Knocked down...again...
 

This time in Griffith Park, early evening, where confused theater goers were trying to meander their way to the Greek Theater. An impatient black Honda Civic decided things weren't moving fast enough and while on her cell phone, the driver made a U-turn, the first half of which cut me off so that I ran promptly into her rear quarter panel, while during the second part of her U-turn she realized what she'd done and gunned it the **** away from the scene.

I'm fine, bike is too. I slightly bent the rear Mike Garcia hand-built rim by stepping on it while trying to keep from falling; hopefully the damage will true out.

This is the third time this year I've been knocked off the bike and some sort of damage has occurred. In all three cases, they were hit and run. Years ago, people used to show responsibility and stop. Not anymore.

To hell with L.A. and its drivers. :mad:

Glad you're OK. I took a rather big fall a few weeks ago on my blades. The passenger did actually get out of the car to see if I was OK. It's mostly kids not paying attention, owners that let their dogs wander across the path, letting the leash threaten to trip you or the larger ladies 3-4 wide, blocking the entire path.

Sorry to hear that. Glad the bike is OK, ahh... I mean you. Even if you had a lic plate #, is your word against hers and the cops will not do anything even if you were hurt. Ask me how I know. It even happen to my 930 once with another pick up truck on the 2 fwy. I will start riding slowly again in the park starting next week. Hope to see you there.

Jeff

you may want to carry a sidearm

I was thinking something like
http://luksavat.tripod.com/mace.jpg
or possibly

http://www.kingofswords.com/images/WoodQuadMace.jpg
You may still get knocked down, but every time they see the holes in their fender, they'll think "I won't do that again!!!" I bet they'll stop too.

Some guys carry these...
http://comps.fotosearch.com/bigcomps...5/OEMEN056.JPG
If they hit a windshield correctly, the whole thing shatters. Guess it's better than rocks.

Some camera in the neighborhood got that plane number. Have you filed a police report?

Ya know, those plugs can be used in this way that makes a motor run. ...which drives the wheel ...which gets you out of bad positions. ;)

Seriously, Cyclists around here are wearing helmet cams.

never do an enemy a small hurt.


lot of traffic weirdness lately. the cagers are getting dumber.

stay safe.

Yeah. I don't see how you guys on motorcycles do it. I see some guys tear-ass southbound on the 101 at about 50-60 mph through stopped traffic. That's crazed. :eek:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1250711690.gif

Loud pipes save lives....eat more Mexican food. :D

Seriously, glad you're OK. I got sideswiped once (no damage, though I ended up laying on the sidewalk) and that was enough for me. It's one thing to have a twist-grip and 600 lbs. of metal that will take you out of a bad situation in a hurry. It's another to have the acceleration of a Trabant and a mere 20 additional lbs. to your overall mass.

Oh, and just the idea of lanesplitting scares the bejeezus out of me. I'd never do it.

Hit-and-run is criminal. Feel morally-confident in any and all further investigation and actions.
My condolences on your location.

I cannot believe that the cops would take a hit and run lightly, in ohio there would be a manhunt until the driver was found......

Don't take this the wrong way, but being you've been hit multiple times is there something you are doing wrong? Sure you have every right to be on the road too, but something's amiss here......how often are you in traffic? Everyday? Congested area? Maybe you need to change your route, the helmet cam is a good idea.....
You need to watch out for yourself, as no one else is obviously, stay safe :)

Sorry about that, I hate to see that happen.... You should get a a helment cam, then you would have here tag on film....

Angry Cyclists Strike Back!

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/ph...8/48741622.jpg

From today's paper (love the part about the concealed weapon...I woulda shot as soon as the mo-fo grabbed my neck):

Cyclist Attacked Lexus Driver in Boca Raton, Police Say, Motorist Says Riders Kicked and Punched his Car

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

6:07 p.m. EDT, August 19, 2009


BOCA RATON - A 69-year-old Delray Beach man found out the perils of not doing enough for bicyclists to think he was sharing the road with them.

A group of angry cyclists confronted him last week, accusing him of passing them too closely on State Road A1A in Boca Raton.

According to Boca Raton police, one cyclist reached into the car, grabbed Miles Barish and threatened to beat him while other cyclists punched and kicked his 2008 Lexus convertible.

