Novakane 

Hello, I'd like to tell you a bit about my recent experience (about an hour or so ago). I am posting it in Utility Cycling because I identify with this group, I use my bike for common tasks like getting groceries, transporting loads, or in the case of tonight, quickly running things over to my girlfriend's house a few blocks away.

Now that Fall is arriving, it's easy to forget how dark it can get in the evening. I have a smaller variety LED light that's normally fairly adequate (so I thought), but not tonight it seems. I have a brighter light, but it's in the middle of a re-build and I'm still in the midst of unpacking from a recent move and have not found the parts to it yet. I moved here 50% by bike, but that's another story.

On the way home earlier, I cut through the parking lot of a Dairy Queen which had long closed for the night. Unknown to me and hidden in a shadow was a long dark chain, stretched across part of the lot. One of the thick kind they use to stop cars from going through places.

Near as I can figure - after examining the incident afterwards - my bike hit the chain above the wheel, allowing it to bounce or slide up and over to just below the handlebars (I hit it at a slight angle, I think).
Naturally the chain quickly became taught and the bicycle stopped dead from an above vertical-center point, sending me over the bars before I even knew what was happening.

I had a partial idea while mid-air that something had gone tragically wrong and I was no longer on my bicycle, although it was beyond me the specific nature of how that had occurred. I had enough sense to tuck my head up before I suddenly landed on my back onto the hard asphalt.
Here's where it turns out that I am a very lucky man: I am currently hurting a lot after that, but nothing is bleeding or broken. I consider this a (very minor in the grand scheme of things) miracle.

I believe my right knee must have connected with the handle bars (knocking the inadequate light onto the ground) on my way over, since there is no way it could have connected with the pavement. It seems I did an almost complete flip before connecting with ground. If only that really cool slow-motion feeling you get when this kind of thing happens wasn't always followed with a large amount of pain...

The general lessons I've learned, and have posted this story to share are these:

- When riding after dark, you need lights that allow you to see very clearly what is in front of you, not only lights that allow drivers to see you. Lights that cannot make several feet in front of you very visible cannot help you at all on a bicycle, even at low speed. You can miss small but important details that might be more dangerous than shadowy pot holes. The brain needs bright light to be able to process what it's seeing rapidly.

- Helmets may not be such a bad idea. I remembered to protect my head in the middle of a second on this accident, and a couple of others previously - but I think luck, training and instinct will only get me so far. Did I neglect to mention I wasn't wearing a helmet at the time? It's not a style concern for me, rather a question of what actual good it does in a road accident. Maybe it's just these night trips I need one.

Long story made short: Nothing seems broken and I don't think that I have a concussion (time will tell I guess - it only just happened). I seem to be alright beyond the massive impact pain that only asphalt landings can dish out - which experience has shown will have caused deep internal bruising. If I had a light that could have made this hazard visible I would have avoided this incident entirely. Finally: Please, fellow utility cyclists: be careful out there!

Artkansas 

I can feel for you there.

One night when I was in college, I was pedaling home from classes on a one lane road between some fields. The storm clouds and the thick row of trees along the street obscured any natural lights and the street I was on was unlit. All I had for lighting was my dependable leg light (remember those?).

Something told me there was danger, I looked up and down and could see nothing. I tried to use the reflections on the street from a far away light to give me a hint.

Suddenly, I saw a dark shadow across the street, but it was too late to do anything.

I slammed into the shadow and went head over heels over the object and down. A pine tree had fallen across the road and was suspended in the air, 27" above the pavement.

My knee had slammed into the tree and was hurting a lot. I struggled to my feet with the aid of the tree and peered over to see my bike. I was sure that the bike was totalled, forks destroyed, rim crushed or head-tube bent.

But as I looked, I was amazed. The bike was standing perfectly straight up. I pushed on the handlebars and the bike rolled backwards easily. There was nothing wrong. The front wheel had rolled under the tree till it reached the maximum height of the tire and then the tire caught, and I and the bike flew up.

I was delighted to have the bike in one piece, and I carefully hoisted it over the tree. I got on and pedalled carefully home. My knee was severely bruised and took the rest of the quarter to heal. But my bike didn't have a scratch.

A leg light, for those who have never seen one. You strap it on your calf. State of the art for 1975.

Novakane 

My bike has the smallest bit of paint scratched on the handle bar riser, and was just leaning casually across the chain when I got up. I had to actually search the bike for a minute or two in the light when I got home to even figure out where the chain connected with it. I rode it part way home after walking off some of the pain for a few minutes and other than being out of gear at first - it was perfectly fine.
Wish I could say the same for myself, but really I'm actually happy for the pain that I have instead of having broken bones or a concussion.

Artkansas 

Hope you heal quickly.

eggnoggbubble

noted, thanks for the reminder. I have a bottle cage light I should really find an adapter for, i've been going LED only but you have saliently reminded me that this is subadequate.

