chagzuki

and so does my bike despite going sort of over the handlebars on my vitesse on a main road today. It's the longest downhill stretch in the local routes I cycle and it's where I pick up my fastest speeds. There's only one turning off it, which I'm always nervous around in case a reckless driver decides to pull out quickly. Well, today a car in the opposite lane decided to turn off the main road in front of me; I broke, slowed a bit, skidded a bit and eventually toppled the bike over and went partially over the bars, very narrowly missing the car. Thankfully all surrounding traffic saw clearly and came to an immediate standstill, good thing too as it's normally moving at around 40 mph. Someone stopped to check I was OK but the culprit was nowhere to be seen.

Despite skidding along the ground there's no damage to my clothes at all. The Endura glove that went palm down and took the weight of my fall shows no signs of damage, even though my palm and wrist are bruised. The skin is s little grazed on my elbow but again my clothes are fine. . . peculiar.
My bike appears to be entirely fine except for the £1 backup front LED I bought on ebay from china, which I guess just wasn't built solidly enough

Thinking about it, there's was nothing I could have done. I was in plain view. It was dark, but I had flashing LED lights and a constant main light. . . I suppose the driver was drunk, high, or perhaps had some sort of emergency situation. The way the physics played out I'd lost most of my momentum by the time I came off the bike, so the fall wasn't that bad. Had the car pulled away a little more slowly I'd have hit it and I guess ended on top of it. As it was I think my front wheel just missed it's back wheel but in braking I threw myself off the bike.

vik 

Glad you are ok...

harlond

Glad you came out in one piece.

vmaniqui

accident happens. glad you're OK.see made in china broke and the one that is made in usa (you) came out in one piece. that settles it - i still like made in usa.

oban_kobi

Yay for being okay!

puppypilgrim

Good job you were not seriously hurt. Glad to hear from you.

PDR

I’m glad you are Ok.
I think it may be down to a misconception of many car drivers and that is they see a bike and don’t actually appreciate what speed you are capable of travelling at (this is even more apparent where motorcycles are involved).

invisiblehand

+1
... on both accounts.

chagzuki

I'm UK btw, vmaniqui.
This is the thing that constantly confuses me; there are times when I don't know whether to stick to rules or to try to take into account the fact that drivers will make mistakes. . . as always, I think it's a lot to do with the fact that London is not designed with cycling in mind.

brakemeister

glad you are ok
the warning might as well keep somebody safe down the road so to speak ....

good on ya

thor

vmaniqui

Ooops. Made in UK rocks... i hear you. it's quite the same way here in SF Bay area. somehow the drivers don't pay too much attention. it is as if they own the road so to speak. when i am biking i always think that there are a lot of s....d drivers so i am always defensive.