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Narrow escape yesterday morning Posted by Rod [Email] (#3128) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Rod) on Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:07:54 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I always work out each morning before work, and since yesterday morning was unseasonably mild I decided a bike ride would be a good idea (beats the indoor trainer any day). It was still dark but I have good lights on my bike. Anyway I was riding up a road that has a bike lane, which I was in. I noticed some construction up ahead and could tell there was some new blacktop on the bike lane. When I got closer I realized the new blacktop was actually not level with the old - it was a couple of inches lower, so I figured I would move out into the road to go around it. I could tell I had a car coming up close behind so I didn't want to swing out too far into the traffic, but unfortunately I misjudged it and didn't move quite far enough out - the result being I caught the lip between the old and new blacktop sideways and got thrown down hard. The worst of it was my rear wheel skidded out into the road and the minivan that was just passing me at the time ran it over with its back wheel, crushing the wheel, and bending my chain and seat stays - and you can see what it did to the cranks in the pic below.
Luckily I got away with some mild road rash, although the image of minivan wheels passing very close by at 40 mph while you are sprawled on the ground stays with you for a while!
Anyway, I guess I am in the market for a new frame - the rear derailleur is toast as is the crankset, but everything else should be salvageable.
I think I was lucky, but this definitely reinforces my suspicions that bike lanes are not a good idea - car drivers tend to give cyclists much more room if there is not a white line between them and the bike. And when you're driving remember to give cyclists plenty of room because you never know what's going to happen!
2004 Lemond Poprad, RIP
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