The Chainlink

What was your scariest cycling experience?

The weekend after Nixon was reelected, i decided it would be a good idea to ride out to DeKalb to console a friend at Northern. At about 3:30 that Saturday AM, i left from Harlem/Touhy aboard my trusty LaPierre, in my bluejeans and sweatshirt with an armband light, a nylon windbreaker in my seatpack, and a Tribune roadmap. As i recall, it was a mild November up till then, although it was drizzling a bit after some thunderstorms that previous evening.

Somewhere around Schaumburg, the rain really kicked in. The temp slid into the upper 40s. The jacket was useless. The roads -many were still gravel then - were flooded out here and there. By dawn, somewhere outside of South Elgin i believe, hypothermia began to set in.

Now here i was on the roadside in Bum F*** Kane county. There was NOTHING but cornfields out there at the time, and i was shivering uncontrolably. i had just enough presence of mind to stick my thumb out and some guardian angel crammed me and my bike into his VW beatle. He must've thought i was a junkie the way i was shivering. He took me all the way to my friend's dorm (West Neptune Hall.) It took another 3-4 hours to stop shivering.

Could've died out there that day...

Scarier than any bike/car encouter i've had before or since.

Your horror story?

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Permalink Reply by Leah Jone on June 28, 2012 at 12:27pm

I think that crash was your superhero origin story! Last week didn't you block a taxi from running after hitting a cyclist?



122782_ said:

May 8, 2012 - Lady decided she needed the Kinzie bike lane more than me, bounced off of her car and then again off of the pavement with my forehead.  Two doctors told me the helmet probably saved my life.  Thankfully, I have decent insurance because she took off.  Enjoy the dent in your car!

Permalink Reply by Dave Jacque on June 28, 2012 at 12:34pm

Or maybe, just thinkin' out loud here, put some brakes on the bike? ;-)

Chris Horner said:

working as a courier, I was carrying a heavy rush delivery, a bunch of law books from an office in the Prudential tower up at the top of the hill on Randolph, it was heavy as shit, they were all hardcover books and the corners of them were jammed into my back. so I hop on my bike and I'm barreling down Randolph towards Michigan coming down the huge hill between cars, riding brakeless or course, and I drop my chain. I'm just flying at this point and with all that weight on me, the light turns red, of course, and the Michigan traffic starts coming and there's no way I'm gonna stop. I tried dragging my toes but it was useless, and I just went straight into the traffic, just cut through trying to make a lane, veering one way and then the other, getting honked at and screamed at and my chain just dragging the street--I was fucking terrified, I was sure I'd get hit, I just hoped I'd roll up the hood of the car and not get knocked to the ground and run over, but somehow I made it through and came out the other side of Michigan in one piece and coasted to a stop half way to Wabash. Some kid drinking a Slurpee looks at me and he just says, "dude, what the fuck!" I didn't know what to do. I just started laughing. Like really laughing out loud. He must have thought I was insane. Then I put my chain back on and made the drop. That was around the time that I decided maybe I had a shitty job and I should think about doing something else.
Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on June 28, 2012 at 12:37pm

That's why I avoid cycling though rough areas. There is no way in hell I'd cycle through Austin or Englewood. Heck, I hate DRIVING through Austin.
 
Timothy Hager said:

I've had a couple of bad accidents, but the scariest didn't actually leave any physical marks.  I was riding home from where I work in Oak Park and it was a particularly nasty evening in January complete with freezing rain.  I was riding eastbound on Division at about 5200W and someone that I hadn't even noticed stepped off the curb very quickly and punched me in the face.  Luckily, I kept my seat, but it was the first time I had had a problem on my bike where the other party was actually intending to hurt me.  Normally it's just people who aren't paying attention.  After talking to the people at my LBS, I have adjusted my route since, but the "what ifs" in this situation still scare me to think about.

Permalink Reply by blair on June 28, 2012 at 1:06pm

It was a guy on his motorcycle - collided with a cab at Wells/Kinzie.  Just a few blocks from my hit-and-run.  I honestly can't say whose fault it was as it happened about ten feet behind me on my ride into work.  Called 911 and helped the guy on the motorcycle out of the intersection.  Turned around and the cab (#1400) was about to drive off.  "He hit me!  I don't have to stay here."  It was like watching my own accident play out all over again.  I blocked him by standing in front of his cab until the firetruck arrived.  Stupid, maybe?  But I wasn't about to let the same thing happen to this guy.

Leah Jone said:

I think that crash was your superhero origin story! Last week didn't you block a taxi from running after hitting a cyclist?

