Would like reader feedback and thoughts on my accident on Wilson Bridge

[mohonk]

They call it Tempting the Hands of Fate when you repeatedly tell people you have not had a serious accident on a bike in 45 + years of riding. Last Saturday 7/2 I was riding my Trek mountain bike at a good clip (but I don’t think overly fast) when I was negotiating those hairpin turns on the bike/walk overpass on the MD side. Going down one of those I skidded, hit my head (wearing a helmet!) and left shoulder hard and scraped a few yards of skin off my leg and arm. When I recovered I got up and found the brake cable (discs) to that rear wheel was twisted so over my handlebars that the tension locked the brake and of course the wheel. I had to use a screw driver to pry it off to its usual position. I limped over the bridge to the VA side and got to a nearby bike shop. They could find nothing wrong with the bike. Is it possible that I was steering so that cable got twisted that way causing me to skid? Or was it that I was just going to fast on knobby tires, skidded with the cable twisting as I hit the ground? That section was exposed to the sun and I did not see anything slippery.

Thursday today I am back on the bike for the first time. I’m approaching the slightest curves now like a real wuss. I’d like to hear from others their thoughts on what might have happened.

Topic

[Anonymous]

Was it the U-turn heading towards VA after you’ve passed the high point and are heading back down to the bridge. (It sounds as if this is what you’re describing.) There is a fairly significant gap between the two sections of concrete, cutting across the U. If you take the turn tight rather than wide, you can hit the gap with your tire as you take the curve. It is most definitely wide enough to catch a road tire and take you down– which I one evening last year taking the turn tight because there were pedestrians to the outside of the curve. I would have guessed it is not quite large enough to grab a mountain bike tire, but maybe if you hit it just right.

[KLizotte]

Years ago when I was just getting back into biking and riding a heavy hybrid I wiped out (unhurt) on the curve Amalitza describes. I also did a rather tight turn and my back wheel slid on the metal thingy that separates the two halves of the concrete platform. The back wheel simply lost traction and it felt like I was on ice. Ever since then I make sure to hit the metal divider head on and not on a curve. Very bad design.

Hope you and the bike are okay.

[mohonk]

@Amalitza 142745 wrote:

Was it the U-turn heading towards VA after you’ve passed the high point and are heading back down to the bridge. (It sounds as if this is what you’re describing.) There is a fairly significant gap between the two sections of concrete, cutting across the U. If you take the turn tight rather than wide, you can hit the gap with your tire as you take the curve. It is most definitely wide enough to catch a road tire and take you down– which I one evening last year taking the turn tight because there were pedestrians to the outside of the curve. I would have guessed it is not quite large enough to grab a mountain bike tire, but maybe if you hit it just right.

Yes that was the spot! I’m not quite clear on your description about the two sections of concrete. I’ll revisit it this weekend when I can do that ride again and check it out.

[mohonk]

@Amalitza 142745 wrote:

Was it the U-turn heading towards VA after you’ve passed the high point and are heading back down to the bridge. (It sounds as if this is what you’re describing.) There is a fairly significant gap between the two sections of concrete, cutting across the U. If you take the turn tight rather than wide, you can hit the gap with your tire as you take the curve. It is most definitely wide enough to catch a road tire and take you down– which I one evening last year taking the turn tight because there were pedestrians to the outside of the curve. I would have guessed it is not quite large enough to grab a mountain bike tire, but maybe if you hit it just right.

Thank you. I’ve recovered enough that I’m riding again!

[mohonk]

@KLizotte 142749 wrote:

Years ago when I was just getting back into biking and riding a heavy hybrid I wiped out (unhurt) on the curve Amalitza describes. I also did a rather tight curve and my back wheel slid on the metal thingy that separates the two halfs of the concrete platform. The back wheel simply lost traction and it felt like I was on ice. Ever since then I make sure to hit the metal divider head on and not on a curve. Very bad design.

Hope you and the bike are okay.

I can now attest personally on the importance of wearing a bike helmet. The side of my head bounced twice on the concrete before I came to a stop. If I wasn’t at risk at getting a concussion my helmet at least prevented my scalp from becoming a bloody mess – like my left leg.

[ian74]

@mohonk 142774 wrote:

I can now attest personally on the importance of wearing a bike helmet. The side of my head bounced twice on the concrete before I came to a stop. If I wasn’t at risk at getting a concussion my helmet at least prevented my scalp from becoming a bloody mess – like my left leg.

Glad you are OK and back out there. I have a question that is a bit off topic for this thread though, but what is the significance of your username “mohonk?” I grew up in NY very near a place called Mohonk. Just curious!

