[MENTION=247277]jrickards[/MENTION] That is a scary situation and ti does seem that it was inattention and misjudging by the car. I get the sense you know what you're doing and that you wouldn't put yourself in that situation.


I went for another family ride Sunday with some friends as well. It was just in the area and a total of 12km, with blossom gazing and a picnic. As we were going past the botanical gardens it was very busy, the entrance for it is on a smaller residential street that is also a bike street. So we had to stop and I had to relieve anxiety from my wife and move the family to the sidewalk until we got across the next major street when we were in a quite residential area. She is a superstar, we are facing fears and handling anxiety. Next time we will put my son on the trail-a-bike; having him free roaming was too much. He wasn't holding a good line and she was terrified that he'd swerve into oncoming or passing traffic. He did give me and a pedestrian a scare when he almost hit a parked car, I am almost not sure how he missed it; the pedestrian even gasped as the inevitable was approaching.

My son also got upset since we were on the back of the group and I made him stop with me while the others rolled through stop signs, I even made him and I dismount and walk across a busier street. I tried explaining that in the gap between us and them a car could easily show up and not see or expect us and I was too far back to approve a safe crossing. As well as the fact he is still a kid and weak at starting up from a stop.

My wife was a further champ and pulled the trailer with the two kids, gear, and our son's bike lashed to the back. She's awesome!

But the ride did make me realize I need to get a mirror, I grew very accustomed to having one while commuting. I will head to the store to get a mirror and a rack. And a threaded rod to tighten that Dia-Comp headset.