[Brian A.]

So I got my first road bike and my first road rash in the same month. Untill recently, I hadn't ridden a bike since I got my first car, but my wife and I rented mnt bikes while visiting Niagra Falls and we caught the riding bug. So when we got back we bought a couple of Gary Fisher hybrids and and having taught spinning classes for several years, I immediatly started logging some major miles riding to work in Hartford.

So I was riding home Mon comming towards the outskirts of the city when I was suddenly "helped" off my bike by a car door swinging open. There were cars parked all along the side of the road and I had been trying to keep an eye on whether anyone was in them but I definetly didn't see this one comming. Thankfully the guy hadn't gotten the door all the way open cause if I had hit it square I would have gone flying head first. As it was the door clipped my right leg and spun the bike out from under me landing me on the same spot that hit the door. Thankfully nothing broken. Its more like the mother of all charlie hoses which has since turned all sorts of colors and is still causing a pretty good limp a week later.

So the real ? is, being new to this whole street riding thing, is there any tips to avoiding this situation when riding along a street w/ parked cars?

BTW the bike seems to be ok, some minor scuffs. I took most of the damage lol. And yes I was wearing a helmet.