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-   -   Metal-Strip/Wet=CRASH (warning long) (https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/668938-metal-strip-wet-crash-warning-long.html)

cehowardGS 08-05-10 07:54 AM

Metal-Strip/Wet=CRASH (warning long)
 
As in anything that you do and you like it, the learning curve moves fast. Well, my learning curve just shot straight up yesterday with a HARD CRASH!! Luckly, I am okay, the cheap Wal Mart helmet was worth its weight in GOLD!

I am commuting in traffic, on a decline and it had just finish raining, with the street being wet and very damp. A metal strip is in my lane, and for some reason I am on the other side of it. I come this way all the time, and usually I am toward the curve the other side of the metal strip. Okay, I know traffic is coming and I need to get closer to the curve. I looked at the metal strip, a caution sign hits me. Shucks, the strip is no more then 5 inches wide, I can cross it in a snap.. After about 3 runarounds in my brain to cross it, I do.. Wham/Bang I hit the ground so fast and so hard, it must have been a millisecond!! Now, I am sliding and then BANG again, that was my head hitting curve HARD and that stopped me from moving!

I am up very quickly, and just like any bike nut, the first thing I looked at was the condition of my bike!! :)Okay, bike doesn't seem to be messed up. Front brake lever bent in, I needed new hoods anyway. Oops, got a flat tire too. Bike okay. Now back to me. Skinned elbow, on my right side a pink bruises. Could have been worse. Can't give enough praise to the Wal Mart Schwinn Helmet. I think I paid $20 to $25 for it.. When I came off my body slapped the ground and contiuned to slid. My head banged into the curve is what stopped me. I don't even want to think of what condition I would be in if I was stupid enough not to have on a helmet. :o

The crossing of the metal strip while wet was one of the dummest moves I have ever made. I thought about it 3 times before I did it, and the forth time, I said what the h*ll. I paid for that learning bit big time.

Just wanted to share this tale of "stupidity"..;)

Jeff Wills 08-05-10 07:01 PM

I had much the same happen a few years back, except it was slick pavement with a little morning mist to make it slick. It was in a right turn lane at the bottom of a slope, I had the light, so I set up to carve the turn. My front wheel hit that spot and I was down faster than you can say "Oh, sh....!". Luckily I had the light, because I skidded on my knee, elbow and hip across a lane-and-a-half. Picked myself up, walked to the curb, shook the cobwebs out of my head. A driver who had seen my slide stopped to check on me- I assured him I was all right and I completed my ride to work.

Still have the scar on my knee.

walnutz 08-06-10 07:37 AM

Yikes, glad you are ok.
Not trying to start the helmet debate, but the off chance that things like this happen is reason enough to put up with the mild inconvenience of wearing one.

I'm just confused about the metal strip. What is it for? I don't think I've ever seen just a metal strip in the road.

bikecrate 08-06-10 09:15 AM

I almost fell on a double rail road track last weekend during a light rain. My front wheel just made it to the pavement and gave me enough traction to avoid slipping sideways.

cehowardGS 08-06-10 03:36 PM


Originally Posted by Jeff Wills (Post 11240465)
I had much the same happen a few years back, except it was slick pavement with a little morning mist to make it slick. It was in a right turn lane at the bottom of a slope, I had the light, so I set up to carve the turn. My front wheel hit that spot and I was down faster than you can say "Oh, sh....!". Luckily I had the light, because I skidded on my knee, elbow and hip across a lane-and-a-half. Picked myself up, walked to the curb, shook the cobwebs out of my head. A driver who had seen my slide stopped to check on me- I assured him I was all right and I completed my ride to work.

Still have the scar on my knee.

Yup, my crash was the same way. We not only crashed, we sliding along the ground which in both our cases could have turned out real bad. Nobody checked on me because no cars were close by at the time, and that was a blessing too. Like I said, that was a LEARNING CURVE. Metal and anything slippery on the road is a NO-NO from here on out, I will stop and walk the bike across it!;)

cehowardGS 08-06-10 03:44 PM


Originally Posted by walnutz (Post 11242763)
Yikes, glad you are ok.
Not trying to start the helmet debate, but the off chance that things like this happen is reason enough to put up with the mild inconvenience of wearing one.

I'm just confused about the metal strip. What is it for? I don't think I've ever seen just a metal strip in the road.

