cyka37

I was wondering how many years you have commuted and/or how many times you have been struck by vehicles, or how many times people. critters. mailboxes. trash cans. or potholes tended to jump in front of you while moving at your best pace.

gheezbiker

Commuted: 43 years (avg 3x/week summers, 1x/week winters)
Struck by vehicles: 0 times
Struck by the pavement: 2 times (*)
Close calls with vehicles: dozens!

(*) That is to say, 2 times while commuting. Several more than that in other situations.

downtube42

The last 15 years, then a year driving, prior to that 10 years fair weather commuting, prior to that 10 years of occasional commuting. Once bumped by a car at a red light. Other than that not really anything memorable, impact wise.

martianone

Started riding a bike for utility and commuting in 1960, over time and circumstances riding consistency has varied. A few close calls, no major mishaps.

DX-MAN

Summer-commuted in '75; picked it up again as an occasional thing in '95, committed to it in fall of 2000, never looked back.

'01, cracked left wrist on a trail ride; '05 cracked right wrist bouncing off the front a of Corvette coming the wrong way out of an alley. '08, locked up the front brake (203mm disc, on a susp. fork that needed a stiffer spring)and landed on helmet and (R) shoulder, turning the collarbone into a child's puzzle (6 pcs.); '09, cracked the left ankle stopping a slide-out on glare ice.

'02, run off the road by a car that buzzed me into a curb. '03, dodging thrown debris by the evil twin of Green Mile's convict -- I wouldn't move over INTO a parked car to let him by.

Last week, nearly bulldozed into hedges by a road rager in a pickup. This was the FIRST time all year I'd had ANY issue with a driver.

droy45

6 years regular commuting to work year round. Average 3 times per week. Never been hit by a vehicle. Have fallen several times due to clipless pedals and have never run into anything yet. Pot holes are plenty.

JanMM

This is my 40th anniversary year........
In recent years, I aim for a couple of times a week spring through fall. Fulltime commuter for eight years in Atlanta a 25+ years ago.
Never hit by vehicle. (knock on my head)

Mr. Hairy Legs

5 years commuting, but the first 4 were pretty much fair weather only. No accidents yet of any sort, but the most likely things that are bound to bring me down at some point are

1) Bunnies
2) Ice
3) Cyclists
4) Motorists

in that order. And I'm serious about the bunnies - those things are unbelievably stupid.

cyka37

DX-MAN OMG! Think you've been around the block and back!

ItsJustMe

I'm just completing my 10th year, next spring I'll be starting year 11. The first few years I probably averaged 2x a week, about year 4 I buckled down and did over a year with zero car commutes. These days I drive one or two days a week many weeks, like if my teenager needs to be picked up after school. I've only ever been barely touched by a vehicle one time. Had a few close calls but nothing to really raise my blood pressure, just stuff to make me shake my head and post youtube video of the dummies on four wheels.

cyka37

Mr.hairy leg - Its those dang squirls here in Florida.

DJ Shaun

Fair weather commuter from my preteen years in the early 90's to '05.
Spent a few years mostly walking to work year round.
Three season commuter since '09 (following a prolonged transit strike lasting the whole winter).
Year round commuter since '11.

Been hit by three cars - all hit & runs. Only minor injuries and one bent frame.

Two potholes caused major injuries: One mangled my right arm and the other broke a rib. Both crashes damaged my helmet. Another time during the first ride of the season in March, I braked hard on some black ice and went over the bars. Chipped a bone in my left wrist during the landing. Had a cast for a week.

Add in my mountain biking days from the late 90's and I've had a few more wrecks but surprisingly nothing serious that stands out other than the one time my chain jammed which sent me crashing into some thorny bushes. Ouch! All scratched up and bloodied.

bengreen79

After about 2 years of intermittent commuting, I went full time spring through fall about 4 years ago. I rarely drive to work between April and October. 10 miles round trip at my current and last job. I'm thinking about winter commuting this year but I'm not currently feeling motivated to even round out October so we'll see how that turns out. I killed one little bunny and a grass snake and have seen a bunch of deer. I have had a couple of close calls with inattentive drivers, oblivious dog walkers, and turnaround joggers but so far so good.

cyka37

Just started this past year commuting to work. I started 2 months ago commuting evey day to work doing 10 miles R/T daily. Fell over once due to sidewalk edge catching my ear wheel leaving me with blody knee. Second fall due to over reacting to a car pulling out in front of me. My front suspension threw me off balance and dumped me off the bike. Needless to say I switched to a non suspension frame. Otherwise I shake my head at idiot drivers sone days.

rommer25

This is just my second year: two days a week, 26 miles r/t. When I first returned to the bicycle, the thing had a saddle with a coil in the post. I fell with the bike while stopping at a light once. I don't like those seat post. Half my ride is in heavy traffic. No contact with cars so far. Some close calls but so far I have been lucky.

