I had my first crash at the beginning of February. I was riding in a protected bike lane. A car suddenly turned to get into a parking lot and got right in front of me (by blocking the bike lane). I was able to stop but ended up flying over the handlebar and landing on my left wrist. The result: a fractured wrist. Two months off the bike.

For some reason, I'm not scared after all that. I'm definitely more careful, but I don't dread riding in traffic, much less on separated paths. Maybe because I just began cycling last summer and the initial excitement is still outweighing the fear.