Cyclaholic

Wow, sounds like a wild ride, glad you are relatively OK. I had something similar happen to me in 2006BC (before candlepower ) when I took a tumble straight into a line of eight empty garbage bins at 4AM. The scene was not unlike the far end of a bowling alley when you get a strike.

Anyhow, now in 2009AD (after diodes ) I'm rockin' a multi-LED (Cree XR-E) homebrew light that eats retinas and melts asphalt.

memnoch_proxy

I just soldered together the loose wire on my cateye opticube and now I've got a headlight again.

I remember hitting a chain in broad daylight, ten years ago in Santa Cruz, trying to cut thru a parking lot. I was looking up street and nearly flipped over. Very embarrassing, quite shocking. Got some disappointed head shakes from the surfers across the street.

DX-MAN

Not pointing fingers or passing judgment here, just sayin':

I wind up riding after dark every winter (commuting), and this winter will have the most light of any I've endured; that said, if I can't see well, I ride SLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW! Some streets on my commute are all but bereft of streetlights, and a headlight with failing batteries doesn't do well. I've been down to jogging speed at times.

I'd still rather encounter something stationary like a chain, than a blind driver who looks right at you with your light (I shined my helmet light RIGHT AT HIM), and take off in front of you at about 2 feet separation! His claim of not seeing me was answered by my enraged, "I shined my light right at you, B**CH!" (This was a day after replacing the batteries, too!)

Giro

Ouch! Sounds as though you were relatively lucky. I have two suggestions:

1. There may be a local requirement that such chains are marked with a sign or otherwise made visible for just this reason; they are a hazard to pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists. You may prevent this happening to someone else who may not be so lucky if you contact whoever owns the lot (can be looked up online in many cities) and/or contact the city about a property with a hazard that needs to be corrected.

2. Helmets don't just protect your head, they provide good mounting spots for lights. It makes having a light along convenient and prevents theft of the light if you take your helmet with you. Helmet mounting also lets you direct the light around a corner to where you will be riding or flash motorists to get attention.

If you read the Electronics, Lighting & Gadgets subforum here, there are several reasonable cost quite bright lights. If you have or are willing to buy a few AA NiMH batteries and charger, there are several amazingly bright flashlights using 2 AA's that are easily helmet mounted. And of course you can use them as a very nice flashlight. Note you need to use NiMH batteries for satisfactory performance and economy. Standard alkaline batteries are not well-suited to the high current drain of these lights. Sanyo Eneloops are a good choice because they are quality, low self-discharge NiMH AA's.

Probably the standard choice on this subfourm for a quality AA light is the Fenix LD20 Premium Q5. If that is out of your price range, peruse the subforum for some lower cost alternatives.

If you are going to get a front light, you might also consider mounting a tail light on the helmet, nice and high and makes it easy to carry all your lights with you when you lock your bike. Planet Bike has a nice one that pivots so it remains level, pointing back at motorists. Model is their Blinky 3H. There may be other self-leveling helmet lights.

If you want to go to a larger, brighter headlight with a separate battery pack, the latest version of the MagicShine headlight is getting good reviews. It comes as a complete system: light, rechargable Lithium battery pack and charger for $90 shipped. It can be helmet mounted by improvising a bit and reportedly a helmet mount made for it will be available. For a recent good thread on it, see LINK. Mine arrived today, so I do not have the length of use that others in that thread have accumulated.

If you get serious about night riding, you will probably want both a helmet and a bike-mounted light.

Get well and get a good light or two.

LeeG

glad you're ok. First night time crash was when I was 11 riding home in the alley and hit a brick that sent me over the bars. When I was 28 a friend and I owned a small bike shop in a small tourist town. He had another job and was riding back to the shop around 11pm. Somewhere in five blocks distance he landed on the back of his head and cracked his skull. I found him at the shop at 12am. going into shock. Took him to the ER as ICP was happening. Next day he was flown out and in a coma for two weeks. He recovered with loss of smell and personality change in the first 6mo then fully recovered a year later. Uninsured and without assets the state paid for his $100,000 bill. It took awhile to convince the bill paying dept that he really didn't have more than $3500 in personal assets and that he shop was my expense. He wasn't wearing a helmet.

Two years ago I was riding through a small town at night wearing dark clothes and a BRIGHT 3watt headlamp. A teenager dashed across the road without looking and I hit him flipped landing on my head/butt requiring stitches in head and $2500 in hospital care, catscan. I wasn't wearing a helmet.

It's perfectly alright to take risks and zoom around. But if you do it at night and can't see the road you're just another accident waiting to happen. Head injuries suck, big time. You can do a lot of things with broken bones, you can't do a lot of things with a broken brain. I wear a helmet again.

unterhausen

I always considered that my backup light. I always used one of the big rectangular lights with the strange batteries as primary, or a generator light. Leg lights were to be seen with. But I think that lights to see with were pretty rare in the '70s.