Bluish Green

1.3 years full-time bicycle commuter. Zero crashes or even close calls with cars. One unforced-error wipeout - a wide, unsealed longitudinal concrete joint got me - minor road rash only (always wear gloves!).

tarwheel 

Currently, 6.5 years bike commuting year-round, averaging 3-4 days/week, 31 miles round trip. Also bike commuted in college for about 5 years, but that was a long time ago. Never hit by a car in more than 40 years of road cycling.

caloso

15 years, year round. Never struck another vehicle or other person.

GeneO 

Whenever I can since 2010 here. A mere youngster here. But loving it.
Rear-ended a car with my hoods at the light when the woman in front of me at the light popped here clutch. Ouch!

spare_wheel

I started commuting by bike about 40 years ago. I've been a daily commuter since the early 90s. I never drive to work. Never.

cat

10+ years, but not continuously or consistently...

Anyhow, nothing that I would consider a close call with cars, but I nearly got taken out by another cyclist once. He came out of a blind side street, didn't stop, slow down or look...luckily it was just a lose call. The only other time I remember anything close was a jogger without anything reflective or a light in the bike lane coming towards me. Just stupid.

I did have a car hit me (or maybe I hit it) when it turned right in front of me. This was probably 25 years ago, when I was a teenager. I was quite put out about it at the time, but now I realize it was mostly my fault. Gotta pay more attention and expect the unexpected!

bikemig 

I got taken down by a duck once and they're brighter than bunnies,

wphamilton

Only five years for me, from 3 or 4 days at first to mostly every day for the past few years. No accidents with cars, ońce road hazard at speed, a number of spills on ice but at quite low speeds. I've only hit a rabbit but have had many close calls with deer, snakes, turtles and squirrels.

tsl

Almost 7˝ years total as of the end of the month. Every consecutive workday (1,550 workdays) for seven years and three months as of this coming Tuesday.

Fell on the ice once after taking the studs off a day too soon. Can't think of any other issues. I flatted once on the way to work. Does that count?

Medic Zero

In over six years car-free, commuting, and two of those years working as a courier as well ('99-05), + commuting again since March of 2011 = right at about 9 years commuting now.

Four car/bike accidents:

1) On my way home from one job to shower and change to go to my other job: car speeds past me when I'm traveling at a good rate of speed, then promptly cuts in front of me blocking the door zone when they go to turn right, right after passing me, but there were pedestrians in the crosswalk. Car comes to very abrupt halt, I'm moving 15-20 MPH and have nowhere to go as there is traffic to the left of me, parked cars to the right, and it happened very fast! End up on trunk of car. Car speeds off as I get off trunk. Don't recall any damage to bike, but there might have been some. This one REALLY pissed me off! They had to haul ass to get around me, so they could pass me just a couple of car lengths before an intersection where they were going to turn right! Jerks! And of course they sped off! I just wished I had gone through their rear window!

2) While working as a courier (not commuting at the moment it happened, but I was working two jobs and commuting to both): little old lady coming out of a parking garage with the sun in her eyes, me on the sidewalk going less than a block between two buildings where I had deliveries/pick ups. Front wheel taco'd, that's about it.

3) Not commuting, happened after work, but was on my way somewhere other than home: traveling in Seattle's notorious 2nd Avenue bike lane at speed, which is on the left side of a one-way street with 3 lanes of travel. Car turns left into parking lot, somehow doesn't see me and runs into me. I'd swear they came up from behind me and then turned right (left!) into me from right alongside me. I can't fathom how they didn't see me. Don't remember what happened to the bike (couldn't have been too bad), scrapes and bruises to me as I go down hard at speed. If I remember correctly, we collided with enough force to mess up their drivers side rear view mirror. IIRC, I kind of bounced off the side of their car further back, but we were both moving so fast and they were still turning into me that I collided with them again as I clobbered their mirror and then hit the left front fender too! I had enough momentum enough to scrape up one of my hands real bad as I skidded along the ground for a ways in front of the car. Last time I ever rode without gloves! Lost a silver dollar sized chunk out of the palm of my hand that took forever to heal.

