Last night after work, I was riding my bike downtown to get to a meeting. I've ridden downtown a few times, last night makes three. There are bike lanes, but it's a lot different from my normal route. There are more buses and the traffic is a little more dense than I'm used to. There are also more pedestrians; basically there are people everywhere! I try to be more careful and aware of my surroundings when I ride downtown.
Anyway, although it was my third time riding downtown, yesterday was the first time I needed to make a left hand turn on the busy street. As I got in the left lane, I looked down and realized that there were tracks in the road that the street cars use. As I saw them, I remembered that people have warned me to be careful. And I had heard of and seen others get their bikes caught in the tracks and fall. But before I could even finish my thought of "Oh, I need to be careful!" I was already on the ground. My rear tired had gotten caught in the track as I was attempting to turn left and I was down.
It happened so quickly! I fell on my side but somehow also hit my left knee on the pavement, it stung and throbbed pretty bad, but I could still move just fine. I had also attempted to catch myself with my right hand. I got up and noticed that I had stopped traffic (which was good, otherwise I would have been run over) and walked to the side of the road, nearly everyone who saw me (and there were a lot of people) asked if I was alright. A few other bikers stopped to ask if I was okay, too. I told them I was okay, but I felt
a little quite shaken up. I was also a little embarrassed. A moment later a muni worker was at my side confirming that I need to be more careful on the tracks and they are very dangerous. I muttered something like, "Yeah, I realize that, it just sort of snuck up on me."
As I walked, I took notice of what hurt and was thankful I could still walk; also thankful that my bike looked okay. I saw that I had torn my jeans at the knee and my knee was pretty scrapped up but not bleeding.
I called my husband who was also downtown for the meeting. I cried on the phone. He came rushing to my side and pushed my bike the rest of the way to our meeting. He hugged me and told me I was brave. I cried some more. He even talked to someone to get me an ice pack for my knee.
It really wasn't that bad of a fall, I could have broken something (or worst case scenario: gotten hit by a car). I was fine, just a little scuffed up and shaken up. My bike needs to be fixed up a little; the rear tire was slightly bent but it's really not that bad.
I kept thinking about when I was a little kid, falling off your bike seemed like a normal thing, but now that I'm older, it seems so out of the ordinary and almost stupid. Like it shouldn't happen after I turned 10! But in reality, everyone falls off their bikes. Everyone has their stories (many ending much worse than mine). That's just a part of being a bike rider.
I'm a bike rider, and I survived my first fall (even if I did cry a little)!
Last night after work, I was riding my bike downtown to get to a meeting. I've ridden downtown a few times, last night makes three. There are bike lanes, but it's a lot different from my normal route. There are more buses and the traffic is a little more dense than I'm used to. There are also more pedestrians; basically there are people everywhere! I try to be more careful and aware of my surroundings when I ride downtown.
Anyway, although it was my third time riding downtown, yesterday was the first time I needed to make a left hand turn on the busy street. As I got in the left lane, I looked down and realized that there were tracks in the road that the street cars use. As I saw them, I remembered that people have warned me to be careful. And I had heard of and seen others get their bikes caught in the tracks and fall. But before I could even finish my thought of "Oh, I need to be careful!" I was already on the ground. My rear tired had gotten caught in the track as I was attempting to turn left and I was down.
It happened so quickly! I fell on my side but somehow also hit my left knee on the pavement, it stung and throbbed pretty bad, but I could still move just fine. I had also attempted to catch myself with my right hand. I got up and noticed that I had stopped traffic (which was good, otherwise I would have been run over) and walked to the side of the road, nearly everyone who saw me (and there were a lot of people) asked if I was alright. A few other bikers stopped to ask if I was okay, too. I told them I was okay, but I felt a little quite shaken up. I was also a little embarrassed. A moment later a muni worker was at my side confirming that I need to be more careful on the tracks and they are very dangerous. I muttered something like, "Yeah, I realize that, it just sort of snuck up on me."
As I walked, I took notice of what hurt and was thankful I could still walk; also thankful that my bike looked okay. I saw that I had torn my jeans at the knee and my knee was pretty scrapped up but not bleeding.
I called my husband who was also downtown for the meeting. I cried on the phone. He came rushing to my side and pushed my bike the rest of the way to our meeting. He hugged me and told me I was brave. I cried some more. He even talked to someone to get me an ice pack for my knee.
It really wasn't that bad of a fall, I could have broken something (or worst case scenario: gotten hit by a car). I was fine, just a little scuffed up and shaken up. My bike needs to be fixed up a little; the rear tire was slightly bent but it's really not that bad.
I kept thinking about when I was a little kid, falling off your bike seemed like a normal thing, but now that I'm older, it seems so out of the ordinary and almost stupid. Like it shouldn't happen after I turned 10! But in reality, everyone falls off their bikes. Everyone has their stories (many ending much worse than mine). That's just a part of being a bike rider.
I'm a bike rider, and I survived my first fall (even if I did cry a little)!
3 comments:
Em! I am so glad that story isn't worse! My second thought is that I think you are super cool for riding your bike downtown! I wish the Springs was more pedestrian/ biker friendly. Hope the next ride is smooth! Glad you're okay!
Yes you did survive it! I'm glad you weren't hurt more seriously!
I'm so sorry! And that was very brave, and I'm sure I would have cried too. I remember riding for the first time as an "adult" in COS and falling and skinning my knee my first day out. Then, I fell a lot mountain biking, but that was more controlled and felt like I was 10 again.. not such a big deal. But that pavement (and traffic!) is definitely more scary.
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