I almost hit this tree branch during today's ride. Click to enlarge. I was coming around the corner at high speed when I saw the branch in front of me. I hit the brakes hard and came to a stop just inches from the branch. The stop was so abrupt that my rear wheel came off the ground. Had I struck the branch, I would have somersaulted onto the pavement, possibly breaking some bones.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 