Crash on my morning ride - scared now
Hi ladies,
This morning started out as just any other day. I met a friend just after sunrise on our most popular multi use path just minutes from my house. We were planning a relatively easy out and back along Lake Michigan before work. I should say that this path is usually pretty crowded with cyclists, joggers, walkers, rollerbladers, etc. The path is really only usable for cycling in the early mornings when the crowds are thin and the people (cyclists and pedestrians alike) on the path know how to use it - to hold their lines, to pass safely, to stay to the right when going slowly, and to look over one's shoulder before making an erratic move.
Over time, I have had a number of close calls on the path where I was forced to come to an almost complete stop. These moments were harrowing, but considering the more than 1000mi logged on this path and the fact that close calls can be counted on one hand, it really hasn't been all that bad - until this morning.
It was only 2 miles or so into our ride, with my friend just ahead of me as we passed a few joggers. Suddenly, without any indication and without checking to see if there was anyone coming from behind, a jogger decided to turn sharp left (presumably to start heading the other direction) directly into my friend and her bike.
There was no chance for any sort of reaction, the collision was immediate. My friend was sort of lucky in the end, the pedestrian broke a collar bone, my friend came away with a torn ligament in her shoulder, some bumps, bruises, and only a bit of road rash. It could have been much worse.
But now I am scared. I don't know if I will ever be able to use that path again. I certainly can't ride worried that every pedestrian will do something stupid and cause me to wipe out. I need to be able to trust (to some reasonable extent) the people around me to not be paralyzed by fear.
Any advise on how to keep going after an incident like this?
Winter riding in chicago!
Winter riding in Chicago is so amazingly hard-core! How do you not freeze to death? Or skid on black ice? (seriously, I'm asking.) I just couldn't do it, although I wish I could. I miss riding so much in the winter, but since I am the type to dread running through the cold from the car to the grocery store in the winter, and thereby put off shopping until it is clear I will starve to death, winter riding just so wouldn't work for me!
Oh, and if you were out there on the lakefront today at 5am, I know you "chose" to cycle in the rain, so again, hard-core. I, on the other hand, decided to forgo riding in the rain, and went to spinning class instead. Tomorrow, even though it will be hot as heck, it at least won't be raining, so I'll get a ride in then - maybe on the north branch trail . . .