Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
- Brownster
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:04 am
- Location: Rouse Hill
Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby Brownster » Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:19 pm
The fatal crash occurred just after 7.30 am (AEDT) on the eastbound lane of the M4 at Emu Plains, a police spokesman told AAP.
Thought and prayers to the family and friends. Tragic.
- g-boaf
- Posts: 21352
- Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:11 pm
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby g-boaf » Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:26 pm
I'm hoping it isn't someone I know who sometimes rides along there.
- The Walrus
- Posts: 577
- Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:37 pm
- Location: Mullumbimby Creek NSW
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby The Walrus » Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:26 pm
- birdbrain
- Posts: 811
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 7:16 pm
- Location: tulla melb
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby birdbrain » Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:38 pm
- il padrone
- Posts: 22931
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:57 pm
- Location: Heading for home.
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby il padrone » Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:46 pm
There may be lessons to learn..... 7.30am, eastbound. It's always best to avoid such a situation especially on a high-speed, high volume road like a freeway. One slip in concentration can bring things horribly unstuck - early morning, morning after the night before, sun in the eyes, long sweeping right bend near there that leads drivers to wander into the emergency lane, truck draft and crosswinds etc. All of these are potential risks, that may be factors in this collision.
Personally I'd rather ride on a regular road with lower volume and average speeds, despite the lack of a wide emergency lane.
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
- TimW
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:37 pm
- Location: Near the M7C
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby TimW » Sat Feb 16, 2013 5:15 pm
- g-boaf
- Posts: 21352
- Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:11 pm
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby g-boaf » Sat Feb 16, 2013 5:22 pm
It might be a wake up call to connect the separated pathways that are along portions of the M4 and extend them further west after Parramatta and onwards to the M7 and maybe out to Emu Plains. Although there aren't many cycling incidents along there, the amount of rear end shunt type traffic accidents that happen just makes it a ticking time bomb if there are cyclists using it. Not many seem to use it in either direction. In my last 4 weeks of being on the M4 each day, I saw only 2 cyclists.il padrone wrote:Really tragic news for the family. Terrible.
There may be lessons to learn..... 7.30am, eastbound. It's always best to avoid such a situation especially on a high-speed, high volume road like a freeway. One slip in concentration can bring things horribly unstuck - early morning, morning after the night before, sun in the eyes, long sweeping right bend near there that leads drivers to wander into the emergency lane, truck draft and crosswinds etc. All of these are potential risks, that may be factors in this collision.
Personally I'd rather ride on a regular road with lower volume and average speeds, despite the lack of a wide emergency lane.
-
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 2:21 pm
- Location: Penrith NSW
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby Hanibal » Sat Feb 16, 2013 5:48 pm
As I was taking the detour, a passenger passed me and decided hurl sone abuse, stating that this traffic jam was my fault!
As I was riding up to woodford a cyclist going the other way had passed me and waved. I can't help thinking this might be the same person. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family.
- skull
- Posts: 2087
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:48 pm
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby skull » Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:09 pm
The Police comment was the rider was riding in the breakdown lane and it was a P plate driver.
My condolences to the riders family.
- winstonw
- Posts: 1793
- Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:18 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby winstonw » Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:11 pm
I don't know of any major motorway in Brisbane that permits bicycles.
- outnabike
- Posts: 2455
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 2:53 pm
- Location: Melbourne Vic
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby outnabike » Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:29 pm
I was just thinking the other day the best way to Melbourne from Dandenong is on the free way emergency lane, but it is illegal to ride the freeways here. In fact even the emergency lane stops at certain overpasses so not even an option.
- skull
- Posts: 2087
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:48 pm
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby skull » Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:57 pm
Yeah I remember when I was living in Brisbane all the motorways forbid cyclists.winstonw wrote:Sad to hear.
I don't know of any major motorway in Brisbane that permits bicycles.
That isn't the case in Sydney.
- g-boaf
- Posts: 21352
- Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:11 pm
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby g-boaf » Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:00 pm
Problem is - there aren't many other routes around that area going towards Sydney. At least the M4 has a wide breakdown lane. The Great Western Highway (the other main road) doesn't even have that in most places.skull wrote:Yeah I remember when I was living in Brisbane all the motorways forbid cyclists.winstonw wrote:Sad to hear.
I don't know of any major motorway in Brisbane that permits bicycles.
That isn't the case in Sydney.
Our authorities obviously think this is safe enough, or they wouldn't have allowed it.
-
- Posts: 3056
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby zero » Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:03 pm
Someone that lives at lapstone or glenbrook has little choice really. Likewise I must use110km/hr sections of the hume, because they are the only road to certain places, including my folks place.outnabike wrote:That's bad news.
I was just thinking the other day the best way to Melbourne from Dandenong is on the free way emergency lane, but it is illegal to ride the freeways here. In fact even the emergency lane stops at certain overpasses so not even an option.
As it is the fundamental road that people in the area must use to travel, it should never have been a motorway without having a full sep cycleway, and given that it doesn't have a full sep cycleway, it should never have been allowed to have 110km/hr exits and entries.
There really does have to be some serious changes to highway design rules in this country.
-
- Posts: 283
- Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:36 am
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby cobba » Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:46 pm
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 184&type=1
http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national ... ist-on-m4/
- find_bruce
- Moderator
- Posts: 10581
- Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 8:42 pm
- Location: Sydney
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby find_bruce » Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:51 pm
I remember when the M4 was first built, it was promoted as a safe place to ride having wide lanes, wide shoulders, straight road with lots of visibility & no cross traffic. Yes you need to cross the off & on ramps, but the hazard is obvious, you have good visibility and you only ever have to deal with traffic from one direction. It is, in my experience safer than many of the alternative roads.
The M2 was the same - it was a condition of building the motorway that it had provision for bikes - there was controversy about whether they were required to pay the toll (almost no cyclist did & the motorway gave up on the issue). Like Zero says, it was only with the M7 that they actually built a seperated cycleway.
Whatever the circumstances, it is still a tragic loss.
Colour me surprisedcobba wrote:There's a bit of info about the accident on the NSW Poilce Facebook page, the comments on there are turning into a bit of an argument.
- il padrone
- Posts: 22931
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:57 pm
- Location: Heading for home.
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby il padrone » Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:11 pm
Sounds like the 'short-cut' option, rather than building real cycling infrastructure. Leaves really needed to be taken out of the Dutch book perhaps?find_bruce wrote:I remember when the M4 was first built, it was promoted as a safe place to ride having wide lanes, wide shoulders, straight road with lots of visibility & no cross traffic. Yes you need to cross the off & on ramps, but the hazard is obvious, you have good visibility and you only ever have to deal with traffic from one direction. It is, in my experience safer than many of the alternative roads.
The M2 was the same - it was a condition of building the motorway that it had provision for bikes
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
- Mulger bill
- Super Mod
- Posts: 29060
- Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:41 pm
- Location: Sunbury Vic
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby Mulger bill » Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:15 pm
Strength to his family.
London Boy 29/12/2011
- g-boaf
- Posts: 21352
- Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:11 pm
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby g-boaf » Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:02 pm
It's an old motorway - so it's not had a lot of love given to it. Although they are putting small portions of cycle ways alongside it, such as between Coleman Street and Parramatta Road (done recently) but it's just small portions and there is a lot more to be done.il padrone wrote:Sounds like the 'short-cut' option, rather than building real cycling infrastructure. Leaves really needed to be taken out of the Dutch book perhaps?find_bruce wrote:I remember when the M4 was first built, it was promoted as a safe place to ride having wide lanes, wide shoulders, straight road with lots of visibility & no cross traffic. Yes you need to cross the off & on ramps, but the hazard is obvious, you have good visibility and you only ever have to deal with traffic from one direction. It is, in my experience safer than many of the alternative roads.
The M2 was the same - it was a condition of building the motorway that it had provision for bikes
And really it's also a sort of Sydney thing where cycle ways will run for a while and then disappear completely, not linking to another one. Michael O'Reilly of SMH mentioned that recently and he is right.
The M7 on the other hand is awesome, separate cycle way that is wide, smooth and fast in most sections and almost totally free of pedestrians due to the semi-rural locations that it runs through in places. So you can hammer along and do it pretty safely. It's very enjoyable.
It's also probably a pretty good blueprint for those veloways proposed recently. The Dutch book won't happen in Sydney I don't believe, or not to that extent. Unless you know how to get O'Farrell and his colleagues to become pro cycling.
Sadly, one of our crowd lost his life today - and if he didn't have to be on the motorway breakdown lane, if he had another option it might not have happened.
Edit: news report here: http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national ... ist-on-m4/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'm not going to look at the NSW Police Facebook page on this topic, there shouldn't be arguments on topics like this. We just need to reflect on it and how we can prevent it from happening next time.
-
- Posts: 749
- Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:33 pm
- Location: Sydney (Rhodes to City Commuter)
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby Sydguy » Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:08 pm
Anyone got info on the charity ride they were training for? Started in Darwin I think...
JM
-
- Posts: 448
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:44 pm
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby kunalraiker » Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:07 am
-
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 2:21 pm
- Location: Penrith NSW
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby Hanibal » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:49 am
http://www.everydayhero.com.au/marcsimone" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
-
- Posts: 144
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:14 pm
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby fatdudeonabike » Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:33 am
Hanibal wrote:RIP Marc Simone,
http://www.everydayhero.com.au/marcsimone" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thanks for that link Hanibal - I think it'd be nice to donate some money to that. I'll get onto that on payday this week.
-
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:08 am
- Location: Newcastle
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby Blackrock » Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:47 am
I never ride the M4 for this reason. Last year a group got mowed down as well.
Agree with comments above that the M4 should link up the fragmented cycle-ways.
Also, can't see how it could be the cyclists fault (without knowing all details) as drivers should be aware of other road users including cyclists. Woudl they still complain if they were walking along a footpath and a motorist drifted onto that footpath and hit them?
Find me on youtube and FB page; Merida Test Rider-Commuter Bikes.
http://www.merida.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
-
- Posts: 749
- Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:33 pm
- Location: Sydney (Rhodes to City Commuter)
Re: Cyclist killed in Western Sydney today
Postby Sydguy » Sun Feb 17, 2013 11:54 am
On a side note - drove out to Eastern Creek to race for a change today, normally we ride either GWH or M4. We were behind a driver who was weaving a bit, in fact weaving a lot.
I guessed fatigue, my brother guess drunk - both wrong. Driver was texting at 110 km/h. Can anyone tell me what you can do, if anything, in that situation?
Is tooting the horn a waste of time and potentially dangerous? Just ignore it and pray? Worth taking a rego plate and reporting it?
JM
Return to “General Cycling Discussion”
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Amazon [Bot]
- All times are UTC+11:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.