Commuter crash

[JAGI410]

Dammit, had to drive to work today. It's really nice out too!

On my ride home yesterday, I crashed into a helmet-less dude on a huffy, who was riding too fast on the narrow bike/ped bridge that spans the ND-MN border. He was messing with his hair, with the sun in his eyes, and didn't see me. It was either crash into him, run over a leash-less poodle. I slammed on the brakes, and he smashed into me, and we both fell to the ground. Aside from a sore shoulder and a bruised hip, the rim appears to be the only bad damage. His bike was fine! Dude stopped and said sorry, said he just crashed on the trail 5 minutes ago. He gave me all the money in his wallet and said "last time I needed a front wheel it was like $50, here's $44, sorry." I didn't have the heart to tell him it's a $250 wheel. I should have given his money back and told him to buy a helmet, but Darwin knows best for him. I then told the lady with the dog to get a leash (probably left a word out there) and walked away. Could have been much worse! I'm thankful my wife was quick to come get me. Some rest and some Advil and I think I'll be ok.

I think tomorrow I'll be back on the bike, but I'll be extra cautious around the bridge! And if I see that damn dog again...

http://i1035.photobucket.com/albums/a434/JAGI410/3633309C-FB2C-47EA-82B0-D513E715EE0B_zpsbai9vrkp.jpg (http://s1035.photobucket.com/user/JAGI410/media/3633309C-FB2C-47EA-82B0-D513E715EE0B_zpsbai9vrkp.jpg.html)

[AngryScientist]

some days you're the bird and some days you're the windshield. here's to more days as the bird. heal up!

[eippo1]

Glad you're okay. Agreed with the whole leash thing. Having a dog out on a trail without a leash is one thing, but on a MUP is just stupid.

I take my dog out on the minuteman every once in a while and even though she heels, she still gets the full reinforcement of a leash with the occasional pull to remind her to stay at my side. And that's for her protection as much as everyone on the path. Well that and she is just getting over her lifelong fear and distrust of other dogs after 5 years of training so I can walk her near other dogs in close proximity to others.

Good on the other biker for realizing it was his fault, and hopefully he learns something from it. Last time I had another bike crash into me, it was a kid coming from a blind corner and he hit me hard enough that I managed a full flip and landed directly on my kneecap. Got to spend 3 months in an immobilizing cast starting in July while my kneecap healed.

[bobswire]

Here you are prepared and ready for all, headlight, bell, alert then life throws a idiot into your path. http://i57.tinypic.com/2zrmg04.jpg

Anyway I like how your crosscheck is outfitted, bells are a Godsend on a commuter :beer:

It could of been worse, "a computer crash" (lame joke).

[Geeheeb]

What a bummer. Glad you are aren't too beat up. Last time I crashed it was due to a distracted pedestrian and I broke my clavicle. That started a chain reaction that really messed up a lot of things for me for over a year.

I don't have a bell on my crosscheck, and I probably shouldn't do this, but I just snap the brake cable against the top tube and it rings like a bell.

[AngryScientist]

how is that fork doing?

[JAGI410]

I think the fork is ok, camera angle makes it look odd. Easily replaced if it's tweaked though! I'll order up a new rim today and rebuild the wheel. Was planning a 100 mile gravel ride this Saturday on this bike, not sure if that will still happen. Bike will be ready, hopefully my shoulder will be too.

[Vinci]

I had a similar incident a few years ago on my commute home. Helmetless guy on a junker came flying around the blind corner that I slowed down for. Smacked me head-on and taco'd my front wheel. His bike was fine and he just mumbled something and rode off.

My feet hurt from carrying my loaded bike home in road shoes more than my shoulder/hip did from the crash.

[redearedslider5]

glad you're alright, could be a lot worse. also kudos for not sacrificing the dog :)

[dpk501]

Was he riding a fixie? Did he have an ironic mustache?

[SpokeValley]

So glad you're alright and it's relatively minor bike damage. Nice machine, BTW.

Mrs. Valley and I get so pissed at the morons on the trails that we only jump on if it's a short distance to get over a river, etc, even though it has some of the nicest scenery around. And then we're exceptionally vigilant.

Apologies for the thread drift...

[JAGI410]

Was he riding a fixie? Did he have an ironic mustache?

Surprisingly the hipsters around here/Fargo are rarely on bikes, and the fixie scene is non-existent.

[JAllen]

Was he riding a fixie? Did he have an ironic mustache?

I feel like the fixie folks around here aren't half bad when it comes to bike handling skills. It's the junkies on the walmart specials that scare me.

JAG, sorry you went down due to someone else's being thick headed. Take that $44 and take your wife out to dinner.

[oldpotatoe]

Is that a polished H+Son Archtype? Send the hub to me and I'll rebuild it..

[JAGI410]

Is that a polished H+Son Archtype? Send the hub to me and I'll rebuild it..

Polished H+Son TB14. I unlaced it last night. Hub (SP Dynamo) is fine, skewer is fine, rim is obviously bent but no cracks. I measured the spokes, one of them was 1mm longer than the rest. Thought that was odd. The new rim, spokes, and nipples will be here tomorrow. I'll rebuild it and it'll ready to commute on Friday.

My shoulder is feeling much better, still sore at certain arm angles but improving daily. I'm no longer worried about serious damage. The bummer is that my kids brought home a cold from school and I'm feeling it already!

[George Ab]

Well handled. Glad you are OK.