RE: How close have you been to Death?
I did the "coming round a curve and didn't see the gravel/sand" myself. Just got scraped up a bit.
Another bike moment was one of those "just going 2 blocks to the taco stand to pick up lunch for the shop crew" times.
Didn't wear the helmet or any leathers, just the gloves, jeans and fleece jacket. Literraly going 2 blocks. After the 1st block, a controlled intersection where I had the right of way due to a stop sign on the other corner. Not really paying attention, I'm going through the intersection at 30mph and from the corner of my eye, here comes the car. It was being chased by 3 cop cars. In the span of 1/8th of a second, I realized I had two choices. Drop the bike or become a hood ornament. I dropped the bike and slip BETWEEN the perps car and the 1st cop car following him. A bit like a scene from a Keystone Cops movie.
I slid about 40 or so feet following that horrible grinding noise that was my bike sliding a couple feet ahead of me. I ended up face down, looking back at the way I'd come from. The 3rd or last cop car stopped to check me out. He was trying real hard not to laugh (not doing a good job of it). He said I looked like a spinning top with both arms flaying around trying to protect my head. It happened so fast, I don't even remember all that. It was "everything is fine and I can't wait for that carne asada burrito" to "damn...what am i doing on the ground...bleeding??"
Road rashed both arms, elbows, knees and calfs and a bit of my back. But I somehow protected the head. [sm=72_72.gif]
Another time I actually threaded the needle on a sweeping left of a twisting mountain road between a cow (in my lane) and oncoming traffic. That was very close one. Almost clipped his mirror with my helmet / shoulder. Also got hit in the face shield with a rock the size of my fist at about 70 mph. Felt like I got hit by Mike Tyson. My head was still ringing when I got to the destination 20 minutes later...[:@]