Crash Test Dummy
I won’t leave you all in suspense any longer.
Sunday morning Scottie and I set out for a 50 mile ride around the island. I was so excited to ride because I had a bike fit done Wednesday and got my new bike jersey on Friday 
The sun was shining and quite warm but I was not going to let the impending heat deter us. We turned right onto the main road and Scottie let me take the lead. I think he was testing to see how fast I could go. So I set the pace at 23 miles per hour. I was loving it! I hadn’t dropped down into aero because there were a fair amount of cars going by and with the wind I wasn’t quite ready to settle in yet.
That was a good thing becase a mere 2.68 miles later a truck pulls out of a gas station, trying to take a left and drives about halfway into the lane I am riding in. Now there is a shoulder on the road so I stayed in this lane the whole time but he had jut so far out I slammed on my brakes, screamed and swerved to miss becoming a hood ornament. Again, I am so glad I wasn’t in aero or I would not have been able to react fast enough. I hear Scottie’s brakes screech and feel him hit my back tire, I turn around to see him flying through the air.
I stop just past the car and fumble out of my pedals, just barely getting out before I topple over and then run behind the car to see Scottie laying on his back on the side of the car. The traffic has already stopped and piled up and there is a group of cyclists gathered around. The guy is still sitting in his car and I start cussing like a sailor, I looked at him straight in the eye as he pulled away. Yep, the jackass didn’t even check to see if everyone was ok, he pulled away. I wish I was in the right frame of mind to get his license plate but I was still in shock.
By the time I focused on Scottie again he had begun to get up and dust himself off. His bike was in the bushes, water bottles covered in dirt and strewn on the ground , it was a scary sight. Luckily there was a fire truck among the stopped traffic so they pulled over to check him out. He had a bloody abrasion on his shoulder and a bunch of smaller scraps. His head hit the ground but we couldn’t see that the helmet cracked, regardless it is still time for a new one now. The fire department asked if we wanted to file a report but without a license plate it wouldn’t do much good.
At this point I was still shaking and I started to feel nauseous. He said he could ride back but I was in not shape to ride and I don’t think he was either. So we called the beach house to have someone pick us up.
Needless to say, it could have been much worse. I think Scottie has enough experience riding to know how to react to situations like this which is why he walked away without any major damage to himself or the bike. The bike I should say just needs a new piece on the derailler and ofcourse a new helmet for the noggin. Lots of lessons learned.
And if you want to read his account of it here ya go.
