Hey folks,
At around 5:28 pm in the afternoon yesterday on the way to work I was involved in an accident with a motorist ; happend to most of us. The catch is...
I ride a bicycle.Physically im alright now except for a bruising big toe (i think sprain at worst but its almost a black bruise and puffy) and a very slight neck stiffness is creeping after a day. It sorta feels like i played football yesterday and got some hard knocks without being 'match ready'.
The event :
[Locations and players]
Black arrow ; tracks the direction to a 20 min ride to work.
green line ; tracks the footpath i take for this section of the trip
red line ; plots cars coming from what is a blind spot for me
If both of us could have stopped correctly, obviously it would be nothing.
The red line at the top with writing charts the main road. Shepperton road which is an artery taking traffic to the city in the morning and
from at 5-6 (right when i leave) Story goes, since the artery (running horizontal in pic) takes more traffic the lights stay green proportionately longer.
Usually if i miss the green and have to sit at the lights, it will take 3 mins MINIMUM. So here lies the evil of traffic system for me (selfish view
).
[The actual occurence]
Basically, I wanted to get to the intersection because I sensed a green was coming and I could breeze through. Not the first time Ive thought this and put the peddle power in gear, and let that be a lesson to myself. So im coming up to the intersection and I look right at the earliest possible time I can with the houses almost on the footpath at the corner (GRR) and see a car
coming in hot (her only fault really)
HOLY SHIT ; *clutches right brake*
Problem is, the right brake that had been the most reliable of the months preceeding had disconnected earlier last week. My "omg i need to brake now" instinct had been tied to the right brake.......
Immediately I slam the left one, but its far worse only clutching half the way to the grip and its weaker. Plus I'd blown quarter of a second on dry braking.
Plan B, try lose as much speed as possible before I MUST prepare for the collision - rather than be silly doing nothing hoping/praying for the best when she hits me. Bear in mind, this is of course hundredths of a second reactions - but i am quick like that. I dont so much panic as i react sharply/quickly to do all I can.
As best I can recall, her car was a small new variety of mazda. Important factor, i remember feeling superior to the car in a way (id been totally fucked if it was a suburban, direct hit on parts of my body ; me out in the main street there..) I have a tall bike and a high seat and this also helped. I remember turning my back into the hood at impact so that I would go up on the car release my position on the seat and peddles, rolling in one action, and hopefully balance there til the "jolt" of stop.
Best laid plans failed a bit I think, from the impact it becomes a blur, not because I blacked out or anything, but because I guess Ive played it back many times since, and cant recall exactly. I believe my head kept going up and my neck/head wedged at the end of the hood (against the windsheild).
Then, I can only assess the "jolt" happened because shed finally stopped and I got thrown/rolled (cant tell which) down the hood and onto the road in front of the car. I think i landed on my head, I remember instinctually feeling on the ground as tho "oh know the helmet did nothing i must be bleeding" but then no longer than a second later i was standing up, realizing I was all things considered OK.
She was out of the car so fast, and screaming, but I was up and so she hopefully knew i wasnt dead or anything. She still got the shock of her year, as you can imagine, and kept looking at me seeing if I was in pain asking me over and over for minutes ; tbo i was feeling really bad seeing her reaction. Shes totally innocent. This was my fault, and i tried to convey this and calm her.
Some lady down the street said from her car at the roundabout she saw something fly and then realized it was a bike. She ran down I think, she showed up like 30 seconds after asking If i was ok too. she was friendly. I think some motorists just drove one once they noticed me walking but one old guy offered to drive my bike and me home (had a ute).
At the moment I stood up onwards I could tell this one thing was affecting me, the toe. It was "ringing" and was shaking in my shoe. After she gave me her details and I mine, she reluctantly left the scene under my assurance I was fine, again all things considered. Its not like i needed a hospital. Her car had most noteably two scratches from the bike but of course she did not care. Seemed like even if I made huge body dent she would have wanted to pay and have me not even consider that.
All this happened about 30 seconds ride from my house. So basically i walked by bike home with a slight limp from the toe. The bike had a buckled wheel completely - but today a friend got it to a bike store and they said thats all that was wrong. the fork was in line, and the rest was ok and its running fine by the looks. Brakes fixed btw.
Being a crazy I am, I went into work late, after icing the toe for 2 hours. Overnight the blackening of the bruise is heightened but that means its healing. I'll ice it later and maybe visit a GP tomorrow to enquire if i should strap it and crutch the left side for a few days.
What a fucking day :\ Excuse me while i do a few blocks of my area slowly to "get back on the horse" so im not freaking out later on. This is the first accident I ever had riding for 20 years. At least now there is only one virginity left to lose. (yar, i am in good spirits enough to laugh, im here standing)
