerant bears and conscript them into performing strange sex tricks while pedalling a unicycle to support his habit of seat sniffing along the boulder creek trail.
No kidding a 6 foot, 500 lb. bear would be HUGE!
Hitting a 500 lb bear at 45 MPH would be much like running into a tree. And then a deer comes along and scares the bear away? The whole story is ludicrous... Quite a bit of exaggeration methinks.
June 26, 2008
11:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
Newenergycommie writes:
Squatch,
Glad to see you posting this morning. I’m relieved to hear that it wasn't you that got hit. 6-foot tall 500 lb furry animal. I was concerned that I'd have to fight the global warming hoax all by myself.
June 26, 2008
11:51 a.m.
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kmeissner writes:
thechraveler writes:
I'm sick of these constant bear attacks! It's like a freeking country bear jambaroo around here!"
Brilliant!
I'm not paying the bear tax. I pay the Homer tax!
June 26, 2008
11:55 a.m.
Suggest removal
Horribilis writes:
My guess he is overestimating the bear at 500 lbs (250 lbs is about right for a black bear), then I am certain he is overestimating the 45 mph.
Even hitting the pavement at 15 mph will do some damage to a fella.
June 26, 2008
12:07 p.m.
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GringoGrande writes:
Have you ever hit a deer on a mountain highway? I have, they run out in front of you and you don't have time to stop. It doesn't matter if you are operating a car, motorcycle or bicycle. It comforts me that the level of intelligence of the authors of these comments does not reflect that of the typical Colorado resident.
June 26, 2008
12:17 p.m.
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BroncoRick69 writes:
How is it this guys' fault for running in to a bear? I think all of your comments are ridiculous. The man is extremely fortunate that the bear did not have cubs near by, and decided to rip his head off to protect the cubs.
June 26, 2008
12:18 p.m.
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JluvDC writes:
The average black bear is 250 pounds for a male and 3 feet tall, 4-6 feet long. But I'm sure they look bigger if you are sprawled out on the pavement after flying over one :)
Also, deer do jump out in front of cars....bears kind of meander. It must have JUST come into the bike area when he hit it, what luck! hehe
June 26, 2008
1:18 p.m.
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Finn writes:
This is the exact reason I didn't bike-to-work yesterday!
June 26, 2008
1:35 p.m.
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frontpage writes:
I'd be embarrassed as hell and would make darn sure this "drinking story" didn't make a news story. the only story here is the "6 foot bear, 500lbs", oops, but of course if your a boulder cyclist your only about a buck 40 anyway, and anything is bigger than you. You sure you didn't run into a ex CU footballer who got kicked off the team?
June 26, 2008
1:40 p.m.
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views_on_news writes:
Hhmmmm...
He had time to notice and contemplate the look of terror on the bear's face, even though the bear just appeared out of nowhere. (Couldn't have been traveling a bit too fast around a corner?)
With all that forethought, he still didn't have time to slow down as he was going 45 "at impact". Or maybe he was traveling 65 mph and DID slow down?! Impressive cyclist in all regards.
I'm tellin' ya'. I think that nowadays, wildlife is a name given to the wrong end of the spectrum.
June 26, 2008
1:47 p.m.
Suggest removal
Newenergycommie writes:
Gene,
I don't recall, but I got a good laughed at the mental picture. Secret Service with guns drawn blasting away at a rabbit, while providing a human shield to Jimmy. Wasn't Carter's secret service code name "ELMERFUDD"?
Thanks for the chuckle.
June 26, 2008
2:40 p.m.
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Michael writes:
Hey Boo Boo........let's go get a pick'n'nic basket!!!
June 26, 2008
2:42 p.m.
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joggle writes:
For a better mental picture: I just saw someone riding a bike with a black cat riding on the top of his back (in Boulder). Imagine if he hit the bear as he was flying down the mountain, with him and the cat flying over the stunned bear. Now that would be a Kodak moment.
June 26, 2008
2:57 p.m.
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Raemid writes:
I think it's hilarious that this is the 2nd time a bear tripped up a cyclist in the same location. It would have been better if the cyclists had described the bear shoving a stick in their wheel and snickering when they flew over the handlebars.
I guess if you're a bear, there's no need for a stick. A full grown bear up against a twig of a man produces the same effect. The bear probably ran off to high-five his buddies in the bushes.
