[chh55]

What's the worst crash you've ever had? How could it have been avoided?

[London]

Originally Posted by chh55

What's the worst crash you've ever had? How could it have been avoided?

When I was about 12, I walked into our local bike shop and touched the handlebars of a bike I liked. It fell over and took down an entire row of similar bikes parked side by side. Must have been thirty bikes all laying in one long pile. I ran quickly from the store. They're still looking for me.

[funetical]

I was hit by a car. There's a thread about it some where.

I'm happy as I have not been hurt or had my bike damaged in over a week now. I was on a bad spell there for a while.

[bikebum1975]

Had a banana seat bike as a kid with short apes on it and took it down the BMX track one day went over the first jump lost control of it and went over the handle bars slid face first in the sharp gravel wasn't wearing a shirt and only had on cut off jean shorts cut my knee up pretty bad and scraped up my chest but that was a good 20 plus years ago and haven't had a mishap on a bike since but got up walked with a limp um the hill and got on the bike rode home which wasn't far away.

[Engyo]

I've been right-hooked two different times. Both times I ended up on the pavement. The second one potato-chipped my front wheel, and left me with an interesting 54-tooth chainring mark on my leg for several months.

Both could have been avoided, by the drivers of the cars paying a bit more attention. In both cases I was braking by the time I was hit, but was unable to avoid the accident that way.

[London]

Originally Posted by Engyo

I've been right-hooked two different times. Both times I ended up on the pavement. The second one potato-chipped my front wheel, and left me with an interesting 54-tooth chainring mark on my leg for several months.

Both could have been avoided, by the drivers of the cars paying a bit more attention. In both cases I was braking by the time I was hit, but was unable to avoid the accident that way.

Wrong, Engyo. Both times you entered an intersection with the assumption the car on your left was going straight. Never assume. Ever. Wait till it's clear behind you before passing through. That this is not fundamental, common bike sense astounds me. Glad you are okay, but you asked for it. And twice, too. Wow. No wonder people push for helmets. We should push for full body armor.

[Engyo]

Originally Posted by London

Wrong, Engyo. Both times you entered an intersection with the assumption the car on your left was going straight. Never assume. Ever. Wait till it's clear behind you before passing through. That this is not fundamental, common bike sense astounds me. Glad you are okay, but you asked for it. And twice, too. Wow. No wonder people push for helmets. We should push for full body armor.

London -

Don't think I'm upset here, but do you come to a complete stop every time a car passes you on your left if you are near an intersection? That is exactly what I would have had to do in both cases per your comments. Since in both cases I was going somewhere around 15mph when the cars passed me, that would not have been an easy task.

I don't think that commuting to work on city streets is practical under this safety protocol, unless I am not understanding your comments. I basically would not be able to pass an intersection unless there were no cars to my left (in the RH lane) - which situation would not have obtained unless I had waited 2 hours or so after my quitting time to leave work.

Just curious how you would have handled or do handle such a situation.

[London]

Originally Posted by Engyo

London -

Don't think I'm upset here, but do you come to a complete stop every time a car passes you on your left if you are near an intersection? That is exactly what I would have had to do in both cases per your comments. Since in both cases I was going somewhere around 15mph when the cars passed me, that would not have been an easy task.

I don't think that commuting to work on city streets is practical under this safety protocol, unless I am not understanding your comments. I basically would not be able to pass an intersection unless there were no cars to my left (in the RH lane) - which situation would not have obtained unless I had waited 2 hours or so after my quitting time to leave work.

Just curious how you would have handled or do handle such a situation.

I would have taken the lane as my own or been watching behind me much earlier to see how the scenerio was setting up. And yes, I would have waited at any intersection for it to clear on my left IF I did not choose to take the lane and act like traffic. My way works. I've never been touched or had a close call. You already admit to the same error twice. This is not good sense.

We just hashed over this subject when discussing helmet use. I say use your head to avoid trouble. That will work 99.99% of the time. Nothing is guaranteed in life so a guy can still get hurt out there once in a Blue Moon. But to go online and admit to such rookie error still surprises me. I really thought eveyone knew how to approach intersections. Sorry Guy, that's how I see it. Doesn't make a bad person, just a poor and unsafe rider.

[Engyo]

Hi again, London -

Two questions: Do you commute? And if so, what sort of environment (downtown, suburb, town, country, etc.) and traffic levels do you commute in?

[London]

Originally Posted by Engyo

Hi again, London -

Two questions: Do you commute? And if so, what sort of environment (downtown, suburb, town, country, etc.) and traffic levels do you commute in?

Engyo, I like your sense of humor: UNSAFE in your signature. I giggled.

No, I do not commute. I do ride through two nasty towns up my way (Beverly and Salem, MA) that have lights every 100 yards and very heavy traffic. I normally stop at all crossings if cars are moving on my left. I used to take the lane, but got spooked doing that a few times.

If you find watching to the rear and stopping when it looks too dicy annoying, maybe you should not be bike commuting. What you are saying to me is you're in too much of a rush getting to work to ride safely. At least you admit it. A person might have to acknowledge his particular commute is not suited to bike travel if optimum speed is a goal. Life is filled with disappointments.

I'm a doctor who deals with smashed limbs all the time. No amount of "I was in the right", means a damn thing after you are hit. Drivers should be more carefull but they are not. This is a fact of modern life. You can fight it and get smashed, or you can go slower and with extordinary care. I choose care and do NOT have the scars to prove it.