a100mark
07-10-2007, 01:35 PM
So many of you have prob seen the Surly Steamroller that I posted a few days ago on the Custom Bikes link. I have been trying to actually grapple with what happened last Friday when I picked her up from my local shop. Since I'm not much of a religious person (spiritual yes), I feel like I need to give thanks publicly to who/whatever it was that has been looking out for me lately.
Over the past week, I have almost been hit by a car 3 times. Believe it or not, 2 of the 3 times it has not been because of my lack of attention but rather the folks in the car. The first 2 incidents of the week, although uncomfortable at the time, were no big deal. I was easily able to get myself out of the situation without much risk. The third incident, the one I'm actually writing about, is the one that still has me knocked off kilter....
So I headed over to the shop to pick up my bike. When I arrived, Jason (my mechanic) told me to hop on her and take her for a spin so we could fiqure out the best position for the handlebars. I hopped on, no helmet/no brake, and not thinking much of it took to the neighborhood streets of Chapel Hill. I kept my speed low, which made it easy to slow/stop to brakeless fixed gear. However, right as I was getting ready to turn around and head back to the shop I spotted a little hill that I wanted to try on the bike. I deceided I could decend the hill turn around at the bottom and climb my way back. (you see where this is going)
At the moment I committed to decending the hill I remembered not only did I not have a brake, but my legs were not going to be strong enough to slow me down in time to stop at the forth coming stop sign. Down I went, faster and faster and faster screaming "I have no breaks" straight through the stop sign and into cross traffic I went. I was 5 feet away from either losing my life or visting my neighbor who was on call in the tramua unit at UNC.
Obviously, I got lucky. To think that I made such an idiotic decision b/c I was only going to "tool" around the neigborhood still kills me. As a 6th grade teacher, I lecture my kids all the time about the importance of helmets b/c w/o fail I always see them riding without them.
I am blessed. But I have also lost some of my comfort level on the fixed gear. I feel like I've been spared and I should do something about it....
Has anyone else had a similar situation they'd want to share?
Over the past week, I have almost been hit by a car 3 times. Believe it or not, 2 of the 3 times it has not been because of my lack of attention but rather the folks in the car. The first 2 incidents of the week, although uncomfortable at the time, were no big deal. I was easily able to get myself out of the situation without much risk. The third incident, the one I'm actually writing about, is the one that still has me knocked off kilter....
So I headed over to the shop to pick up my bike. When I arrived, Jason (my mechanic) told me to hop on her and take her for a spin so we could fiqure out the best position for the handlebars. I hopped on, no helmet/no brake, and not thinking much of it took to the neighborhood streets of Chapel Hill. I kept my speed low, which made it easy to slow/stop to brakeless fixed gear. However, right as I was getting ready to turn around and head back to the shop I spotted a little hill that I wanted to try on the bike. I deceided I could decend the hill turn around at the bottom and climb my way back. (you see where this is going)
At the moment I committed to decending the hill I remembered not only did I not have a brake, but my legs were not going to be strong enough to slow me down in time to stop at the forth coming stop sign. Down I went, faster and faster and faster screaming "I have no breaks" straight through the stop sign and into cross traffic I went. I was 5 feet away from either losing my life or visting my neighbor who was on call in the tramua unit at UNC.
Obviously, I got lucky. To think that I made such an idiotic decision b/c I was only going to "tool" around the neigborhood still kills me. As a 6th grade teacher, I lecture my kids all the time about the importance of helmets b/c w/o fail I always see them riding without them.
I am blessed. But I have also lost some of my comfort level on the fixed gear. I feel like I've been spared and I should do something about it....
Has anyone else had a similar situation they'd want to share?