GriddleCakes

To clear the curb next time?

OP, that wreck sounded scary as hell; front wheel crashes are the worst, they just happen so fast. Sorry that you had to break your no-wreck record, you had a good run going.

I think my first commuting wreck occurred within the first week, so I guess that I got it out of the way pretty quick. T-boned a Suby wagon that pulled out in front of me as I rode too fast down the sidewalk, counterflow to traffic (I know, I know). I sailed over the top of the car, apparently performed a half-somersault mid-air, land on my shoulder and back and rolled up onto my feet to come up running. I was so scared and angry that when the motorist asked if I was OK (he was very sheepish), I told him to **** off, and shouldered my wrecked bike to walk (don't know why I did this, I was still 5 miles from work). My faith in humanity was re-affirmed by a passerby in a mini-van who looped back to offer me a ride, and even detoured to the bike shop so that I could drop off my bike before driving me to work.

To this day I find it somewhat embarrassing that, on the advise of co-workers and bike shop employees, the only lesson I took away from the accident was to buy a helmet ("You wrecked your bike? You should get a helmet!"). It actually took another contraflow sidewalk T-boning (this one ending with me on the hood and my bike under the front tire) to teach me not to ride like that.