Ride in Memory of Joseph Novotny on Saturday, October 3

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

As promised, more details on the October 3 Memorial Ride of Silence for Jospeh Novotny, the 42 year old Stevenson Ranch man who was killed while riding his bike in Bouquet Canyon in July:

The one hour ride should be easy for cyclists of all abilities. We will have a Sheriff’s Department escort and the route is largely flat and goes from Citrus to Magic Mountain to Railroad Avenue to Lyons. It continues up Lyons to Stevenson Ranch, then hooks back up with Magic Mountain parkway. 11.1 miles total.

I’ll be helping sign people in at the beginning so if you want to say hi or have me look over your bike before your ride, I’d be more than happy to help.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Comments (15)

cashSeptember 21, 2009 at 10:48 am

Very sad. I hope the ride promotes the safe and proper use of the roadways for all involved in there use.

PetzSeptember 21, 2009 at 11:49 am

Petz supports the Ride of Silence and hopes to participate. All drivers must be cautious of bicyclists and we must share the road.

cashSeptember 21, 2009 at 11:58 am

Yes sharing is important. And all bikers must obey the laws and be cautious.

CCSeptember 21, 2009 at 1:31 pm

I was up Bouquet that morning a few hours before the accident. I had to come back by another route. Very sad and so unnecessary.

BrianSeptember 21, 2009 at 4:31 pm

Did they pass a law requiring adults to wear a helmet?

GangFangSeptember 22, 2009 at 12:46 am

Share the road with bicycles!!! Drivers MUST be more cautious.

Luv2BikeSeptember 22, 2009 at 10:06 am

Done that route numerous times, been chased by dogs in Green Valley area and southbound on Bouquet. But this, is truely tragic.

cashSeptember 22, 2009 at 10:54 am

Telling drivers to be more cautious is like telling a right handed person they need to start eating with their left hand. The cyclists, fair or not, need to be extra cautious. The simple claim that bike riders have rights, will not be enough to avoid these terrible accidents. Complete compliance with the laws of the road by those using either mode of transportation might help. I see many bike riders that are not paying attention. Truly unfortunate.

GangFangSeptember 22, 2009 at 11:36 pm

So controversial Cash! I stand mouth agape!

Scott ErvinSeptember 23, 2009 at 6:21 am

Cash you’re right. It doesn’t matter if you’re right if you’re dead. But if you don’t mind i’ll take every chance I get to remind motorists that cyclists are not the enemy. My typical response to an irate driver who just blasted his horn at me in anger as he passed me legally riding down McBean as far to the right as is possible (and safe), is to wave as if I know them. Maybe next time they’ll think twice and consider the possibility that it may very well be a friend or neighbor they’re honking at. It’ about awareness and tolerance. It is that simple.

cashSeptember 23, 2009 at 3:47 pm

Scott. Simple problems have simple answers. Bikes verse cars is not a simple problem. Many bike riders follow the traffic rules and many do not (much like drivers of cars). I never honk but have watched in horror as a rider peddles along paying no attention to their surroundings or the laws, and are nearly hit by a car. It might be helpful if the local biking community (the more seasoned riders) held more training classes or the state mandated that bike riders need to complete a training course and test, much like motorcycle riders have to complete to be licensed. As the conflict mounts, I think this will be required at some point, especially if the insurance industry gets behind it. It is more than tolerance. I see adult riders riding the wrong direction on the newly striped bike lanes, kids riding on the street that are not old enough to drive or know the traffic laws, adults riding at night with out lights, etc. There is much to be done on both sides.. My heart goes out to Josephs family and friends. I hope the cycling community will build a positive plan for improving safety in memory of those that have lost so much. Gangfang, you may want to close your mouth and think of ways to bring improvement to the problem. Merely claiming rights to the road will not be enough.

GangFangSeptember 23, 2009 at 10:14 pm

Oh relax, Cash….me closing my mouth wont help anything. But if gets you all tingly telling me to do so, then have at it. I have witnessed many of the things listed above, but in MY experience I have seen many close calls and accidents involving bicycles that were results of drivers yapping on their cell phones, failing to yield, speeding, not watching cross walks, etc. I know it’s hard to fathom, but people all have different instances in their lives that inform their opinions. Mine is that DRIVERS need to a hell of a lot more while driving, especially when it comes to sharing the road with cyclists. I have witnessed cyclists with their heads firmly up their rear, but it’s been rare. So……drive safe!

Scott ErvinSeptember 23, 2009 at 10:17 pm

Cash, I’m sure that what you say is true and that you have seen such things. And you are right, cyclists need to know and respect the rules of the road. But let’s ask ourselves a few questions. Who have been the victims of late? From what I’ve been reading and from my perspective as a long time member of the cycling community, it has been the experienced cyclists riding within the guidelines of the law. Not kids riding the wrong way in a bike lane. Why is it that experienced cyclists keep getting picked off? I can only relate to you my own experiences. In a supposedly bicycle friendly community, try riding down the street in full compliance with the law. I guarantee you will feel the rage within a few miles. Why is that? I don’t have an answer, I only have the question. What is it about someone riding along on a bicycle causes such rage in an otherwise normal person? It is not isolated. It is the norm. What is so different from when I grew up? (I’m 51) Cyclists have better safety equipment. There IS a greater understanding of traffic rules as they apply to cyclists due to the increased awareness brought on by cycle commuting and environmental concerns etc. There are more paths, paseos, lanes and routes than ever. Why are automobile drivers so mad at us?

GangFangSeptember 23, 2009 at 11:28 pm

Cash is gonna go OFF. Licking his chops, putting on his “angry typing gloves”….

cashSeptember 24, 2009 at 8:21 am

No cash is not going to go off. If you want to maintain that all you need do to improve this situation is claim that you have rights to the road, so be it. It has been said many times that both drivers of automobiles and cyclist have faults. This is not in question. I do not feel the rage you describe so I can’t answer that question. The feeling I have when I see a cyclist riding along a busy fast moving roadway, is how one decides to put their life in jeopardy. I quit riding motor cycles when I saw the odds for injury, or worse, were not favorable. Drivers might be made because the traffic in our valley is sometimes overwhelming and a slow moving bike does not help the flow. We are all a little selfish at times, and someone that decides to ride a bike during high volume traffic periods may seem a bit selfish to others. I do not think things will improve until the battle cry moves away for “we have the right to use the road, you must share it with us “. Cycle safe!