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on June 28, 2012 at 3:59pm

In 1991 I was on an out and back brevet between Lake Zurich and Plateville, Wisconsin, and was traveling on a two-lane county trunk with very sparse traffic and a steep, rock-strewn shoulder. I was using aerobars, and was in my own little randonneuring zone when I heard an approaching car. I looked up and saw not one, but two cars-one passing the other and each occupying one of the only two lanes which made up the road. The driver of the passing vehicle looked as surprised as I must have looked, but at least I knew he saw me. I looked again at the virtually non-existent shoulder and decided to just hold my line, between the white line that bordered the road and the drop off to the shoulder. Both cars passed me at 65+ mph, and it was a pretty terrifying view. Good thing I was wearing a helmet, eh?

 

Permalink Reply by Derek on June 28, 2012 at 5:00pm

A few different times I've been biking home after dark (well lit front and back) only to have a speeding 80's style full sized van breeze by me in the bike lane.  I'm relatively certain it's the same off white PoS van and they must be outta their minds on something.  I watch them swerve and wobble all over the road in and out of the bike lane as they race on never touching the breaks... That scares the sh*t outta me.

Permalink Reply by mike w. on June 28, 2012 at 5:04pm

Yow. i'd think about changing my route...
 
Derek said:

A few different times I've been biking home after dark (well lit front and back) only to have a speeding 80's style full sized van breeze by me in the bike lane.  I'm relatively certain it's the same off white PoS van and they must be outta their minds on something.  I watch them swerve and wobble all over the road in and out of the bike lane as they race on never touching the breaks... That scares the sh*t outta me.

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on June 28, 2012 at 6:01pm

A woman is walking her 6 unleashed weimereiners at Belmont Harbor's point. They go after me. I stop. The cement wall is on my right, one in front of me, one to my left, one behind me, two on my left, growling ten feet away and another seated behind those two and enjoying the scene unfold. I shout at her to control her dogs, so she shouts and they do nothing. I repeated my request and she calls me a crabby old man. I called 911 and they sent a squad and ticketed her. Now, she is the crabby one.

Permalink Reply by mike w. on June 28, 2012 at 6:48pm

"But my dogs are so well behaved, they don't need to be on leashes..."
Gotta love those entitled dog-walkers.

Hope there was a separate fine for each pooch.

Gene Tenner said:

A woman is walking her 6 unleashed weimereiners at Belmont Harbor's point. They go after me. I stop. The cement wall is on my right, one in front of me, one to my left, one behind me, two on my left, growling ten feet away and another seated behind those two and enjoying the scene unfold. I shout at her to control her dogs, so she shouts and they do nothing. I repeated my request and she calls me a crabby old man. I called 911 and they sent a squad and ticketed her. Now, she is the crabby one.

Permalink Reply by Eric B on June 28, 2012 at 8:35pm

This is more hilarious than scary...Several weeks ago I acquired clip in shoes/pedals for my bike. On the Very First Ride with my new gear I stopped normally at a red light.  When I started to lean over realization quickly turned to panic as I, feet securely locked in, thudded sideways to the pavement in the clear view of several onlooking pedestrians.  So with a bruised ego I learned the hard way, lying in the road and thankful there was no oncoming car, how to twist my foot just so to free myself.

Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on June 28, 2012 at 9:08pm

This just happened to me last week. Last Friday was my first ride with SPD pedals - I came to a 'T' intersection where all cars stopped and nobody knew who had the right of way. Instead of clipping out like I should, I pulled hard on the brakes. The funniest/worst feeling is tipping over and knowing there is nothing you can do.

There happened to be a young woman on her porch right there who said "First time clipless? I been there!!" It was funny, yet reassuring.


Eric said:

This is more hilarious than scary...Several weeks ago I acquired clip in shoes/pedals for my bike. On the Very First Ride with my new gear I stopped normally at a red light.  When I started to lean over realization quickly turned to panic as I, feet securely locked in, thudded sideways to the pavement in the clear view of several onlooking pedestrians.  So with a bruised ego I learned the hard way, lying in the road and thankful there was no oncoming car, how to twist my foot just so to free myself.

Permalink Reply by Kelly on June 29, 2012 at 6:35am

I was biking to work in January, and it had just iced over. It was right in front of St. Sylvester's school on Palmer. The bike lane was full of double parked cars as usual, so I signaled early to slowly make my way over to the left turn lane. An SUV came speeding up behind me to get through the green light and sideswept me. I spun out of control, flew off the bike and slammed my knee into the ground. Person drove off and no one offered to help me.

I also had a woman threaten to run myself and my three year old over because I dinged my bell and said, "On your left!" as I passed. She had been parked in the middle of Kedzie Blvd for more than five minutes talking to someone, and I didn't want to wait any longer. I think that might have been her scariest moment when I parked the bike, walked over to her with my u-lock and threatened to bash her head in if she ever deemed it appropriate to say that to a cyclist again.

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