BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

The page is here: https://www.youcaring.com/danny-chew-640082 It says he passed out while riding and broke his neck. He may be paralyzed. God.

He sent me a FB message Saturday morning at 4am saying that he ate a huge breakfast and was leaving to ride 1000 miles in Ohio this week.

This is horrifying news. Was anyone riding with him at the time? I'm wondering if anyone else witnessed the crash. I guess that's sort of secondary at the moment to his condition and recovery. I will be making a donation, for sure.

not sure. He usually does in ohio   also please refrain from saying you're praying for him on FB, if anyone was planning on doing so. He is an proud atheist.

PG article After Mr. Chew arrived at Lodi Hospital and was diagnosed with a broken neck and possible paralysis, Ms. Schumacher said Mr. Chew was his typical self. “Well,” she said he told her, “worst case scenario, I’m going to have to be like the guy who just set a record in Pittsburgh on a hand cycle.” “I’ll just have to finish my million miles on a hand cycle,” he said. “So be it.” 

I just came here to say this sucks, and I hope Danny recovers. This is getting some national coverage outside of the usual cycling circles. There's a fine article on Deadspin on the accident and Danny's wonderfully unique personality.

It does my heart good to see that the YouCaring site has already essentially reached its funding goal ($24,785/$25,000, up from the original $15,000). Update: it's now past the goal.

If Danny has to pass the million mile mark on a handcycle, I hope to see a donation page for that too. Fingers crossed it isn't necessary. :(  

I hope the very best for Danny,bicycles are dangerous and goes to show you even the very best can get hurt.Jay my helper at Bicycle Heaven just broke his neck just the other day and got many stiches and a broken finger.Jay was following me and my 3 of my other helpers while I went up the ramp on the sidewalk but Jay it the high curb,Jay is blind in one eye since a young boy so he cant see good but loves bikes and wants to ride,,anyways this is his second bad crash in one month,,i think his bike rides are over,,,,,,,,,anyways be carful never forget even the best riders can get hurt.I hope the very best for Danny Chew and being an athlete and of great spirit he has a better chance to recover,,,,at B.H. we hope you get well soon Danny

I visited with Danny yesterday. He has a feeding and breathing tube. His arms work, his legs don't. There is this site to keep track of his progress: https://www.caringbridge.org/public/dannychew If you do plan to visit him https://teamup.com/ksf856c78050dc78b1 This is a signup to make sure that there are not 10+ people in the room one day and 0 the next. Danny is going to be in Akron for awhile, as all of his therapy will be done there.

Thanks steevo - is there a good place to send things like get well cards and letters?

PG: Despite founder's injuries, Dirty Dozen bike race will continue, supporters say http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2016/09/08/Despite-founder-s-injuries-Dirty-Dozen-bike-race-will-continue-supporters-say/stories/201609080069 Of course it will continue. It will be bigger than ever. And what about including a fund-raising component this year?

BTW, if somebody has the time you could ride 1/2 the Rustbelt Crown route to go visit Danny. The route is here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15151292 It's not a bad ride (kind of trafficky, but with as few hills as I could manage), about 100 miles from Neville Island to Akron. I also have a cue sheet. It seems to me that this might make Danny happy.

I wouldn't be able to until next weekend. Nice idea.

Thanks. I can't do it then but I hope you do.

Post Gazette story: "Biking legend Danny Chew's paralysis may be permanent, family says" http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2016/09/15/Biking-legend-Danny-Chew-s-paralysis-may-be-permanent-family-says-1/stories/201609150207 excerpt: "As a sign of that hope the family has for Mr. Chew’s situation, his brother, Tom, is organizing a tribute ride for Danny for friends and supporters. It will begin at 10:30 a.m., Saturday [9/17], at Akron General Hospital, where Danny is still staying in the intensive care unit. Tom and other friends will ride from there about 40 miles to the spot where Danny had his accident, near Lodi, Ohio, and then ride back. Tom hopes friends of Danny’s from Pittsburgh can make the drive out to do the ride and only need to show to take part."

Jim Logan posted a video with Danny on Facebook. I'll see if I can get it to post here. Summary: Jon Pratt is directing the Dirty Dozen this year; Danny will try to put in an appearance by car. He's very grateful he was wearing a helmet. No luck getting it to post. Check the Pittsburgh Randonneurs Facebook group.

That video made my heart swell. <3

The Danny Chew video (speaking from hospital bed) is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PittsburghRandonneurs/permalink/1759872030967627/ We're rooting for you, Danny!

https://www.facebook.com/wendybellpittsburgh/videos/1819164414982441/

https://squareup.com/store/garbella   My wife designed shirts and 100% of the profits go to Danny.

