Do The Test

No, not this test:



...although it's a good test for your motorist friends. I mean this test: The Cycling Risk Assessment Study.

The New York Cycle Club (NYCC) is conducting a survey to gather bicycling accident information from a diverse population of cyclists. Anyone may submit one or more bicycling accident survey responses. Whether you had a minor or major accident, or observed one, live in New York or far away, please click here to enter a survey response.

Thanks for your help!

via Let's Go Ride a Bike

Drive your bike

I found this link on a comment on Cycle*Dallas blog. In her comment, Keri provided a link to The Florida Bicycle Association's page called Drive Your Bike. The page is a quick and interesting read, but the part that is most useful is the section called "Understanding common crash types and how to prevent them"- you know, stuff like the Right Hook



and the Left Cross


Take a few minutes to read that page. I could save your life!

Riding with my Doppelgänger

So there's another guy that rides to work in the strip mall where our office is. He works in another building for another company. Anyway, we've seen each other once or twice and even said hi. When my coworkers see him, they think he's me a lot of the time. We both ride hybrids. I notice little differences, of course, like the flat bar on his bike versus the Origin8 Space Bar on mine, the fact that he uses toe clips with straps and I just use clips without straps, and I have a pannier while he uses a backpack. Most people don't notice details like that; they just notice the overall aspect of a guy on a bike.

Today when I got to the second traffic light on my way home, I saw another cyclist waiting at the light. It turned out be this cycling doppelgänger who works in the next building over. I caught up to him and we rode most of the way home together. He lives about a mile from me.

We had a nice chat. He revealed that he was the infamous rider whose brakes failed coming down Hooters Hill and ran into the back of the car of a guy that works in my office. It was his son's bike and hadn't been ridden in a while and he didn't realize the brakes were shaky until it was too late. He was glad he was wearing his helmet!

I drove that day and rolled by the scene just as the police and paramedics arrived. Upon going into the office, many people were asking me if I was the one who wrecked.

That was several months ago. I'm glad Keith recovered and continues to ride. I guess the important lesson to be taken from his experience is to make sure your equipment is working and is properly maintained!

You can tell it's springtime around here. Besides running into Keith today, I've noticed many more riders out and about. The other day, at the same intersection where I ran into Keith, three cyclists went by on the street I cross... during one cycle of the light. I felt like waving and yelling HI! but then again, it's a busy street and I know they need to pay attention to traffic.

I started commuting in February last year, and for the first several months it was only an occasional thing. I was absorbed in my own riding and not really looking around for other cyclists. I've been riding a little over a year now, and I'm starting to realize there is a seasonal component to cycling, even here in sunny Texas. Far more people are on bikes right now. I suppose the economy may play into that somewhat, but still, I think it's good seeing people riding their bikes.

Protect yer noggin...

I have wrecked twice since I've begun riding regularly. Once in the midst of a sponsored bike ride with dozens of riders bearing down on my body (thankfully none hit me), I was OK save for some rash and a sprained right ring finger. I finished out the ride, although a bit slower than when I had started out. My helmet seemed to be fine, just a small dent where my head had contacted the asphalt (I was going about 15 or so mph), I wore it like a medal along with the road rash.

My more recent crash was about a month ago and I took 2 and a half weeks off from riding, mostly because of rain and some thigh pain, then it became some reluctance or rather lack of interest on my part. I've resolved all of these and am riding regularly again. What I didn't do after the last crash was to inspect my helmet thoroughly and today after reading through a helmet thread in Bikeforums, I decided I should do just that.

Boy was I surprised, I found a section of foam near the strap had cracked completely through. There was only one thing to do, replace it. So I did just that and I rode down to the Performance store down in Sorrento valley and dropped 53 bucks on a new one during my lunch hour (then put in a good climbing workout). Granted I was taking a chance by having the broken one on my head to begin with, but something is always better than nothing and something new is certainly better than something that is broken.

But the bottom line is that in both incidences I was glad to have had on a helmet, as my head solidly hit the pavement on both occasions and during the second crash my head slid along the railroad track crossing for a few feet. And for a very nominal investment one can significantly protect one's head and the contents within. I have had debates with a certain people person about the merits of wearing one regardless of if it messes one's hair or not... Caaaitlin!

