Run off the road

[Trekhawk]

I did what I would call a couple of harder rides over the weekend so today I decided to do a nice relaxing ride and take in the sights. I decided to cycle a route called The Greg Lemond Loop. Its a lovely ride along mainly country roads and very scenic. I had a lovely ride and was nearly home when some idiot ran me off the road. This is the first time I have had any problems with a driver around here most are courtious and give you plenty of room. This driver went past me so close and then cut back in before he was actually passed me forcing me off the road. There was no bike lane or even a shoulder so I was off in the bush. Lucky for me there were no trees near the edge and I managed to stop without any damage just a few scraps from some bushes. The driver never even slowed but a lady coming along behind stopped and asked if I was ok which was very nice. Anyway I finished my ride but it really did spoil a beautiful day.:mad:

[jobob]

Leslie, how awful !!! :eek:

I'm very very glad you're OK.

I imagine you or the lady behind you had no chance to get a description of the vehicle. People like that should rot in he!! , pure & simple. :mad:

[Aint Doody]

Oh, Trekhawk, that makes me sooooo mad! It happened to me once, too, in town and the car had plenty of room. We all need to start trying to get those tag numbers, (which is ridiculous-who is thinking about that when we're trying to save our booties.) Somebody needs to come up with a helmet-camera to take pictures of these people..............

[SadieKate]

I nearly had a large brown delivery truck that shall remain unidentified :cool: do that to me last week. Sorry your encounter was closer than mine.

[massbikebabe]

Trekhawk,

That's horrible!!:mad: Glad you were not hurt. People are just plain idiots!!






karen

[CorsairMac]

very glad to hear you're ok my friend. There is nothing scarier than having someone do that to you with no shoulder. Sounds like you have very fast reflexes and that you both made it thru ok! Angels were riding with you!!

[DeniseGoldberg]

Wow - what a bad nightmare you just lived through! I'm very glad to hear that you're OK, even though a bit shook up.

That driver's license should be yanked - too bad no one saw the license plate.

--- Denise

[Veronica]

Glad you're okay. Awfully nice of the lady behind to stop and check on you. Reminds you that there ARE good people in this world too.

V.

[Trek420]

Glad you're ok Trekhawk. Sounds like you have some awesome bike skills too to come out ok. That's vehicular assault in my book, attempted murder :mad:

Reminds me on my Sunday ride we were I think in Fremont crossing on an overpass and ... don't you just hate it you're straddleing the line as folks going to the right of you are going onto the fwy entrance and folks to the left of you are continuing on the road and this big black SUV sidles up next to you and yells in your ear "you should be in the bike lane!" and then continues on the fwy?

Hate when that happens.

Just had to hope "well, I hope he does not have murder in him" because I'm kinda stuck in traffic between lanes and if I fall or am pushed over now it's a bad thing and was not the time to lecture him on "you blithering illiterate moron you should know the CA vehicular code is that bikes are traffic and I pay hwy. taxes too and just where is this bike lane that you speak of of eloquently?? get your sedentary 711 slurpy big gulp drinking butt outa the SUV and show me...." :mad:

But it was so nice of that lady to stop and check on you! That gives me hope. :) There are nice drivers out there. :) Glad you're ok.

[Trekhawk]

Thanks ladies - I dont think I have speedy reflexes or great bike handling skills I think my saviour was that Im pretty slow. For once being a slow poke rider worked in my favour. I think if I was a speed demon I would have left the road with too much speed for it to have ended with the same outcome.

[bikerz]

Wow Leslie - that's so scary! I'll join the others in being grateful you managed to keep yourself in one piece, and also that someone stopped to check on you. You DO have good riding skills to get out of that situation without getting badly hurt. Take very good care out there!

[DirtDiva]

B@$t@rd! I hope you unleashed come choice Aussie vernacular in his direction! Very nice of that lady to stop and check on you though.

[luv'nAustin]

I like your spirit...you tell 'em Trek! :D

[Trek420]

thanks luv'nAustin, I dunno if it's spirit but where is the jersey that says:

"CA Vehicle code # __?____ bikes ARE traffic, same rights, same rules, same responsibility?"

or the vest that says:

"YES as a matter of fact I DO own the d*&^ road"

I've been hit twice (this is where Bikeless chimes in "you WHAT? :eek: ") back in the day when I was much younger and took better ukemi (Japanese for falls).