4) Not while commuting, after work, but going from a party to somewhere else: traveling with 4 other cyclists in right lane of street with two lanes of traffic in each direction (3rd Avenue, Seattle). Car comes up behind us, revs engine repeatedly, flashes high beams repeatedly, follows us like this for blocks, despite empty lane next to us that cars occasionally pass us both in. Tiring of this, I briefly swing over to the left lane and spread my arms as if to say "go here". When I swing back into the right lane behind my four friends the driver stomps on the gas pedal and hits me after accelerating for several car lengths at what sounded like full throttle. After impacting me, he backs up, finally speeds around us, then comes to a stop in front of us cutting us off. Passenger gets out and assumes a stance that says "I'm ready to draw a gun" while the driver bails out and runs at us. He's wearing rings on all of his fingers and as he runs past us punches one of my friends while he is straddling his bike, keeps running and punches me in the mouth as I'm standing there, stunned, over my bike. Busts my lip open with the rings on his fist, keeps running in a circle that takes him back into his car and speeds off. We call police and give them the license plate number and the cop tells us he's not going to do anything. Other than feeling incredibly sore, and having a busted lip, I felt lucky to just have my rear wheel taco'd.


Haven't hit any people or animals, none really stand out as getting in my way when I was moving at speed. Got clobbered by a pothole once: rode up to a convenience store just a few blocks from my apartment one night. On my way back it was a little bit downhill and I was moving very fast. It was dark, and in Seattle it seems like the potholes can pop up overnight where there wasn't one at all the day before. I go to make the 90 degree turn onto the street that the alley entrance to my apartment is off of and the next thing I know is that my bike is on the ground sideways, I'm tangled in it and we are skidding down the fairly steep hill. We come to a halt and I realize that not only are my feet still in the toe-clips, but the front wheel and handlebars have swung all the way around backwards and are pinning one of my legs. I proceed to drag myself and the bike to the curb and then up and over the curb onto the grass median between it and the sidewalk. My primary concern was getting off the dark road, just below the crest of a hill! Without a Tucker-like light or a good helmet light there was no spotting that pot hole in the dark and even then, given that it was below the crest and a little ways down the slope, I still don't think I would've been able to spot it, much less in time. I'd swear it wasn't there just a day or two before, as I rode in and out of that apartment multiple times a day and often went to the convenience store in that direction.


I can only recall two other times I ever went down:

1) Riding along the Burke Gilman Trail in Fremont late at night, very drunk. Pedestrian walking other direction. For some fool reason I look over my shoulder back at them, just after I pass them. Bike follows eyes, veers just enough to the side to miss the cut out in the sidewalk where the trail crosses a road. Hit a square curb at speed. Supermanned right over the handlebars and did a decent tuck and roll when I hit the ground. I don't recall injuries and the bike was intact except for the front fork. It was bent back so far the tire was almost touching the downtube! Because this stretched the brake cable the front brakes were locked around the rim too. Using the wirecutters on my Gerber multi-tool I snipped the wire and managed to ride the bike home, although handling was severely affected! Later this bike developed a crack on the backside of the headtube. Certainly could have been related to this accident.

2) My rear wheel slipped out from underneath me on some slippery leaves as I crossed over one of those steel plates that cover an electrical access panel or something on the sidewalk. I was making a 90 degree turn at an intersection at the time.


These are honestly the only times I recall ever going down in all my many miles and hours of riding. Only one incident while actually commuting, and I spent 4-6 hours a day a several days a week one year and 6-8 hours a day, 5 days a week another year working as a courier, which increases my amount of exposure to road hazards by probably at least a years worth of commuting when you factor in the time I spent on standby, waiting for and taking elevators, traversing buildings on foot, etc. Right now I rack up quite a bit of commuting time as well, being back in college and working full time means I commute 7 days a week, with two of those days having 3 trips. I'm in the saddle for nearly 2 or three hours every day, except Sunday when I just have my ride home from work, but I often take the long way and am out for an hour and fifteen minutes that day. I feel like I'm quite lucky to have just had the incidents I've had for all the time I've spent on the road.

Three of the above incidents were either "at my best pace" or a decent clip.

Only advice that comes to mind (other than watch out for slippery leaves when turning!) is to make sure and always get a drivers info. I feel like it is our natural inclination to brush off incidents and insist we are okay, but often injuries don't make themselves known until the adrenaline wears off, and at least once I've had the driver leave (after my OK-ing it) only to discover damage to my bike that I didn't notice before and I hadn't gotten their information. Between the adrenaline, most people's nice nature and just being generally shook up, it's very easy to let the drivers get away without even trying to get their info. I think it is best to prepare yourself in advance by telling yourself that you are always going to get a drivers info no matter how minor it seems, and make sure you always have pen and paper on board.