New Chew videw @ PPG http://www.post-gazette.com/video/?v=5214875532001

That video is a must-watch

That story is great. It is hilarious and encouraging that Danny is timing his laps in a wheelchair around the floor and trying to set a record. He is still exactly the same. The guy who set a world record for a 24 hour ride on a hand-cycle has a lot to fear. If nothing else, Danny's going to start setting a whole bunch of hand-cycle records.

PG story (copied from another thread): http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2016/11/18/Twist-of-fate-flips-the-role-for-iconic-Pittsburgh-cyclist-Danny-Chew/stories/201611170197 "Mr. Chew’s favorite therapy sessions — he does about two to three hours every morning and every afternoon — are when Ms. Drolet lets him use the push wheelchair to make a circuit around the seventh floor where he resides and gets therapy. A fellow patient worked out that every nine laps around the floor equals about a half mile. Early on, Mr. Chew’s “record” was three sessions of two laps each, with a couple minutes break to regulate his blood pressure. On a recent Friday morning, though, he decided to push himself, doing three laps at a stretch, three times, with Mr. Chew asking a reporter to time each lap, and then insisting that the times be written down in a visitors’ log he keeps in his room."

The article also mentions this movie screening on Sunday 11/20 and other Danny fundraising channels: At 4:30 p.m. Sunday at SouthSide Works Cinema there is a screening of the 2016 Race Across America documentary, followed by a showing of Rick Sebak’s WQED 2010 Dirty Dozen documentary. Tickets can be purchased there or online at clevelandcinemas.com.

I went to the Race Across America screening on Sunday. The turnout was good. The first movie, "3089 Miles Across America" was OK but not great (my gripes were poor audio and lack of coverage of some of the more interesting aspects such as: how and where do you sleep, and how do the crews work?). They did not show the Dirty Dozen video, as it turned out, apparently because they forgot to bring that DVD! So in its place they showed a video about the Veloroos, an Australian women's cycling team that did the RAAM. This video, titled "RAAM BAM THANK YOU MAM", was good. The screening organizers spoke about Danny a bit, and took donations for his recovery, but Danny appeared in neither movie, which was a disappointment.

Another story on tomorrow's ride. The PG is doing a really nice job on this. http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2016/11/25/Changes-for-the-Dirty-Dozen-in-wake-of-founder-s-accident/stories/201611250072

National Public Radio story on Danny: http://wesa.fm/post/now-paralyzed-iconic-cyclist-danny-chew-plans-30-more-years-biking#stream/0

BTW, I've been looking into whether Canton Ave is really the steepest paved street in the world; the Guinness Book of World Records says the steepest is Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand. I found a video of a guy biking it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jscAtbmAxQ It is kind of pathetic. I'm sure they're very proud of their street. It looks like it might be in the top half of the Dirty Dozen if it was in Pittsburgh. But it is no way as steep as Canton, and nowhere near as challenging. I wrote to the Guinness folks asking them to fix their record. Has anyone else tried to do this?

Some braggart Yinzer put the following comment on that Kiwi video: Hah, I looked this up to see if your claim about this being the world's steepest street holds water. You guys are a bunch of pussies. Pittsburgh, PA has the world's steepest street.

A nice piece on Danny by Outside Magazine:   https://www.outsideonline.com/2138711/danny-chew-wont-let-paralysis-keep-him-riding-1000000-miles and this:   https://www.outsideonline.com/2138726/cycling-toward-recovery    

The Outside article says "Danny Chew completed his first 200-mile day when he was 10 years old. It was 1972. He rode an orange Schwinn Stingray with high-rise handlebars and a banana seat. He rode for 23 and a half hours through the rolling hills near Lodi, Ohio …" Is Lodi, OH, correct? That's the town where he crashed in September.

Jim Logan just posted these photos of guess who riding on the Bud Harris cycle track:

PG had an article and/or video on their website about this today.  I can't link to it due to the paywall.

Small step, big ride: Danny Chew gets first taste of outdoor hand-cycling

On Sunday, for the first time since he was paralyzed Sept. 4 from the chest down in a biking accident, Mr. Chew, the iconic Pittsburgh cyclist and founder of the Dirty Dozen bike race, was able to try out a hand cycle outdoors on the road, and not just on an indoor stationary hand cycle that he has used regularly since October. ... Not surprisingly, word spread beyond those 30, and more than 50 came to watch and wish their friend well as he prepared for his first ride and then attempted to ride 20 miles — a goal, he was warned, he would have to adjust.

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/cycling-pittsburgh/2017/02/20/Small-step-big-ride-Paralyzed-cyclist-Dirty-Dozen-Danny-Chew-Million-Mile-Man-gets-first-taste-of-outdoor-hand-cycling/stories/201702200034 (He ended up doing 10 miles.)

"Paralyzed Cyclist Rides on Toward One Million Miles" on Great Big Story - check it out: http://greatbig.is/2pvyXyg