I rode today. Did you?

Nice first ride in the COLD.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Daniel G on June 28, 2012 at 2:31pm

Oh, I know. I was excessively easy-going and lenient about it for a couple of reasons.
We (myself and the driver) had both just very recently moved to Chicago from out-of-state. He was actually on his way into the building to sign his first lease. I don't like beginning relationships with cities with police cars and reports. It was incredibly hot, and I was about to do anything to get off that sidewalk. My brakes are bad, and even if he opened the door five feet in front of me instead of right on top of me, I doubt I would have been able to stop. Even though my brakes did not come into play in this incident because he gave me no time to react, I've known for a while now that I was cruising for a bruising riding with such ineffective brakes.

I will probably still file some sort of police report, and will definitely make sure it is counted in the stats one way or another. Sometimes you just feel like disregarding what happened, declaring no harm no foul, and continuing on your way. I snapped a pic of his license plate immediately so I could relax and reserve options. If that's my only crash ever, I will be one blessed son of a gun. It's one more driver who will never open a door without looking ever again, at the very least.

Anyway, this is not the correct way to handle a dooring, call the police. I was pretty much walking on air about doing a somersault onto pavement without so much as an ache, and I was so damned pleased with my Surly about doing the same. It was probably super-dumb to let him off so easy. I had a bit of euphoria about how well my first crash went, and how it was only my second day of helmet-wearing in my entire cycling career.

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on June 29, 2012 at 11:07am

For more bike commute photos from today, click here.

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on June 30, 2012 at 4:32pm

For more bike ride photos from today, click here.

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Permalink Reply by Gerry G on June 30, 2012 at 10:17pm

Gene welcome back! I was beginning to get withdrawal shakes.

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 1, 2012 at 7:15pm

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 2, 2012 at 8:48am

For more bike commute photos from today, click here.

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 3, 2012 at 4:24pm

For more bike commute photos from today, click here.

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 4, 2012 at 12:37pm

For more bike ride photos from today, click here.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Hochstadter on July 4, 2012 at 12:45pm

how was riding today Gene?

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 4, 2012 at 1:01pm

Those airborn biting bugs were brutal along the lakefront. I felt okay riding in the shade, but it seemed 10 degrees hotter in the sunlight. I was out for 2 hours from 9:30 to 11:30. When I got home I was still sweating a half-hour later. Drink liquids ... constantly. If you go to the lakefront tonight, use insect repellant.