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103 Posts
I had a scare earlier today. I was riding on a nice curvy road, two-lanes, marked with double-yellow lines most of the way, and has no shoulder. As one of my favorite roads, it's also a favorite of serious bicyclists, the guys on the road bikes who look like they're training for Le Tour. Anyway, I'm riding about 50 mph, and approaching me is a guy on a bicycle, riding in his lane about 2 feet from the pavement edge. Behind him is an SUV, closing fast. I prepare for the worst, as I always do in this situation--and d**n (can we say that here?) if it doesn't happen. The driver of the SUV--who I now identify as a woman with a mobile phone stuck to her ear--swings around the bicycle. But she doesn't just give him a few feet, she gives him the whole lane, and suddenly she is squarely centered in my lane, aimed at me head on. Tearing my gaze away from her front bumper, I flick the bike to the right, barely avoid doing some agricultural motorcycling, and miraculously thread the eye of the needle, recovering my senses enough to flip her the "you're number 1" sign with my left hand.
Now that I've had a chance to reflect--and change my underwear--I remember I did see the SUV driver's eyes, and I do swear she never looked at me. While I was wearing black leathers and had my headlight on low beam, the weather was partly sunny, my Monster is yellow, and I was wearing my Arai sport yellow helmet. How could she not have seen me? Or maybe she just didn't give a s**t?
As I said, I've imagined this very thing happening on this road because of the many bicycles, limited-visibility curves, and absence of shoulders. But even so, I think I was very lucky.
I'm thinking of getting a hi-viz lime-green vest....
Now that I've had a chance to reflect--and change my underwear--I remember I did see the SUV driver's eyes, and I do swear she never looked at me. While I was wearing black leathers and had my headlight on low beam, the weather was partly sunny, my Monster is yellow, and I was wearing my Arai sport yellow helmet. How could she not have seen me? Or maybe she just didn't give a s**t?
As I said, I've imagined this very thing happening on this road because of the many bicycles, limited-visibility curves, and absence of shoulders. But even so, I think I was very lucky.
I'm thinking of getting a hi-viz lime-green vest....