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I often bike in slightly bad weather. I don't mind a little drizzle but I don't like getting my clothing soaked. I've sometimes gone through snow too. It's not so bad if I use a mountain bike with slightly soft tires like about 30 psi.
On Dec. 22 at about 5:50 PM I was riding my bike after sundown in the drizzle and got hit by a truck. I was crossing an intersection and I noticed a bright light on my left side. I turned my head and saw an SUV heading directly toward my position about 20 feet away. I pedaled a little harder and turned to the right and then a second after that I was knocked down on the road. The SUV which looked like a Chevrolet Blazer stopped next to me. It apparently hit the back of my rear wheel with the left side of its front bumper. The driver asked if I was okay and I stood up and said "yeah". Then he asked about my bike so I turned its wheels and said that it was good. I got back on the bike and finished going home.
I can't blame him. It was wet and dark and there were probably a lot of headlights shining in his eyes from the other cars. I think he was making a left turn. Somebody had removed the front and rear reflectors from my bike (it was stolen and then recovered without them) and I wasn't wearing my headlamp so I was probably hard to see. I later realized I was injured a little. I think the handlebar poked into my lower abdomen and I hit the road with my left hip and my ribs. The ribs still hurt a little. I'm thankful that no part of my body got run over by the tires.
I think I could be safer by using reflectors, lights, and a bright colored jacket or safety vest with reflective stripes.
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