Flying Tire

[cactusjack]

My dad worked with a guy in Houston that was riding his bike on 610. An 18 wheeler ahead of him lost a lug nut. It took a bounce and the bike rider got it in the face. Took our a couple of front teeth but he was able to get pulled over to a stop.

Ouch!

Also along these same lines, I've seen more than a few pickup trucks lose a rear axle/tire assembly. Something else to watch out for.

[buckeye]

Had a couple of treds come off ahead of me, but I was able to avoid them both times. Scary situation, makes you back off from all vehicles in front of you.

[coacha]

In high school, I was driving to my job as a cook at Holiday Inn around 5:30 a.m. and as I was going over an overpass, my left rear tire came loose and went right on by me and on down the other side of the overpass. I was now driving a 3 wheeled '68 Ford truck with a wing sticking out of the left rear of the bed were the wheel assembly tore up the body. Ever try to get a full sized pick-up off the ground with only a scissor jack? It don't happen. Had to hoof it home about 4 miles to get my brother and bring back the floor jack from the garage. Needless to say, I was a tad late for work.

Luckily, no one was coming the other way but I still curse the Ohio Highway Patrolman that drove by and waved to me as I struggled to try to get that beast up on the scissors jack. Guess he was going off shift or the Crispy Creame must have posted the "Fresh Donuts Now" sign....

[wheelie]

As a former truck driver and a current maint. shop clerk for a large refuse hauler I've seen a few loose wheels. All drivers are to check their lugs in a pre & post trip inspection. Also if a truck has a wheel replaced it is to be retorqued after one day on the road. We have found several loose lugs on the retorque so we retorque it again the next day. You should always be ready to bust a move when over taking a big truck.

[ells]

Lots of big rigs out there with lots of tires but they generally do try damn hard to deal with the issues. I worry as much or more about stuff coming loose from Joe Smuck's pickup or trailer load, you see crap all over the place. I do believe that road debris is one of our major problems, flying or not.

40 years ago on the I-10 bridge here in Baton Rouge an 18 wheeler's rim separated, through pieces of rubber and metal rim into the opposing lanes. A chunk of jagged tire rim went through the roof of a motorists car in one of those opposing lanes. Removed his calvarium, damaged his brain, the man survived, but was never the same. He had to retire, cause he couldn't function at the job he had held for over 20 years. So, it is very wise advice to be extra,extra cautious around 18 wheelers.

P.S. If memory serves me correctly, 20/20 did an expose' on how easy the truck tire rims separate.

Lots of big rigs out there with lots of tires but they generally do try damn hard to deal with the issues. I worry as much or more about stuff coming loose from Joe Smuck's pickup or trailer load, you see crap all over the place. I do believe that road debris is one of our major problems, flying or not.

Another thing that's pretty bad is being on your bike and following a trailer full of cattle that I honestly believe the owner gave a laxative, and took 'em out to "crop dust" the road.