Ok. So here is the deal. I am posting this message as a story about my recent crash. I wanted to post this as a warning to all of you out there who ride the road, and do it dangerously. Please don't join me in the ranks of idiocy.
I have a usual training loop that I do 3-5 times a week, as to prepare myself for cross-country racing. I take to the road with my mountain bike, because this is the best way I have found to increase my endurance, with the least amount of wear to both my body and bike. My loop is 17 miles and it takes me about an hour to complete usually.
After coming home to an empty house I decided to take advantage of some free time and take my titanium wonder for a spin. Things were spinning well, I started off little off my regular pace, but I knew I could make up the time in the second off. After climbing two mammoth hills, I started down the biggest descent of the ride. Its a 2 mile hill, probably a 6-8% grade. Sometimes I am lucky enough to draft off a car, and reach speeds of 44 mph (with knobby tires).
At the bottom of the hill is an intersection. Ordinarilly, I fly through the intersection, disregarding the stop light that floats above. The intersection has four sides to it. Two of the sides are an off-ramp/on-ramp to a major highway. This means that when the light is red in the direction I am travelling, there will be no cars crossing the intersection, due to the fact that people don't ordinarily get off the highway, then right back on.
I forgot one important detail however. Before the light goes from red to green in my direction, there is an arrow, which allows the apposing traffic to enter the highway, since it is a left hand turn for them.
So, I arrived at the intersection, at 35mph, at the exact moment the apposing traffic got the green arrow. A large pickup truck pulls out. He cannot see me, because I am passing cars on the right.
I hit the brakes. I skid. He sees me. He stops.
The rest is sort of a blur. I did in fact hit the truck, causing a concussion. Thank God I had a helmate on. I got to ride in a sparkley light van with reversed letters on the front.
So now I am on the road to recovery. The gentlemen who's truck I hit came and showed me the damage to his truck, and asked me how I wanted to handle it. I couldnt even remember what color his truck was. I did $2100 (US) damage, with my body. My bike sustained $300 in damage.
My body is another story. In the process, I somehow majorly twisted my knee. I have been walking with a limp for weeks. I yearn to ride. I will have to settle for riding a stationary in the gym for a while.
I'm not writing this to look for sympathy. I don't deserve any. This is a warning to all of you who think they don't have to obey the rules of the road, as I once did. Saving a few seconds on a training ride is not worth your life.
-percious
I have a usual training loop that I do 3-5 times a week, as to prepare myself for cross-country racing. I take to the road with my mountain bike, because this is the best way I have found to increase my endurance, with the least amount of wear to both my body and bike. My loop is 17 miles and it takes me about an hour to complete usually.
After coming home to an empty house I decided to take advantage of some free time and take my titanium wonder for a spin. Things were spinning well, I started off little off my regular pace, but I knew I could make up the time in the second off. After climbing two mammoth hills, I started down the biggest descent of the ride. Its a 2 mile hill, probably a 6-8% grade. Sometimes I am lucky enough to draft off a car, and reach speeds of 44 mph (with knobby tires).
At the bottom of the hill is an intersection. Ordinarilly, I fly through the intersection, disregarding the stop light that floats above. The intersection has four sides to it. Two of the sides are an off-ramp/on-ramp to a major highway. This means that when the light is red in the direction I am travelling, there will be no cars crossing the intersection, due to the fact that people don't ordinarily get off the highway, then right back on.
I forgot one important detail however. Before the light goes from red to green in my direction, there is an arrow, which allows the apposing traffic to enter the highway, since it is a left hand turn for them.
So, I arrived at the intersection, at 35mph, at the exact moment the apposing traffic got the green arrow. A large pickup truck pulls out. He cannot see me, because I am passing cars on the right.
I hit the brakes. I skid. He sees me. He stops.
The rest is sort of a blur. I did in fact hit the truck, causing a concussion. Thank God I had a helmate on. I got to ride in a sparkley light van with reversed letters on the front.
So now I am on the road to recovery. The gentlemen who's truck I hit came and showed me the damage to his truck, and asked me how I wanted to handle it. I couldnt even remember what color his truck was. I did $2100 (US) damage, with my body. My bike sustained $300 in damage.
My body is another story. In the process, I somehow majorly twisted my knee. I have been walking with a limp for weeks. I yearn to ride. I will have to settle for riding a stationary in the gym for a while.
I'm not writing this to look for sympathy. I don't deserve any. This is a warning to all of you who think they don't have to obey the rules of the road, as I once did. Saving a few seconds on a training ride is not worth your life.
-percious