RIP Dan $ Stephenson

[pickle]

I said to Mrs P that I don't think we'll be doing anymore London rides, her answer was that whatever RAD do you won't be going on anymore that's for sure.   

[Julian347]

Mine has said she won't stop me but has made her feelings about wearing a helmet crystal clear.

[WINI]

We all love the RAD rides and they are getting bigger each year. I think we should sit back and take a good look at what has happened here .
Accidents do happen , but this can't happen again .

We were jumping red lights, me included  . The ride organisers need to learn from this horrible accident. Make changes to routes .
Avoid roads where possible.
All stick together .. There were a few groups on Saturday splitting off .
We all need to abide to the laws of the road in the future .

RIP DAN  .

Carl

Well said Carl.  I've been on enough RAD rides and done the same thing.  I've always thought that there was an accident waiting to happen and sadly it was much worse than we could foresee. If there's a positive at all to this, it's that it may make us all take stock and be a little safer on the roads.

[factory pilot]

I hear you Rob ... Spoken to my Jo long and hard about this sad sad subject but also decided that sadly I won't be attending any more of the London rides even if they were to happen again.

[animal]

To be honest everybody just needs to do what they do . There's only one way in life and it's ur own . This has hit me hard for obvious reasons . I could have walked away but didn't . I for one after the shite I've been through. I will not be sitting in my armchair dribbling at 80 thinking I wish I'd done this and that . It's not a dress rehearsal.  We only pass this way once . Crack on .

Yes this has hit me hard aswell  No blame on anyone .

[Shiner]

RIP Dan

[sparky]

Plenty of comments that we can all absorb and take on board. I never met Dan but what people have wrote about him suggests he was a larger than life character with a fun mischievous nature.

Yesterday was meant to be a celebration for me but it was sombre event, I thought about Dan all day and the people he left behind. If like me you have a partner and children, it doesn't bear thinking about

It was a tragic accident and a reminder of how privileged we should feel when waking up each morning..........I know I have already changed some things and thinking a lot more but I wish the circumstances were different.

People have mentioned that something should change as a result, I have for myself because for me that is the best thing I can do as a mark of respect to him and will be everlasting.

RIP Dan

[Hmoon27]

Some good points made on this thread.
I for one have been hit hard by this, as I know others have from Saturday and I will definately not be doing another ride in London , maybe anywhere.
The bottom line is , none of us would get on our road/ mountain bikes and ride around without a lid, yet it's considered ok ( or was ) , to knock back beers and ride around a busy city? Stupidity at its greatest.
It's worth saying at this point , that Dan had only had one beer.
It's terrible that this has happened , but hopefully , only good can come from it.
Such a massive loss.
RIP DAN x

[retrogeezer]

I still can't believe one of our own lost his life on a bike ride, just so tragic. I never met Dan but from seeing some of the videos and reading stuff about him I would have liked to.

The helmet thing, I know there are arguments for and against but I went over the handlebars of my racer last year and smashed the side of my head onto the road. It bloody hurt and I sat dazed on the pavement for 5 minutes but considered myself lucky and took it as a warning. You can of course trip over while walking and bang your head but of course it's a slower speed.

You do only live once though and have to do things you enjoy otherwise what is the point?

Ride In Peace Dan $.

[Mikku]

Bloodyhell, I didn't know about this until I clicked on this thread 10 minutes ago! Shocking news!

RIP Dan.

[brass monkey!]

Haven't been on RAD for a few weeks, and just wish to mirror the comments already made. What tragic news, thoughts go out to his young family. I had read about Dan in the national news at the weekend, it was a brief story, it didn't mention RAD, and I must say I didn't realize this was connected to our site at the time...

Never met the guy but clearly he shared the same passion as all of us, BMX - such sad news!

RIP Dan Ca$h

[stevepeanut]

I found about this on Monday as I was heading off on holiday to the TT races. I didn't know Dan in person but had seen him on Facebook in the same Bmx chats. I actually felt sick and very sad as I left, for someone I'd never met it hit me quite hard.

It's making me think very hard about my next ride out that I join in. On previous rides I've been riding around on my Bmx with 6 pints in me, on the road amongst traffic. I would never do that in my car or on my motorbike but I've thought nothing about doing it on a road on a Bmx.

I don't want to go into it, but I've seen some very dangerous riding on previous ride outs. Very naughty stuff done in traffic that was done deliberately to play games with motorists.

As others have said I hope we can move on from this and all take time to think about making ride outs safer.

[brettypeeps]

I found about this on Monday as I was heading off on holiday to the TT races. I didn't know Dan in person but had seen him on Facebook in the same Bmx chats. I actually felt sick and very sad as I left, for someone I'd never met it hit me quite hard.

It's making me think very hard about my next ride out that I join in. On previous rides I've been riding around on my Bmx with 6 pints in me, on the road amongst traffic. I would never do that in my car or on my motorbike but I've thought nothing about doing it on a road on a Bmx.

I don't want to go into it, but I've seen some very dangerous riding on previous ride outs. Very naughty stuff done in traffic that was done deliberately to play games with motorists.

As others have said I hope we can move on from this and all take time to think about making ride outs safer.

We did a ride a few days ago in Crewe and attitudes have already changed.  Most people had helmets so you didnt feel a prat