I am not going to start a helmet debate either, but the force that my head hit that curb it is scary to think of what would have happened to me without a helmet. Hey, I am all for looking cool and stuff, but I ain't crazy.:lol:

When I hit the ground, all that speed was still there, and I was sliding HEAD FIRST!

On the metal strip, since that area will be inbedded in my memory from here on out, I am going to take a picture of it tomorrow and post it up.

Greg_R 08-06-10 05:26 PM

You should replace your helmet since there was an impact, it is the recommended procedure.


I'm just confused about the metal strip. What is it for? I don't think I've ever seen just a metal strip in the road.
These are very common all over the US, they use them to cover holes in the road (while work is being done on utilities). Metal is also used around railroad tracks (ramps up so the road is level with the top of the rail). You can fall on these surfaces even when it's dry so be careful!

badamsjr 08-06-10 10:47 PM

Metal does not have to be wet to cause problems. On a 50 mile training ride I had been doing 5 days a week in 2007 preparing to attempt the Furnace Creek 508, I came to a diagonal RR track that I had always moved out, and came back (to get closer to 90 degrees) to cross. I saw a truck coming up behind me and thought I might 'freak him out' by going out, and back, so I figured I could go straight--WRONG! My front tire made it, but the rail snatched my rear tire out from under me, and I hit the pavement about 20mph. That smarted! I will also always be grateful for my Giro Atmos (now deceased), which saved the left side of my head/face from some serious injury. In my opinion, cheap insurance, indeed!

The moral of the story: Beware the diagonal RR crossing, and ALWAYS wear a helmet.:thumb:

dedhed 08-07-10 08:32 AM

Also watch out for paint stripes, wood bridge decks and wet leaves.

cehowardGS 08-07-10 09:26 AM

Like I said in the beginning of this thread, this was a BIG LEARNING CURVE FOR ME. I am glad it happened, because if it didn't, I would still be thinking the move I made was okay, and the out come could have been much, much worse. Here is a picture of the metal strip, it is really bridge reinforcements.

Also, take a look at the MASSIVE CURB, that my head slammed into and stopped me. The curb was not going to move either!!

http://www.cehoward.net/metal00.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/metal95.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/metal96.jpg

cehowardGS 08-07-10 09:29 AM


Originally Posted by badamsjr (Post 11247781)
Metal does not have to be wet to cause problems. On a 50 mile training ride I had been doing 5 days a week in 2007 preparing to attempt the Furnace Creek 508, I came to a diagonal RR track that I had always moved out, and came back (to get closer to 90 degrees) to cross. I saw a truck coming up behind me and thought I might 'freak him out' by going out, and back, so I figured I could go straight--WRONG! My front tire made it, but the rail snatched my rear tire out from under me, and I hit the pavement about 20mph. That smarted! I will also always be grateful for my Giro Atmos (now deceased), which saved the left side of my head/face from some serious injury. In my opinion, cheap insurance, indeed!

The moral of the story: Beware the diagonal RR crossing, and ALWAYS wear a helmet.:thumb:

Almost the same exact scenario.. In retrospect, my front tire must have made it, but the rear gave away. Our speed was about the same, 20 mph little more maybe. And that CHEAPO Wally Mart Helmet, saved my face, head, and my azz too. You should have heard the sound of my head/helmet impacting with the curb!! it was a LOUD BANG/POW!!

IMO, we both learned a lot, the crash has made us smarter, and I hope some newbies reading this, make them smarter too.

cehowardGS 08-07-10 09:31 AM


Originally Posted by dedhed (Post 11248802)
Also watch out for paint stripes, wood bridge decks and wet leaves.

It was BRIDGE deck/reinforcements, see pictures..And I am on to the paint strips and wet leaves. Thanks much.. Might be getting me some elbow pads too. :)

badamsjr 08-07-10 10:10 AM

Another thing I learned is that if I had gone to the extreme of stopping, getting off the bike and walking it over the tracks, the time I 'lost' would have been more than made up for by the absence of pain and suffering the broken collarbone cost me!:(

cehowardGS 08-07-10 10:21 AM


Originally Posted by badamsjr (Post 11249151)
Another thing I learned is that if I had gone to the extreme of stopping, getting off the bike and walking it over the tracks, the time I 'lost' would have been more than made up for by the absence of pain and suffering the broken collarbone cost me!:(

We both WILL do that if we ever face this option again. We both COULD have stopped, got off the bike, and walked across. However, we BOTH didn't want to stop our momentum/speed.. :) We learned.. I might not ever cross anything that shines again in life!! :)


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