Scott176

Went riding on a beautiful day here on the weekend and rode out to the beach. Everything going along just beautifully until some inconsiderate p***k had parked their car across the cycle lane. So i went to turn into a driveway and onto footpath to go around, when i stacked it and ended up with road rash, cuts and bruises, etc. What happened was my front wheel didn't mount the 'lip' of where the driveway meets the road, slid along, twisted, and i fell to one side and scraped along the driveway. Ouch! It was a shock for me as this is the first time i've come off my bike since taking to commuting 18 months ago, and was totally unexpected. It was a simple maneuvre, and one i've done numerous times, but still are very surprised i took a tumble. I figure the reason for it was having my semi-road bike tires pumped up quite hard (115 psi); mounting the driveway 'lip' at too acute an angle, and probably a bit faster than normal. I probably should have gone on the road side of the car but didn't in case traffic was coming from behind. I called the local council today about parking regulations and they said that cars are not allowed to park across cycle lanes, or footpaths, and that I'm within my rights to call them and report the offending vehicle upon which i presume they'll get a parking fine. Do the more experienced riders here have any words of wisdom regarding this type of bike fall? And how do people here feel about cyclists reporting cars/trucks parked across cycle lanes and dual-use paths?

Map tester

One resource: https://www.mybikelane.com/?all_cities=1

Scott176

What a great idea, though my city isn't listed. I'll try emailing them and see if they'll put it onto their list. Have people on here found this service effective?

dalmore

Bummer about your fall. I hope you don't find and hidden injuries later and that's it just the unpleasant minor issues you've mentioned. It's all well and good to look at getting cars and obstacles out of the bike path. I commend those efforts.

However, the reason for the fall was not the car. The reason for the fall was the driveway lip catching the front wheel. Sorry but I think the best advice here is to remember that cracks, curbs, lips, rr tracks, cobblestones etc can catch a wheel, you always have to look out for them. You said yourself that you've done that maneuver alot. You probably just didn't do it right this time, maybe complacency? FWIW...

Scott176

I think it shows my inexperience. I just didn't realise that a small lip could catch the wheel like that. Now that i know i'll be more careful. I take it this isn't an issue with something like a mountain bike though.

Sammyboy

I did a similar mount up a high curb, hopped the front wheel off, the rear wheel wouldn't climb it because the angle was too acute, so instead it slid along the curb! (super skinny roadie tyres) Somehow I managed to hold it together, the back slid faster than the front til it could climb the kerb, and then I hopped up it, looking like a flatland BMX expert. I was lucky!

Itsjustb

Less of an issue, yes, but still an issue. A "thicker" tire would be more forgiving in this instance, but a lip that was high enough would still catch your tire.

FWIW, this type of fall is one that scares me a lot, and something I'm constantly on the look-out for. It catches a lot of less-experienced cyclists--especially those who ride on roads with gutter pans. If you look closely at the typical road with a gutter (here in the US anyway), the gutter usually doesn't match to the same height as the roadway. Thus, if you're a cyclist who rides in the road when there's no traffic, then moves to the right and into the gutter when there is, you're running the risk of catching the lip and going over sideways. That's bad enough when you're moving right, but imagine if it happens when you're moving left?

dalmore

Well, roots bring me down on the mountain bike for the same reason.

Usually happens when I'm looking too far ahead and not - who am I kidding. Usually happens when I'm looking at one of the females biking near by instead of where I'm going.

DevLaVaca

I feel for you... I did that once, several years ago, on a narrow street in Latin America: a truck was coming from the other direction, so I tried to ride up onto the curb to get out of the way. My front tire hit and skidded, and the bike slipped right out from under me. I was standing at the time, so when my bike went sideways, I just let go and kept going forward, landing flat on my feet. It took a few seconds to figure out what had just happened, but the inhabitants of the botega I'd bailed in front of caught on quickly, and gave a hearty cheer for the acrobatic gringo.

lebowitz

Map tester: thanks for the good bike lane abuse resource. I am going to start contributing with my cameraphone cause there are some serial offenders in Thomas circle.

squeakywheel

I think the solution is to first turn out away from the driveway a little first so you don't hit the lip at such an acute angle.

Eatadonut

+1. That or learn how to bunnyhop your skinny tires up there...Always scares me, though. Mentally I need at least 2" tires to hop, or I feel like there's going to be an explosion.

unkchunk

"Gutter pans", is that what they are called? Those things that seemed to show up on newly built roads where the curb (and about 1 1/2 feet of road) are made out of concrete and never meet flush with the asphalt road part? I hate those things.

No, I really hate those things. And I hate them even more because I suspect that's how most roads are going to be built in the future. Drivers think it's like a bike lane, but it fills with all the road crap. You're stuck in a narrow band with the curb and that road seam. And then you get funneled into a drain grate. Then about every three feet there's a horizontal expansion joint to hit. Man, I hate those things.