About an hour ago I was riding to the corner gas station about .3 miles from my apartment and I am riding behind a pick up truck. Suddenly I hear a loud boom as the pick up slams into a truck that was in front of it. About a second later me and my bike slam into the pick up’s tailgate and my bike is on the ground with me on top of it. Oh was I angry, but had the presence of mind to tell the people in the truck in front of me to get the hell away from me. I did not get hurt but my bike’s front end is gone. I rode it home but with no head lamps, horn, signals, mirrors or windshield. I was lucky I guess but I am still heated.
I realize I am partly to blame, I should have left more distance. I usually do but since this was such a routine trip I got too relaxed in my ways. I just want to get it fixed as soon as possible. Tomorrow is my day off and I want to go get quotes on the parts that are broken so I can start fixing it.
After further inspection of my front tire I saw that it has a flat spot so that means I locked up my front wheel right before I hit the truck so that might have helped me somewhat. There was no time for the ease in of the brakes as I was taught to do.
Weird thing is that right after the accident I felt no pain but right now my shin kinda hurts and i realized I got some scrapes on my back. I guess adrenaline really works as a pain killer.
I grew up with parents who were bikers. They managed to stay safe, but some of their friends (who I also knew) weren’t so lucky. It made me not want to learn to ride, even though at least a scooter in the city these days would be really convenient. I’ve seen two bike deaths since I moved to the city, too.
Sorry your bike got trashed, but I would rather it be your bike than your neck.
Glad you’re all right and yeah adrenaline is amazing stuff, but you REALLY shouldn’t ever ride at night without a headlight. Especially when you’re only .3 miles from home. Move the bike off the road, nobody’s gonna steal it, walk home (which also lets you come down from the adrenaline while NOT on the bike). Imagine if a car hit you for legitimately not seeing you because you were a midnight ninja missile on the road! And you wouldn’t even have a horn to warn them off with, or if they’re approaching from behind, mirrors to see them with (and reflect their headlights)!
Your absolutely right, but I am in California and it was still daylight, and in my neighborhood a bike on the side of the road is way too tempting to leave alone.
I should have been more specific the gas station was .3 miles away, I was maybe .1, Ill have to google map it to make sure.
The back of the truck was fine, just a dent, besides it was WAY worse on the front since he hit the other truck. My bike took the brunt of the damage. Plastic bike versus steel truck, no contest. If he claims that my body did damage to his truck then I give up.
Did you stick around for the cops to arrive before you headed home?
Frankly, I don’t get it. You were tail-gating a vehicle that you couldn’t see around, rear-ended them, left the scene of the accident, and everyone’s, “Oh, I’m so glad you’re OK!”
I’m not familiar with the laws there, but was that legal? I was in a car that was (lightly) rear-ended in a chain-reaction accident, and since our car was barely dented, we left after exchanging some information and figured the people who were really involved could deal with it. Cops called us later, Not Pleased about our departure.
Yea, I waited for the cops, they got their in about 2 minutes. They are the ones who told me I could go. The other two were still being questioned and they were doing sobriety tests. I think its standard procedure but they did not have me do any sobriety tests.
Your absolutely right Frank but there is an order of sympathy. If a person walks in the middle of the street not in a crosswalk and gets hit by a car your sympathy immediately goes to the pedestrian not the guy who has to spend $100 to fix his right blinker, even though the pedestrian is to blame.
Although my situation is not as extreme, the person I hit was in a steel cage, I had nothing to protect me. I can already hear you saying that it was my choice to ride, it was my choice to tailgate etc. but the same unwritten rule applies.
I’m happy that you stuck around for the cops; I didn’t expect to hear that after the way you worded your OP. That said, while of course I’m happy you’re alive and relatively uninjured, you did wrong. I shan’t offer you sympathy for having to spend money to get your bike repaired, and I hope you learned a driving lesson.
I just started riding this year. According to my friend I am a “rock steady rider.” I do feel very confident. I am extremely aware that **every single time ** that I’m out there I have to continuously S.I.P.D.E. Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute. It is easy to get cocky on your own turf – especially those streets that we travel all the time. I have this one mile curvy and fun hill that leads to my place. I love it and I can’t make up my mind which is more fun - the down or the up. On this road alone I not only have to share the road with other vehicles, but also with squirrels, cats, deer, skateboarders, kids, and turkeys…yes, that’s right turkeys! Because of their bad eye sight they just run right out in front of you. Anyway, stay safe dude, and leave yourself some space between you and those 3000 lb hunks of steel. :smack:
And yet, another ‘Glad to hear you’re all right.’
And I ‘second’ what magiver said, if you can pick yourself up and walk away from a crash, that is most definitely, a great day. (All things considered.)
Especially so, seeing as how you were able to ride away.
And just in case you didn’t already know this, it’s also gonna suck being an “example”. Just sayin…
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. (A couple of ‘em, actually.) And I’m still ridin’! Live to ride, ride to live!
Remember boys and girls, “Shiny side UP, and keep it between the ditches!”
