thehugoball

I hit a patch of greasy fat this morning at the corner of Smith and Dean in Brooklyn and hit the ground real fast. Luckily I wasn't going fast or turning and of course I was wearing my helmet though I didn't hit my head. A nice Verizon worker come over and helped me out, gave me bandaids and told me that a fat-rendering truck had made a pick-up about 15 minutes before. Also a motorcycle almost wiped-out on the same spot. I was able to ride to work and my bike seems OK but my right hand is kinda ****ed up and cut. I feel like there isn't much point in trying to do anything about it but please watch out in the city for these things, it's like hitting ice, same kind of accident, you hit the ground really quick!

orthoclase

I mostly road bike out in the country, so my biggest concerns are the dead critters lying along the side of the road. Besides the smell (THAT'S real fun when you're lunging up a steep hill), hitting the body can really screw you up and I've heard that some critter bones can slice right through your tires.

robertsdvd

I hit a nice oil slick one day on my way to work at about 20mph... instantly lost traction and couldn't get my feet out of the clips quick enough and hit the ground in the middle of the road... luckily no traffic was approaching (just in the opposite direction)... there I lay bleeding in the road trying to extract myself from my pedals and hobble off the road ... I look up and see drivers driving past me looking to me in disgust... Thanks to everyone who not only didn't stop and help or ask if I was alright, but actually looked at me in disgust... bunch a-holes everywhere. Crash broke one of my aero levers - snapped it off and bent the lever... crushed a battery from my LED light (the LED light was FUBAR), turned my stem about 45 degrees and among other scratches and dings - popped the chain off - impressive for an internal geared drivetrain I think. So, watch out for barely visible oil slicks the length of two cars. This was two months ago and my thumb is still giving me trouble... thought it was just strained, probably more like a slight fracture...

(The police seemed all too uninterested in the oil slick - "Well sir, was there an accident?" "Yes, I told you, me" "Oh, well, I guess we'll call the DPW or something")

ch0mb0

I go down Dean St. almost every morning on my commute. Thanks for the warning.

Several streets that intersect and run just south of Atlantic Ave. also have years worth of nasty buildup, particularly the ones where there's a gas station/car wash on the corners. Found this out the hard way too, only I was on blades, and it really affects the urethane wheels. Seen this on Vanderbilt all the way down to Grand st. Washington St. is pretty clean though.

operator

Funny you mention this, I wiped out on Yonge st. near downtown on a nice line of oil/slick crap. You couldn't see it as it was only slightly darker than the asphalt.

Biking along and suddenly i found myself sliding on the ground with bystanders wondering what kind of imcompetent rider I am to fall from (supposedly) nothing.

jeff williams

I guess like motorcycle riders do- avoid riding the centre where the engine\ oil drips are on the road and try to stay on the tire line (small amounts of rubber impregnating the ashphalt) it helps in traction- Like how dragsters burn a patch of rubber down first to help grip on the start.????

I have noticed slippage when the roads are wet down the oily centre> a fat slick on the road is just bad news..unless it's a tire for your bike...

Glad you came out of it O.K.

trekkie820

I came flying into my garage one time back home and there was an oil spot that I hit while I was hard on the brakes. The front wheel slid out, and turned. When it got off of the oil slick, it hooked up and tossed me OTB, right into the wall of my garage. What a dumass I was in my early days.

slvoid

Heh, try going down flushing avenue, the part between the brooklyn navy yard and manhattan bridge. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to bike on the moon, that's about as good as it gets.

Allister

If you call the city and describe the hazard this is causing, they should send someone out to either clean it up or at least put some sawdust or something on it, although that doesn't help you much now.

Really, though, the company who took the delivery should be responsible for cleaning up their own mess, but removing or preventing pollution apparently isn't profitable, so good luck getting anywhere with that.

On the subject of pollution, can someone tell me why dropping a piece of paper in the street is littering, and can attract up to a $200 fine, but spewing toxic car waste all over the place in gaseous, liquid and solid form not only acceptable, but encouraged?

slvoid

You get fined for spitting on the subway. But to throw up all over the place is free.

Bop Bop

The hugoball,

Smith and Dean Street's haven't heard those names in a while. Worked on Court and Livingston next to the Board of Education, before the office moved to 95th Street & 4th Ave. Used to go to Monte's on 3rd Ave for great Italian Food.

Is the BQE still under life long repair? Last I heard they wanted to build a tunnel under Red Hook to easy some of the traffic. I can't count the number of hours I spent in the trench stuck in traffic. Last I remember they where trying to put in HOV on the Gowanus, is that still going?

LittleBigMan

Funny you mention it.

I saw (and smelled) a "spill line" of some kind of diesel or something. I ignored it, but when I turned left over it my rear end fishtailed enough to get my attention really quick. It happened so fast, it was over before I realized I might have gone down.

operator

HAH, see the oil slick was smushed around by the double tires of the truck. If you didn't ride down the center you'd eat all of it, real good.

LittleBigMan

A friend of mine lived in a city that had a large [industry]. When he complained about the stink, people said, "Smells like money."

Allister

Pete, you always manage to get to the very core of the matter in remarkably few words. My hat is off to you.

ch0mb0

I made also that mistake about a month ago, on the first night I purchased my bicycle...what a way to break it in. Worst road ever! It seems that all the approaches to the Manhattan Bridge are fraught with peril.

slvoid

Imagine I had to commute through that twice a day for the summer until I found a new route under the BQE.

Chris L

It's called 'government by opinion poll'. If the number of people dropping pieces of paper on the street suddenly exceeded the number spewing toxic car waste into the air, guess which one the $200 fine would apply to? Just a fact of this so-called "shamocracy" in which we all live.

Prosody

Is this typically Brooklyn, typically New York, typically United States, or does it happen all over the world?

Juha

Hasn't happened here, we don't have Verizon.

What is a fat-rendering truck anyway?

--J

Bop Bop

Juha,

In NYC Supermarkets and Butchers are not allowed by law to dispose of the fat from meats, or any kind of meat by products by simplying throwing them out in garbage. There are special garbage company's called "Fat Renders" who the stores contract with to take this type of garbage. The waste is then sold to processing plants for recycling. Some winds up in lipstick and various other products.

It's a very messy and smelly job. You usually know the truck is coming long before it there, especially on a hot humid day.

Juha

Sounds nice. Thanks Bop Bop, I see I asked more info than I really wanted to have...

--J

oboeguy

I had my bike stolen from me at knife-point a couple of blocks from there... way back when I was like 12 years old. Man has that area changed since then.

I can't say that I've ever taken a spill because of a greasy road, though. Glad I don't I ride down there anymore. You said your hand was hurt? Were you wearing gloves? Bike gloves are great in crashes.

RoadToad

Speaking of...how are you doing since YOUR accident? You better yet? Hope so...

RoadToad

thehugoball

Thanks everybody for your comments. The cuts on my hand are bit painful and I have a few aches but I'm still riding. To my fellow Bklynites, I'm the purple Trek 850 going over the Mbridge about 9:10 am every morning, say hi!