This could have been a lot worse. I am aware of these gaps on this railroad crossing and have avoided them literally thousands of times over the last 25 years.

However, this morning for whatever reason I didn't. I was scanning the junction just over the tracks for traffic while riding the brakes to slow down I must have been going only 6 to 10 mph when "WHAM!"

My bike crashed to a stop. I found myself standing astride my bike after first being thown forward and then slamming down onto the saddle's nose....hard. I have never been so happy to have a padded gel seat cover. Somehow my hands never left the bars. I have drop bars but was grabbing the "interrupter" levers on the upper bars as I crouched and leaned forward to get a better view of the cross-road ahead. I use toe clips but lucky for me both feet must have come out because I was standing on them.

At first I thought I must have hit a pot hole, but then I looked down and saw the gap. My front wheel was mostly out of the gap and resting against the far rail and my rear wheel was on the pavement to the right of the gap.

A quick visual inspection showed no scratches on the tires, rims, fork or plastic SKS longboards that curve way, way down on this bike. And here at the office a longer look stills shows no damage or scuffs.

As I said I have traversed this crossing on my commute thousands of times over 25 years and am aware of and "mind the gaps". But this incident has literally jolted me out of complacency.

This is a mess of an old rail crossing on a hill that high-centers trailers, trucks and limos often. Last fall the city of Colorado Springs announced plans to build a new upgraded crossing a half mile east and close this one off to vehicular traffic, but with a underpass for pedestrians and cyclists as this street will be used to link two nearby MUPS. If you're interested, it is at the intersection of Royer and Las Vegas Streets 80903.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/E+...B2A-YQ8gEIIzAA