Commuting - Commuting Initiation - for your amusement

Okay, so I've been commuting in earnest for the last few weeks. I commuted most of last summer without incident (for the most part...except for a flat tire in the driving rain). I began riding my bike from home to train station and it has been lovely. There's a wicked white knuckle descent for the first 3-4 miles from my house and then it's 7-8 miles of nice riding in not-so-busy streets. All the while without major incidents, until today. I was going downhill approaching a traffic circle at the bottom going about 20 mph. As luck would have it, an overly zealous homeowner whose lawn must remain green even in the dead of summer had been watering his lawn, along with the sidewalk and street. You know where this is going. I approached the water, fishtailed out of control, hit the curb, flew off my bike, landed in the middle of the circle with nothing but dirt, rock, dead-dry grass. When the dust cleared (literally) I checked to see if I still had the right number of body parts in their proper place...check! helmet...check! working bike...check! backpack with work clothes still clean...check! I'm happy to report that I was not physically hurt. My pride was broken, but not my spirit. The only loss is a broken watch (fixable), torn shorts at the hip, and a torn windbreaker from rolling on the dirt and little rocks. I got back on, pedaled to the train, and got some funny looks on the train from other passengers, wearing my bloody hands and left leg as badges of honor and true cycling emblems of initiation.

The moral of the story: Turn down your sprinklers and water the grass. The sidewalk and street will not get any cleaner or better. Besides, you'll save water and money! Your thoughts or stories of commuting initiation are welcome.

I wonder if this is illegal (watering the sidewalk/road)? I live in a rural area and the farmers will often irrigate half of the street. I would think that it is added deterioration to the roads. It also seems dangerous to me. Besides bicyclists, someone on a motorcycle not expecting rain could swerve. I would be pretty pissed if I were driving a nice convertable and some a$$hole farmer watered my bucket seats. Anyway, it would be nice to see tickets handed out for that.

So you hit one of my pet peeves! Theres my rant. :)

I don't understand why people do that (water streets/sidewalks), it doesn't take allot of work to adjust the water level. Then there is the broken sprinkler system that is set to just water the street. We need sprinkler police.

Welcome to the club! You just aren't really a bonafide, dyed in the wool, bicycle commuter until you've gone down at least once. You get extra points for doing it right in front of a crowd of high school kids waiting for the bus...or requiring a trip to the hospital.

For future reference, when approaching loose sand, gravel, or liquid on the roadway, slow down ahead of time and DO NOT turn your wheel. If you turn your wheel, you will probably go down. If you relax and coast straight through, you will probably be ok.

For future reference, when approaching loose sand, gravel, or liquid on the roadway, slow down ahead of time and DO NOT turn your wheel. If you turn your wheel, you will probably go down. If you relax and coast straight through, you will probably be ok.

The same usually applies to trolley tracks. Coast over them and don't be in the process of turning or leaning when you hit them. Plus, don't try to cross them gradually, hit them straight on at a 90 degree angle, or at the least, 30 degrees.

Congratulations on surviving. And double congratulations for handling the aftermath with aplomb.

A little more hazard riding advice: sit up, keep your weight balanced between the wheels, stay light on the bars, don't hit the brakes, and glide right through the danger zone.

For future reference, when approaching loose sand, gravel, or liquid on the roadway, slow down ahead of time and DO NOT turn your wheel. If you turn your wheel, you will probably go
down. If you relax and coast straight through, you will probably be ok.

ARGHH!! why didn't you post this tip coupla days early? It was raining lightly one day when I was about to turn into the driveway leading to my house, and there was some gravel spilled around the pavement...I don't know why i turned my wheel instead of leaning to one side to turn, but yep, I turned my wheel a bit too sharply and was thrown off the other side....grrr...

Back in the early 80s when Portland, OR had a lot of street people lounging/blocking downtown sidewalks, some business owners installed "drip" lines along the front of their buildings to keep the entire sidewalk permanently wet & to wash away some of the accumulated defecant. Hard to say which was more pathetic, the owners who couldn't tolerate a few loungers or the city officials who tried to stop them but couldn't find a regulation against the practice.

Welcome to the club! You just aren't really a bonafide, dyed in the wool, bicycle commuter until you've gone down at least once. You get extra points for doing it right in front of a crowd of high school kids waiting for the bus...or requiring a trip to the hospital.

