Safety Message

As some of you may have heard, I recently crashed on a Westlake Boulevard descent
during a group ride that included Rock Store and Mulholland. I will be sidelined for a
while, so this is a good opportunity to self-reflect and perhaps contemplate where things
went wrong. I am a bit fuzzy on details (I hit my head and cracked my helmet), but long
story short, I broke my collarbone, suffered a concussion, and have a bad case of road
rash. I should be OK in a few weeks, but I keep thinking that there is a fine line
between my outcome and something far more serious, namely, permanent brain injury,
being hit by a car from either direction, or worse.
I was near the top of the descent after turning right from Mulholland and was monitoring
my speed, as I normally do. I remember leaning into a right-hand turn, striking a rock,
hearing it scrape the pavement, and then hearing my tire pop before I went down. I had
completed this descent more than a hundred times without incident, so why did I crash
this time on such a familiar road? The conditions were different: I encountered a rock
outside my sight line while banking into a right-hand curve, and I had no time to react.
In retrospect, there is much to analyze in my crash (or any crash) and the subsequent
response. I want to focus on the risks of cycling up or down Westlake Boulevard. Here
is a link to the site where I crashed (Click back arrow next to coordinates to see map):
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BwW4F9FRufqGn6od6
Westlake is a particularly treacherous road for mostly obvious reasons. This was
hammered home to me when I took my damaged bike to the shop for repairs, and the
owner told me that I was the 5th cyclist that week who had a serious crash on Westlake.
I have no doubt that mile for mile, Westlake is the scene of more cycling mishaps than
just about any other stretch that we ride. So, what are the issues?
1. No bike lanes
2. Cars speeding up or down, often in the wrong lane
3. Changing conditions—rocks or gravel falling off the roadside cliffs can alter the
topography in unexpected ways
4. Narrow lanes with no place to initiate any type of evasive maneuver
5. Frequent construction or road work
6. Unexpected areas of flooding
7. Steepness that can lead to unanticipated speed.
8. Westlake is a convenient gateway to all the coastal canyons and all the climbs off
Mulholland. Familiarity can breed complacency.
9. There are frequent tight and fast turns, some blind, that might challenge even
accomplished cyclists, and that might magnify any mistakes.

Given all of this, how can a cyclist mitigate the risk?
1. Respect this street. Never assume that that the road will be the same as the last
time.
2. Watch your speed, especially around turns.
3. Make sure your brakes are in good working condition.
4. Don’t go for downhill PR’s
5. Have a blinking taillight (and preferably a headlight) so you are visible to cars.
6. Ride in a group so help is available in the event of a crash.
7. Don’t ride near the center line, especially approaching curves.
8. Make sure your helmet is certified 5 Star by Virginia Tech testing.
9. Avoid Westlake—consider less risky alternatives.
I don’t mean for any of this to be prescriptive. Rather, these are my takeaways, and I
leave it to each cyclist to choose their own style and risk.

Stephen (Post-crash) and Carla
To CVC members: Please feel free to contact either of us to discuss any safety
concerns or to share any experiences that might be of interest to the larger group.