CRASH!

Yesterday morning Kirsten and I went on a quick bike ride before she had to leave for her basketball game. We did our usual 16 mile loop that starts on the bike path near our house, goes through UCSB and then loops back around Winchester Canyon. We finish the ride on Cathedral Oaks which takes us back to the house. Well, as we entered UCSB, we had our first bike crash together. Kirsten has crashed before, but this was my first time! It was crazy!





Here is how it happened:
As we crossed Lagoon Rd and headed into campus, I stayed on the street and Kirsten went onto the adjacent bike path. At the first right turn (it is marked by a circle on the map above), I started to cross over onto the bike path behind Kirsten. The turn was blind, and there was a runner in the opposite lane, so Kirsten and I had to stay single file. However, as we made the turn there was a runner in OUR lane too! Kirsten said, "We both were like deer looking into the headlights!" He stepped to his left to let us though and to avoid me (I was behind Kirsten but a little to her left), and Kirsten went to her right (obeying the rules of the road). Therefore, the two of them collided! She would have fallen except he was pretty strong and caught her after she hit him. I however, couldn't do anything but hit Kirsten. Luckily, my foot unclipped so I was able to catch myself after my handlebars hit Kirsten in the back and my knee hit my handlebars.

My adrenaline was definitely going after that, but I was also a bit shell shocked. It all happened so fast, there was really nothing we could have done to avoid it! I was thankful we didn't fall, if anything for prides sake. :-) I almost forgot to mention that the ride before, we almost got into another accident on UCSB's campus when someone coming the other way was in our lane going around a corner. Kirsten hit my back tire and fish-tailed, but she was able to right herself! Man, this biking can be dangerous!