Got into my first ever bike accident

[wiZZ]

Just got a new ETCycle T1000 back in July or something, a few days ago I got SMOKED by a 1 ton truck. There is a little dent in the frame but nothing major. That bike is a TANK!!! I was on the bike lane going 30km/h (speed limit), guy didn't see me as he was turning but saw me at the light way back there so he turned into me, flew like 15 feet. Props to the tank makers!

Went to ER but minor injuries, bruised shoulder and some road rash on head/elbow and some tears shed because I have never been through this before. Not bad.

 

[dodgeman]

Sorry to hear this, glad it wasn’t worse.

 

[wiZZ]

Sorry to hear this, glad it wasn’t worse.

Thanks, probably my fault too for not being more cautious where a parking lot entrance is. Figured he saw me since I was on the bike lane. Live and learn.

 

[mjeds]

pass on the left.

I commute and have put a lot of miles on my bike in the past year (nearing 20,000) I have right turners cut me off every damn day. I have learned, bike lane or not, if I anticipate they are going to pass me just to turn in front of me I move left. same as I would in a car or on a motorcycle. Have avoided many possible accidents doing so. also the reason I wired a 12v car horn onto the bike, loud as F and scares the snot out of people.

it freaking amazes me these horse turds have to speed past me so they can turn in front of me 1 second faster than if they just stayed behind me. freaking amazes me.

 

[fooferdoggie]

best

pass on the left.

I commute and have put a lot of miles on my bike in the past near (nearing 20,000) I have right turners cut me off every damn day. I have learned, bike lane or not, if I anticipate they are going to pass me just to turn in front of me I move left. same as I would in a car or on a motorcycle. Have avoided many possible accidents doing so. also the reason I wired a 12v car horn onto the bike, loud as F and scares the snot out of people.

it freaking amazes me these horse turds have to speed past me so they can turn in front of me 1 second faster than if they just stayed behind me. freaking amazes me.

ya its so stupid. I had some idiot yelling at me because he had to pass me with a double yellow line close to a red light. I dont see too much of the rush in front of me anymore and often cars and trucks will let me go by before turning but this is in Portland where there are lots of bikes.

 

[mjeds]

best

ya its so stupid. I had some idiot yelling at me because he had to pass me with a double yellow line close to a red light. I dont see too much of the rush in front of me anymore and often cars and trucks will let me go by before turning but this is in Portland where there are lots of bikes.

yesterday I had this raceboi in a fast and fugly acura integra pass me 7 times. I was on my bike, humming along at 24mph; speed on the road is 35mph. The stretch of road from the end of the riverbed path to the turn off for my office is 5.5 miles, 3 lanes wide each side with the far right being a shared bike lane.

Wide open; NO ONE on the road the time of morning I commute.

This guy just HAD to be in the right lane even though there were 2 other wide open lanes., he would get on my ass then roar past me with his camel fart exhaust only to get caught at the next red light.

Since I am humming along at a consistent speed I get to the light and it turns green, I have timed all the lights so I don't have to stop; I know what speed works for that, as I have been doing it for a year.

I pass him and now he has to crawl up my ass and pass me again, and again, again, 7 times in 5.5 miles, each time getting stopped at the next light as I go humming past him.. complete horse turd.

 

[Dave Rocks]

Keep your lights on. Wear reflective clothing. Don't challenge vehicles.

 

[AHicks]

Thanks, probably my fault too for not being more cautious where a parking lot entrance is. Figured he saw me since I was on the bike lane. Live and learn.

On the bold-
WRONG Wrong Wrong!!! NEVER assume somebody sees you! What you need to get used to is the practice of assuming you are INVISIBLE! That's a really old trick that's been around forever. Taught in many motorcycle safety courses. You'll lead a much longer more accident free life if you can adopt that practice.....

That out of the way, really glad to hear you got out of that so easily....

 

[Rider777]

Good advice above and to add one VERY IMPORTANT item:

No matter what……..when riding a bicycle we are at a 99.9% disadvantage, with very real life threatening costs ! Try and remember when coming into these challenging situations of how your life can change (as in die) in a blink of the eye! Seriously!

I know it’s hard but YIELD……always.

 

[Marci jo]

Wow Wizz, that could have been way worse!
Ditto what everyone says; bright lights, bright colorful clothing and be careful.

 

[creativepart]

Keep your lights on. Wear reflective clothing. Don't challenge vehicles.

Good advice. Last week I was signaling a left turn from the middle lane in a small rural road with traffic. Big SUV decides to pass me on the left - on a blind curve no less - even with my arm out signaling. I dove into my left turn at speed and hit gravel in the county park parking lot. Of course, I went down and the SUV roared past.

Let me tell you, at nearly 72 years old falling down on gravel at ~15mph was not fun. Luckily, a guy coming the other way stopped and helped me recover and get up. 'Cause, just getting up from a fall is never easy when you're in your 70's.

Road rash is healing now and I've learned to not challenge vehicles no matter how mad they make me. I tell everyone that it was totally my fault, because it was. Being pig headed doesn't pay.

 

[DaveMatthews]

It's what makes me gun shy to commute to work. There's an unavoidable 3 or 4 km stretch of road with a skinny bike lane and massive trucks at high speed.

 

[AHicks]

That white line is for eternal optimists only. Anyone else they're just wishful thinking. I refuse, no if's to it...

Hospitals, doctors and morticians could all make good business cases for sponsoring more miles of that white line.....

 

[goducks21]

I rode MC's for 12 straight years. Put well over 70,000 total miles on various motorcycles in that span. I quit in 2009. Had enough of people texting, talking on phones and maybe running into me. As defensive as I was it just wasn't fun anymore always being overly defensive.
Got into bike riding around 2014 or so. 1st few times out I was way more paranoid than when riding my MC's. At least with an MC you're going with the flow. 2 lane roads I'm just another vehicle in line.
On a bike I'm the only one on the shoulder so every car or truck passing me was a possible hit. After 7+ years I've become more comfortable but it still is concerning at times.
I know that my MC defensive riding skills have helped a lot. You have to think of every vehicle as the enemy.

 

[wiZZ]

Thanks guys, shoulder has been getting better over the days. I'll definatly be following your guys tips from now on. I still go to my work this whole time but I don't lift heavy things. I sleep fine on my other shoulder but the morning my bad shoulder stings until I take some tylenol and stretch it at times, plus a few hot showers a day and the pain feels gone while in there and ice it down after.