5 more showed up a few minutes late.
I rode hard. I held a heart rate of 160-165 on the ascents. That's a 5bpm bump up from what I normally can maintain. I thought with the relatively short climb I might be able to hold that. I was right.
I was working hard, trying to get that 8th climb inside of our 90 minute cutoff. I didn't think I could get it, but wanted to come close.
On my sixth descent I was on schedule to be about 2 minutes short of topping out on #8. Then the plan went out the window.
My ride ended with a visit with one of Portland's police officers.
I was coming down Rocky Butte Rd with a car a few blocks ahead of me. I gradually closed the gap up just before the tunnel. For those not familiar with our route there is a tunnel about 1/3 the way up that has a very sharp curve in it. Probably posted as about a 15 mph curve. The car was going about 15-20, I was following about 30 ft behind. We were in sunshine then entered the unlit tunnel. There is a curb on the center line to ensure that everybody stays on their own side as they traverse the tunnel. There is a healthy dose of gravel against that center curb.
At any rate, the car decide that I was following too closely. They might have been right, because just as they entered the sharpest part of the curve (in the shaded tunnel) the driver slammed on the brakes and came to a stop. I braked hard, but couldn't put the brakes on full because of the sharp corner and a fear of sliding a tire and going down. I bumped into the back of the car at perhaps 3-5 mph and went down.
As I stood back up the driver gave me a one finger salute and sped off.
I did manage to get the plate number and immediately called 911 to report the "failure to perform the duties of a driver" (hit and run).
Within about 15 minutes a Portland Police officer arrived to take my statement. He noted that since I had rear ended the car that I was likely at fault. I reminded him that regardless of fault the driver left the scene of an accident. I also told him that I figured it was a fair trade if I got a ticket for following too closely as long as the driver got a ticket for failure to perform the duties of a driver.
The officer said he was not going to ticket me. He ran the plate number and came up with a car that matched the description I gave him. The driver was male, but the car is registered to a female.
The officer told me that if they made an arrest they would call me.
Hopeful, but not holding my breath.
I guess I'll have to try to get that 8th lap in next Tuesday.
Oh, but that small detail that the world is supposed to end on Saturday. :-O
I guess this might have been our last supper?
....road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........18..............0.............0..........0..........18
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May.........534..............0.............0..........0.........540
YTD........2574..............0............27..........7.........2607
I wonder if you can reach the beach before the world ends and if so you're not pushing to get one more ride in before the end that you go into the back of another car.
ReplyDeleteYes I was late and this is the first time I have been late to this ride and only the second time I have been late to a ride ever. Both times I was car pooling with someone else so that's it no more I'm done with that.
I'm glad you're okay, though I hope the moron gets a ticket. (Yeah, I know, not likely.)
ReplyDeleteIt's not just drivers. I got on the Max train this evening. Two bicycles had just left, so there was room for me, but still people moved into the Bike Rack space and just stood there staring at me. I stared back, long enough for them to realize that the doors weren't going to close while my bike was in the doorway. Then they grudgingly moved so I could park my bike.
I'd have been sympathetic if the train was crowded, but it wasn't. And they weren't getting off at the next stop -- this group stayed on to the end of the line. They simply didn't want to share space with a bicycle.
Thats really sucky. I wish Lance Armstrong would do more for Bike safety.
ReplyDelete