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I have two near misses. One my own fault and one thats just bizarre and involves produce. I am on my first real bike (Honda shadow 500 - been riding for years but just dirt biking and the like with the family) coming around a cloverleaf into a straight away 3 laner. The inside lane turns into an on ramp for the highway. I am heading that way and already am in the lane and accelerating out of the cloverleaf. Of course my inexperience (I am only maybe 19 at this time) shows as I don't even think about all the other vehicles that are of course going to take the inside track and then cut over to my lane. Sure enough some lady in the biggest Caddy I have ever seen takes over my lead space and proceeds to absolutely slam on her 4 wheel anti-lock disc brakes. Lets just say my early 80's Honda shadow wasn't up to this kind of stopping. Had to take it onto the grassy median passing by her rear quarterpanel by about a foot and tried to keep it upright. Grass was wet. I failed. I did have the presence of mind to pull my leg out from under the side I was going down on and push the bike away from me as we slid. Managed to ride away after prying my shift lever back into some semblance of its original shape. Secondly I learned to never trust uncovered loads in trucks you are following. Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I am riding up to spend the weekend with my family. A rather plain looking farm flat deck truck with two large white plastic containers tied down is in front of me when something absolutely nails my helmet. I have hit a bird before, and been hit by rocks, bumblebees etc. This was something else. I see something bounce off the road ahead of me and swerve in my lane to miss it. Then something hits my face shield and I literally am left with ringing in my ears. There is something bouncing out of these containers on this truck so seeing my chance I hit the passing lane and blow by him. An hour later I stop for gas and inspecting my helmet I find green smudges and some thick but small leaves stuck in my vents. Can you guess what sucks being hit by at 100 km/h? Brussel sprouts
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Feb 24, 2010 05:32
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Tipped posted:That has to be the weirdest thing to be hit with short of a sex toy. How big were they? Ummm ... brussel sprout sized? Maybe 1.5" across? Took one in the chest too; felt like being shot. Those little bastards bounce too! They were coming out of the tubs and bouncing off the road right up to riding height.
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Feb 24, 2010 16:44
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Jabs posted:I feel so old now. Don't be. That Caddy only looked that big because I was pretty sure the trunk was going to become my casket.
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Feb 24, 2010 17:06
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aventari posted:I was coming from a basketball game literally 4 blocks away all I was wearing was a tanktop, basketball shorts and my Nikes. That would've hurt to drop it and slide sideways under a car going 40 mph I don't preach on just any little event but here I have too, being that this is a pet peeve of mine. I am good seeing people ride day to day in a half decent jacket. I am good seeing people ride day to day in a decent pair of jeans. I am even good seeing people ride day to day wearing somewhat less than a full helmet. There is; INHO, never EVER a good time to ride in shorts and a shirt. This immediately qualifies you as a squid and/or organ donour. This is made worse by the fact that you are within walking distance of your destination. Please make sure that you make a skid mark of yourself somewhere thats not going to create traffic for me.
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Feb 25, 2010 04:37
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Z3n posted:Eh, relative risk/reward. There is everything wrong with that ranging from 'having my 6 year old nephew witness your bloody stumps being hauled off the road' to 'having to wait in backed up traffic while the firemen scrape and coca-cola your skid mark off my way to work' I have taken more than one fall in my life and the difference between getting up and shaking your head and watching the firemen coca-cola your legs off the pavement is not large enough for that kind of laziness. While I agree that a reasonable, experienced rider is not the same as some random squid; there is no reason with modern equipment and how cheap, available and simple it is attain, wear and possess that you shouldn't make a habit of it. Hell I live in Vancouver where if you have been watching the Olympics its been so warm we cannot keep snow on the mountains! Been riding to work for two weeks now. I wear shorts every day, and I ride with my Olympia armoured overpants and Jacket every single day. Takes around 3 more minutes to put on. Aventari; you posted while I was writing this. I had an uncle who was riding an completely empty highway and had a deer come out of a grass filled ditch and completely hosed his life. The right side of his face doesn't work. He walks with a cane. That kind of stuff. Just be careful and remember that you are not the only one on the road who witnesses accidents when they happen. shipwrek fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Feb 25, 2010 |
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Feb 25, 2010 05:21
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