knocked down

But not out - luckly enough. My buddy Karl and I did a very tough 40 miler yesterday afternoon. Up onto West Cuesta Ridge on TV Tower Rd. And then down the single track to Cerro Alto and from there home on pavement via Hwy 41 and Hwy 1. A large portion of this ride is dirt and I came off clumsily a couple times. In one switchback turn I managed to scrape up both achilles with pedals and chainring, but no real injuries. We were cruising pretty slowly on the way home. Not by choice, but more out of necessity as we'd burnt so many matches on the climbing. Just after I split off from Karl a car passed me and put on it's blinker just before the entrance to a gas station. I thought, "no way is he going to try and turn in front of me", but started braking none the less. Sure enough the idiot turned right into me. I turned with him but couldn't turn fast enough and he ended up knocking me to the pavement with his front fender. Luckily the pavement was smooth and my velocity minimal by this point so it was a pretty soft landing both for me and the bike. I gave the driver the what for about carelessness and using his mirrors, but once I saw that I was basically unscarred and the bike unscathed I was on my way. I was on the touring 'traut which had to be completely refurbished less than two years ago so I was most relieved that it didn't get banged up. I saw in Cycling News today that the great Mario Cippolino suffered the same kind of accident the same day. However his outcome was much worse and he will require surgery to repair the damage an inattentive driver caused him. Some days you're lucky and some not, but it always pays to distrust car drivers, and assume that if they can pull a bonehead move they will - words to the wise!