June 26, 2008
3:11 p.m.
Suggest removal
Bikeguy writes:
The facts are all wrong all over the place. First off no one hit a bear last year during the Triathlon is was 2 years ago. Second, it is very easy to hit 40 + mph hour, i have done it on South Boulder road, N 76th, baseline, just to name a few.
All of you who a ripping on the cyclist for speeding should be looking at yourself for how you treat cyclist while out on the road. I have wittnessed car trying to scare bikers and i have almost been run on the rode and hit and the drivers think it is funny. Yeah real funny when you kill someone.
Next time i see a car hit a deer or another car i will laugh since how stupid is that drive for not seeing a car in front of them!!! you all seem like idots to me.
June 26, 2008
3:36 p.m.
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Squatch writes:
Cyclist in Left Hand Canyon are the worst so it doesnt surprise me one bit. it has a very small shoulder to begin with and also has sand & rocks in it year round. The Cyclist ride in packs of 3 to 10 at a time and force drives of cars to get in the left lane to go around them. Police your own and people wont complain about them.
June 26, 2008
3:38 p.m.
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cpd writes:
Lighten up Bikeguy. That was the first annual "make a fool of yourself on bike to work day" performance to earn the roadrash prize. I can't wait for next year.
June 26, 2008
3:49 p.m.
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The_Punnisher writes:
The Boulder cops would probably try to give the BEAR a ticket for " impeding a cyclist "...
Because he wasn't a BARE cyclist, that is...
The speed limit is 35 BTW. Too bad the Boulder cops don't get off their azzez and ENFORCE it....
June 26, 2008
4:31 p.m.
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HolierThanThou writes:
I bore down on the bear braking to barely miss but then I bumped the bear and bounded over the handle bars.
Try repeating that 10 times.
June 26, 2008
4:36 p.m.
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superbad writes:
You guys are missing the whole thing here. He didn't hit a bear like Smokey or Yogi, he hit a *bear*:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_com...
The story makes a lot more sense when you read it this way.
June 26, 2008
4:39 p.m.
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Squatch writes:
That was funny superbad.
June 26, 2008
5:37 p.m.
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opusuno writes:
I'd rather hit a bear than a rack of horns
June 26, 2008
6:02 p.m.
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wow writes:
The bear did it on a dare to make the bike fly through the air. The cyclist was unaware, and rode in to the clever snare. And then he soiled his underwear.
Bawahahaha!
June 26, 2008
6:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
analytixman writes:
Does anyone really believe this nut? This is just a great way deflect the blame that this granola head fell off his bike. This story sounds so fishy it stinks. Yeah, right, the bear left when he saw a deer". Bears are scavengers first, hunters second. And the RMN wants us to believe this nut? Must be a slow day for NEWS. If the story is really fact and not fiction, then it had a sad outcome because this bone head was working on his Darwin Award and failed to take himself out. Better luck next time granola head, a couple weeks ago a Boulder biker challenged a dump truck on Highway 36 north of Boulder and successfully took himself out of the gene pool.
June 26, 2008
6:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
bootlegger writes:
Yeah! Like all you stupid "drivers" actually drive at the speed limit and ALWAYS pay attention to whats in front of you- NOT!! I got a wrecked bike "modified" by a "careful driver" to prove otherwise!!
June 26, 2008
7:15 p.m.
Suggest removal
theairdog writes:
I think Mayor Chickelooper should pass more Bear laws. Especially in LoDo.
June 26, 2008
9:52 p.m.
willsmith8379 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
June 26, 2008
9:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
johnson writes:
Bears "lumber". They don't dart out in front of vehicles (like that spooky deer that chases bears off). Makes me wonder how many parked cars have pulled out in front of this guy.
June 26, 2008
10:04 p.m.
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johnson writes:
BTW, let's be PC:
Hells Angel = biker.
Bicycle rider = cyclist, or bicycle rider.
June 26, 2008
10:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
SaddleTramp writes:
So me and my pal stop in this town and ask where we can get a beer. The guy at the station say "Just down the street, but be careful, it's a biker bar". So we stroll on in and, by god, there they were, all these guys in spandex shorts. Man, did we beat a hasty retreat!!!
