Bicycle spills and near misses

"Everything slowed down as the bike fishtailed left, then right, and I came really close to recovering, imagining Thor Hushovd catching himself right at the guard rail in this year's Tour... no such luck. I high sided, came completely free of the bike, rolled once in some loose gravel and popped right back up somehow holding the bike. First thought...wow that was cool."

Regrettably, many falls do not end so well; countless cyclists often end up with severe injuries following a fall. As witnessed in the Tour de France this year: experience, speed and close knit groups can make for some nasty spills.

You are commuting to work on your bicycle - armed with your whistle, protected (to an extent) by your helmet and riding with both hands on your handlebars (thanks to your snappy new pannier bags). You are minding your own business although you are being VERY attentive to cars, trucks and other obstacles on the road; for a second, you actually drift off thinking of your upcoming vacation at the beach. You are suddenly shot back to reality as a car door flings open in your path -with moving cars to your immediate left and parked cars along your right side - there is no other option but to hit the brakes…and to hope for the best…

Unfortunately, bicycle crashes have a much unknown finality to them; nobody knows how you will fall or how you will land. In the event of a crash, try to protect your head and neck the best you can, kinetic energy and gravity are in charge of the rest.

You cannot control the motorists, pedestrians or other cyclists, so be sure to be in command of yourself the best you can:

wear a helmet;
ride within your limits and at your speed;
be seen: front and rear lights, reflectors in your wheels and on your bicycle bags, a reflective vest;
follow the rules of the road;
remain vigilant of cars (parked as well as moving), buses, trucks, other cyclists and pedestrians at all times.
"Provided we're not badly hurt a fall every now and then could be a good thing. On the one hand it reminds us that we need to be safe out there, and on the other that a bit of road rash really isn't that bad. We skinned our knees and elbows all the time as kids, we're not that fragile."

Formore tips on being a safe cyclist and to view a wide selection of bicycle panniers for commuting or bicycle bags for your next mountain biking expedition, visit Arkel; bicycle bags designed for cyclist by cyclists.

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