So they say riding fixed makes you more of an alert rider as you plan what youre going to do before you get there, especially if you don't have brakes. What they omit to mention is that automobile drivers aren't so alert... whats the point anyway when you have ABS, PDC, SRS, and cars that can parallel park for you!

To the story... I was riding home this evening from school (<0.5 mile trip) on the sidewalk since it was dark and saw a car passing me on the road. I saw that they were going to turn so I slowed myself down in order to let it pass me before I got to the intersection. As the car was turning they saw me coming to the intersection and they decided to stop right in the middle (they slammed on the brakes) like a deer caught in headlights. At this point it was too late for me to stop but luckily I was only travelling 10-12 mph so I did the best I could to go slower and just decided to go right for the guys fender. Luckily I was able to just braze the fender, hop off my bike, go around, and get back on and ride off.

I know many of you have had much more severe cases and I am not trying to claim a "cyclist gets hit by car" story but it just worries me that people lack proper decision making when caught in the moment.

Long story short, I should probably install a front brake.

you ride on the sidewalk in the dark and you think it's the driver's fault? people in cars need to be held more accountable but you're asking them to be psychic

your fault

I could post a really snarky response to this story but I don't feel like being a dick today. Though I will say: get a brake, get at least one light, don't ride on the side walk, and I am glad to read you are unscathed

Sorry dude, have to agree.

PS - did you have any lights? Reflective materials? What color is your clothing?

You can't blame the driver on this one. Stay off the sidewalk.

If you can't stop from 10-12mph, then definitely get a brake. Not trying to be a smartass just sayin' do it.

brake on, light in, street out

Man, this story is...

...like, unbelievable because the same thing happened...

... to my cuz while he was flipping...

...pancakes on the back of a record player...

...while smoking alot of great drugs and...
[edit] i can't be that guy

Maaaaaan, ****! I was totally gonna add to that business.

Anyway, I saw this guy get hit by a car...

...having an out of body experience involving dinosaurs...

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS assume that people will do the stupidest possible thing to make you wreck. I've used this philosophy on bikes and snowboards and it has served me well.

edit: oh yeah...there's no shame in having a brake. i even have 2 brakes.

edit: damn you Accident! once you ended the game, i thought i could post something normal. now i'm that guy. here...let me at least try to atone:

...and being one with the dinosaurs...

...but then realising you are just coming out of a dinosaur's butt...

To clear the confusion - I was in clear sight of the car as I saw the car and the car had to have seen me if they were looking to make the turn. These were residential streets which were not obstructed by bushes or parked cars. But I guess I was wrong, looking before you turn must not be the right thing to do.

edit: yeah having no lights = my fault. its a b!tch to take off and put on a light twice to go somewhere thats 2 blocks away.

They were watching the road, not the sidewalk. And as others have said, you shouldn't be on the sidewalk in the first place. I do ride the sidewalk on occasion, but I fully expect cars not to see me and come to a near halt at most intersections in anticipation of a car cutting me off. So far I haven't hit anyone.

first off, most cars do not look for bikes when they turn.

secondly, they certainly do not look for bikes on the sidewalk when they turn.

but your story seems to be saying that it didn't matter, that they should have been able to read your mind and KNOW that they could make the turn before you got there. but if they just spotted you, right when they were in the intersection, a) they would have had no idea of your speed and thus whether they should continue or not and b) they would not have had time to "make a proper decision" (ie. either stop before they're in the intersection or continue to make the turn).

so, instead, they stopped and let you go (which is what they should have done, what with "right of way"). they assumed YOU were in control and could avoid them without hurting yourself. you were not. don't peg it on them; sounds to me like they did the best they could, given the circumstances. certainly more courtesy than I expect from a motorist, and more courtesy than you showed them when you hit their fender and then just kept going.

get a brake or learn to stop properly without one. and ride in the street.

OP - go post this in the Advocacy section. You think we're harsh?

Speaking of hitting cars at night, I got in a nasty wreck this past Saturday night/Sunday morning. I was in the bike lane on a really steep hill following a small sedan throught residential going about 25-30 mph. Its dark, I have full lights. I'm about 50 ft behind him, keeping up (actually had to feather the brakes to keep from getting too close). In retrospect the guy was clearly lost and in the wrong neighborhood. Approaching an intersection (no stop sign, we have right of way) he decides to turn right (no signal) onto the side street so I continue like normal, passing on the left.

Except he isn't turning, he's doing an illegal u-turn (without ever signalling!) and suddenly his front end is right in front of me and all I can do is grab a handful of brake before I t-bone him at almost full speed. I break his driver's side window with my knee, go over the hood, breaking the windshield, then land on the other side.

The police report has a nice diagram of the whole thing, I'll post it when I get to scanner.

Anyhow, Guy immediately realizes what a dumb@ss he was, and freaks out, as I calmly tell him to call an ambulance and police. They're there in 2 minutes, and I get carted off in the meat wagon while he gets a citation. Bike is totalled, his whip doesn't look too hot either, but spine/limb x-rays all turn out negative, I just need stitches in my leg. No idea what cut me, possibly my stem as I went over the bars. His insurance is covering everything. Can't replace my favorite jeans that the EMTs cut off thought...

Moral is...If you ride at night, you better be lit up like a 747 on final approach.

even if you did have lights, you would have been at fault. sorry to keep rubbing this in. you really should get lights and brakes. although riding on the sidewalk is illegal, i find that it's safer to do sometimes. just depends on the situation. you are still responsible for watching for cars in those situations regardless of the crazy ***** they pull.

i use knog frog lights and just leave em on. if they get stolen, they're cheap to replace. here's what the lights look like:

https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/153...-Twin-Pack.htm

damn...that's a scary story. glad you're okay. even if you do assume that all cars are out to get you, there's not much you can do sometimes.

Like I said in my original post, I'm not saying I'm a victim of an idiot driver hitting me (refer to last two sentences.. My title alone can explain that). What I'm wondering is why anyone would stop right in front of the sidewalk as opposed to speeding up or stopping to begin with.