I´ve been accusing THE BIRDS for pecking into my apples, turns out it was THE GERMANS

by michilio

7 comments

  1. To the VW who couldn’t wait 5s for a red light until the railway barriers had completely risen and then had to wait 500m later at a roundabout with 5 cars before him: ha!

  2. Cycle has been totaled, though somehow I withstood two impacts without falling. Unfortunately the second impact directed me into a hole with way too much kinetic energy, the cycle didn’t survive it.

    I’d like to ask opinions about both situations.

    First case.

    I’m cycling on [a major road](https://www.google.com/maps/@50.4868573,3.7377387,3a,75y,137.29h,79.95t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1syEzI0lopuaGLoWnKzR_hWQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D10.047272633041885%26panoid%3DyEzI0lopuaGLoWnKzR_hWQ%26yaw%3D137.292252500617!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgyNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D), which has cycle paths on the side. This cycle path is obstructed, because (I assume) town workers are trimming plants on the edge. I aim to leave at least 150cm between me and them, because the law asks me to pass at least 150cm from pedestrians outside agglomerations. I maintain 35km/h speed, thanks to the downhill, though this is a 90km/h road.

    Precisely at the time I was left of the workers’ truck, a convertible car passes me, causing a truck in the opposite direction to honk and come to a stop. The convertible car dodges the truck, honking back, and shoves me to the right. I take a hit to my bags on the back, as I also swerve right.

    Second case.

    I’m cycling on [a major road](https://www.google.com/maps/@50.472697,3.9076351,3a,75y,129.54h,83.46t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1serY1fifM6aJtsR0HOZ8zaw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D6.536329893414873%26panoid%3DerY1fifM6aJtsR0HOZ8zaw%26yaw%3D129.543415725557!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgyNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D), which doesn’t have any kind of cycle paths. The road surface is extremely bad, but the speed limit is only 50km/h. There is a nearly 2-kilometers long queue of cars in the opposite direction due to road works. I ride about 80-120cm from the right edge of the road, dodging the numerous potholes in this road and the sometimes lifted edge, at about 20km/h.

    An American-style SUV comes up, squeezes between the opposing cars (some of them honking) and myself, actually bumping on my arm and then on my entire side, and pushing. I receive a lot of speed from the impact, take a pothole at about 36km/h, somehow do not fall… though come to a nearly immediate stop as my tire has been blown, my wheel bent, and my steering screw shattered. Somehow I myself am not even scratched. Just my shoulder hurts from the slam into a parked car.

    Do you have anything to suggest that I could do in the future? My current plan is simply to never go to Mons again. This sort of incident happens too often. I can’t find safe routes. I really thought this time would be the end of me.

    For now, guess I’ll try to un-bend a wheel. I wanted to learn mechanics either way.

  3. I just cannot bring myself to get behind my computer today.

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