While on tour:
After flying to San Diego, picking up my bike at LBS, mounting the panniers and loading them, I went for a short ride and had my first flat tire before getting out of the parking lot.

In west Texas I was following an asphalt road alongside the interstate and the road came to a dead end. There was a short 15 meter gravel connector to get to the interstate to continue on. I hit the gravel at 15mph with loaded panniers and only made it about 10'. Ended up on my back with both feet still clipped in.

Took a short cut across a railroad bridge in Louisiana walking my bike along. There was a train coming.

Departed one morning 2.5 hours before sunrise in pitch dark. If you have never ridden up and down strange hills in complete darkness you may not understand the sensation. I did not have any lights on the bike. Going down at 20+mph, following faint highway lines, wondering what was in the road ahead. Did not crash but sure had the blood pumping.

I have been dropped a couple of times on my daily ride by one MTB rider who is older than I am. If I ever catch him I am going to tell him to get a road bike.