Crash boom bang
I've been pretty busy with work for the last few weeks and haven't had anything particularly exciting about which to write. That streak ended today when a pick-up truck backed into me while trying to parallel park. I was riding behind it when it stopped. I stopped behind it and was about to pass it on the left when I discovered, to my horror, that it was reversing. Although there were a few feet between us, it's impossible to backpedal on a bicycle so I tried to dismount as fast as I could but to no avail. The truck slammed right into my front wheel while I was still seated. In desperation I kicked off and flipped backwards off the bike and onto the road.
Almost immediately thereafter, the truck stopped moving and the driver got out to see if I was OK. My calves hurt from being mashed against the pedals but I was otherwise unhurt. [Ironically, I'd been hit right outside the best hospital in the city.] My bike's front wheel was completely destroyed and the kick-stand had been snapped off but the frame looked undamaged so I exchanged contact information with the driver, who gave me and my bike a ride home. I estimated the damage at roughly $200 so he handed me that amount in cash and said I could call him if it turned out to be insufficient.
I'll be taking the shuttle to Palo Alto tomorrow and will be in NYC until next Wed so I won't need to use my bike for another week, which should give me enough time to have the wheel replaced.
Almost immediately thereafter, the truck stopped moving and the driver got out to see if I was OK. My calves hurt from being mashed against the pedals but I was otherwise unhurt. [Ironically, I'd been hit right outside the best hospital in the city.] My bike's front wheel was completely destroyed and the kick-stand had been snapped off but the frame looked undamaged so I exchanged contact information with the driver, who gave me and my bike a ride home. I estimated the damage at roughly $200 so he handed me that amount in cash and said I could call him if it turned out to be insufficient.
I'll be taking the shuttle to Palo Alto tomorrow and will be in NYC until next Wed so I won't need to use my bike for another week, which should give me enough time to have the wheel replaced.