Caution: Long Story
A few weeks ago, I was riding my bike to work. It's downhill (but not too steep) and it was during morning traffic so the cars were at a stop. I was being careful to watch the stopped cars going my direction (downhill) and if they had let anyone from the opposite direction turning left in, so they don't run into me and don't see me.
I ran into this scenario as I just left my house, but the car turning left from the other direction had seen me - I waved thanks. Later on down the road, same thing again. The people in my direction let a car coming opposite of me turn left...but here's where the incident happened:
I thought this car had seen me since he wasn't moving...this was towards the bottom of the hill - I was not going very fast (but provided, I was going faster than the stopped traffic of course).
Well, he *didn't* see me. He pulled in very slowly RIGHT in front of me (I of course was in the bike lane, with my helmet on). I had to slam on my back brakes to avoid hitting his car...but the back brakes didn't do it so I had to slam on my front brakes as well to avoid hitting his car.
Just as his car finished turning into the parking lot, I flew forward thanks to my front brakes and ate the pavement. I landed on my hands and knees, I got bruised up a bit. He came out of his car because 'he only saw me flip forward in his rear view mirror'
After I got up, I was pretty shaken, sore and hurting from the fall. He apparently worked at an auto repair place in this parking lot - he invited me in to let me sit down on a couch and got me some band aids.
After this, we chatted a bit more and I then made my way to work, albeit very sore still.
To the point - two things have happened since then: Ever since this happened, when I 'squat' down, I have a very intense pain in my right lower leg muscle...like I had pulled it..like, it really hurts to squat down (and I need to semi often in my job)..however, it has been feeling at least a bit better...day by day.
Second: Today, I was going to go for another bike ride. I had noticed since this accident, my bike was not shifting into the higher gears very well. Well, today I tried shifting into a higher gear and somehow (because of whatever happened when I flipped forward) the shifting mechanism went up and behind the highest gear, touching the wheel itself, it got caught in a spoke and completely destroyed it - I no longer have a working bike.
It worked fine before this - Am I up a creek on this one? Or should I see a doctor if my leg muscle doesn't feel better - and is he liable for any repairs on my bike/medical bills? It's a cheaper bike...sure, I'm not asking for a new one...but I would like it repaired....it was never doing this before.
Well, Thanks for your future answers and thanks for reading my long story....
A few weeks ago, I was riding my bike to work. It's downhill (but not too steep) and it was during morning traffic so the cars were at a stop. I was being careful to watch the stopped cars going my direction (downhill) and if they had let anyone from the opposite direction turning left in, so they don't run into me and don't see me.
I ran into this scenario as I just left my house, but the car turning left from the other direction had seen me - I waved thanks. Later on down the road, same thing again. The people in my direction let a car coming opposite of me turn left...but here's where the incident happened:
I thought this car had seen me since he wasn't moving...this was towards the bottom of the hill - I was not going very fast (but provided, I was going faster than the stopped traffic of course).
Well, he *didn't* see me. He pulled in very slowly RIGHT in front of me (I of course was in the bike lane, with my helmet on). I had to slam on my back brakes to avoid hitting his car...but the back brakes didn't do it so I had to slam on my front brakes as well to avoid hitting his car.
Just as his car finished turning into the parking lot, I flew forward thanks to my front brakes and ate the pavement. I landed on my hands and knees, I got bruised up a bit. He came out of his car because 'he only saw me flip forward in his rear view mirror'
After I got up, I was pretty shaken, sore and hurting from the fall. He apparently worked at an auto repair place in this parking lot - he invited me in to let me sit down on a couch and got me some band aids.
After this, we chatted a bit more and I then made my way to work, albeit very sore still.
To the point - two things have happened since then: Ever since this happened, when I 'squat' down, I have a very intense pain in my right lower leg muscle...like I had pulled it..like, it really hurts to squat down (and I need to semi often in my job)..however, it has been feeling at least a bit better...day by day.
Second: Today, I was going to go for another bike ride. I had noticed since this accident, my bike was not shifting into the higher gears very well. Well, today I tried shifting into a higher gear and somehow (because of whatever happened when I flipped forward) the shifting mechanism went up and behind the highest gear, touching the wheel itself, it got caught in a spoke and completely destroyed it - I no longer have a working bike.
It worked fine before this - Am I up a creek on this one? Or should I see a doctor if my leg muscle doesn't feel better - and is he liable for any repairs on my bike/medical bills? It's a cheaper bike...sure, I'm not asking for a new one...but I would like it repaired....it was never doing this before.
Well, Thanks for your future answers and thanks for reading my long story....