Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

City Commuting - confidence after RTA

Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

City Commuting - confidence after RTA

Old 07-31-22, 04:40 AM
  #1  
littlechicken
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
City Commuting - confidence after RTA

TL;DR: My first ever ride on my brand new new bicycle I got hit by a car crossing on foot, at a pedestrian walkway with lights, wearing helmet, hi vis and camera. I've not had my confidence knocked like this and it's not as if I have a bubble wrapped lifestyle...


I'm a woman in my late 30s and have a short 6 mile commute one way. Kinda busy part of the city, typical peak times. 17 years driving, two on a motorbike not to mention horseboxes. I ride my horses on the roads too! NOT a newbie. Ditched my car thinking to save money and got a folding electric. The speed (stability?) & feeling of vulnerability is off putting... I feel safer jumping on my beasts. So, at a 4 lane roundabout I decided to cross at the pedestrian crossing on foot, until I felt more comfortable. I was nearly across the wide crossing but got smashed when the light went amber. The man driving admitted he was looking at his phone saw the light go amber and slammed the accelerator. I suffered minor injuries, my brand new bicycle totalled. The bloke needed an ambulance more than me, given his reaction. He covered the cost and that was that.


Since then though I've been too afraid to cycle and its even affected my ability to ride my horses out, as what if I was on one of my girls (not that I'd ride there). What are the chances of this happening, for a while after I felt like I was destined to die and wouldn't even mount my horses. Between stable chores, showering and public transport 3 hours of my day is sucked up. I can save 10 hours a week if I cycle... I don't know what I'm looking for but its been making me miserable. Everyone around me is brushing me off, as if because I have a dangerous hobby, that I don't have the right to feel this way.


I see people cycling at night with no light in black clothing, or crossing 4 lane roundabouts... but I'm the one that got hit crossing a road?
littlechicken is offline  
Old 07-31-22, 07:30 AM
  #2  
Daniel4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,497

Bikes: Sekine 1979 ten speed racer

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1477 Post(s)
Liked 637 Times in 436 Posts
Originally Posted by littlechicken
...
Everyone around me is brushing me off, as if because I have a dangerous hobby, that I don't have the right to feel this way.

...
Aside from your ptsd, glad you're ok.

That attitude everybody has once again demonstrates how society views bad driving as an acceptable norm. Cycling isn't dangerous. Driving is. Every person who gets into a car to drive increases the risk of every pedestrian, cyclist, other drivers and their passengers and even occupants in buildings.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3564461


Drivers get into auto collisions all the time, but nobody ever tells them to quit driving because it's dangerous.

Last edited by Daniel4; 07-31-22 at 07:42 AM.
Daniel4 is offline  
Likes For Daniel4:
Old 07-31-22, 09:36 AM
  #3  
debade
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: WA
Posts: 476

Bikes: Trek Domane, Trek 2120, Trek 520, Schwinn Voyager step through

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 168 Post(s)
Liked 105 Times in 77 Posts
Originally Posted by Daniel4
Aside from your ptsd, glad you're ok.

That attitude everybody has once again demonstrates how society views bad driving as an acceptable norm. Cycling isn't dangerous. Driving is. Every person who gets into a car to drive increases the risk of every pedestrian, cyclist, other drivers and their passengers and even occupants in buildings.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3564461


Drivers get into auto collisions all the time, but nobody ever tells them to quit driving because it's dangerous.
Daniel is right, motorists don't stop driving. And most of them providing advice can't provide a single statistic about motor vehicle collisions with active transport participants. And if I understand the description of your collision, you were not a cyclist but a pedestrian walking their bike

If you have not refreshed your bike safety training, I would check out the League of American. Bicyclists safety videos. They have just been updated.

BTW, it is a safe guess that the people you see at night with no lights on their bike are the working poor. People returning home from an evening shift using their bikes as their only choice of transportation
debade is offline  
Old 07-31-22, 10:26 AM
  #4  
Darth Lefty 
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,775

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times in 1,366 Posts
Find a therapist to talk it through. You are clearly a smart and sturdy person and you can tell something is not right. Depression is a problem you can work on. My wife is an LMFT and this is about the minimum of what she'd suggest.

You won't find worthwhile answers on BikeForums. Treat your emotional well-being as the goal, not bike riding.
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17

Last edited by Darth Lefty; 07-31-22 at 10:31 AM.
Darth Lefty is offline  
Likes For Darth Lefty:
Old 07-31-22, 05:15 PM
  #5  
gringomojado
Full Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 475
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 200 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times in 86 Posts
Lmft?
gringomojado is offline  
Old 07-31-22, 05:21 PM
  #6  
Darth Lefty 
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,775

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times in 1,366 Posts
Licensed marriage and family therapist.
Darth Lefty is offline  
Likes For Darth Lefty:
Old 08-01-22, 02:25 AM
  #7  
Sardines
Full Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 263
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 102 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 55 Times in 48 Posts
Originally Posted by debade
Daniel is right, motorists don't stop driving. And most of them providing advice can't provide a single statistic about motor vehicle collisions with active transport participants. And if I understand the description of your collision, you were not a cyclist but a pedestrian walking their bike

If you have not refreshed your bike safety training, I would check out the League of American. Bicyclists safety videos. They have just been updated.

BTW, it is a safe guess that the people you see at night with no lights on their bike are the working poor. People returning home from an evening shift using their bikes as their only choice of transportation
Very sorry to hear that happened to you. The problem with any shocking incident is the scar it leaves in your psyche. The unfortunate truth is risks are abound in life, and our programming for survival sometimes hampers us. There was another forum user who was hit by an irresponsible driver, and his reaction was to get a nicer bike after recovering. In the last week of commuting, I've had 4 near misses on the road, including an idiot driver who decided to pass everyone in the slow lane about 1.5ft from me at high speed, a truck driver over taking me too closely and kicking up pebbles at me, cutting my shin, and a group of road cyclists over taking me round a blind corner and almost getting us all hurt! In very rare occasions, even when you've taken every humanly possible precaution, something happens to you because of the idiot who is doing something dangerous. Most non-cyclists see cyclists on the roads as nuisance, just as they see many idiots using their phones while driving a 1-3 ton deadly weapon. Risk assessment is the toughest thing to quantify, and humans are pretty bad at it. We all take risks doing daily chores, but life is amplified when it becomes real, instead of being a statistic.
So take your time to heal up and then venture slowly but surely out again. Ride around your stable to get some confidence back. Ride on the pavement to get used to the feeling of traffic and acclimate again, and of course, talk to someone about your trauma.
Sardines is offline  
Old 08-04-22, 04:46 AM
  #8  
fat biker
Full Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 374
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times in 25 Posts
Glad that you are alive.
Angry that you were injured by another careless jerk behind the wheel of a car.
As a pedestrian and cyclist, distracted drivers scare the crap out of me.

In 2007 while commuting by bike I was nearly killed by a speeding jerk in a Porsche 911.
I will tell you getting back on the bike was a challenge.

As for the lingering effects of your crash I will also suggest a good theraist.

fat biker
fat biker is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.