Stayin' Alive

john peck

john peck

Well-Known Member
I had a near death experience yesterday. This isn't actually that unusual for me...were I a cat, I'd a bin dead long ago.
I think the real thrill of cycling being like a fawn pursued by a pack of wolves. Ya gotta be an adrenalin junkie to ride
in any kind of traffic. Gawd I love cycling. Nothin' like quick avoidance of a 'massive' skull fracture & a twisted mass
of bones to get yur juices flowin'. Escaped with minor injuries, maybe a greenstick on my ulna when I come down on
the curb. mostly sandpaper to knees & elbow. Guy didn't even slow down. One guy risked life & limb to cross the street
& help me up. Climbed on & finished the ride,
 
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phoenixtoohot said:
What happened John ... glad you are okay.
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Guy ran a stop sign making a right as I started across,came in from my blind side, but I spotted him just in
time to save myself, I was very nearly flattened. I'm sure others have plenty of bike vs. car stories
out there. Bikes & pedestrians really need to factor into future infrastructure. It's still a jungle out there,
but getting better.
 
I'm fine, shoulder's a bit stiff, not even close to the worst falls I've taken. I prefer back roads, but not always an option.
Wish I had eyes in the back of my head, mirrors ain't quite the same thing.
 
john peck said:
I had a near death experience yesterday. This isn't actually that unusual for me...were I a cat, I'd a bin dead long ago.
I think the real thrill of cycling being like a fawn pursued by a pack of wolves. Ya gotta be an adrenalin junkie to ride
in any kind of traffic. Gawd I love cycling. Nothin' like quick avoidance of a 'massive' skull fracture & a twisted mass
of bones to get yur juices flowin'. Escaped with minor injuries, maybe a greenstick on my ulna when I come down on
the curb. mostly sandpaper to knees & elbow. Guy didn't even slow down. One guy risked life & limb to cross the street
& help me up. Climbed on & finished the ride,
Click to expand...
Ditto when biking...must say, tho, I feel the same even in most vehicles on freeway.
 
john peck said:
freeways are terrifying, even at 5 mph in gridlock. Spent hours getting thru Portland once, turn signal lever
fell out, missed my exit, got thoroughly lost. Rush hour's insane.
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Tried the Central Expressway through Dallas last year. On the opposite side, a tank truck driver had turned one over exiting from central exp to George Bush loop. What a self centered idiot. Traffic was backed up for 10 miles before we got off. to the set of "dallas" soap opera, wife's a fan.
Found a way out of Dallas without getting on the freeway, and haven't been on one in Texas since that day. Main reason I left Texas, plenty of money down there, plenty of self centered idiots. I grew up in Houston. The 7th time I was rear ended, i didn't even have my foot on the brake. I just wasn't accelerating fast enough for the idiot pickup driver behind me. Fortunately my 4" oil pipe bumper destroyed his doghouse, bumper, radiator, AC exchanger, water pump, all engine accessories, frame. **** my 1st wife made me sell that truck, it was community property.
Glad you're still stayin alive. If a car takes me out, I figure it is better than being trapped in a body with a brain that doesn't work like my dad was for 6 years, after his stroke. I've had 12 great years since I quit work; Dad got 2 years of retirement before his stroke.
 
Jo, 30 years since I went thru Dallas; nothing's changed. Major urban metro areas are all the same come rush hour,
Scurry in & scurry out like so many ants on a hill.
 
I used up 8.5 of my 9 lives on a motorcycle but never got a scratch. Won’t touch another one.🤓
Did get hit on a bike once (in my youth) by a car crossing an intersection. No damage done.
Glad you’re ok!
 
Well today's is tip is don't turn too sharp in loose sand. It probly won't kill ya but it's embarrassing at the very least:rolleyes:
Hadn't ridden a beach in quite a spell, & my horoscope said throw caution to the wind. Who am I to argue with a horoscope.
I dumped myself landing exactly the same way I did last week, relatively painless compared to the last one. Not bad.
but I'd still like to pop the guy what writ my 'scope.
 
john peck said:
Well today's is tip is don't turn too sharp in loose sand. It probly won't kill ya but it's embarrassing at the very least:rolleyes:
Hadn't ridden a beach in quite a spell, & my horoscope said throw caution to the wind. Who am I to argue with a horoscope.
I dumped myself landing exactly the same way I did last week, relatively painless compared to the last one. Not bad.
but I'd still like to pop the guy what writ my 'scope.
Click to expand...
good to know since I’ll be riding sand sometime in next 10 days!
 
I ride this stretch of beach a lot and to make it more interesting I do it no handed. It goes all the way to the land in the distance around four miles. Haven’t fallen, yet.

46C0A6D9-C8A6-4D47-A9B0-E8457E6A20F8.jpeg
 
My fall was one of those slo-motion, keystone cop, kinda things. I started off with the wheel turned a bit.
I have a very aggressive tread pattern that grabbed & twisted to the left. I managed about 3 hops sideways
before a slow roll onto the sand. The wife almost fell over laughing. The last previous beach ride was on a
regular bike almost 10 years ago. I went on to adapt a bit to a semi-liquid surface. it's a very smooth ride
once ya get the feel of it & learn not to over steer. As a kid I used to ride no hands & shoot a bow at the
same time, but I've been too chicken to try it as an adult.
 
I've fallen a couple of times in soft sand, exactly as you describe. Riding on the beach is great fun but even my 4" tires, inflated to 8 psi are not a match for a run of dry, deep, soft, sugar sand. Maybe with some speed and luck you can get past it, but it's really tempting to make a quick turn onto some damp, packed sand.

Forget about ruts from other bikes or trucks! Fortunately, sand is mostly soft.

I guess I was lucky to be more embarrassed than physically injured! You too, it sounds like.

TT
 
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