tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post4620049929529019584..comments2023-05-14T10:26:33.196-04:00Comments on ZOMGBicycles!: Batavus Takes a Licking!margonautehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12344154551030656676noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-54281164031965764532010-05-30T10:30:31.692-04:002010-05-30T10:30:31.692-04:00I am very glad you are ok.
As I survivor of a bik...I am very glad you are ok. <br />As I survivor of a bike crash, I am asking you to look after that neck stiffness. If you can afford physiotherapy, go. I am still dealing with cervical spine crankiness nine years later.Soxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09264864517875161020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-74342344206736731312010-05-26T23:52:45.386-04:002010-05-26T23:52:45.386-04:00If nothing else, you'll get a lot of drivers w...If nothing else, you'll get a lot of drivers wondering what you're up to (but at least they'll know you're there) :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-38386917808565091852010-05-26T23:47:55.728-04:002010-05-26T23:47:55.728-04:00Thanks for all the concerns! As sprightly as I fe...Thanks for all the concerns! As sprightly as I felt yesterday, it was a slightly different story today, with aches and stiffness all over, especially in the neck. I did go in to get that checked on this afternoon, since one of my co-workers panicked when I mentioned neck pain, but it's nothing serious. Just uncomfortable, like the day after a night on a bad pillow (that weighs two tons and knocks you down on the pavement! :-) No, not that bad really).<br /><br />C + H: I don't know if my bell would've been loud enough; there was no time to use it. I actually remember thinking, as I went from "hey, thanks for letting me by" to "holy what, you're going now??" that I wanted to ring my bell to get her attention. But before the thought could be translated into action, I was already falling over. It was so quick, I didn't even have a chance to yell. Maybe I'll start waving to every car I pass in this kind of scenario, so that way I'll either get their attention and/or just seem really friendly!margonautehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12344154551030656676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-29797181305773117022010-05-26T15:45:09.984-04:002010-05-26T15:45:09.984-04:00Oh man!
Sorry to hear about your crash- am glad to...Oh man!<br />Sorry to hear about your crash- am glad to hear that you're OK!<br />Did you get a police report? I'm guessing that if they called an ambulance, they would have done a crash report, although if they had their "rent a cop" hats on, they might not have.<br />A crash report is important if you want to get damages from the insurance, otherwise it's she said-she said, and motorists have the tendency to change their stories when they're not having to look you in the eye (or look at your bleeding elbow). I'll second Portlandize about getting the rack replaced if you can get them to pony up- it's surprisingly tough to find durable replacement racks for dutch bikes- they're mostly made by Azor, a company with no retail presence here. <br /><br />I'll politely disagree with the folks above, but this kind of low speed urban crash is exactly why I wear a helmet when riding crowded city streets. Saw a guy hit an icy pothole last winter and go down sideways- his helmet literally bounced off the ground. It's totally up to you of course, and I wouldn't encourage anyone not to cycle if they just couldn't bear the idea of a helmet. I just make my living with my brain and would hate to have it damaged in a stupid little fender-(literally) bender. I think my helmet is cute, and it fits well, and I literally forget I'm wearing it all the time. <br /><br />Even better than a bell is a heartfelt "OY!" or "Hey" I had a noisy enough bell that cars could hear it, but it ended up scaring the bejeezus out of pedestrians. A good bellow gets a driver's attention and helps vent any pent up aggression you might be harboring. <br /><br />PS- I love the name Frieda. It calls to mind Norse Goddesses and magical realism, and to a lesser extent unibrows :)cyclerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10331461189944538729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-31769224581391262772010-05-26T14:42:47.585-04:002010-05-26T14:42:47.585-04:00Oh and echoing portlandize, your bicycle is hott.Oh and echoing portlandize, your bicycle is hott.Herzognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-14116799233111765782010-05-26T14:41:25.675-04:002010-05-26T14:41:25.675-04:00Sorry to read about your accident. I too would enc...Sorry to read about your accident. I too would encourage you not to change your helmet habits.<br /><br />Do you have a loud enough bell? I like to give mine a little ring in ambiguous situations like this -- it works pretty well around this time of year, since many drivers have open windows.Herzognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-61709412515274306522010-05-26T12:27:32.918-04:002010-05-26T12:27:32.918-04:00Glad to hear you came out alright, and that the pe...Glad to hear you came out alright, and that the person actually cared they hit you. Not that I want people to be in agony over a minor injury, but it's just nice when someone is honestly concerned, because being hit by a car, even if you don't suffer any major physical injuries, is psychologically disturbing.<br /><br />The only thing I'd really be worried about getting fixed on that is the rear rack, since being bent, it probably won't hold as much weight. The rest does add character in a sense :) You've gotten, in 10 minutes, to where most bikes are after several years being ridden and banged against bike racks and falling over.<br /><br />I'd echo Velouria in urging you not to let this incident make you put a helmet on all the time. After all, you sustained no injuries anywhere close to your head, right? Wearing a helmet in this situation would have made no difference whatsoever. Don't lose that sense of freedom you have on a bike, it's important.<br /><br />The fryslan is beautiful, I hope you have many years of joy together :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-90825629808830759232010-05-26T09:30:21.870-04:002010-05-26T09:30:21.870-04:00Can I first just say how flattered I am to have my...Can I first just say how flattered I am to have my two favorite bicycle bloggers in the comments? <br /><br />V: I'd never heard of using lights for that, but I will certainly keep it in mind now!! And I don't think I would replace Frida with a new model even if given the opportunity. Her slight imperfections make her more uniquely mine. I've always liked battle scars like that-- like a cat with notches missing from his ear! Scrappy!<br /><br />D: The poor girl was just shaking and crying the whole time, and she was obviously horrified. Meanwhile, I was able to continue on the gym (my original destination) after we wrapped everything up. I was actually hit as a pedestrian in almost the exact same situation a few years ago. In that case, I was so shocked by what had happened that I didn't even get the woman's information; and she seemed entirely unrepentant----- for knocking a person down on the street with her car!! Now that's something to get steamed about. Anyway, I imagine that my previous experience was part of what helped me handle this accident so well. :-)margonautehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12344154551030656676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-81509849411901482332010-05-25T21:41:27.595-04:002010-05-25T21:41:27.595-04:00Your calm and even humorous approach to this situa...Your calm and even humorous approach to this situation is quite inspiring. Even empathy for the driver who struck you. I should take lessons from you, as my red-eyed rage monster seems to take over a lot regarding stuff like this.<br /><br />So glad to hear that you and the Bat are doing well, and that the police and bystanders were helpful and reacted appropriately.Dottiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03984050970208363927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275178637585664627.post-60352789147890663692010-05-25T21:22:43.081-04:002010-05-25T21:22:43.081-04:00So glad to hear that you are okay.
If the bicycl...So glad to hear that you are okay. <br /><br />If the bicycle is structurally fine, than there is nothing to worry about. Think of the "silver lining": It has now been initiated into Life and you will no longer be afraid of scraping a brand new shiny bike. <br /><br />Out of curiosity, did you have your lights on? In the early morning and pre-twilight evening when the "sun in the eyes" thing happens, having your lights on is a good idea even though it's sunny out, as it can make the sun-blinded driver notice you.<br /><br />As for helmets... I would urge you not to let this incident inform your decisions in that regard. I am not going to go there beyond that, but just wanted to offer my point of view. <br /><br />Ride safe and enjoy Frida. You're old war buddies now!Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.com