Another reason why I should ride in the middle of the lane

On my usual run back to my place this morning, I came off my bike about
1.5 hr ago at 0330

I had been thinking of some of the posts in this newsgroup (I do think
of strange things when I am riding) and this time I was riding on the
road shoulder. The road was rather dark - no street lights just my bike
light and whatever light there was from distant sources. I have ridden
this section of road many many times before and I usually ride in the
middle of the lane normally except this time.

As I got off the road shoulder to rejoin the lane, I noticed, in the
rather poor lighting available, that boundary (?) between the road
shoulder and the lane seemed very different. By the time it registered
in my brain, I had hit a very rough and bumpy groove, tried to control
the now bucking bike, but at around 27kph, I just simply couldn't do it.
I fell on the roadway, banging various bits of my body on various hard
bits of road and bike, and landing on my arse.

Luckily there were no cars at that time of the morning, so I quickly
picked up my bike and got onto the road shoulder again to recover.

Inspection of the accident cause shows that there seems to be some kind
of road works going on as there is a neat deep cut some 2cm wide and
some cms deep right on the edge between the roadway and the road
shoulder. Some bits of the road shoulder had basically disintegrated
into potholes here and there along that neat edge cut. My front wheel
had obviously caught on the cut edge and the pothole, if you know what I
mean.

My left ribs hurt My left pinkie hurts My right shoulder hurts
And I have lost my bike computer

I spent nearly an hour looking for the bike computer to no avail. Might
try again in the day time. I quite like that computer as I bought it
specifically to measure my cadence.

Next time I am gonna stick to riding in the middle of the lane.

On 2010-06-23, Geoff Lock (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
Inspection of the accident cause shows that there seems to be some kind
of road works going on as there is a neat deep cut some 2cm wide and
some cms deep right on the edge between the roadway and the road
shoulder. Some bits of the road shoulder had basically disintegrated
into potholes here and there along that neat edge cut. My front wheel
had obviously caught on the cut edge and the pothole, if you know what I
mean.

If there's any damage (you, the bike, the computer), consider having a
word with the council about their dangerous road works. Their legal
department may be interested in reimbursing you. It's worked for
former denizens of this froup such as Dutchy.

(I was amused driving on the M2 recently, that signs saying "dangerous
hazard for bicycles: grooved surface" were out on a narrow section of
shoulder and were thus themselves a hazard. Well done cocktards.)


--
TimC
If I'd known computer science was going to be like this, I'd never have
given up being a rock 'n' roll star. -- G. Hirst

TimC wrote:
On 2010-06-23, Geoff Lock (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

If there's any damage (you, the bike, the computer), consider having a
word with the council about their dangerous road works. Their legal
department may be interested in reimbursing you. It's worked for
former denizens of this froup such as Dutchy.

(I was amused driving on the M2 recently, that signs saying "dangerous
hazard for bicycles: grooved surface" were out on a narrow section of
shoulder and were thus themselves a hazard. Well done cocktards.)

I agree with that. It could also be a state govt controlled road
however. We got the excess reimbursed from our insurance claim after our
car was damaged in roadworks. All we did was write a letter and a cheque
arrived a few weeks later.

Peter

On 24/06/2010 7:11 AM, TimC wrote:
On 2010-06-23, Geoff Lock (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
Inspection of the accident cause shows that there seems to be some kind
of road works going on as there is a neat deep cut some 2cm wide and
some cms deep right on the edge between the roadway and the road
shoulder. Some bits of the road shoulder had basically disintegrated
into potholes here and there along that neat edge cut. My front wheel
had obviously caught on the cut edge and the pothole, if you know what I
mean.

If there's any damage (you, the bike, the computer), consider having a
word with the council about their dangerous road works. Their legal
department may be interested in reimbursing you. It's worked for
former denizens of this froup such as Dutchy.

Hm, I might do that because the computer cost me $129, which to me is a
lot of money.

(I was amused driving on the M2 recently, that signs saying "dangerous
hazard for bicycles: grooved surface" were out on a narrow section of
shoulder and were thus themselves a hazard. Well done cocktards.)

Broken bones heal, and chicks dig scars. :-)


BTH

--
Posted at www.usenet.com.au

On Jun 24, 5:02*am, Geoff Lock glock@home wrote:
On my usual run back to my place this morning, I came off my bike about
1.5 hr ago at 0330

I had been thinking of some of the posts in this newsgroup (I do think
of strange things when I am riding) and this time I was riding on the
road shoulder. The road was rather dark - no street lights just my bike
light and whatever light there was from distant sources. I have ridden
this section of road many many times before and I usually ride in the
middle of the lane normally except this time.

