Didn't get flattened today

[OakLeaf]

So there we are, a paceline of eight - bigger than our usual group, but everyone's riding pretty steady. The posted speed limit on the low-traffic road is 30. It's not super narrow, but there's no shoulder and definitely no room for car and bici in the same lane. We're doing 21-22 as we approach a set of tight S-curves. No way could most cars (and most drivers) go through the turns at 30 and stay in their lane even if they're not passing bicis. The truck recommendation is for 10 mph. There's a couple of shrubs, maybe a palm tree or two, so vision through the turns is obstructed but not completely blind.

So here comes this pickup truck behind us. Hasn't been waiting, just comes up on us as the first guy is entering the first turn, a left-hander. And without even slowing, guns his big pickup engine, goes half over the double yellow and starts to pass the paceline.

At the same time that another car is entering the turns from the oncoming direction.

Pickup gets by maybe four of us before he sees the car. Jams on his brakes and starts to come over on top of me and the guy who's pulling.

Everyone's grabbing brakes, trying to stay out of each other's way, hoping the pickup doesn't hit the car, I'm hollering "Braking" and "Stopping" and a string of cuss words and I don't know what-all else. Toward the back of paceline there's a minor bump, one of the less experienced riders gets punted into the sand, but everyone stays upright and the car manages to avoid the truck. Wish one of us had got the truck's license plate, but he was long gone by the time we shook off the adrenaline.

To whatever powers are out there, I'm grateful that none of us got flattened today.

[bmccasland]

Oakleaf
you got my heart rate up just reading this! Oy vey!!! No kidding. Glad all of you made it out with your skin intact. Anyone for a stiff drink?

So how was the rest of the ride?

[lph]

aaaaaah!

what's WITH these people??

[Biciclista]

what a story!

[Aint Doody]

How scary!!! I was jamming on virtual brakes and leaning and unclipping as I read your post. Glad y'all are OK.

[derailed]

I have been processing this since I read it this morning.
How frightening!

May this be the worst that ever happens.

[OakLeaf]

So how was the rest of the ride?

Actually it was nice, other than that - and other than the fact that the place where we stopped for breakfast was out of mullet. We broke in a newly paved road, met a couple of new people, enjoyed the first warm weather in a couple of weeks. 53 miles, which is the longest ride I'd done since the beginning of November, and the longest this group has ever done together.

Motorcyclists have a saying to the effect that "any ride that ends with you alive is a good ride; any ride that ends with you alive and your bike still running is a great ride." Days like yesterday remind me that that's true of a bicycle, too.

[sgtiger]

Oh my!

I'm so glad you and everyone you were riding with are okay although that must have been one he!! of a scare. Some people!