Response to "Anonymous"

In my post about helmets, Anonymous commented:

your blog is really interesting! what happen with your wrecked bike and your healthy injury?? how did you fell??

How did I fall? I'll give you the long version. Because as a beginning commuter I didn't have a lot of experience riding on the roadways with the cars, I liked to ride on the sidewalk beside the street. In one spot, there was a gap in the sidewalk of about 10 feet where there was no pavement, only grass. I had ridden there before, but at night the grass is watered and was therefore very soft in the morning. As I traveled over that patch, my front tire sunk into the soft ground and by the time I got to where the pavement started again, it was like hitting a curb. Even though I was going very slowly, I flew over my handlebars and landed right on my face.

My injuries were minor. My helmet broke, but I was okay. The worst thing that happened is that I landed hard on my chin and the soft tissue where my jaw opens and closes was bruised and my jaw stuck out further than normal for a few days. Aside from that, I just had a few cuts and bruises.

The bicycle was pretty badly damaged. The rim was surpisingly straight (and I'm still using it on another bike), but the fork bent backward and the frame was bent. I bent the fork back, but there was no saving the frame. The bike was rideable but I didn't feel right riding it with that kind of damamge, even though I rode it for a few months like that.

Here is the frame damage:

Cycling Equipment: Helmets

Why wear a helmet? I'll get to that in a minute. But first, how do you select a helmet? First of all, know that all helmets meet the same safety standard; a cheap helmet meets the same certification criteria as a more expensive one. So why would anyone buy an expensive helmet? For some people it's a matter of brand status or style. Fore me, it comes down to fit, comfort, and coolness.

I'm still using the same type of helmet I started with last year. It's a cheapie, costing about $30. When I bought it, it fit me great, was much cooler than any other helmet I had owned, and fit me well. In almost a year of use, though, the velcro that holds the headband in is starting to not have as much grab as it used to. I'll probably be getting a new helmet soon. But the type of helmet I have did a good job when it needed to (see below).

From that experience, my advice to anyone who is getting on a bike after being away from bikes for any length of time is to make sure you get a helmet. I think I was most at risk for an accident when I was just starting up again; it takes a while to become re-accustomed to being in the saddle and dealing with traffic.

I will probably be replacing that helmet soon, and having owned a cheapie, I'll be looking for one that fits a little better, has more secure adjustment and straps, and has better venting for coolness.

The following was first posted on my Doohickie blog on February 14, 2008:

The ups and downs of bicycle commuting
(or, taking it on the chin!)

I had my first mishap with my bicycle commute today (didn't take long, did it?) On my second attempt at riding my bike to work, I hit a hole that I didn't see and flew over the handle bars ZOMFG!

The damages: My helmet did its job and my skull is intact. My chin hit too though:


leaving my jaw swollen and giving me a temporary underbite this morning. It's better now, just a little sore. I also scraped my right wrist:


So far, that doesn't hurt too much. I also bumped my left knee and left pinky finger; they're sore but they'll be okay.

My bike..... well, I bent the fork:


I need to figure out what it's gonna take to fix it (possibly repairable or else a new fork).

Being healthy hurts!

A postscript: The helmet I bought, a $30 bike shop house brand model, broke on impact. It had a full replacement warranty. So even though it was broken when it was 6 days old, I got a replacement for free.

The bike was a bigger problem than I first thought. Shortly after the crash I noticed the frame itself was bent and for the cost to repair it I can buy a comparable one. It's a shame, since I bought that bike new in 1984 and it was still in excellent shape when I crashed it.

Coming soon: Step 2: Be seen!

The ups and downs of bicycle commuting

(or, taking it on the chin!)

I had my first mishap with my bicycle commute today (didn't take long, did it?) On my second attempt at riding my bike to work, I hit a hole that I didn't see and flew over the handle bars ZOMFG!

The damages: My helmet did its job and my skull is intact. My chin hit too though:


leaving my jaw swollen and giving me a temporary underbite this morning. It's better now, just a little sore. I also scraped my right wrist:


So far, that doesn't hurt too much. I also bumped my left knee and left pinky finger; they're sore but they'll be okay.

My bike..... well, I bent the fork:


I need to figure out what it's gonna take to fix it (possibly repairable or else a new fork).

Being healthy hurts!