Close Calls

Wow! I've had a few close calls but some idiot decided to rear end me at 55 mph in rush hour on my way to work this morning. Thankfully he didn't eject me from the bike and I was able to fight off the bump and maintain control, but fast lane, RH position, his tire hit my hard bag. Usually my close calls are my own fault, first time I've had something like this happen - what a wake up call!

 

Yikes. Amazing you were able to keep the bike up and straight.

 

One, you're very lucky! Two, was he/she tail gating you? The only time I ever get anybody that close to my 6 is when the 5-10 MPH traffic and we're crawling along or I'm sitting at a stoplight. How often do you check your your mirrors? Did the driver stop? What was his/her excuse?

 

That's some crazy shit there--- very lucky
Go buy a powerball
I ALWAYS check my mirrors constantly and if someone's to close I wave my had to back off--- 90% do.
Habit from bein a driver


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He had been behind me about 10 minutes in heavy traffic. I wasn't looking in my mirror when he bumped me as traffic was slowing in front of me so I was trying to gauge my distance in front. I hadn't touched my brakes (aka engaged my brake light) so perhaps that would have helped but who knows really. He didn't really have a good explanation of why he hit me - to be honest, I was pretty ticked as it wasn't necessary that it happened but just the same, I was simply glad I didn't come off.

He was good enough to stop - no evidence on his grill and given the rub mark & it being black, best guess it was his passenger tire that rubbed my bag. I checked my mirror when we touched in time to see him swerve to the left onto the shoulder! Pretty sure he was fiddling with his cell phone, radio, nav or whatever else he was paying attention to.

I ride quite a bit in heavy traffic and have for the past four year, never had any sort incident or even close call. I generally try to make as much space around me as I can but obviously today, I didn't do that good enough.

 

Glad ur ok.
I was on a Toys for Tots ride last Dec and was in a pack of about 30 bikes when a car slid between the pack to get a pic. I bike 2 in front of mine started to slow (from about 45-50) everyone slowly slowed down. I tapped my brakes just to let the guy behind me know as I wasnt brakeing much. I saw the guy behind me (Victory Vision) slow. The Civic rear ended a Honda Shadow. He launched and grabbed full throttle which made his bike slam into the Victory behind me. I saw in my mirror that he was coming fast. I was trapped between the bike in front and my buddy to the side. I countered streered hard right and almost cleared, but the Victory actually ran up my tire into my back and I went down. Luckily, I made it to the dirt before I hit. Had full kelvar gear on that day, thankfully. Broke both pinkie fingures is all! Destroyed my lollipops and few other plastics. The rest tightened or buffed out. This was on my M109R.
That is the scariest part about riding. Worrying about someone rear ending you. I always thought it would be at a stop though.
Good job.
Troy

 

Traffic was slowing in front of you and you didn't touch your brakes to activate your brake light? Even when I don't need them to slow down, I will often tap the rear just to make the light come on so the person behind me knows to slow down...many drivers only watch the vehicle in front of them, and don't react unless they see brake lights.

 

To warn those behind me, especially when leading group rides, I'll typically "flash" the brake lights by squeezing and releasing the front brake lever quickly. I'll also do this when in normal commuting traffic. Seems to work as usually you can see the person behind me drop further back.

 

On the freeway or the Lougheed. Scary stuff right there. Could have been much worse. I was out there myself today, maybe an hour later. Had a few close ones recently but no contact made.

We need to drink some beer at the Miller someday soon Brandon.

 

You bet - we keep talking about it lol. I was on Hwy 1 between the rest stop & the 264th street exit. Happened just before 7 am & You're absolutely right, it could have been a lot worse for sure. Lougheed is much more relaxing between Maple Ridge & Mission, but it does take a bit longer to commute. Fort Langley through to Abby is my go to Hwy 1 avoidance route.

 

Have a modulation device on my rear brake and LED top case lights--- always warning distracted tailgating cages and bikes as well--


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Good job keeping it on 2.
That usually minimizes the damage.

 

God bless you brother, that could have been serious. Ride safe.

 

Glad you are ok Brandon!

 

Your post is a good wake up call to all. Glad, like the rest that you are good to go.

 

Takes more than a mere tire rub on our hard cases to bump off us Chilliwackonians.