Despicable Me

Who: Me and a beige Camry

Where: Heavy traffic on DeAnza Boulevard & Stevens Creek Boulevard, Cupertino, California, just south of Apple’s headquarters.

When: Last Friday’s evening commute, in the rain and dark.

What: Front wheel tacoed.

How: I’m threading my way through stopped traffic, cut right to get across a car stuck between two lanes, and I’m stopped short by the sudden presence of a curb at the road edge, of all things. Wheel diverts left, I go down right. The driver of the beige Camry next to me picks that moment to inch forward, stopping right on top of my front bicycle wheel.

Why: Because I’m a stupid jackass. Yes, it was my own stupid fault. I really do know better, and I wasn’t even in a hurry.

Lesson: Take it easy on rain slicked streets with reduced visibility, even if everybody around you is at a standstill. The expensive wheel you save may be your own!


Some stuff you might have missed over the weekend…

Floyd Landis wears a wire in Federal doping investigation.

Reedley, California, population 25,000 and located in the Central Valley, prepares a bicycle transportation plan. Via Rick.

Those crazy Europeans ride walk their bikes in the snow!

BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 20: An elderly man pushes a bicycle on a snow-covered sidewalk in Zehlendorf district on December 20, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. Heavy snowfalls across Europe are grounding hundreds of airline flights in winter weather unusually bitter for this time of year. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Mom lets her kid walk to school, cited for child neglect. Via Elly.

Refinery 29 has suggestions for weatherproof winter boots. Important for people who spend a little time outside.

The Yike Bike is available for sale.

A Livestrong Limited Edition bedroom bike.

Southern California: Campagnolo Holiday Bike Ride report. There’s probably not much recreational riding this week down there.

Everybody tweeted about this magnetic yellow card for scofflaw motorists. Feel free to throw one my way the next time I ride like a jackass in the rain.

3 Comments

  1. Wouldn’t the real error be that you were threading your way through stopped traffic instead of obeying the traffic laws as we expect motorists to?

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