Near Head-on collision yesterday...

[slinkedog]

while I was in my car, with all my kids in their carseats. I was driving down a winding, country road that we always drive on to go to church and that a lot of people in our area ride their bikes on (my hubby, included... I can't do it yet because it's too steep). I came around a blind corner to find myself face to face with a white minivan that was going around a cyclist. I had enough time to slam on my brakes so he didn't have to swerve into the rider or hit me head on. The rider gave me a sympathetic look... I think he was waiting for me to go ballistic, but I was too shocked to react. Just smiled at him and drove on. I'm just glad no one was hurt.

[Veronica]

We see a lot of that as we're riding on Diablo. I don't know what drivers are thinking sometimes when they pass on a corner.

Glad no one was hurt.

V.

[pedalfaster]

Gotta love drivers who pass on blind curves and crests of hills. Makes you wonder "Where the heck did he get his driver's license???".

My policy is "No car passes me in a corner or at the crest of a hill". Yes I take the whole damn lane. I pay taxes too.

Cranky-old bike-lady here!

[slinkedog]

I think that's the best practice. I don't mind waiting for cyclists. They're always good to wave me through when they can see around the corner.

We have some really dumb drivers out here, though. My husband rides this one road where there seem to be a lot of people who get a rise out of buzzing cyclists. Thankfully, that hasn't happened to me yet. I'd surely lose my wits and fall over.

[Veronica]

So, now I want to know what road.

V.

[snapdragen]

Me too! What road?

One thing I noticed when driving SAG for the Mt Hamiton Challenge, when trying to pass a rider or a group of riders, the lead rider would signal when it was clear for me to pass, helped sooo much. Made me and them feel much safer. Not a lot of straight parts on the mountain!

[jobob]

I rode McKean past the Calero Reservior a couple of weeks ago, it was one of the ACTC Academy rides. It was a really nice route. I don't remember any particularly obnoxious drivers, but I was in a group of 10 or so, so perhaps there's safety in numbers.

What I do remember are a lot of squished little snakes lying in the road. ewwww.

[slinkedog]

How do you like the ACTC rides? I'm thinking of trying a ride with them. How was the Academy? What was it like?

[jobob]

I really like the ACTC. They have a nice variety of rides of varying difficulty. The newsletter is online ( www.actc.org ) so you can look it up and get a feel for the kinds of rides that are held.

My husband and I joined fairly recently & we took the ACTC academy partly as a way to sort of ease into the club, we're not very good at just showing up, neither of us are particulary outgoing sorts.

The academy is run very very well, I highly recommend it - even though we had both been riding for some time we've still learned a great deal. They have a really nice, helpful bunch of instructors (including, I might add, our friend Ms. Snapdragen!) Hubby & I have enjoyed it so much we're both planning on helping out on future academy sessions - the next one starts in February, I think.

Our "graduation" ride is a 100K ride around Gilroy on the 23rd of this month, which will include the delightful jaunt up to Gilroy Hot Spings (which nearly did me in at the ACTC Tierra Bella ride this past spring, hopefully I'll do it a bit more gracefully this time around )

hope this helps, - Jo.

[fasteryet]

Hmmm. Everybody laughs at New Jersey, but after reading the crazy driver and crazy dog threads, I'm glad to live here. It seems a bit more sane.

[Teach_n_ride]

I had a close encounter myself about a month ago when some huge truck waved a sports car thru to turn left in front of me. I broadsided the car going 'bout 20mph. I still hurt and their insurance still hasn't paid out the $ to fix my sweet little road bike. I was lucky as the cycle took most of the impact, but I learned a lesson. When in traffic take the whole dang lane and don't pass a high profile vehicle on the right. I just started ridn' again and boy am I watchin out for the nuts