Hit by a Car While Biking

Yep, it happened. And yes, I think I'm OK.

About 2 years ago, I hit another cyclist while I was biking as he ran a stop sign, turned left at a "no left turn," and was biking on the wrong side of the road.

Two days ago, I had a run-in with a car while finishing a 30 mile ride. Here's what I said on social media after (along with the 4 photos I initally posted):

Got my first stitches today. (Well, not counting the ones I had in my eyeball when I was 14, but that’s another story.) Got cut-off by a car (on the Grand Ave detour because Summit is closed over Ayd Mill) who didn’t signal while biking today. Ended up on top of his trunk, and then laying in the middle of the street still clipped into my bike. The driver is a cyclist and admitted fault right away. I don’t know if my chin hit his car or my handlebars, but it split open. The back of my hand is the sorest right now (look at THE LUMP in the last pic 3 hours post-crash) as it took the brunt of the impact of the car. Strained/pulled my left calf. Jaw is sore from the chin impact. Bike is ok (I think) except for a front derailleur issue that keeps me from using my large chain ring. Could have been worse. Also could have not happened at all if only Audi (and BMW) drivers learned to signal.

Wiped off selfie at home to see if I needed stitches (note some gnats in my stubble).


3 hand x-rays looked fine.




Big ole' hump in my hand (I usually don't have a shadow on my hand like that).

But let's back up a bit. I wiped my chin with the back of my hand twice while on the 2.5 mile ride home, and it was bloody when I got home:

A BIG lump forming on the back of my hand.
(This hand was squeezing the brakes when it hit the trunk.)


A text to my wife waiting at urgent care. The small masks didn't go too low and rub.


I was being wiped whenever anyone needed to look at it. This was the 3rd wipe/cleaning.


More texts. The fridge and "tools" in the "procedure" room felt a bit like a vet's office.


I made sliders for supper to forgot about the crash. My wife made
wheat buns to go along with them. (Note how tiny they are on the plate!)


My 2 stitches (still iodine stained) about 8 hours post-crash.


Again, 8 hours post-crash: this doesn't look dramatic at first, but then note how
"veiny" my right hand is, and how SMOOTH my left hand is because it's swollen.

Some follow-up comments and responses:

My future mother-in-law took out those stitches years ago!


Calf made me limp when going to urgent care, but felt better yesterday!






He was turning IN instead of OUT, but the same idea.


Yep, I need to really consciously time my rides. No more mid-day busy weekend rides!

Like I mentioned, my calf was REALLY tight right after it happened. I foam rolled it before going to urgent care. And walking into urgent care, it hurt like a MOTHER and I had to limp. Doc said I strained or pulled it. But it felt pretty normal the next morning (which was yesterday), so it must not be pulled. I didn't stretch or roll it at all, and it felt great all day yesterday. So I think I'll try a run today, but just back off on what would have been my last semi-long run before next weekend's 10 mile race. (I'll report back how that goes...)

My jaw hurt when I first tried to chew, and it's still a little achy. And my teeth feel like they hurt a little. I'm hoping I didn't do any damage there and that I'm just a little beat up from the impact.

I'm kind of wishing I had filed a police report and gotten his license. Because I didn't. He said he was a cyclist and noted living in my area (when I mentioned how far/which direction was home), and he wanted me to text him when I got home later. But I never heard back from him, and I'm starting to think he was a smarmy say-anything-to-make-this-guy-leave sort of saleman in his nice shiny Audi who's above us common peasants so he feels no need to signal. UPDATE: it took him 36 hours, but he wrote back saying he'd be willing to pay to get my derailleur fixed, so I'll take that to a bike shop today. Hoping nothing else is wrong with me or my bike!