Leg lights are actually a fairly good idea. You could probably make a really nice one nowadays

Artkansas 

I'd like to see them come back. The coolest thing about leg lights was that as you saw them going down the street, there was no doubt that you were seeing a bicyclist. And with the motion of your leg, they actually did a good job of sweeping along the path that you were traveling and lighting more than just a spot.

mwmcginn

This was a great reminder. I needed to upgrade the lighting on my bike. I finally did so. Thanks.

entropic

Ouch! Our end-of-the-block neighbor had one of those chains across his driveway lest wandering cars use his driveway to make u-turns all night. I remember one of his kids running into it one night on his bike, clotheslining himself. Later he added a reflective triangle.

I totally agree that parking lots can be dangerous. My most recent non-drinking-related tumble was in one. I was crossing from two lit parking lots through a small easement that wasn't lit and never saw the speed bump that toppled me. I obviously wasn't gripping the handlebars very hard because I went over quite easily. Doc said two ribs were broken for sure, and 2 more might have been but he couldn't see from the angle on the x-ray and it didn't matter anyway as there wasn't much he could do about it. Pretty sure I hit them on the stem on my way over. I remember laying on the ground laughing for quite awhile because I'm pretty clumsy and these things are just funny, until I realized that if some car came around these blind corners I'd be worse off. Not the worst injury I've ever had, but it made it tough to sleep for a month or so. It was also the nail in the coffin for my lighting system. I, stereotypically, went all out and spent a small fortune on my current lighting setup, but I won't miss that damn speed bump again. In fact, I haven't been in that lot on my bike since!

SlimAgainSoon

Those chains and, worse, cables can be dangerous. Down here, we had a guy riding a motorcycle hit one ... he lost his head.

After that tragedy, the Legislature made it a requirement that such barriers be marked with reflectors of some kind.

xargaun

I know some people like to do things on a budget so this might seem excessive, but my personal minimum to prevent against this kind of stuff is a new front wheel with a dynamo and some nice lights.

I have two xtracycles and have had LBS build a heavy duty-ish wheel for each using sun rhynolite rim, 36 spokes, and a shimano dynamo hub that works with discs. about $223/wheel including labor. I am sure you could go cheaper if you didn't need something this strong, or even cheaper going used.

Have added to that a 3W halogen headlight with a LED backup (runs off a capacitor and comes on when you stop) and a really bright taillight that does the same. Bought them at LBS for total of $170, but you could do a lot cheaper on the web.

I use the silly rationalization that I ride every day, so over the course of a year this is a little over a dollar a day, and on top of that its completely reusable, I can move it to another bike easily.

I developed this attitude with two incidents similar to that of the person who started this thread.

First one, my cousin and I were riding around a state park in Oregon in the dark and rode over a cattle guard. Well, he rode over it, I tumbled over it. My front wheel fell in a gap between the two haves of the grate. The ends of the axle hit the grate supports stopping the decent which then sent the rear of the bike rolling over the front. Happened so fast I had no time to even shut my eyes before I went face first into the pavement. Ouch.

The second one, much more recent, but almost the same thing. Cutting through an empty parking lot to avoid a busy intersection in the dark, ran over a large storm drain in the parking lot. Exact same thing happened, wheel went down in a gap, stopped and I went face first into the ground. Big difference this time was I am now 34, not 17, and things hurt a lot more now.

In both cases I had battery powered headlights, and they just weren't up to the task.

After that I started taking lighting seriously and got to where I am now. I know there are some crazy and wicked battery powered lights out there, but having the dynamo means the batteries are never dead, and I never forget to turn them on.

Also, just to play it safe I back them up with a battery powered LED headlight and two of the most obnoxious battery powered LED taillights I could find. I don't recall the brand, but they are the sort that if you look directly at them you're going to be seeing funny for a long while.

HSean

Hmm those chains are a pain. i've also hit one before but it went under my bike and got caught on the crank. when it happens this way you with you where riding a lady's bike... anyway I hate stuff like that. my worst one was a long thin pole in a newly paved parking lot. in broad daylight. I was hauling alot and going pretty fast, I hit that pole so hard it bent my forks, rim and hanbdlebars and frame. the bars wraooed around the pole and I barely tapped it with my head. And to this day I hate poles!

LeeG

I don't think things hurt more now that I'm 54 but the damage is greater because I weigh more and the recovery is a LOT longer.

Now I see young guys ride with dark clothes and no lights zipping through sidewalks streets and lots like I did while I ride around with four tailights, three headlights and reflective vest. Hiho

xargaun

Mostly I just meant that it takes much longer to recover, but with age some flexibility has disappeared. So, it sometimes feels like when I do something stupid it hurts in places it probably wouldn't have a while ago.

xinco

The chain in the dark reminds me of non-bicycle related incident when I was college. I was in the marching band and had practiced in the stadium. I realized I forgot something so I went running back at dusk. Well, I ran on the wrong side of the open gate, straight into the chainlink fence. One second I'm running, next thing I know I'm flying backwards. Good lights are your friend.
So I ride at night with dual lights on the handlebars, and one on my head.