evblazer

Well so much for an uneventful first commute of the new year on my new to me merlin. (yes crappy cell phone pics)

Meet a wonderful concrete expansion a few feet from the curb. It actually gets a little wider further along the pic. I just love concrete roads

I went back on the ride home to recreate the events of this morning with only the weight of the bike pushing it in. This morning I uhm er was fighting a 20mph crosswind that gusted when I went in at 10mph all 260lbs of me. Yup definately the winds fault . The wheel was in almost to the fork when I went in but I was in such shock I slowly pulled it out and checked it over without thinking to take a pic.

Overall bike and rider survived and at the time I don't think there was anyone around to watch.

noisebeam

Did you report the crack to the city?

evblazer

I did weeks ago which makes falling in it today even worse. I got blown to the side and just stared at it and went right in. Luckily I was braking and unclipping at the same time so didn't totaly wreck.

Actually all along royal ln between freeport and beltline in irving there are these gaps where it looks like they cut into the road at some point and added storm drains as an afterthought. The one I hit was the worst by far but with my new 700x25 slicks I'd probably fall into half of them. Gotta be alot more careful then I was on my xtracycle with 700x32 marathon plus.

unkchunk

Whoa! I've never had that happen. But if it did, there would have been someone around to watch. And close enough to make a few comments. It's always that way for me.

Wind was strong here today too. For about a half a mile section with a tail wind, I let it push me at 8 mph.

Ouabacher

At least you were smart enough to brake and unclip. In those situations I go into denial mode and try my darndest to pull out, full speed and clipped-in. I can make it, no prob.........aaaauughhh!
Glad you're OK. Looks like it would've given the spokes the bidness!

GRedner

Heh - if I reported a "crack" to the city of Boston, they'd tell me to get lost. The roads around here are a perpetual minefield.

acroy

wowza - glad you & the bike survived.

whatsmyname

If you don't report cracks/potholes, the city won't pay compensation to the next schlub that injures themselves on it.

noisebeam

Keep reporting. It often only takes a phone call or an email, so just keep doing it in the face of being told to get lost. I attach pictures of the crack and follow up when I don't get response.

Don't just report it as a cyclist.

I also only report the most serious issues, parallel cracks wider than a tire - like this one, but not the annoying bumps, shallow pot holes, etc.

Al

ItsJustMe

If you've reported it, and it's not fixed in a reasonable amount of time, report it again and mention liability and wrecking.
My mom once tripped on an uplifted chunk of sidewalk that had been reported multiple times over 6 months, and the city fell over themselves to pay for her broken glasses, hospital bills and the reconstructive surgery to her face, she just had to agree to not sue them for pain and suffering. And they fixed that sidewalk the next day.

Saintly Loser

One thought:

I've been riding motorcycles for about 25 years, and I've had lots of instruction (MSF experienced rider courses, track school and so on). One thing that gets hammered into your head is that the bike is going to go where you're looking. If you see a road hazard, like a crack in the pavment, and you stare at it, that's where the bike is going to go. You should be looking at where you want the bike to go, not where you don't want it to go.