As I got off the road shoulder to rejoin the lane, I noticed, in the
rather poor lighting available, that boundary (?) between the road
shoulder and the lane seemed very different. By the time it registered
in my brain, I had hit a very rough and bumpy groove, tried to control
the now bucking bike, but at around 27kph, I just simply couldn't do it.
I fell on the roadway, banging various bits of my body on various hard
bits of road and bike, and landing on my arse.
snip

I spent nearly an hour looking for the bike computer to no avail. Might
try again in the day time. I quite like that computer as I bought it
specifically to measure my cadence.

Next time I am gonna stick to riding in the middle of the lane.

....and consider buying/making better lights? You can make right
halogen downlight based headlights quite cheaply. They might not look
as flash as some, but they work. Or buy some LED lights. Magicshine
from dealextreme.com or Geoman gear $100. Plenty of options
available.

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?...mqh9di59sv0es5
http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.905
http://www.thefathippy.com/lightstoc.htm

Tony F

thefathippy wrote:
On Jun 24, 5:02 am, Geoff Lock glock@home wrote:
On my usual run back to my place this morning, I came off my bike about
1.5 hr ago at 0330

I had been thinking of some of the posts in this newsgroup (I do think
of strange things when I am riding) and this time I was riding on the
road shoulder. The road was rather dark - no street lights just my bike
light and whatever light there was from distant sources. I have ridden
this section of road many many times before and I usually ride in the
middle of the lane normally except this time.

As I got off the road shoulder to rejoin the lane, I noticed, in the
rather poor lighting available, that boundary (?) between the road
shoulder and the lane seemed very different. By the time it registered
in my brain, I had hit a very rough and bumpy groove, tried to control
the now bucking bike, but at around 27kph, I just simply couldn't do it.
I fell on the roadway, banging various bits of my body on various hard
bits of road and bike, and landing on my arse.
snip

I spent nearly an hour looking for the bike computer to no avail. Might
try again in the day time. I quite like that computer as I bought it
specifically to measure my cadence.

Next time I am gonna stick to riding in the middle of the lane.

...and consider buying/making better lights? You can make right
halogen downlight based headlights quite cheaply. They might not look
as flash as some, but they work. Or buy some LED lights. Magicshine
from dealextreme.com or Geoman gear $100. Plenty of options
available.

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?...mqh9di59sv0es5
http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.905
http://www.thefathippy.com/lightstoc.htm

Tony F

That's all true, but it also helps to be awake and alert.

And also anticipate that the RTA and councils track record is dodgy.

I once wrecked an expensive rear rim on a bit of road repair which
had been saw cut (18 inches wide, 90 degree edge - no signs and
difficult to see), but not filled in completely.

I was alert enough to jump the front wheel, but the rear didn't get aerial
enough.

T.

On Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:29:18 -0700, thefathippy wrote:

...and consider buying/making better lights? You can make right halogen
downlight based headlights quite cheaply. They might not look as flash
as some, but they work. Or buy some LED lights. Magicshine from
dealextreme.com or Geoman gear $100. Plenty of options available.

You can make DX based lights for even less if you have existing batteries,
but the MagicShine is seriously good value. I do seem to remember that the
current model Hippy Lights have a manufacturers logo though, ya sellout!

--
Dave Hughes -
"Until we understand quantum gravity, we're not going to be
running Linux on a black hole" - Seth Lloyd

thefathippy wrote:

...and consider buying/making better lights? You can make right
halogen downlight based headlights quite cheaply.

Forget the halogen downlight crap. By all means use hippy's idea to
construct a headlight to take them, but get a long to a lighting centre
and pick up a Jadens MR16 LED Downlight and try them instead.

$19.95 each from my local centre today, and in 45deg and 70deg spread.
Box claims they approximate a 20w halogen*.
Current draw is 0.2A Vs 1.6A for a 20 Watt halogen

Light is 4200K and looks brighter than the 3200K similar 30 deg Kree
that cost me just under $40 a couple of years a go.

OTOH, the Cree claims 50K hours vs 30K hrs for the Jaden
Also, the Cree one I have draw 0.28Amps.


I am yet to ride with them so I can not comment on their real
suitability. It is the reduce battery demand and hence battery
weight/cost that interets me. Plus, I'm hoping they do not go Klink-
darkness like halogens can.

terryc wrote:

Plus, I'm hoping they do not go Klink- darkness like halogens can.

Three of us were out doing a century late last night and that's what
happened to the halogen user about ten minutes in. Luckily I had one of
those Eveready LED headlamps so we didn't have to turn back.

Beatiflul cool moonlit night for a ride too!