My guardian angels were working overtime

Last Sunday, I was riding for the first time in May. Having just recovered from a cold, it felt good to be nearly at full strength and to add an additional 20 miles to my ever-growing seasonal total. I had essentially completed my ride and was on the final approach to home . . . and then . . . BAM . . . I was hit by a car. I guess it was bound to happen sometime in my cycling career, but instead of occurring on a busy road, it took place at a normally lazy intersection only 4/10 of a mile from my home. But I was very lucky . . . or perhaps my guardian angels were working overtime that day.

So here are the details: I was struck by a car (luckily at very low speeds) whose driver didn't see me. He had stopped (or nearly stopped) at the stop sign and had just started turning left from Frisco Street onto Cloverdale Road as I was turning left from Cloverdale onto Frisco. The timing of his acceleration couldn't have been worse, and I had no time for an evasive maneuver. The impact of his front bumper scooped me off of my bike, and I slid on my butt across a portion of his BMW's hood before falling to the pavement on my back. Subsequent x-rays showed no broken bones, but I strained a number of muscles in my back and left side. I started taking prescription-strength doses of ibuprofen and icing the affected areas whenever I could. Each day, the body part that was most sore was different. At first, the pain was only in my lower back . . . then it migrated to my left side, below and slightly forward of my left arm pit.

My Trek bicycle sustained damage to its front wheel and front brake system. My front wheel was bent enough to render the bike unrideable, so I had to walk my bike home from the accident scene. The front wheel and front brakes will be replaced, and a complete inspection of the bicycle frame and drivetrain components is being performed to ensure that my bike is not damaged any further and is still safe to ride.  My bike bag, fastened by velcro straps in four places to my rear rack, was catapulted off the bike by the impact, but suffered no damage. Amazingly, my cycling clothing, helmet and sunglasses sustained no damage whatsoever. Apparently, I impacted the pavement without skidding, which would likely have torn the material.

The driver of the car lives in Phase I of my subdivision, and I pass his house every time that I ride. To his credit, he did stop, offered assistance, said that he was willing to pay for the damage he caused to my bike, and willingly provided his contact information. The following day, when I filed a police report, he was similarly cooperative and admitted fault to the investigating officer.

So, for the first time in 3 1/2 years, I may ready my Giant mountain bike for short rides this weekend, since repairs to my Trek probably won't be completed until early next week.

Many years ago, a friend of mine who rode both bicycles and motorcycles offered me advice: cyclists should always assume that they are invisible, because that's how many drivers see (or actually don't see) them. On Sunday, I discovered this cautionary note to be painfully true, and I am lucky the outcome wasn't far worse.