Okay I have mentioned this before, but never in detail... My first new bike ever was a beautiful Long Haul Trucker, which I have decked out with a tubus rear rack and fender etc. I loved that bike.
Anyway heading to my summer job my trusty truck broke down 1000 miles from my final destination so when I finally arrived a few days late my bike was my only transportation that summer. No sweat, small hippie town (ithaca, ny), bike friendly i am set.
fast forward to the end of the summer. I am biking 1 mile for wing night with the crew before we all go our separate ways a few days later. Its still light, i am doing fine. I crest a small hill and gun it to get out of the way of the traffic that has followed me over the two lane bridge. I miss judge the angle into the parking lot, and had developed a BAD habit of riding the flats of my drops far too much. I take the turn far to shallow and cant hit the brakes before I hit the curb. T Bone the curb, do an end over the bike at speed (15-20mph) hit the STOP sign planted firmly in the parking lot island, knocking it over about 20% (it was made out of 2 inch box aluminum) Break the top tube of my LHT into, bend the fork. Need stiches in my back (from the stop sign, no to mention the bruise across the entire length of my back) and leg (gouged by the bar end shifter)
My friends who were pulling in at the other end of the parking lot says they never saw it, but instead heard it.

and that ladies and gentlemen is why my new bike has moustache bars