June 26, 2008
10:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
sherbear writes:
What's truly unbelievable is that the one story that gets this much response is, first of all, so poorly written and, second of all, not written by the Rocky but by ... one of our local TV stations.
June 27, 2008
7:07 a.m.
Suggest removal
Katoom writes:
I wonder if this 500 pound black bear knows Jimmy Carter's killer attack rabbit?
June 27, 2008
8:23 a.m.
Suggest removal
HoosierGuy writes:
"All of you who a ripping on the cyclist for speeding should be looking at yourself for how you treat cyclist while out on the road."
So since drivers have acted poorly the cyclist is absolved?
June 27, 2008
1:11 p.m.
Suggest removal
esarem writes:
Fun story. Glad no people/animals, it seems, were seriously injured. By the way, the way it was told, the fork or wheel had to give. No way you ride on after that impact. I have, unfortunately, wrecked more than one bicycle. Oh well. Entertaining!
June 28, 2008
1:23 a.m.
Suggest removal
cakeckh writes:
....and I thought the drivers of cars were the only ones annoyed at speeding cyclists. I wonder if the cyclists was issued a citation for speeding or for harming an animal.
June 28, 2008
5:36 p.m.
Suggest removal
TigerKOD writes:
Since the Boulder County Sheriff will not doing anything about the cyclists taking over our mountain roads, the bears will. Next let's arm the bears and eradicate these obnoxious cyclists once and for all.
June 29, 2008
10:44 a.m.
Suggest removal
KW writes:
Now aren't all of you who voted many years ago to end spring bear hunting season glad now? You've allowed a non-endangered, non-threatened and somewhat dangerous to humans animal species take over with a HUGE population surplus, and created a whole new set of problems for everyone who dare ventures into the wilderness (not to mention the incredible spike in reports of bears harassing people who live in the woods).
Next time, maybe let the professionals at the CO Dept of Wildlife make the important decisions regarding wildlife management, hmm?
June 29, 2008
11:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
forzsnow writes:
Dissapionted.
Egan invited his nephew to go bicycling in the back country...Yet, no aoutograph from sasquatch. (bigfoot)
You're full of broken promises Egan.
Hippie!
(lol)
June 29, 2008
4:18 p.m.
Suggest removal
wjrudy writes:
A lot of people who don't know anything about serious bicycling making a lot of ignorant comments about a cyclist's unfortunate situation. Pretty pathetic.
June 29, 2008
8:10 p.m.
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Francesca writes:
rudy: I think if the cyclist had've been a little more honest about what really happened (nobody is doubting that the man actually did hit a black bear at a fair amount of speed), there wouldn't be so much teasing.
My spouse is a serious road rider and highly doubted this story also. Black bears just plain don't get that big in this part of the country and most likely he was NOT traveling at 45 MPH.
June 30, 2008
9:39 a.m.
Suggest removal
RedMan writes:
The largest black bear on record was 880lbs.
They average around 300.
I'll bet he looked like 500lbs as the rider flew over the top of him.
Black bears are surprisingly fast and can out run you any day.
They may appear to lumber, but they are very quick.
June 30, 2008
2:37 p.m.
Suggest removal
CyberHostage writes:
Why was the bear not ticketed? This is biker country!
June 30, 2008
4:49 p.m.
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mollyrambo57 writes:
it probably was the same bear, that is why the bear had such a terrified look on it's face, another stupid human is going to ruin my day, darn poor guy, i shouldn't laugh, but it's hard not to i am glad the man was ok and so was the bear, no revenge just ready for supper after being hit.
June 30, 2008
4:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
mollyrambo57 writes:
it probably was the same bear, that is why the bear had such a terrified look on it's face, another stupid human is going to ruin my day, darn poor guy, i shouldn't laugh, but it's hard not to i am glad the man was ok and so was the bear, no revenge just ready for supper after being hit.
June 30, 2008
10:36 p.m.
Suggest removal
wjrudy writes:
PMSXpress - Some of the teasing just seemed a bit ignorant. I'm a serious cyclist, too, in CA (but from CO - and miss it very much). However, you are probably right about the exaggeration. If I hit anything and went down at 45 mph... well - I don't even want to think about it. It would be nasty. My bike wouldn't be OK and neither would I. There wouldn't be any getting up and riding anywhere.