To: DCC Organization, Mack Cycle, Team Hurricanes, The DCC Board of Directors, and the DCC Community
I’m Joey Gennari, a 20-year cycling veteran who has participated in hundreds of events and advocates for cyclists when possible. This letter is written from the perspective of a rider, not someone who has intimate knowledge of the organization, it’s preparation, or safety culture. Therefore I may be missing key information that would change my perspective. If I receive feedback that changes my perspective, I will update this letter accordingly.
The peloton riding in traffic over the Las Olas Bridge
I witnessed this year’s Brickell Bridge incident from the back of group A peloton. This means I didn’t see the incident firsthand, but I did see the aftermath. I want to express my deepest sympathies to those affected. This includes not only those with life-changing injuries, but also the families of those involved, and the riders who are now processing what they saw. However, my thoughts extend beyond the bridge incident. I hope to provide a constructive view of ride safety overall.
Wet Bridges
In my opinion, this is the most eggregious of the infractions. Judging by the number of interactions I’ve had since the ride, this is also top of mind for most riders in that peloton. When I started riding 20 years ago, one of the very first bits of advice I received was never to cross a bridge with exposed grating, especially after rain. If this was day-1, South Florida riding advice, I fail to see how the marshaling didn’t take this into account.
Proposed Solution: Use escort vehicles to block the bridge, stop the ride, inform the riders about the wet bridge, and walk across the bridge together.
Proposed Solution: The pre-ride briefing with the marshals contains a hazard assesment, including wet bridges. The hazard assement has prescribed actions for each hazard, and every marshal signs off.
Proposed Solution: A safety briefing that is mandatory for all riders. This briefing includes the hazards, the prescribed actions, and the consequences of not following the prescribed actions.
Marshaling and Escorting
From my viewpoint, the marshaling was subpar. This could be due to a lack of volunteers, improper training, or a lack of authority. However, the marshals were not able to control the peloton. This is concerning because the safety of the peloton is only as good as the slowest rider.
Another issue is the escort vehicles. I saw a few instances where the escort vehicles were not in the right place, particullarly in the Hollywood/A1A area. The moto escort was zooming past the peloton to block intersections. This presents a very dangerous situation for the riders as the road appeared closed (to us).
Proposed Solution: The marshals are given the directive to stop the ride if the peloton breaks. This is communicated to the riders in the pre-ride briefing.
Proposed Solution: If a rider fails to make the water stop within a cutoff, they need to be removed from the course.
Proposed Solution: If an intersection cannot be blocked, the ride should be stopped. At no point should escorts pass the peloton on what appears to be a closed road.
Rider Experience
I rode next to someone on the 99-mile ride who was riding their bike for the first time. Not that particular bike, riding a bike. They had practiced clipping in the day before in a parking lot. If they finished the ride, awesome, but that comes at the expense of the safety of everyone else. This is not an isolated incident. There are lots of riders with horrendous bike fits who clearly did not train.
Proposed Solution: A mandatory training ride. This ride is a chance for riders to get a feel for the peloton, and for the marshals to assess the riders. If a rider is not ready, they are not allowed to ride.
Proposed Solution: During a manadatory safety briefing, riders are encouraged to complete their training. Share the risks they present to the group if they don’t do so.
Cones
Like I’ve mentioned, I’ve done hundreds of events, most on public roads that shared the road with cars. So I understand the reality of using cones as a traffic control device, however there some serious concerns that weren’t addressed in this course. Any time a group slows, it creates an eventual accordian effect. This effect becomes extremely dangerous when the road is constricted. The ride had a few of these, and I saw a few close calls.
Proposed Solution: Any time cones squeeze the road, the marshals should slow the ride up well ahead of the cones to give the pace a chance to settle.
Proposed Solution: The pre-ride briefing should include a discussion on the dangers of constricted roads, and the prescribed actions for the riders.
Safety Culture
Finally, I just want to point out that safety culture starts at the top. There is no reason for anyone in this ride to be exposed to unnecessary risk. This isn’t a race, we’re all going back to our jobs on Monday morning. It’s possible this culture exists, and there were lapses in execution this year. If it doesn’t exist, then it needs to be created.
Proposed Solution: The DCC Board of Directors should create a safety committee (if it doesn’t exist). This committee should be responsible for the safety culture, the safety briefings, and the safety execution.
Proposed Solution: The DCC Board of Directors should adopt a policy that puts safety over everything else, and does not accept lapses in safety, especially over common risks.
Summary
In summary, I believe in the DCC cause and it’s team. I believe it’s possible to lead an event of such magnitude and keep everyone safe. I believe that the DCC can be a leader in ride safety, and that it’s possible to have a safe ride without sacrificing the experience. I hope this letter is received in the spirit it was written, and that it’s taken as a constructive critique. I’m happy to help in any way I can.