"I have never hit anyone before!"
I was commuting to work on my bike for the first time this year and seconds before this happened I was thinking "This is wonderful!" and "My heart is beating again!" after a month of taking the bus. It was all great.
I was on this bike route where there are push buttons for cyclists to change the light at major intersections (10th avenue, for local Vancouverites). I got to an intersection where the light was already green for me. I accelerated. Two SUVs were stopped on my left, and this Honda Civic was coming slowly on my right. Unfortunately, it didn't stop despite my screaming. :eek: When I realized that he would not stop I accelerated enough that he hit only my rear wheel, not my legs. (That would have sucked.) I went down spinning, somehow, and fell on my left side. And I was ANGRY (but calm).
As I was standing up, a guy in a SUV rolled down his window and yelled, "It was solid red!!!" Thanks.
Nothing broken on me or the bike. The car driver stopped and although he didn't seem especially troubled by the fact that he just hit me he offered many times to take me to the hospital and just gave me all the information I wanted. He seemed genuinely surprised that there was a light there, he said something about driving there every day and never hitting anyone! :eek: !!!!! Note: I was wearing this screaming orange and yellow safety vest and a bright blue jacket underneath. In broad daylight.
I was pretty shaken and annoyed, but otherwise the ride to work was still pleasant after that. Sadly, I discovered that my helmet was damaged in the crash, which will mean a significant expense to replace it (despite Bell's crash replacement program). I would rather not have called the insurance company, but I don't want to pay $100 out of my own pocket because this guy doesn't look when he's driving. And I forgot to take his phone number in the process. :(
I was debating whether to tell my husband - he's a worry wart - but now that I have to replace the helmet, I'll have to.
The good thing is that the insurance lady was really nice. It was worth holding 10 minutes on the line.
Ok, it's off my chest now, I can get to work. Thanks for reading.
Update on my car meets bike accident (LONG)
Well, well, well, things have evolved this week.
I mentioned earlier that the wheel was a bit out of true. The next day I rode only 4 km on the bike but it was getting worse. I had already arranged to see my favourite mechanic to get it trued. (Note to Badger: When I told Ed I had been hit by a car, he said "Oh no!" in a way that definitely would not scare you.) On the phone, he said, "You can't just true the wheel, I'll check your frame properly." OK.
I roll the bike into the store, he puts it on the stand, all the while continuing a phone call with who-knows-who, and starts taking measurements. He gets off the phone for a second and calls, "Your frame is totally bent." He took a few more measurements, then starts scratching things on a quote form. "How much did your bike cost?" I tell him. He hands me the paper: "Aluminum Frame, Bent; Handlebar/stem, Bent; Fork, Bent; Rear Wheel, Bent; WRITE OFF" and then a value for the bike plus helmet.
WRITE OFF?
Now I was not expecting that. My poor, trusty, fast commuter bike, a WRITE OFF?????? Because some idiot does not think it's necessary to look for street signals?
He said the ICBC (insurance) people would maybe ask for a second opinion, so I rolled into a nearby store (which I will name for locals if they ask privately) to have the bike cross-examined. Basically the mechanic there had a look at the frame - I don't know if he measured it - and said it was "just fine." He also discarded my concerns about steering (which had been a little weird). He wrote me a quote for the replacement of the saddle (I hadn't even noticed it was damaged), back wheel, and a full tune up.
Now I was really annoyed. I had someone whom I really, really trust tell me the bike was a write off, then another guy whom I don't particularly trust tell me it was just fine except for the back wheel. :confused:
Then I had to go to my ICBC meeting with the adjuster. The guy was really nice and sweet, and very nicely answered all my questions (some of them unrelated) about how the insurance system works. I was still a little bit shaken by my bike store visits but he said, "Well if you don't feel comfortable and safe riding that bike anymore just get a new one." I thought that was nice, but I also did not want to buy a new bike for no reason if the old one - which I have used for just six months - was just fine. I told the adjuster that I would get a third opinion and get back to him. "Whatever you want."
(Now that's pretty impressive for customer service.)
For those who wonder, it is indeed the insurer who creates accident statistics in British Columbia. The police really only attends serious accidents with lots of blood and twisted metal.
I also made a full statement. And my bike was thoroughly photographed (not that there is much to see).
So..... I called this other bike shop that sells Trek bikes (same as my commuter) and asked for an appointment with an experienced mechanic that knows something about frames and could actually go over the measurement and alignment with me. Saturday morning, I went there, and the very kind and patient guy indeed showed me everything. The frame IS bent. Not by a whole lot, just under a centimetre, but a lot more than what would be within the manufacturer's tolerance. He also spent quite a bit of time examining the fork and told me it was also bent. That would explain why I was trying to go in one direction and my bike wanted to go another way. Case closed.
So I'm shopping for a new commuter bike. The last store I visited is going to bring in a couple of bikes in my size for me to try, so I'm going back there on Monday. I don't have the time to shop around and I am quite comfortable getting another Trek, which I think is great value for the money. With some luck, I'll have a new bike mid-week.
I'm really glad I'm reaching closure on this because I don't have the time to deal with this right now. But it's still exciting to get a new bike. Follow this story on another thread for a discussion of disk brakes!
*The End* (sort of)