Cyclists’ Risks Are Real, Unavoidable

Re “Cars, Bikes Needn’t Be Deadly Mix,” Sept. 27 editorial:

As an avid cyclist and board member of the Orange County Bicycle Coalition, thank you for reminding drivers what cyclists already know: We are vulnerable.

I take exception, however, to the statement you attributed to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department that “bicycle fatalities are not a big problem.” That attitude is unfortunate. All traffic fatalities are a big problem: They instantly remove productive citizens from society.

ROCK O. KENDALL

Laguna Hills

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Re “Recent Deaths Make Cyclists Uneasy Riders,” Sept. 18:

I ride 80 to 120 miles a week. This is usually done, in part, on Pacific Coast Highway as I head north toward the River Bed Trail that goes inland from Seal Beach. I realize the dangers of riding on the streets and am constantly aware of my surroundings but cannot always see or know what will happen next.

This sense of our surroundings is what most riders experience. We have our senses heightened when a cyclist is killed under circumstances that were unexpected or criminal.

My cousin and I have had cars try to scare us for their own fun and adventure. It is they who come into the bike lane, trying to cause some sort of excitement. They do not think of a rider’s movement because they do not ride. Their near-miss can turn into tragedy from miscalculations or a minor swerve on our part to miss a pothole, glass or some other article discarded in the bike lane.

We usually are trying to ride to a safe trail away from cars. The Seal Beach trail is one of many that provide us with a safe environment. The trail can be narrow and is often filled with holes, glass and sand. We ride it because it gives us the distance we need, and it allows us one less danger in that there are usually no cars on it.

The Santa Ana River trail is wide and well-paved. I used to ride it regularly and never experienced problems. But the middle section through Santa Ana is [reportedly] generally unsafe because of robberies. We have been warned by police to stay clear of that section. We have spoken to riders who relayed stories of muggings and bikes being stolen.

SUSAN IBBETSON

Tustin