cycle graf

Stumbled across this near the San Jo Airport

Another cyclist killed

Many of you may have already heard that cyclist Ed Weiss was killed on Skyline Blvd. in Oakland a few days ago. A speeding motorcycle, crossing a double yellow line to pass a car, struck Ed. This death ended a month in which my friend Pat was killed while cycling in San Ramon (see below) and Thomas Colby Maddox, the father of my friend Heath, was struck and killed on the Peninsula. (See his obituary here.) Ed's death hits very close to home. Although I didn't know him, he was hit on a stretch of road that I ride several times each week.

Here is an Oakland Tribune article about the accident and a website started by neighbors in the area of the accident who are petitioning for safer roads for all users.

Also.... I just got this in an email from my teammate Aaron, about a life-threatening accident in the Penninsula

Yesterday I made a trip to Valley Medical Center, after getting a message that a close friend of mine had been in a bike accident with a car and had been in a coma for eight days. I don't know if any of you know him. His name is Braden Sanchez. He is a father, friend and awesome bike rider. Last wed. he was riding down HWY 9 toward Felton when a car pulled out in front of him. He struck the car. Braden suffered head trauma, fractured vertebrae in his neck, punctured both lungs, and broke more than a few other bones. One lung has come back so far and is working and the swelling inside his head has subsided. So he is improving and all there is to do now is wait for him to wake up, They know he is not paralyzed, but can't rule out brain damage until he is awake.

Finally... from my friend Heath (whose father, struck and killed in July, is mentioned below)

a good friend of my cousin was run down by a Range Rover on Mt. Tam and paralyzed from the neck down

Dopers' Excuse Quiz

As an avid cyclist, I'm frequently asked about the doping habits and excuses of my colleagues in the higher ranks. Now you too can become an expert on the subject by honing your skills with this (very entertaining) Dopers' Excuse Quiz.

Family time

July was book-ended with terrific family time, first in Michigan and later in California. Trish and I flew to Detroit to visit with her family on the East side and mine on the West. Both families welcomed us in with open arms, making the first family meetings not only painless, but lots of fun.


The highlight of the week had to be the actualizations of my dad’s crazy Christmas gift: certificates for three generations of Guikemas to go gliding. Two gliders took turns taking each of us into the sky, pulled by a small airplane to several thousand feet, and then released to quietly soar back to Earth. Grandma Harriet, at 87, was certainly the most adventurous of the bunch. At Christmas, when the gift was given, she exclaimed, “This is right up my ally.” When asked by the pilot if she was interested in taking some exhilarating turns, she let him know, “The wilder the better.”


July closed with a visit from my brother Tom and his wife Janel. Brother Josh came down from Arcata for a week as well. The trip opened with a Manu Chao concert in Berkeley. (Incredible show!) Then we were off for a camping weekend in the Anderson Valley. We stayed at the small (10-site) Indian Creek County campground, our tents just specks below the towering redwoods. We visited Esterlina Vineyard for a wine tasting to beat all wine tasting. (Where do I start… there is the incredible view, the kindness of the Sterling family, the delicious wine, and the very generous pours.) This was followed by a hike along the Navarro River in the Hendy Woods State Park.


The pictures tell the story better than my words. Here are the links to the glider photos and a link to the California family visit.