Sorry you got hit and thank God you were not badly injured or worse!

I'm just gonna throw this out there and probably sound like a big jerk for "Monday-Morning Quarterbacking". I'm honestly saying this because you mention you're not sure you could have done anything different but *to me* after watching the video there a few big red flags -

1. There's a good amount of traffic.

2. Your lane is ending and transitioning into a turn lane.

3. There's a gap in traffic the motorists have created allowing for cross traffic.

4. (Just my observation) - you don't seem to be slowing.

5. Right @ the 12 sec mark you look down.

If it were me I would have probably been slowing to a coast through that particular scene and been more in a defensive riding mode.

Again, call me a jerk but I have a wife and young kids too and as commuters we should look out for each other. Hope your riding gets a lot better from here on out!

I actually said I reviewed it several times and noticed some things I could have done different. Particularly looking down in the mirror. In my defense, the traffic is usually very light on that street and rarely does traffic get backed up there. Might have had something to do with the holiday the following day that people were off earlier than normal. We can't see my feet and I don't remember what they were doing but I suspect I was coasting. I can't recall though.

But either way, I take those suggestions and move forward hoping to never make those mistakes again.

And I would not call you a jerk. As long as we can all take the experience and learn from it. That is my only goal at this point in time.

looking at the video it is even hard to tell that the truck is turning.

Ya, kinda pops out of the traffic. Maybe I could have seen it if not looking down or stopped in time if I had slowed. Dunno. Just glad it ended as best as it could.

its tough because when commuting, there is a lot to keep in eye on. Blinds spots do happen.

True that for sure!

One:

https://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...wheels/ONE.jpg

Two:

https://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...wheels/TWO.jpg

could have been too late to brake depending on speed, downhill, etc.

The first picture doesnt tell much. No turn lane and no signal.

because we know what is going to happen, it was pretty easy for me to spot who was going to hit the OP, why, and where. I've gotten very wary, and riding next to stopped cars, it just makes me very cautious. People block you out of their mind and if you aren't directly in front of them you might as well not exist.

I admit, I did not read the entire thread here, mostly just replies by the original poster.

ckaspar, I understand completely how you might be worried about telling your wife, but I'm glad you did quickly. Personally, I would want my husband to tell me if he was hurt (usually by saying first that he is ok) or nearly hurt. I would also think that finding out the cause of the accident and what you may have done correctly would be helpful, and finding out what you did wrong so that you can immediately recognize and correct the behavior to prevent further incidents like that would be the way to go.

Personally, I'm sure that if I even had a close call, my husband would go berserk. But he tends to be very protective anyway, so I would have to put things in perspective for him very early on in the conversation- I don't take risks and do everything in my power to stay alert and safe anyway.

As for my opinions on cameras- I'm a school bus driver. I've driven with and without recording systems on buses and I can tell you I'd much rather have them than not. I feel it would be similar with a commute camera. I don't have one, but it would be worth it to me to have it and not need it most of the time, than to have something like an accident happen and go by memory- which sucks in general.

Also, shame on you for not exchanging information, at least you got something you could use later though. I would always write down information and at least write a police report (can you do that without putting the other person immediately at fault for a ticket? if you want to be nice and it turns out nothing is wrong?).

Anyway, sounds to me like you're doing ok and I'm glad for that.

What an asinine comment by the LEO, you're a cyclist in a bike lane. Sounds like if he could anyway possible to have been able to issue you a ticket, he would have right there on the spot. Some anti cyclist sentiments being show by the LEO taking the police report.

No, the LEO said if I had been in a car and if the car were in the bike lane it would have been my fault. The LEO was very nice and understanding and glad I was not seriously hurt.

Regardless if the LEO was very nice and understanding, it was really a dumbass comment on their part, and why the LEO even bothered bringing the subject up.

I suppose he brought it up because he sees lots of cars doing that exact scenario and thinking they have/had the right of way. It was just an idle conversation type of comment he made. It was not a damning comment of any type.

Yeah I quickly noticed the two cars in the bike line that were behind you, after you got back up and looked back in that direction. That's probably what the LEO was referring to, one of them.

I'd also like to hear others' thoughts on if you had clipless pedals, since I'm considering getting shoes and cleats to go with the SPD's I have (came on the bike when I bought it but never used them).

Ya, those two cars is what I think ultimately distracted me. I looked down once and saw them, then looked down again to position myself to be a courteous and safe bike rider then looked up and there he was. The officer was not there to see them nor did he review the video but that is the practice he was saying would have been my fault had I been driving as opposed to riding.

Ya, the clipless thing keeps playing in my head. Or even what would have happened with clips on the pedals. Either way my feet are essentially trapped and I wonder if the bike would have flown with me or if I would have flown with the bike. I am guessing the latter.