total bad-ass moment.
I totally almost bit it tonight on my bike. And by "it," I mean the ground, or possibly a very thick hard metal railing on a bike trail/bridge under Mopac (actually, pretty much right near the point marked "F," if I've got my bearings right; it was either there, or closer to Enfield Rd). I was on the social ride, and had lost track of Angry Punk Rocker, which didn't concern me overly much, so I was going at a good clip with plenty of room in front and to my sides, when some hipster kid in a green shirt pedaled backward too hard on his fixed-gear. He was probably only trying to slow down, but he ended up almost totally stopping short AND jerking his bike in front of mine. So I crashed into him, careened off, put my feet down to get some balance, wobbled some more, slammed into the rail/wall to my right, and ended up skidding along that for a good few seconds before I regained full control of my bike.
That said, I did not fall off my bike in front of 250 or so other riders. I did not even slow down. The friction rash on my arm from the rail proves it. As soon as I pulled myself off the wall, I was pedaling again without missing a beat. I heard cheers and shouts of "good job, girl!" from other cyclists behind me, so I threw a goat and kept riding.
That said, I did not fall off my bike in front of 250 or so other riders. I did not even slow down. The friction rash on my arm from the rail proves it. As soon as I pulled myself off the wall, I was pedaling again without missing a beat. I heard cheers and shouts of "good job, girl!" from other cyclists behind me, so I threw a goat and kept riding.