[Anonymous]

@mohonk 142757 wrote:

Yes that was the spot! I’m not quite clear on your description about the two sections of concrete. I’ll revisit it this weekend when I can do that ride again and check it out.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7937319,-77.0239258,38m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

See the line that runs straight across? That’s a gap between the section of concrete that attaches to the rest of the trail and a completely separate section of concrete that makes up the very bottom of the U. I never really noticed or paid attention to it either, until it took me out. 😮 Now, like Klizotte, I take care to hit it perpendicular.

[Steve O]

@Amalitza 142817 wrote:

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7937319,-77.0239258,38m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

See the line that runs straight across? That’s a gap between the section of concrete that attaches to the rest of the trail and a completely separate section of concrete that makes up the very bottom of the U. I never really noticed or paid attention to it either, until it took me out. 😮 Now, like Klizotte, I take care to hit it perpendicular.

So this seems like something that should be brought to the attention of someone. It may actually be fixable, but I doubt whoever could make this decision has any idea that there is a hazard there. Given that at least three people on this forum report being taken down I would guess that there have actually been scores, if not hundreds, of unreported crashes.
MDOT, perhaps? Prince George’s County?

[paulg]

@Steve O 142821 wrote:

So this seems like something that should be brought to the attention of someone. It may actually be fixable, but I doubt whoever could make this decision has any idea that there is a hazard there. Given that at least three people on this forum report being taken down I would guess that there have actually been scores, if not hundreds, of unreported crashes.
MDOT, perhaps? Prince George’s County?

I commute through there so know that joint well. It is exactly as you say: a joint between the two sections of concrete but it has metal plates on either side of the gap. The concrete is nice a grippy on that bend so you can make fast turns but if you are turning on the metal plates I bet your wheel could slip out. If it’s wet those plates would be like an ice rink.

At that point I always make the turn without running wide onto the joint, if pedestrians are present I make sure I’m not leaning over too hard on the joint.

[Steve O]

@Steve O 142821 wrote:

So this seems like something that should be brought to the attention of someone. It may actually be fixable, but I doubt whoever could make this decision has any idea that there is a hazard there. Given that at least three people on this forum report being taken down I would guess that there have actually been scores, if not hundreds, of unreported crashes.
MDOT, perhaps? Prince George’s County?

I reported it here: http://marylandsha.force.com/customercare/request_for_service

Feel free to also report it. The more times the better, IMO.

[mohonk]

@ian74 142792 wrote:

Glad you are OK and back out there. I have a question that is a bit off topic for this thread though, but what is the significance of your username “mohonk?” I grew up in NY very near a place called Mohonk. Just curious!

Yes, that was a fave hiking spot of mine when I lived in greater NYC.

[mohonk]

@Amalitza 142817 wrote:

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7937319,-77.0239258,38m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

See the line that runs straight across? That’s a gap between the section of concrete that attaches to the rest of the trail and a completely separate section of concrete that makes up the very bottom of the U. I never really noticed or paid attention to it either, until it took me out. 😮 Now, like Klizotte, I take care to hit it perpendicular.

Yes, I see it clearly in the photo. I don’t know how I could have missed that on 7/2. I’ve always seen the virtue of crossing over things like embedded train tracks in the pavement at a perpendicular angle. I always take those metal expansion joints at that angle, and reduce my speed. Thanks for posting that.

[AlexandriaBiker]

A few years ago several of us in Alexandria tried to get MD State Highway Administration (MDSHA) to do something about the expansion joints and gaps in the main span of the bridge which are so wide and dangerous for bicyclists. MDSHA came out and inspected and I even happened to be riding by when they were there doing the work, so am certain they investigated. At the end of the day MDSHA did nothing. “The bridge is designed to move motorized vehicles and bikers and pedestrians should be happy we got a trail” was the message that was conveyed.

[scorchedearth]

@AlexandriaBiker 143323 wrote:

A few years ago several of us in Alexandria tried to get MD State Highway Administration (MDSHA) to do something about the expansion joints and gaps in the main span of the bridge which are so wide and dangerous for bicyclists. MDSHA came out and inspected and I even happened to be riding by when they were there doing the work, so am certain they investigated. At the end of the day MDSHA did nothing. “The bridge is designed to move motorized vehicles and bikers and pedestrians should be happy we got a trail” was the message that was conveyed.

IIRC, the initial response that we received from the authorities was that they did not see any danger posed by these expansion joints and thus, there was no remediation needed.

[KLizotte]

@scorchedearth 143329 wrote:

IIRC, the initial response that we received from the authorities was that they did not see any danger posed by these expansion joints and thus, there was no remediation needed.

Perhaps a list of names of people that have fallen there would help prove our cause? There are at least three of us on this forum.

[Author]

Replies