callmeclemens

So today was not my day to ride.
I got the day off due to my place of work being struck by lightning over night.

I really wanted to ride my first metric century, I woke up to blue skies and sun so thats what I set out to do, about thirty miles in I got just braised in the arm buy an suv, I wasn't clipped in so I was able to save the bike, I took a bit of a tumble down a hill into some thorns She was nice enough to pull over help me up the hill and even give me a lift home. Apparently she had been eating a banana and didn't see me coming. It's alright though came up with the bike just a little muddy and a sore elbow. Could have been alot worse I guess.

zoste

Huh? Wha? She was "nice enough" to pull over after she came within a hairsbreadth of killing you?

No excuse...none whatsoever...

No its really NOT

Glad it wasn't worse!

dcrowell

I'm glad you weren't badly hurt. At first, while skimming what you wrote, I thought you were hit by lightning.

natbla

Glad your ok. Have yourself (and the bike) checked out by a Doctor (or LBS) to make sure nothing is really hurt. I hope you got insurance info from the driver. I'm inclined to suggest that you should still have an incident report filed with the police so that if there is something wrong with the bike or your elbow insurance can take care of it. I'm glad that the drive acted approporaitely, its not always what happens in these situations.

BigUgly

Glad you are OK and glad she pulled over. However, I would have called the cops. I was hit by a van mirror a couple of years ago, luckily it was a collapsable one. I think the kid driving the van crapped himself as he pulled over quickly. Not being in that situation before I wasn't sure how to handle it so I let out a tirade on the kid. In hindsight I should have called the police with the license plate number because I think he was high. The lady was prolly making an excuse for being on her cell phone which seems to be against the law in a lot of places these days. When you said she was eating a bannana it reminded me of the cafeteria scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, although I think it was carrot.

Mr. Beanz

Glad you weren't hurt seriously. So many drivers don't pay attention that IMO, to keep myself alive, I don't depend on others, expect the worst.

Ride defensively. You know how it is, drivers don't pay attaention,. That includes cyclists that drive, many that also drive ant text, talk on the phone, speed, don't use blinkers, fight with the kids in the backseat, blow stopsigns, eat bananas, powerbars etc like any other driver.

It's not a cyclist vs drivers world, it 's a keep yourself alive world!

robtown

I'm glad you weren't hurt worse and hopefully won't add to the list of pains in the morning. I've had some close passes from rude, clueless, or careless drivers and am a bit concerned about when my turn will come.

She clipped you from behind or oncoming? Just wondering because of your terminology. One thing about riding with traffic is collisions are at lower speed differentials.

bautieri

First, I'm glad that you're ok. Her carelessness could have easily cost you your life. Seriously, a banana? I guess that's less trendy than driving while texting.

I hope you got a police report and her insurance information.

skilsaw

Sounds to me like you need a neck brace. Soft tissue damage sometimes takes a couple days to show up.
And if your bike got muddy, it was damaged! No question about it. You never can tell if the frame welds are OK and nobody knows the troubles that are hidden under the lugs if you bike is built that way.

I'd be planning a trip to Italy right now to be measured up for a brand new Gorgenzola. On her insurance, of course.

Just kidding. Glad everything worked out.

bbeasley

BF Protocol regarding accident.

Great that your bike is okay!
Oh yeah, glad you were not hurt.

exile

I hope you got her information and filed a police report. I understand how her being nice and apologetic is a good thing. But if a few days later you can't sleep because of pain, or your LBS notices a cracked frame then what?

callmeclemens

I didn't get an accident report filled out, However I did get all of here insurence information. I felt a little bit nervous when I got home, so I checked the bike over and took it for a ride later, felt good, and rode great, I ride single speed so I don't really need to worry about gears. The bike was muddy because it laid flat in some mud and it didn't take the fall I did. No elbow swelling just a little tight.

Thanks for all the concern. It's a scary thing for sure.

socalrider

I'm sure she said banana but meant I was text messaging my sister about the Kardashian show last night, oh my god there's a cyclist.. Bamm..

At least she stopped.. I would say more than half of drivers when this happens do not stop..

JohnA42

Weird. Just yesterday I wrote a blog post about this very thing. I've been lucky to not get clipped so far, but some drivers are just so freakin' rude.

If you notice anything weird in the next couple days -- aches, pains, soreness -- get to the Dr. ASAP. And +1 on getting your bike checked out. +1000 if there's any carbon anything on there.

