raybo

You may have heard that US Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg while bicycling in France. The story I read said that he went down after he "hit a curb."

This brought back painful memories as I, too, went down after hitting a curb in France. I broke ribs, not a leg.

The problem I encountered was the curb-cuts, those low spots in a sidewalk where cars turn in to enter a driveway. In France, these curb-cuts are 2 inches high, not the close to the road ones like most other places. If not taken at a 90 degree angle, the front wheel slides along the curb instead of going up onto it. The result is going down.

I now am very careful whenever I ride my bike up a curb-cut. I treat them like railroad tracks and try to take them slowly and at 90 degrees.

Just a word to the wise if you are going to riding in France this summer.

Doug64

This good advice anywhere, especially in wet weather. My wife and I have both gone down in the same manner on wet roads--but only once!

indyfabz

I heard he fell to the left.

nun

Funny, I've been seeing him fall to the right ever since his Vietnam testimony. but I suppose the direction would depend on the perspective of the observer.

djb

quite.
good answer.

oh, and as for curb thingees. I've ridden in France a fair amount, but to be honest, Ive never noticed that.
Mind you, I ride all the time in Montreal and lets just say that its "buyer beware" here in terms of you've got to have your thinking and looking cap on at all times for riding here, potholes galore etc. Its kinda like mtn biking with lots of cars who can be doofusses at any second, so a little curb is just part of the scenery here.