momo15

.....I see why now. I rode over the same sunken tracks that I ride over about 3 times a week. They run about 45deg to the road, but I have always just hit them a little slower and moved on. I don't know what happened today, but I got my front wheel stuck in a track and went down. It was my first real crash. I'm fine, just some road rash and a misaligned shifter. I'm a little shaken, but I will be back on the bike tomorrow.

Now where is my peroxide?

tagaproject6

How is the bike?

Gotta be careful with those tracks and cattle guards, too! Heal up and do a recovery ride tomorrow.

colombo357

That's a bit of a n00bish move. 45 degrees isn't that bad. Maybe the tracks turned on you while crossing... government conspiracy headed by Agent Novitsky maybe?

10 Wheels

Careful

Creatre

Railroad tracks are the worst. I haven't had the unfortunate luck of getting downed by one yet, but one did do a number to my rim when I just barely hit it at the wrong angle. Hope you heal up fast!

ptle

It can get really awful when it's wet out.

scotch

yeah, they basically become ice for road tires when they're wet.

Yaniel

Railroad tracks always worry me but nothing gets me as nervous as the metal grate floor of a draw bridge. I imagine going down on that must be like falling on a cheese grater. and lets not even think about getting a finger caught in it.

timeforheroes

i ride over tracks every day... thanks for the reminder! i would hate to fall on those things! and i imagine it would just destroy your front wheel too =(

dennisa

My cousin went down real hard crossing some tracks in the last 2 miles of his century this spring. He was riding his brand new Madone Project One. he ended up with a broken femur in 5 places. 14-16 weeks before he can even put a load on his leg. They think his leg must of nailed the track to cause such damage. Ever since then I've alway made sure to be extremely careful crossing tracks.

sfrider

45 degrees isn't that bad, but it's really the angle between the track and wheel, not bike, that matters. So on a nice dry day you can easily approach at even 20 degrees, as long as you turn sharply to cross. This, however, is not recommended if the tracks are wet.

pdedes

i'd laugh, but it's happened to me once.

momo15

Really, I don't know what angle it crosses the street, I just guessed. All I know is that it was diagonal. I really can't tell you why it happened, I may have been moving the same direction of the track to avoid traffic (the tracks come up just after a freeway offramp lane merges into a single lane of traffic), who knows? It happened too fast. I'm just glad I am okay, and that I don't have any major damage to the bike.

momo15

I probably would have laughed at me if I would have seen it too. "Oh look Hon, another guy in spandex trying to be Larry Armstrong......Holy Crap! "

momo15

I checked the angle, more like 20deg. That explains everything. I still walked over it today for good measure.

DRietz

Yeah, the only time I ever rode in SF resulted in two instances of me flopping on the ground because of the trolley tracks... Never. Again.

pchopper

I feel your pain, it happened to me too. I don't remember exactly how I was launched off the bike, I just remember the bike was behind me and I landed on my elbows (ouch!). Thankfully, at that exact moment there were no cars around.

kergin

<--- Toronto == Streetcar tracks. I've eaten my fair share of **** as a result of those things. You want fun? Ride over that stuff after a good rainstorm.

dgasmd

You are not alone. There are a couple around here that "assassination city", especially when they are wet. Last time I went over one wet with a group of people, 99% dismounted and walked across it. Even then felt like walking in a bathtub with bar soap on the bottom of your feet!!!

TassR700

Sorry about your crash. As far as the road rash goes, skip the peroxide. It actually damages tissue and slows healing. Search on "road rash" and you should get some good info on proper care. Bacitracin is much better than peroxide.

Edit: Sorry, didn't check the date on the original post. You are probably mostly healed by now.

Barese Rider

++ We have a grate on a bridge around here that could turn you into chopped meat in a minute. If its wet damp etc. I ride on the walkway over the bridge fredlike or not.

Seattle Forrest

As if I didn't hate the University Bridge enough already...

rog

Same thing happened to me a few months ago... there was a light drizzle going on, and I hit the tracks doing 26 mph (according to what the garmin told me later on). I was on the ground so fast, I didn't even know what happened at first. Destroyed my helmet...I hesitate to think what would have happened if I wasn't wearing one.

PhotoJoe 

"Rails of Doom". Great title for the picture. Glad you are/were ok to laugh at it! Good on ya!

Paul Y.

When that happen to me I went down so fast, I never came unclipped
Double hurtin. You seem to get kind of gun shy if you get hurt badly.
One thing for sure, you don't forget to go over at the angle of the track too soon.
Watch painted lines when they are wet. Another lesson learned the hard way.