Daspydyr 

Glad you are around to type about the adventure. She should have been watching better, but its good and UNUSUAL that she stopped. You handled it well.

Mr. Beanz

I've sort of been waiting of some details myself. "She didn't see me coming" can mean alot of things.

I saw a cyclist the other day approach a stop sign. 2 lanes and a wide shoulder. He pulled up between two cars then went with them without a stop in a crowded intersection. I'm curios as to what he might have said had he got sandwiched. The driver hit me cause he didn't see me while eating a banana.

I saw a roadie come flying off a sidewalk at an intersection at about 15 mph, almost got hit by the car making a right. Some of this behavior contributes to "accidents".

More description please.

B.Alive

Glad you're OK! That's a very scary thing to have happen!

+!

callmeclemens

Well, I was riding on a really rural road, I had seen maybe 3 cars in a twenty mintue span, for most of the ride theres a really nice sized shoulder, the event took place and a soft bend where the shoulder does shrink to next to nothing, I was all the way over about an inch in that from being on the grass.
She wasn't going particularly fast or anything like that. The more I think about it it really seems like she didn't see me at all, which i understand is no excuse, she should be aware of her surrondings, death is rerally not something im intrested in at this moment.

I'm about to drop my bike off now at my LBS on the way to work.

indyfabz

Inasmuch as the OP is from New Jersey, where the use of a hand-held phone while driving has been illegal for years, you may very well be correct. Make up a lie to avoid a big ticket in the event the police are called. I would have called the police if only to have them check the vehicle for a banana. The main reason people ignore cell phone bans is because they believe there is little chance they will get caught. It's like jaywalking.

BigUgly

This is the reason I always wear very bright colors. Kind of forcing the motorists to see you. So many times in the summer I see cyclists wearing green jerseys which blend in with all the summer foilage. I usually wear reds and yellows and bright whites. The day I got clipped I was wearing a gray sweatshirt on an overcast morning. I also now have a small mirror on my helmet so I can see what is coming from behind because I don't want any more surprises. Also, I always look ahead when a car is approaching from behind and put myself in the drivers point of view to try to gauge the situation. Is there a car coming the other way? Is there a bend, a crest of a hill where they can't see over yet? Instead of staying on the left side of the white line like I see some cyclist do when cars approach I move over to the right of it as far as possible to make sure the driver has enough room to give me at least 3'. Then when they give me plenty of room or wait until I get over the crest of the hill or around the bend I thank them with a thank you wave. Of course there are just some complete arse wipes that have a pure hatred for cyclist out there or the driver that is just having a bad day and just doesn't give a crap and just buzzes you. I guess what I am saying is that I try to be more proactive when it comes to negotiating the roads with drivers. What this lady did is inexcusable but I have seen cyclist put themselves in bad situations with drivers(this is not a blaming the victim rant either, just posting what I have had success with since being clipped by the mirror several years ago).

Mr. Beanz

I do the same. If the shoulder comes to an end, I look back before entering a narrow section of road. If I see a couple of cars back, I will slow and time it so that they pass me before the narrow section. That leaves me a worry free section of road. I don't care that much about my average speed to not take my safety into consideration at all times while riding.

As mentioend before, it was her fault but I myself (especially since you had only seen a couple of cars go by) I would have slowed till she pased then entered the narrow bend. I do my best to avoid putting myslef into a deadly situation no matter whose fault it may be. I'm not interested in death either.

I know lots of riders that will say "it's my right to be on the road why should I make special considerations?". Sometimes slowing for 30 seconds can save your life, that's my ride philosphy.

It's like they say, no matter where the blame falls, it doesn't matter once you're in a wheel chair.

LACamper

I work in insurance so I've dealt with a few of these over the years. I would not be surprised to find you sore for a few days. It usually takes a day or so to show up. If its more than a few days then you need to get checked. If you go get checked right after the accident at the ER they usually Xray, then if nothing is broken, prescribe a pain killer and a muscle relaxer and tell you to call your doc in a few days if you're still sore.

I was in high school when I had my handlebars clipped from behind by the mirror of a passing van. Unfortunately I was in a gravel parking lot and slid on my hands (no gloves either). They were nasty! The next night we got our senior rings, the principal handed us our ring and shook our hands. That was closest I ever came to punching out a faculty member!

funrover 

Glad nothing worse happened.

callmeclemens

A few days later no elbow pain which is good, However I've definatley have a bit of a sore back, and then mostly a sore left ankle. I can't really say for certain this is when this occured, but curious.

himespau 

glad it's not worse