Habanero vs. F350 pickup truck

[Corvus Corvax]

"Eric S. Sande" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> Remember that not everyone rides in a dense urban environment where riding tactics are a way of
> life. It's basically a no brainer to criticize a bad play, Corvus, but how many mistakes did it
> take for you to get sharp?

Oh, I've lost count of the number of utterly idiotic split-second decisions I have made, ones that I
look back at and my blood runs cold. Whoops, I coulda got doored there... an unexpected left woulda
taken me out there... shouldn't have run that red light across Amsterdam Ave... shoulda been more
aggressive here... shoulda been less aggressive there... now THAT was just plain dumb. I make a
point of beating myself over the head with my own mistakes, because I want to grow old with my wife.

And I know for a fact that Mark is a far more experienced rider than
I. Nonetheless, when I hear somebody say "if I didn't do X, I would never get anywhere," a little
bell goes off in my head. That sentence is a killer. I know guys who say that all the time, and
ride like it. Experienced, skilled cyclists. They also get doored once or twice a year.

CC

 

[Bob]

"Mark Hickey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Fritz M <[email protected]+> wrote:
>
> >Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >>>RFM (2 car collisions in 25 years of cycling)
> >>
> >> Well, I guess I'm doing 50% better than you! ;-)
> >
> >The first one was a "left cross" type of collision similar to yours, except there wasn't a line
> >of traffic obstructing the motorist's view. The other major difference was this was in Japan, so
> >it was actually a "right cross" . The bike went under the car (Datsun Fairlady Z), and I went
> >over the hood and planted my face into the windshield. This was before the days of clipless and I
> >had clips and straps.
>
> I've ridden in China and Korea, so I can imagine (to a point) what riding in Japan is like
> (probably more structured than either of the above). I've also ridden in Australia, so I know what
> riding on the "wrong side" is like. Odd, isn't it?
>
> The drivers here in Arizona are normally the most respectful, conscientious I've seen anywhere.
> The guy that took me out didn't have a clue I was there - just a brain fade on his part.
>

Are you in Phoenix? I used to ride in Scottsdale, Tempe, and Mesa, and, while I think that drivers
out there are better with bikes, I've had stuff thrown at me, been flipped off multiple time, etc.
Luckily, I tend to ride in the morning, and there seem to be less A-holes out on the road then.

--
Bob ctviggen at rcn dot com

 

[Fritz M]

Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:

> I've ridden in China and Korea, so I can imagine (to a point) what riding in Japan is like
> (probably more structured than either of the above).

Yes, in Japan they actually follow the lane markings and obey signals. Korea is an absolute
madhouse, especially in the cities.

Actually that reminds me of another car-bike collision in Japan. I was probably about 13 or 14
riding in traffic with my friends alongside a line of cars. My handlebar hit somebody's car mirror
and knocked the mirror off. I stopped, picked up the mirror and handed it to the driver while I
apologized profusely. He just gave me a really ticked-off look and I sped off.

> I've also ridden in Australia, so I know what riding on the "wrong side" is like. Odd, isn't it?

I pretty much learned to drive in Japan. Odd for me was driving on the right here in the States.
What was really odd was the car I drove when I was in college: a 1977 _domestic model_ Toyota
minivan. Steering wheel on the right, four-speed shift on the left of the steering column, turn
signal lever on the right of the steering column, my beagle dog sitting in the left front seat with
his head out the window. My friends dubbed it "The Kamikaze Overdrive Maru." The 1.6L 4-banger was
incapable of pushing it over about 65 mph, and going over the Rocky Mountains it slowed to about 30
mph. I never should have gotten rid of it.

> Heh heh heh... I'm sure this happens all the time here - usually with a cellphone stuck to the ear
> of the "driver" (and I use the term as loosely as possible).

This was in the mid-80s before cellphones were popular. It was also at night. I had head and tail
lights, but from the side I was invisible. I now make sure I'm visible from all aspects. The
motorist probably thought the *thump* was a pothole.

RFM
--
To reply, translate domain from l33+ 2p33|< to alpha. 4=a 0=o 3=e +=t

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
Mark Hickey <[email protected]> writes:
> Thought y'all might get a kick out of the results of an encounter with a pickup truck (whose
> driver didn't think to check for traffic in the bike lane he was crossing).

Ouch! I'm glad the damage to you and your bike wasn't any worse, and hope the damage you did sustain
heals up quickly.

> I didn't see him until it was far too
> late to do anything about it...

It's amazing how quickly things can happen. A couple of days ago I "almost" saw a rider ahead of me
by about half a long city block, get right hooked.

The reason I say "almost" is, I had just glanced to my right to ascertain if anybody might bolt out
of the adjacent parked cars, when I heard a commotion up ahead. I quickly looked ahead again to
check it out, but the event had already transpired. The car and bike were stopped halfway around the
corner, the rider was still on his bike, sandwiched between car and curb, leaning on the car with
one hand, and giving the driver an awe-inspiring earful.

It all happened literally in the blink of an eye.

The weird thing is, the rider was so highly visible: bright yellow helmet, bright yellow windshell,
bright yellow pannier -- the whole Killer Bee look. We were all northbound, so the midday sun in the
south behind us, was really reflecting off all that bright yellow. There were no parked or stopped
cars to obscure lines of sight in the stretch where it all occurred. And the only traffic in sight
(besides myself) was the rider ahead of me, and the car that first passed me and then tried to hang
a quick right in front of the other guy.

Again, I hope that ow-ie on yer noggin heals ASAP.

cheers, Tom

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