Sacramento man dies in Davis Bike Club ride

Robb Deignan. Courtesy photo

A Sacramento man died Sunday morning after crashing his bicycle during a Davis Bike Club ride.

Robb Deignan, 65, was cycling Saturday morning in the club’s Foxy’s Fall Century, a 100-mile course stretching from Davis to Fairfield, around Lake Berryessa and back. About 1,600 cyclists rode Saturday on three courses set up by the club, the two others being 100 kilometers and 30 miles long.

Deignan crashed about halfway through the 100-mile ride on the outskirts of Fairfield. No cars or other bicycles were involved, Fairfield police said, and Deignan was wearing a helmet.

An air ambulance flew Deignan to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. He died of “multiple injuries” at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the Solano County Coroner’s Office.

His best friend and riding partner, Tim Streeper, 43, of San Francisco, said Deignan “was just a pleasurable guy to be around. He always made people feel good about themselves.”

“He loved to be active in life,” Streeper added. “He was definitely one of the most positive people that I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”

Streeper also said his friend was “witty” and “very, very funny,” something his LinkedIn profile proved.

Deignan, who had held a spate of jobs at the state Capitol, listed his current position on the professional social media website as “Semi-Retired/Dog Walker at Self-Amused Inc.”

“Very, very funny guy, but not in an overt way,” Streeper said, “You had to stop for a second to get his gist and then it was one of those things where he was just a little bit ahead of everybody else.”

Deignan’s crash confounded public officials and at least one fellow rider trying to figure out a cause.

“There were no other bikes,” said Mike Mitchell, traffic supervisor with the Fairfield Police Department. “There were no cars, no dogs, no cats. He just lost control, lost control for an unknown reason.”

Emelia Robinson, 24, rode past the scene of Deignan’s crash after it happened and after emergency personnel had responded. The downhill where he crashed was an “average descent” that a bicyclist could coast and get up to 20 or 25 mph, she said, adding, “I wouldn’t say it’s super-steep.”

She gave it a danger rating of three or four on a scale of one to 10.

“It was an odd place for an accident,” Robinson said. “There’s no part of that ride that should lead to that.”

Stuart Bresnick, president of the Davis Bike Club, said he wasn’t aware of any other injuries to the 1,600 cyclists who rode Saturday. No other deaths or serious injuries have occurred during a ride organized by the club over its 35-year history, he said.

“We always preach safety and give riders a lot of cautions about the route,” Bresnick said.

He said the course is manageable and the spot where Deignan’s crash is doable.

“It’s downhill,” he said, “but it’s not a big downhill by biking standards. Hundreds of riders went over it.”

Still, the club’s board of directors reviews its safety policies after accidents.

“It’s a terrible tragedy, and it’s heartbreaking,” Bresnick said. “We do everything we can, but accidents happen.”

— Reach Jonathan Edwards at jedwards@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8052. Follow him on Twitter at @jon__edwards

Short URL: http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=94306

Posted by Jonathan Edwards on Oct 18 2011.
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