Commuting by bike?

Greg you said it right, "ride like you are invisible." I have been hit 3 times--the first time when I was 13 years old, a lady ran a stop sign and clipped my back wheel, the second time I was taken out from behind by an RV mirror while touring through Yellowstone, and the third time I was hit head on by a drunk driver in Lake Tahoe who lost control of his car in the snow. Only the RV incident I didn't see coming, and fortunately I was not seriously injured. The stop sign lady I took evasive action which probably saved me, and in Tahoe I was just lucky, as my bike was totaled and I ended up going through the windshield but was only bruised. Thankfully I was heavily clothed and wearing my helmet. Ride safe everyone!

ultragrrl and gregL,<br>excellent advice, thanks!<br>

<br>Approach any wet metal, wood or painted surfaces as you would approach a patch of glare ice in stilletto heels; don't hit it with the bike angled over, try to stop or turn while on it.

<br><br>Ema, watch out for those nasty angled railroad tracks (if you encounter any) you need to give yourself enough room to hit them straight on, and if they're wet they can be very slippery, you cetainly don't want the wheel getting caught in the rails.

Yeah, a couple of years ago I went down on the tracks by the new Fred Meyer in Ballard at night; felt like an idiot for a guy who rides about 7,000 miles a year . . . then I read in Cyclingnews.com that Greg Lemond had done the same thing in Minnesota that week!<br><br>

. . . in Tahoe I was just lucky, as my bike was totaled and I ended up going through the windshield but was only bruised.

<br><br>Man, good training for those BC yardsales, I guess . . .

drunk driver in Lake Tahoe

<br>A lady in Spokane fell asleep in the police car after hitting a cyclist friend.  She had taken extra sleeping pills at work before driving home for a good nights rest.<br><br>One of four friends who have been hit!<br>

I went down at the Fred Meyer RR tracks as well...and it was dry, and in broad daylight. I still have a nice black scar on my ankle from that. <br><br>Getting hit by a car while on the bike is one of my nightmares, right up by getting buried by an avalanche. Luckily my commute is now entirely on the Burke.