Hit my first cage today.
 

Well it took a little over 1000 miles but today I managed to collide with a truck for the first time. I'm glad I got that out of the way. I was going down a slight hill (Florida) and an older couple were turning left into their driveway while looking at something off to their right. I got squeezed out of road. I had a choice of hitting a big brick mailbox or the corner of their chevy S-10 so I chose the truck since I could flip over it. I did exactly that and landed in the grass. I have a banged up ring finger and what's gonna be a very impressive bruise on my left ankle. The bike, a Giant OSR 3, took no noticeable damage. The shifter/brake housing on the right side got twisted from the landing but I just twisted it back and told them I was fine and continued on my ride. About five miles later I got a flat in the rear so I had to walk home.

Good times.

Nice. Isn't the S-10 the new chevy "retro" truck? I can see old couples driving those. I hope they stopped to ask you if you were ok and offer you some of their Ben Gay.

First time I ever tried to ride my bike into work, I got taken out by a Ford Explorer that cut across the street in front of me. Broke their antenna off and dented the fender a little, just bruised my forearm a bit where I landed on the antenna. All in all, it was a good experience - I'm much less timid around traffic now since a) I appreciate the need to make sure people know I'm there, and b) I know if I do get hit, it's probably not going to be the end of the world. Chalk it up to experience, and enjoy the look you get telling non-cyclists about the time you got hit by a truck... :)

Please, NEVER EVER assume that.

***** no!....assume it is gunna be the end of the world!.......one things for sure, you're never gunna come out in 'front'!

Hitchy

Why not? I mean, I appreciate the point you're making, but my point was that being overly cautious isn't nessecarily a good thing either. If I'm scared that the slightest contact with a moving car is going to kill me, I'm going to be pretty reluctant to take the lane, and ride assertively (not to be confused with aggressively).

Well if you feign a creaked neck (as opposed to an actual broke one) and sue them for all they're worth then that would be doing okay. ;)

g'day,

I understand your point.....assertively vs aggresively is sometimes a fine line that cyclists often fail to grasp the nuances of (unfortunately!). I ALWAYS make sure that my presence is known, even to the point of shouting "I'm here" or something along those lines if i think they genuinely haven't seen me. I assert my right to be on the road. However, assertiveness without the consent of the other road users.....WILL GET YOU KILLED. It's ok to be assertive, but that assumes consent...I never assume anything when I'm up against a car. You'll never come ou 'in front' in a collision with a car...period....assert your rights, yes, but makes sure you have the agreement of the car drivers that you actually have some rights. Stay safe Bro

hitchy

...says 'Saccy' who lives 14 miles the otherside of 'whoop whoop west'!

Besides, maybe I want a Mercedes logo embossed in my butt. The tattoo parlor charges a ton for that, but if I can just get in front of an overanxious guy in his SL65... :D

Hey! I almost ran into a tractor the other day. Not to mention the bludy Roo's hopping on yer head, it's dangerous out here. :eek:

You got a bike son?.....the aussie thread will be waiting to hear about this development!

The problem isn't the logo embossed in your butt. It's the logo EMBEDDED in your butt. :p

I'm not saying be overly cautious. I'm saying that having a healthy fear of contact with traffic, especially moving traffic, will keep you alive. To take the lane is actually showing a greater respect towards the dangers than not since I take the lane to prevent cars from trying to pass me too close.

Take a look at my commute tonight, can you spot the difference between being assertive and aggressive?

1. On a 2-direction road, the van in front of me is slowing down because of a double parked car. I swing over and pass it on the left halfway in the opposing lane with a bus coming at me as the van is slowly inching towards the left to go around the double parked car.
2. I'm first in line at a red at a 2 lane street, 35mph speed limit, I stop directly dead center in the lane. I stay in the center and take off even while cars in the other lane pass me, I hold up the cars behind me for about 3-4 seconds but once I reach 30, I'm with traffic now.
3. 3-lane avenue, I'm on the right most lane, even though I signal, I cut across 3 lanes to make a left at the intersection.
4. I'm going over a 3 lane bridge, 35mph speed limit, I stay in the middle of the right most lane, the slowest lane. 25 going up, 40 coming down. I'm not holding back the cars behind me that much and at the same time, cars are forced to use the other lane rather than squeezing by me.

I felt the same way the first time I went down on my motorcycle. But I really don't want to go down on a roadbike. At least on a motor, I'm in body armor... and I will not shave my legs! :mad: :D

Assertion with consent of motorists cancels out the assertion part. You are now ready to be ***** without lube. You assert your position in the lane, whether or not they say yes or no if the situation warrants it.

The first time I crashed my motorcycle was a tankslapper induced highside and I came down really hard on my left elbow and broke it. I didn't need surgery but I was in a case for a month. The bummer was the crash had nothing to do with me screwing up or doing something stupid. The bike's suspension had been set up for the track and it didn't like anything but smooth pavement. So when I hit ridges while leaned over it was not happy. My latest crash was caused by dragging my exhaust in T4 at Roebling Road. Now I have a high mount.

That's odd. The name of my band is "Tankslapper and the Induced Highsides."

I guess I'm just bizarre or crazy...but my view on it, is "do all you can within practicality to be seen, and if anything happens bad enough for it to be your end...maybe that was your time" as brutal as it sounds, that's how I see things...I'll either make it, or I wont...no point in worrying about how I'll fare, just do what I can to avoid it as much as is reasonable.

...hopefully the hospital will have internet access.....so you tell us all about your 'rights'

Hitchy

A Ford Explorer is NOT a truck. It is a p***s extension with wheels. :D

Have you seen Slvoid's Hardrock?? It's like a Tank! We both commute in Queens and you NEED TO BE ALERT riding in Queens, the drivers can be pretty crazy.

So how are you outfitting your Firenze Slvoid?

I know right, I've hit and been hit by cars at least like 5 times this year alone on that thing. Wheels perfectly true, frame perfectly aligned. Hell you need to be alert WALKING around here, let alone biking.

As for the Firenze, probably not built like a tank. I got a medium sized seatpack bulging out from under the saddle, my niterider 19-LED rear light, wireless computer, two bottle cages, and two cateye EL500 lights on the front for visibility (those things don't do sh*t for lighting up the road).

Those lights suck. They try to push them at the bike shop because they're $40.00 lights, that's the only reason. If you want a good light, check out the Cateye with 1,000 candlepower.

I got really sick of working there because they try to sell unsuspecting customers a lot of **** that I would never want to use myself while I'm cycling.

The cateye with 1000 candlepower IS the EL500. Are you talking about the EL300 or 400?