Biker Takes Bad Spill

I hope this guy is OK. I wonder if he was or was not wearing a bike helmet and if this is an opportune reminder of a reason to do so.
I see so many bicyclists without them,...many riding carefree on busy downtown streets and many on main backroad highways such as 192,...and I surmise they have not had the experience of a bad spill. Suffice it to say that a bicyclist is a human torpedo at 30-40 miles per hour and that the immovable surface and objects are exactly that...immovable.
As an avid and active bicyclist, I sincerely empathize with this person and his family and if this is a teaching moment, hope that it helps to exemplify this particular situation and safeguard others in the future.

I am a cyclist as well and it drives me nuts to see guys riding around town w/o helmets. Suicide.

Tomtowle:Suffice it to say that a bicyclist is a human torpedo at 30-40 miles per hour"

Well, in all reality, the only bicyclists going those rates of speed are road racers training on San Marcos Pass or other downhill locations that provide good training grounds for that discipline.
The majority of cyclists consists of casual 10-20 mph cruisers out for a stroll or going to run errands, go to work or class. Still, protection is what it is.
My main concern though isn't really myself, but rather the bufoon just ahead trying to talk/text on their cellphone w/ 1 hand while struggling to juggle a Starbucks Latte w/ the other hand, they're weaving on the bike path & are oblivious to anything outside of their sphere of reality.
Then there's the hip hopper w/ the hoodie on (in a sweltering hot day @ that!) w/ his earplugs on & ipod blasting, again, oblivious to anything but his little world.
I actually had to throw a mean hip check on 1 of these once on the UCSB bike path on my way to work, the guy kept moving over on me, it was him or me.
On a more recent note, yesterday I saw a guy after the SB Cruiser Run leaving the dirt jumps out in Ellwood w/ a little too much ethanol in his system take a faceplant on the asphalt road leading out of that area. Not a pretty sight, the guy was carted to Cottage for treatment.
I've been a competitve cyclist, mainly BMX, for 30 yrs. & believe me when I say a helmet is crucial gear (& required @ any sanctioned event).
On the average street though @ lower speeds it does fall into the "live or die" option category.
I really do wish this gentleman, as well as any others that have taken a harsh slam on pavement, a speedy & healthy recovery. It really sucks to go down, I know, I've been there :) henry

I am the aforementioned bicyclist's brother. Just to make sure everyone knows, he was wearing a helmet (thank goodness) and going probably about 20 MPH. Since he lost consciousness and has no recollection of the accident, it is difficult to know what exactly happened. But he is doing ok now, with no permanent injuries (except his pride, perhaps!).

John, good news to hear. I knew he was wearing a helmet, he's a common sense fellow. But a helmet is NOT a guarantee like some folks think. While it does prevent a sharp blow to the skull & possible fracture as well as dissipate the energy of the impact, the "brain rattling" still occurs.
In BMX I use a full face helmet, same type I use for advanced DH courses. For skateboarding I use the Protec "bucket" type helmet.
Even w/ my fullface on I managed to knock the concrete from a cap/falsie tooth combo from a hard impact on dirt a year ago.
The memory loss of the event is normal, that means he got way concussed. Good to hear he was in good hands & that he's recovering nicely :) henry

The obvious solution is to encase everyone in foam.

And while we are buying massive amounts of foam....lets line the creek below Panacea Bridge on the 154.

An of course we need to blunt all knives.

There is a much more up to date description of the accident written up on Noozhawk: "UCSB Professor hurt in Bicycle Accident Expected to make a full recovery."

It is important to note that a majority of bicycling crashes do not involve cars, and these are also often preventable.

While wearing a helmet is great to protect our brain, what most bicyclists leave the house without is bike training of any kind.

We at the Bicycle Coalition have developed bicycling classes through the League of American Bicyclists for Adults and as after-school programs. http://www.bicicentro.org/adultclass

While most every bicyclist thinks that "I know how to RIDE A BIKE," there are essential bike handling and riding in traffic skills that most cyclists have not mastered. I wish Prof. Burbank a speedy and healthful recovery. I hope that his incident-which could easily happen to any of us- sparks more of us to think about how we can better learn to bicycle safely. I can't tell you how many 'rock dodge' drills we have coached cyclists through and just how common road hazards popping up at the last minute are. While a class can't guarantee your avoidance of such hazards, at least to have prepared with knowledgeable guidance can go a long way.

If I can help anyone get connected to bike education resources, please don't hesitate to contact me:
Ed France
Executive Director, SB Bicycle Coalition & Bici Centro
617-3255 or edfranceATbicicentroDOTorg

While I'm glad the guy is OK, I have to agree with rstein9: should we just wrap the world and ourselves in foam? Since when is some guy taking a spill off a bicycle considered news? When I was a kid, I rode my bike everywhere and I fell off quite a bit...should I have been in the news? If so, then the paper would have been nothing but bits about every kid in the neighborhood falling off a bike or getting hurt playing sports...followed up with "concerned parent" commentary calling for the abolition of bike riding and sports playing, tree-climbing, camping, hiking, swimming....

And plenty of lawyers on tap rubbing their hands together in anticipation of billions of dollars in lawsuits aimed at bike makers, sports equipment manufacturers, the City, County, State and God Almighty Himself for making a planet with gravity that people can get hurt on....

Crazy. But not too far from the truth, sad to say...

I also used to ride motorcycles. I grew up and decided it wasn't so much fun that I was willing to risk my life doing it, so I don't do that anymore, nor do I ride bicycles anymore
...but I totally understand why some people do. These things are fun, I get it.

However, my advice is to be as safe as you can, drive well, OBEY THE LAWS (you know...stop signs, speed limits, red lights, etc..) and BE AWARE that you CAN get hurt or killed. A bike or motorcycle VS gravity or worse, a car, is not going to win, so be careful...and stop looking for someone to sue, blame, or punish when things don't go well. It isn't ALWAYS someone else's fault.

Yeah...I know...I'm dreaming of that perfect world...but hey, I can hope, can't I?

I'm glad to hear he'll be ok. I have to say that our bike paths ought to be better maintained--and designed. Has anyone noticed the horrific "improvements" they've made along El Colegio? They increased the car space to 6, yes SIX, lanes through this residential area, with on street bike paths that are ridiculous because there are long uncoordinated traffic lights every block. But they also NARROWED the existing separate bike path (designated California coastal route!) AND ADDED SHARP CURVES at every driveway. What a way to downgrade a nice bike route and make it unsafe.