The cyclist, Thomas McDonald, 50, of Lighthouse Point, was arrested and charged with simple assault and battery on a person older than 65. He also was charged with burglary.

McDonald could not be reached to comment, despite attempts by phone.

"I didn't even know it was coming," Barish said of the cyclists' reaction.

He was heading to dinner on A1A with his convertible top down Aug. 13 when he came upon a group of cyclists riding in front of him. They were taking up the entire lane, he said. He tapped his horn a couple of times to let them know he was passing, Barish said.

He said he went into the opposite lane, passed the group and then stopped for the traffic light at Palmetto Park Road. That's when he felt someone grab his neck from behind, he said.

"He said I came too close to him and I could have injured him," Barish said. "I didn't clip anybody. They surrounded my car. They walked on the hood of my car. They kicked in the doors."

Some witnesses, according to a police report, said Barish hit one of the bicycles as he was passing the group of cyclists.

McDonald told police he never touched Barish and was trying to calm everyone down. He said Barish hit him on the jaw.

Bob Sabin, president of the Boca Raton Bicycle Club, said drivers often pass cyclists too closely, sometimes clipping them with their side-view mirrors without the driver realizing it.

"People usually don't do it intentionally," said Sabin, who doesn't know McDonald or the group he rides with. "They come a lot closer a lot of the time."

When that happens or when a car suddenly cuts off a cyclist, "you feel like someone is trying to kill you," he said. "I know I've gotten hot under the collar when that happens."

But attacking motorists isn't the answer, he added.

And the bicyclists might not have been following the rules of the road. Barish told police about 30 cyclists were taking an entire lane. According to state law, it's illegal to for cyclists to obstruct traffic by riding more than two abreast.

West Palm Beach cyclist Raphael Clemente said he used to participate in the twice-weekly group ride involved in the Aug. 13 dispute. But he stopped because of the hostility between cyclists and motorists resulting from the cyclists' rude behavior, he said.

"It increases the level of friction when cyclists act like that," he said.

Barish said his car has about $4,000 damage, with dents and scratches on parts of it, including the hood and trunk. Even a speaker was torn out, he said.

He said he isn't angry about the incident and thinks the cyclists were lucky. Barish, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, was carrying a gun that day.

"In another minute or so I was going to take out my gun and take a couple of them out," he said. "I don't think the whole road belongs to them."

Well, cops are rare in L.A. these days. For a population of over 35,000 people in Studio City, there are only two patrol cars assigned to the area, which is about 20 square miles. So if you're hit on your bike, your best bet for assistance is a good Samaritan.

Am I doing something wrong? Clearly I am. I'm riding a bike.

Change my route? May as well change my god damned state (which increasingly comes as not a bad idea).

Come to Missouri. Awesome place for road biking.

Tour of Missouri is coming through here, probably past my house, here in a few weeks. Lots of big names, I can't wait. Last year was excellent.

I need to get back into cycling. My ass is out of shape.

i am a mean vengeful person by nature. and see idiot behavior from motorists almost daily. but on the bike i'm simply moving too fast. by the time i get arm out and finger extended i'm already ten cars ahead.

just no time for road rage on my part.


bicycles amaze me. all the vulnerability of a bike. none of the speed.

Then Florida story is a lot like the "events" in SF. Big groups of cyclists obstruct traffic and beat up on folks if they don't bow to the mob.

Sadly, this sounds a lot like the thread with the pack of dogs killing the elderly couple.:(

EDIT: And I have had a car turn left in front of me, and lost my bike/had a visit to ER complete with neck protection and stitches, crutches etc. But the single bicyclist is a lot different than a group. Visibility (or being noticed at least) is the big deal.

95% of drivers are so oblivious it's just unbelievable. Back when I used to ride quite a bit, I got clipped and run off the road several times. In most cases the driver did not stop and probably did not even realize what they'd done. And I'm talking about riding per the traffic laws, in broad daylight, not zinging around in the middle of the street at night like I see some maniacs doing.

Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that but I'm really glad you're ok. Back when I was riding to Universal, I got either clipped or turned into 3 times by moronic drivers normally texting or checking email on their crackberries. Not one time did they stop. Once a motorcycle cop saw the incident, came over to me and asked me if I was alright but didn't do anything to the driver because they had already turned into the parking lot. Man I was pissed!! I looked for the car so I could give it some "special" attention but trying to find a particular BMW 3 series on a movie studio lot is like trying to find a particular bean in a burrito!

Take care out there and maybe I'll see you riding in Griffith Park one day. I usually do it around 10:30 am.

Michael

Sorry to hear about that. Glad you are OK.

Meet me at the top of Barham descending down to Forest Lawn. Bring your helmet. I'll bring the bike. 50 mph on 18 lbs will have your sphincter tickling your tonsils if you've never done it before. :D

Thanks, Markus, and everyone else.

Rear wheel is all out of whack, so currently the Bilatto/LeMond is out of commission. Next up on the roster: Colnago Super. :D

Let's do the Rose Bowl Thurs. night. Hella' fun! :cool:

I never did a two-wheel drift across two lanes/railroad tracks until decending Twin Peaks in S.F. after passing several cars.
Too old now for that bravado nowadays. Mabye they will sell breathable lightweight armour.....

10:30am? Are you a strong rider? I need to start riding again. I have been out of anytype of riding for a 5-6 years now. I might catch you out there next week and suck some wheel.

I don't even think these cycling menaces should be on the road. They should put on their gay little cycling suits and ride their $5,000 carbon fiber pieces of crap in parks and on trails.

There are no words to describe the world of hurt that i would unleash on one of these douches if they laid a hand on me or my vehicle.

At least you know you're in the wrong.

Try aerobics, its just as good exercize, won't get you ran over, and you wont obstruct traffic. ;)

+1

Well, to be completely fair, the paper just released a video interview of the car driver. He appears to be typical of SoFLA...gold-chains, pinkie-ring wearing, New Yawk ex-pat & self-centered (ethnicity deleted) geezer.

So, it appears this was a case of two classic d-bags crossing paths...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=162e1880-1fb7-4488-80b4-25d311cd159c&src=front

Are you doing the bowl ride? I was there pushing my kids in the stroller this tuesday. I still get chills down my neck everytime I see or hear them. Crazy, I saw a recombent (sp?) or whatever you call those nut cases riding something like that in a group ride. You can't control those thing. Bad enough they take tri bikes on a group ride, now that piece of garbage. This guy had a set of deep dish carbon wheels on it. Fuuuuch.


If you are doing the Bowl ride, you gotta do the Montrose ride. How are you in the hills and the rollies? Its a much longer ride, and they will pound you. Most of them are pretty good riders, not like the bowl.


Do you need some help with those wheels. I have a Park truing stand if you need it. I might be able to help you true it up if its not too bad out of round. It should n't be unless its crashed bad.

Jeff

Wrong? Oh boy: this should be good. Explain to me how I was "wrong?" Let's hear it...

Not my cup of tea.

But back to this:
...explain it, if you can...

I was in your neighborhood the other day, westbound on Franklin toward Cahuenga. I had more speed than I needed cutting through that fer-crap traffic.

Those are great to watch as a spectator. You just want both of them to pummel each other to death. :D

Didn't you openly state it was your own fault for riding on the highways? :D

Thanks for the offer with the wheels, Jeff. I'm taking them to Bicycle John's. Don built the bike, so he knows the components. Plus who knows what's involved with them - they're hand-built and weigh 1400 grams as a pair. I may unload them as I flex the rims on sprints and steep climbs which does me no good. Maybe I need heavier/stronger rims. I can take the penalty as the bike weighs about 18 to 19 lbs.

Rose Bowl -- yeah, I've been dabbling. Damn Cat 1s keep showing up and setting pace, which is just fuvcked for all others. I'm lucky if I can stay on for two laps. The trick is to start with those guys and not lose the peloton. If you can suck wheel and lessen energy loss by not getting into the wind, you're good. Downside is you don't get a workout by any means by drafting for seven to ten laps. If you want to work, just pedal on your own, or get in a small two-three man pace line.

Montrose - everyone's been telling me to check it out. My climbing's improving. I owe part of that to the 42-23 I've been working out with. :D

I don't ride on highways.

Any public road is considered a highway in police jargon.

That's quite needless information. But thanks...SmileWavy