Now I'm old and brittle boned, don't think I could do it again. ;-)

Both times cut off by a right turning driver on College Ave in Oakland, it's a pretty street but you could not pay me to ride there. Twenty years later there are traffic calmed streets that paralel it. Anywho the first time I did emergency right turn and just turned with him, scraped my tire down to the tube on his fender but stayed upright.

Second time was knocked to the ground off the bike by a gal who just had to get to Wendy's right now, could not wait the nano-second for me to clear the driveway.

We've all have close calls every day. This stuff makes me so mad. :mad:

Be careful TE gals. :o

[yellow]

Ah, this brought back memories of my first run-off-the-road.

I too was living in a rural area very similar to where TrekHawk lives (only 1 county away!) that had a high number of big trucks per capita. I think I'd had my bike maybe a month and was riding with a friend (who is an experienced rider) on a road that I hadn't ridden on before. So I was already a little gripped since the roads there didn't have shoulders or white lines or anything (I eventually got over that...). Anyhoo, here comes Big Truck Man. My friend and I were a little spread out (he was in front of me) and Big Truck Man decides to give me a "scare" I guess and pulls off the road into the dirt between me & my buddy, thus throwing rocks and dirt in my face and forcing me to go down. Truck Man then speeds off but not before uttering some unintelligible obscenity at my buddy.

I was definitely shook up but interestingly most pissed about the scratch on my new bike. My friend never suggested riding on that road again! :p I look back on it now as a learning experience, but it was way scary at the time.

[Selkie]

Trekhawk---I'm going to invent a "james bond" supersoaker water cannon that you install on your bike. I need to figure out a way to put water--under pressure--inside the frame of a bike without adding a lot of weight. I guess you'd have to use a Titanium frame. I figure the trigger could be on your brake caliper. This has been a fantasy of mine for awhile---blasting people who compromise your safety. When someone does something mean to me when I'm riding, i.e., intentionally crowding me or not yielding, I just visualize blasting them, as I mutter swear words under my breath!
I am glad you're OK.

[luv'nAustin]

Check out this plate that is available in Texas. Wish I saw more of them on the road, I love the message...Share the Road Y'all.

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/vtr/spplates/specialplate.htm?nbr=135

[Trek420]

mickchick,

I'm thinking handlebar-mounted paintball gun with levels of paint-contrasting colors ;) :rolleyes: :cool: is the way to go

[bouncybouncy]

AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! SOOOOOOO glad you are OK!!! My stomach flipped as i was reading your post! I get so pissed off when cars get too close to me...now that would have REALLY pissed me off!!!

I guess cruising around on that beautiful Julianna gave a little off-roading skills that came in handy...and i will take a hug from a bush over a tree anyday!:p

sending some "glad-you're-OK" hugs....

[slinkedog]

Hey Trek! Just saw this thread and wanted to say that I'm really glad you're okay. I, too, have been thankful for being a slowpoke, on occasion.

Anyway, I hope that person gets what's coming around. :)

[Trekhawk]

After reading all these wonderful posts Ive decided that road hogs be on the look out. One day they are going to come across a posse of TE girls armed with handlebar mounted paintball guns and Trek420 and it would be a brave driver who takes that posse on.:D

Bouncy - I love my Julianna she takes care of this very inept mountain biker.:)

[Duck on Wheels]

[QUOTE=Trek420]

I've been hit twice (this is where Bikeless chimes in "you WHAT? :eek: ") ...

Second time was knocked to the ground off the bike by a gal who just had to get to Wendy's right now, could not wait the nano-second for me to clear the driveway.

You WHAT!!!??? :eek:
And for Wendy's???!!! The driver not only had no street smarts, she had no taste either!
Luckily, far's I can see, you have recovered.

[Trek420]

bikeless in WI "Luckily, far's I can see, you have recovered."

Yeah, no mental damage that I can see.
Who are you again? ;) :rolleyes:

Yes, the Wendys customer cut me off so that I could not avoid hitting her back fender. Saw a space there was no car and tucked and rolled. I was wearing a helmet, took a decent fall.

That was 20 years ago I wouldn't like to fall off the bike at this age.

Gitane was totaled. Driver didn't stop but someone else stopped to see that I was ok.

[crazycanuck]

Trek dear,

Good to hear you're alright. As someone above stated, I really hope you unleashed some bad language to the &&$&$&& driver.

I'm not fond of riding on the road and only do so when the bike path (by the train lines) run out. I was almost run over by some f&&&&&wit this week riding home from swimming and was unimpressed.

