Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - bye bye thruster

well today during my bike ride i encountered my first collision, i was cruising down seawall with the wind at my back when a fellow cyclist went from the complete right of the seawall to the left just as i was passing, by the time i grabbed the brake i was on the concrete mangled into my bike. We were both fine just a few minor cuts and bruises, but my thruster fixie is a gonner, i had to throw my bike onto a curb and step on the wheels to get them true enough to limp home. looks like i'm in the market for a new bike.

what a terrible loss.

Thankfully its replacement is walmart trip away! :thumb:

Did the other person have a rear view mirror on their bike?

Street cred yo. Sell it. Mad stacks fo shiz.

Although it is right around the corner i don't think i will be picking up another thruster, i do however credit this bike for helping me discover the fun of cycling, yeah its a pos but its a easily to find and cheap, which means more people are able to enjoy the hobby because of it.

Also after the collision the man i ran into got pretty pissy about the whole situation, i first asked if he was ok, then apologized and held out my hand to help him up. he ignored all of this and started spouting off about my lack of intelligence. he was upset i hadn't called that i was on his left, he said i need to learn something. i assumed a cyclist of this mans prowess would know not to veer into the lane that someone is supposed to pass him on but i assumed wrong. apparently it is my fault because im 20 years old and was moving to fast, i was the reckless one. i do admit i have a basal understanding of cycling rules but i have been driving for 5 years and if someone veered into my lane without looking or signaling and we made contact, it would be the other persons fault for not looking or signaling before a lane change. what do you guys think

Did the other person have a rear view mirror on their bike? he did not, but nor did he have fused cervical vertebra

What do you guys think?

The overtaking cyclist is responsible. Your bad dude.

Popular MUPs are the most dangerous place to cycle, IMO. Try to keep speed below 15 mph. Some even have speed limit of 10 mph.

Glad yer OK even though yer wheels are trashed.

Popular MUPs are the most dangerous place to cycle, IMO. Try to keep speed below 15 mph. Some even have speed limit of 10 mph.

Glad yer OK even though yer wheels are trashed. It sucks because i live on a tourist island, so its ride on the seawall or take your chances with the drunk tourists driving around the island. BTW what is a MUP?

Bat56, i will follow this in the future, i don't want to wreck again especially a nicer bike.

The overtaking cyclist is responsible. Your bad dude.

+1 Always call out when passing.

Multi use path or something like that.

You have a good attitude about it. It's not ALWAYS the passer's fault, but pretty much.

MUP= Multi-Use Path. Thruster = Garbage. Use the opportunity to get a decent bike. Glad you're ok.

im just bummed about my bike, i cant really ride now until christmas time, and the dude acting like an ass, i said sorry and tried to help him up i dont know what more i could have done. I wasnt trying to run into anyone and neither was he but **** happens and you can be a ******* about things but that's not going to change the fact be are both on the concrete. im just glad that i know now and hopefully some new guys like me will hopefully read this and avoid the same mistakes that i made

You should call out when passing, but speaking for myself, I always, always look over my shoulder before changing lanes. That's just common sense, isn't it?

I'm not gonna just change lanes assuming no one is there, just because I didn't hear anybody call out. That's what that guy did and look at what happened to him.

Also, I don't think it's a coincidence that you wrecked your Thruster. The Bike Gawdz are probably getting offended with all of this blasphemy that's been happening.

He might have veered suddenly to dodge a pothole or dangerous patch of road...

Possible, but not the OP's fault he didn't know about the pothole. Still shoulda called out, but that's just bad luck.

He might have veered suddenly to dodge a pothole or dangerous patch of road...

The stretch of seawall we were on was wide open and newly repaved, that's part of the reason I didn't call out, he veered a good 8 feet over very quickly for no aparent reason, He was riding with his son and I think he was bored and wanted to slalom back and forth on the seawall, but he started to veer when I was about 10-15 behind him

Okay, people will veer for any number of reasons though, which is why you need to call out. Nobody has eyes in the back of their head, and very few ride with mirrors, so they have no way of knowing that you're behind them unless you make your presence known.

Okay, people will veer for any number of reasons though, which is why you need to call out. Nobody has eyes in the back of their head, and very few ride with mirrors, so they have no way of knowing that you're behind them unless you make your presence known.

I completely agree with you that I should have called out, but there is a pretty damn good way of seeing things behind you without mirrors and it's called turning around to look, I know it's my fault yes. But he could have avoided the hit just as much as I could. I do realize it was my responsibility. But don't take that for granted or some stupid kid like me may hit you, just as there is defensive driving there is also defensive riding. I just want to raise awareness among the new riders and more experienced riders so less accidents can occur

. I just want to raise awareness among the new riders and more experienced riders so less accidents can occur

This is one way to raise awareness!

I'm sure the other guy is raising plenty of awareness of his own. Has anybody checked the other subforums for posts from a guy who crashed into some kid on a Thruster?

The stretch of seawall we were on was wide open and newly repaved, that's part of the reason I didn't call out, he veered a good 8 feet over very quickly for no aparent reason, He was riding with his son and I think he was bored and wanted to slalom back and forth on the seawall, but he started to veer when I was about 10-15 behind him

What exactly do you mean by "riding with his son"? Was his son strapped in an infant's safety seat on the bike, like this:
http://nathangong.members.winisp.net/sell/forsale/rhodegear_infant_bike_seat.jpg

OP did not pass,not his/her fault.

OP did not pass,not his/her fault.

True dat!

"dude, I wasn't the overtaking rider! I would have been, but when we hit the ground you were still in front."

Announcing a pass only helps sometimes. The rest of the times it causes the passee alarm and then they change their line as they turn around to see what the hell that bell is or to see who is yelling at them.

When approaching an average MUP user you really have to give them all the room in the world. Pay special attention to children and dogs.

speaking of Thruster "fixie"s, am I the only person who has contemplated going out at night to one of the dozens of thrusties I see on college campuses, flipping the back wheel to fixed cog and making the bike live up to its name/baptizing the unknowing rider into fixed gear riding by fire?

Fantastic idea.

speaking of Thruster "fixie"s, am I the only person who has contemplated going out at night to one of the dozens of thrusties I see on college campuses, flipping the back wheel to fixed cog and making the bike live up to its name/baptizing the unknowing rider into fixed gear riding by fire?

Genius idea.

And as someone who uses a MUP to commute most days (tourists in cars scare me WAY more than tourists on foot) I agree 100% with the fact that calling out on your left or using a bell often freaks people out and they jump in your way. I used to call out left all of the time, just too many people don't understand which way is left and would jump right in front of me forcing me off of the path to avoid a collision. Silent and stealthy has worked best for me so far, but the next crash is pretty much inevitable, just gotta hope people aren't ******** and that no one is seriously hurt.

Happy for the OP that it sounds like his thruster will leader to bigger and better things, i.e. kilo TT. Better start saving before all the Premium Rush kids beat ya too the batch whenever they come in.

I get passed on the mup all the time with nary a word. I say the weaving dude should watch where he is going!