For future reference, when approaching loose sand, gravel, or liquid on the roadway, slow down ahead of time and DO NOT turn your wheel. If you turn your wheel, you will probably go down. If you relax and coast straight through, you will probably be ok.
Ah, my old friend Rainman. Good advice (didst thou receive this revelation through blood, sweat and asphalt? Methinks so--in days to come we shall compare bodily blemishes, to the glory of our quest. :D )

My initiation was shared in the following thread:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=57914&highlight=Man

I'm still recovering.

How's this for a fall. I'm almost home from work and it was raining and my tires and rims were caked with mud. I see a big (about 5 feet by 30 feet) puddle at the side of the road so I slow to one mile per hour or so, or at least as slow as I can, to go through the puddle and get a head start cleaning the mud. Right in the middle it's about 6 inches deep and the tires just go sideways, I guess there was some slippery oil on the concrete, and I go straight down, soaked from head to toe in one second, feet still clipped to the pedals. Thinking back I wish somebody had got it on video.

The same usually applies to trolley tracks. Coast over them and don't be in the process of turning or leaning when you hit them. Plus, don't try to cross them gradually, hit them straight on at a 90 degree angle, or at the least, 30 degrees.

OMG I just wiped out a month ago on WET TRAIN TRACKS only 2 blocks from work, right in front of a popular cafe, with outside seating. My elbow is still sore. I will NEVER turn on wet tracks/manhole covers/trolly tracks EVER again. The amazing thing was as I checked myself for broken bones, the folks at the cafe just sipped their coffee and stared. I felt like I was in a scene from "Body Snatchers" or something.

OMG The amazing thing was as I checked myself for broken bones, the folks at the cafe just sipped their coffee and stared. I felt like I was in a scene from "Body Snatchers" or something.
Same thing happened to me when I went over on wet leaves & tree debris after a storm ,I lay on the ground for 20 min. with a broken hip ,fractured arm & concusion, in the rain as all those nice motorists drove past till another cyclist stopped , called an ambulance & waited with me till they arrived. I got the feeling that if I'de been lying in the way of the traffic they would either have run me over or dragged me out of the way & drove on . W.T.F. did they think I was doing ,sleeping in the gutter in the rain or what !!!!

It depends on municipal by-laws. Most cities have laws regarding excessive watering and soaking the streets and sidewalks, however they are rarely enforced. They are those "just in case something comes up" laws me thinks.

Good job on the commuting. I had a bad fall at the beginning of summer when I crossed a wet street car track downtown. The bike literally disappeared out from underneath me. I went down hard, big scrape on my right calf, elbow and a huge bruise on my arse. I heard the bike bounce after the first hit. There were people nearby and a few crossed the street to make sure I was alright which was kinda nice. It just happens sometimes and there is not a damn thing you can do about it. I think falling/crashing is just part of the experience.

I read your story. Ouch! BTW, how are your hips, ribs, &c.? I hope you're doing better and riding like the wind.

I wonder if this is illegal (watering the sidewalk/road)? I live in a rural area and the farmers will often irrigate half of the street. I would think that it is added deterioration to the roads. It also seems dangerous to me. Besides bicyclists, someone on a motorcycle not expecting rain could swerve. I would be pretty pissed if I were driving a nice convertable and some a$$hole farmer watered my bucket seats. Anyway, it would be nice to see tickets handed out for that.

So you hit one of my pet peeves! Theres my rant. :)

What about when God sprinkles? I mean really when it rains there is water everywhere. Is that really necessary? That seems wasteful. Why doesn't he just make it rain over the vegetation? In the list of things to be peeved about, this doesn't make my list.

It is funny that people get mad if someone happens to have a misadjusted sprinkler head (which wastes little water btw) but nobody has any idea that there is WAY more water wasted inside the home. Who is peeved about that?

My pride was broken,

I guess Pride does come before the FALL.

With all of this do this, and do that, turn your wheel, don't turn your wheel advice, I supose that a little self control isn't needed.

...or requiring a trip to the hospital.

Does a visit to the friendly dentist count? And I wholeheartedly agree with warnings about tram / train tracks. My dentist agrees, too.

salvatrucha, congratulations on continuing your commute and taking the train with pride!

--J

I guess Pride does come before the FALL.


...as does Ignorance. What if we could learn from others' mistakes?