So I've had a rather interesting/frightening morning today. I got a phone call from my friend's near hysterical girlfriend telling me that her boyfriend had just been knocked off his bike in a hit and run. They were on their way to UCLA med. center (i didn't know they had emergency services) as the accident was nearby (santa monica and something), and I got the call to pick them up because I was the only person they knew who had a bike rack. I was completely freaked out the entire time that I was driving up, but long story short my friend is doing alright, he lost a ton of skin from his bicep down to his wrist, but should recover fine. I think he is going to his regular doctor to have a follow up and perhaps stitch a section that seems a bit deeper. His bike didn't fare so well, the front wheel got run over and the fork is completely bent. The reason his road rash is so bad is that I guess he got dragged by the honda accord that drifted into him, knocking him off. I'm happy he's alright, but man it was a scary phone call this morning.
Man that gave me goose bumps reading this. Hope he has a speedy recovery and they find whoever did this to him. They should be charged with attempted vehicular manslaughter or something
I still love to do it, but road riding can be very dangerous. At least when I crash off road I'm not going to be dragged by a tree or boulder. Speedy recovery to your friend!!
I can't believe someone would leave another person laying in the streets like that. What a cold mother f-er. If I saw that happening, I would go after him and then god help him. It would be ugly. I would probably end up in the slammer. Sucks.
Yeah, I think the honda driver needs an arse whoopin' after he's dragged. That's so wrong. Glad your friend is ok and you can replace the bike.
I totally would have sprinted and chased down the car if I was there, but I just got the call asking if I could pick him up. I'm sure he'll be back on the road soon, and perhaps one day I'll convince him that he should start heading out to the dirt. I didn't get to see the arm as it was all bandaged up, but from what I heard it was some pretty gnarly road rash.
What's sad is no one bothered to take down the person's license plate number. There had to be other cars or people around. That is why I refuse to buy a road bike. Too many assholes out there.
Sorry to hear about the accident, glad your friend is okay. The streets are brutal...I prefer the woods.
Cougars in the woods are safer than cars on the street... I'm a true believer in Karma..the driver will get his.. Hope your friend heals well!
Not entirely uncommon, I was sideswiped by a Cadillac, broke the mirror off the car as it tossed me to the ground. I thought I broke my arm from the impact with the mirror. As I looked up from the ground dazed I saw the car stopped about 100 yds down the road with the person looking back, as I sat up to look at their license number they sped off. The kicker was someone going the other way in a car saw what happened and called the police, when the police and fire tucks arrived the Police were such assholes that one of the fireman apologized. Turns out he rode road bikes too.
I've logged over 30,000 miles on the road and have seen a number of accidents, they do happen, but I've seen just as much damage in the dirt as I have in the street. Both types of riding are dangerous and accidents do happen. Sorry to hear about your bud, but if he's anything like the riders I know he'll be back to riding as soon as he can. My recent run in with a vehicle happened over a year ago as I was riding my mtb home from a local trail. Similar to the description of this one, but the driver stopped and was so darned concerned I couldn't help not being angry. He did buy me some new bars and pedals, plus threw in a hunderd bucks that I kept telling him wasn't necessary.
Dutch, sorry about your friend hope he is OK. Sorry Mike, I don't buy the street is as safe argument. To date I have not been hit by a drunk MTBer. Now I can name some fellow MTBers, but they are faster than me so I don't have to worry about then hittting me. Dean
Dean, when was the last time a roadie fell off a cliff? And I know the mtb'ers you speak off, and they have been known to take extended breaks and end up behind us on occasion. But I'll give you the road is dangerous, but so is the dirt. Kind of irks me when I see people saying it all the time though. We had a guy get hit yesterday from behind from an inattentive driver. Lady was on her cell and ran smack into a rider. He crashed into her windshield and they took him away in an ambulance. He'd lost consiousness but had regained it shortly thereafter, but couldn't move.... I sure hope it's temporary.
If you play guitar, you may have heard of the Gracie stand for your guitar... I know the man that invented it, John Gracie, a neighbor of mine when I was growing up. A road biker, he got clipped by a car, out in West Hills, has brain damage, and spent 3 years in rehabilitation, and he's still not the same man he used to be. He's no longer "all there, upstairs". All due to a careless driver. The laws of physics don't favor the road biker vs car scenario.
Here's the difference. Mountain bikers take the risk themselves. THey knowingly go into whatever risk they decide to take. Road bikers do not have a choice. No matter how careful they are, all it takes is some chick doing her makeup or speeding on the way to a sale at the mall for you to get owned. Big difference there. If I'm going out, I want my last words to be, "Hey Watch This!", as I go careening off the cliff I tried to jump. At least I chose to go out in style. I don't think getting dragged under a soccer mom's Suburban is my way of going out.
Pain Freak's story happened to be a careless woman but just to be fair, I've seen many guys shaving, reading the morning paper or just plain acting like Mr. Big Shot (and almost been hit by as many while driving - I don't road bike) as many times as I've seen Suicidal Molly applying make up. It's not a gender issue, it's common sense and a carlessness for laws and the people around you.
Dutch, thanks for the posts and I hope your friend heals up quickly. This is another perfect example of why I avoid roadbiking... hell, i'm even paranoid of drivers when I end a MTBike ride with a short stint on the road. I have a good friend who was crossing PCH on a beach cruiser (in a legal crosswalk) and got nailed by a girl in a BMW who was talking on a cell phone. She didn't even hang-up after she hit him! Just kept blabbing away... a cop finally forced her to end the call! Two knee surgeries later, he's 'healed'... the driver was under-insured, so my friend basically had to use his own insurance/etc. :-s I enjoy roadriding, but no thanks... too risky. 92se-r sums it up nicely. I'll accept the consequences of going over the edge of a steep trail because of my own error as opposed to certain injury/death due to the negligence of an automobile driver any day. [-(
thanks for the post. reality check is good. i will ride more careful on the way to work. i used to ride motorcycles and i got ran off the road too many times by people who change lanes without looking. i have been involved with the victums of hit and i am glad we never found out who they were beause i would of ended up in jail which would of sucked. do you know what a center punch is? its supposed to be a tool you use with a drill. but what its was really desgined for is to hold in your hand as you ride pass a car and scratch the paint or window, or punch on a window and shatter it to pieces:bang: i get pissed when people run me off the road and thats another reason i stopped riding because one day, i will run into someone with a gun.:lol:
