The "It'll never happen to me" happened to me
01-14-20, 05:41 AM
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The "It'll never happen to me" happened to me
One of the first things I heard when I decided to get a bike was "it's not IF you're going to fall, it's WHEN". Well, after one year a few thousand miles, it happened.
Just want to start off by saying the entire incident was my fault, there is no one else to blame. I ATGATT, I do my inspection checklist when I ride, I practice my maneuvers in parking lots every once in awhile, but you can still slip up.
I decided to go for a ride yesterday because it was above 40°F. I made it one block from my house and was waiting at a stop sign to turn left. There are a lot of blind turns in my neighborhood, and as I was inching forward, I thought I was clear. Then, I see a car pop out from behind a row of parked cars (the car didn't have a stop sign). I had already turned by handlebars for the turn so when I used my front brake, the front tire slid out and I was down. Luckily I stopped short of the intersection so the car didn't hit me.
Just want to start off by saying the entire incident was my fault, there is no one else to blame. I ATGATT, I do my inspection checklist when I ride, I practice my maneuvers in parking lots every once in awhile, but you can still slip up.
I decided to go for a ride yesterday because it was above 40°F. I made it one block from my house and was waiting at a stop sign to turn left. There are a lot of blind turns in my neighborhood, and as I was inching forward, I thought I was clear. Then, I see a car pop out from behind a row of parked cars (the car didn't have a stop sign). I had already turned by handlebars for the turn so when I used my front brake, the front tire slid out and I was down. Luckily I stopped short of the intersection so the car didn't hit me.
01-14-20, 05:50 AM
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Welcome to the club!
01-14-20, 07:17 AM
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Sounds like a conversation I'd be having on my Ducati forum.
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01-14-20, 07:50 AM
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Glad the car didn't hit you! And now that you've gotten it over with, hopefully won't happen again! .
01-14-20, 07:54 AM
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As it's been said, there are two types of cyclists:
1. Those who will fall
2. Those who have fallen
Congratulations! You're now in both groups!
1. Those who will fall
2. Those who have fallen
Congratulations! You're now in both groups!
01-14-20, 08:16 AM
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Bikes are okay, I guess.
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Low speed, no harm done; now you're ready for the big time!
01-14-20, 10:35 AM
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we've been waiting for you to join our fallen club. thank your cat-like reflexes for saving your butt from getting flattened 
but did you fall to the left or right? we have a casual count going ...
but did you fall to the left or right? we have a casual count going ...
01-14-20, 11:05 AM
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That'll never happen to me! 
01-14-20, 12:50 PM
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I've crashed 10 times and broken 7 helmets. Hit by cars twice. I left cycling in 2010 and came back to it in mid 2018. 5500 miles since then and no crashes or flats yet.
01-14-20, 12:54 PM
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01-14-20, 01:00 PM
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Break anything? I was told I'm now a "real cyclist" because I broke my collarbone in a crash. The bike is fine.
Last edited by NomarsGirl; 01-14-20 at 01:08 PM.
01-14-20, 01:44 PM
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Good job crashing on the non-drive side.
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01-14-20, 06:47 PM
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It’s grass or mud and maybe a few rocks, but I crash every other cross practice or race. I ate it in front of the kids after a late dismount for my homemade barrier. Laughed at myself and kept at it.
01-14-20, 07:14 PM
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I've crashed enough, both road and mountain, to know it's one of my less favorite aspects of cycling.
01-14-20, 10:47 PM
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why is it, on those infrequent occasions where i do crash, i'm guaranteed to be wearing my favorite jersey that is no longer available
when scouring the interwebz?
when scouring the interwebz?
01-15-20, 03:35 AM
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I have fallen/crashed a few times in my cycling tenure and still cycle regularly. The last crash was most serious where I actually ended up in the hospital for a day. The worst part was waiting 12 weeks to let the orbital/facial bones heel and my left hand metacarpal bone . It felt so good after waiting , to get back on my bike. I don’t take unnecessary chances or anything too daring , but sometimes stuff happens, it’s just part of the equation.
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01-15-20, 11:19 AM
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If you enjoyed that, let me recommend getting a cross bike and racing your local CX series next fall. If you're like me, you'll crash in ways you couldn't have imagined riding on the road.
01-15-20, 11:27 AM
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Ben