Ian had some dork tell him off for riding on the road this week. What the driver didn't expect was a red light up ahead & ian pulling up beside him and giving him a few words...Drivers...Men....

c

[Duck on Wheels]

[QUOTE=Trekhawk]After reading all these wonderful posts Ive decided that road hogs be on the look out. One day they are going to come across a posse of TE girls armed with handlebar mounted paintball guns and Trek420 and it would be a brave driver who takes that posse on.:D QUOTE]

You're gonna mount my sister on somebody's handlebars? I don't think she'll sit still for that! Unless ... well, maybe if you call it "riding shotgun" and she's the one holding the paintball trigger. I can just about envisage that. :D

[Trekhawk]

[QUOTE=Trekhawk]After reading all these wonderful posts Ive decided that road hogs be on the look out. One day they are going to come across a posse of TE girls armed with handlebar mounted paintball guns and Trek420 and it would be a brave driver who takes that posse on.:D QUOTE]

You're gonna mount my sister on somebody's handlebars? I don't think she'll sit still for that! Unless ... well, maybe if you call it "riding shotgun" and she's the one holding the paintball trigger. I can just about envisage that. :D

LOL - Im visualizing that as I type.:D :D

[Trek420]

Trekhawk "LOL - Im visualizing that as I type.:D :D"

yeah, me too :eek: :eek:

ok, if I'm being offered up as a cycling weaponry ("our chief weapon is fear, surprise. Our two chief weapons are..") I'd better get myself to the dojo more often. No guns for me though, not even paintball guns. But where is my bike with the rear window sword rack? ;) :rolleyes: :cool:

[knobster]

That does suck. I'm very sorry to hear that. I had something very simular to this happen to me as well. I'm a guy. I have the same stupid juice flowing through my veins that all these other morons have. I went about my business and low and behold, I came across this guy at a little gas station a few miles down the road. I waited for him to come out and when he seen me off my bike, he got a real good look at what he'd done. He'd run a 6' 6" 270 pound power lifter off the road. This guy was probably less than half my size and I swear I saw a little wet spot in his pants. I didn't say a word to him. I just stood there beside his drivers door and stared at him. I doubt he'll be making this mistake in the future.

[BikeMomma]

LOL! I can picture that guy's face. Toooo funny, Knobster, thanks for chiming in.

Sorry to hear about your close call Trekhawk...glad you're ok and none the worse for wear. Keep at it, girlfriend. Perhaps next time, should there be a next time (let's really hope not), your rescuer will be a 6'6" power lifter, not a lil' old lady.....:D :D :cool: :cool:

~BikeMomma

[Trekhawk]

That does suck. I'm very sorry to hear that. I had something very simular to this happen to me as well. I'm a guy. I have the same stupid juice flowing through my veins that all these other morons have. I went about my business and low and behold, I came across this guy at a little gas station a few miles down the road. I waited for him to come out and when he seen me off my bike, he got a real good look at what he'd done. He'd run a 6' 6" 270 pound power lifter off the road. This guy was probably less than half my size and I swear I saw a little wet spot in his pants. I didn't say a word to him. I just stood there beside his drivers door and stared at him. I doubt he'll be making this mistake in the future.

LOL - I bet he doesn't do that again.:D

[Trekhawk]

LOL! I can picture that guy's face. Toooo funny, Knobster, thanks for chiming in.

Sorry to hear about your close call Trekhawk...glad you're ok and none the worse for wear. Keep at it, girlfriend. Perhaps next time, should there be a next time (let's really hope not), your rescuer will be a 6'6" power lifter, not a lil' old lady.....:D :D :cool: :cool:

~BikeMomma

Hey BikeMomma thanks - Havent had any more close calls thanks goodness, now all I need is some decent weather and Ill be happy.

[airbornetorch]

I often ride around town on my Kogswell D50 and last year a driver "buzzed" me during my ride. I wasn't hurt but a police office was sitting in the parking lot on the other side of the road and witnessed what happened. The office pulled over the driver. I didn't stick around, just kept riding. But justice was served, don't you think????

Another time I was riding in a peloton of approximately 30 riders and a driver in a pickup ran a couple of us off the road and screamed at us. Several of the guys decided to chase him to the next stop light. They caught up with him, knocked on his window to explain things. He eventually rolled down the window and he agreed he was in the wrong (maybe it was the intimidation of being surrounded).

[RoadRaven]

I'm sure between us we keep the pain-killer companies in business!!!

This thread makes me think of one of my training partners, out for a ride with a couple of people when an oncoming truck decides to overtake another car - straight into them.
She was run off the road - luckily, one of the other riders got the trucks number, and the police have pursued it and are taking him to court.