Commuting - Have you ever been hit by a ...

rock while commuting? Where I live the highway is sanded several times a week during the winter. I ALWAYS have a rock chip or two in my windshield. I want to commute on days that we don't have new snow, but I'm nervous about getting a rock chip in my face! So I was wondering if anyone out there has ever been hit by a rock thrown up by the wheel of a car?

I have been hit in the face by a rock (pebble really) kicked up by my bike. But I always make sure i wear glasses when I ride. Its too easy for something small to get in your eye and cause even momentary blindness. This is definately bad when moving quickly.

I am not horribly worried about too much getting kicked up by a car. Most likely it will end up as a flesh wound, and those build character :D

(Of course i am in for it now that I have said that ;))

I've been hit many times as, I think you'll find, most everybody else has as well. Along the lines of Sailguy's comment, it's a trip when you see one flying right at your glasses and bounce off over your eye.

I've been riding on country roads where the road shoulder is gravel. Some cars and trucks see a few cyclists and head for the opposite shoulder to give us more than enough room. They can flick up lots of little pebbles and I've been sprayed once or twice.

It's not nice but nothing serious.

On the other hand, a friend of mine had the same thing happen on a ride we were on. A small pebble hit him in the shin and caused a nasty sore. He continued riding for a couple of days but it got nastier. He ended up spending a few days in hospital.

I rarely get hit by rocks or pebbles, but on occasion one will bounce up. Never caught one directly in the face, yet. I have been pelted many times in the face and glasses by bugs. Actually got a bug in my eye once, which is why I always wear glasses now. Can't count the number of bugs I've taken in the mouth and ended up swallowing before I could stop. Nice thing about winter... much fewer, if any, bugs out.

PBW

Ah the joys of coastal California. Very few bugs. We can actually enjoy being outdoors at twilight, and you never have to worry about scraping bug guts off your car.

A couple of weeks ago I actually got hit by bird scheisse when I was riding. I felt something hit my back and started looking around for a kid that might have thrown something...didn't see one so I just kept going. At the next stop sign I made a further inspection and sure enough I actually got hit by a bird on a bombing run. The thing is that I didn't get mad...I actually started laughing! I figured that was one talented bird that got me and that night I drank a beer in its honor.

I got hit by a good dumping of falling ice on Monday. We had a wild ice storm, which coated the trees. The temps got high enough on Monday so the trees started dumping ice. I was just passing under a big ole pine tree when the wind gusted. It shocked me, but did not hurt. :)