Poll

Roughly how many incident-free miles had you cycled before you were last "in collision" with a motor vehicle?

Less than 1000 miles
1001-5000 miles
5001-10000 miles
10001-20000 miles
20001-30000 miles
30001-40000 miles
40001-50000 miles
More than that
It hasn't happened yet

Author Topic: The "have you been knocked off" poll  (Read 178251 times)

sigod

  • Commuter Proof
    • Tinyfish
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #125 on: 21 February, 2011, 10:34:29 am »
I had to endure a tarmac handshake late last week when a little 7 year old boy swerved into my path on his trike while cycling across Tooting Common. I'd had slowed down to pass him so the contact was slight and he was thankfully unhurt in the bump. I'd slammed the anchors on but still wasn't used to the V-Brake system I'd installed onto my old British Eagle and therefore gracefully dismounted over the handlebars to land in a heap in front of both the startled child and the bikes.

The next thing I knew was having my head patted gently with the kid standing above me me saying over and over 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry'. He then ran behind a tree and hid. I'd come down hard on my right knee but was trying to smile so as to not freak the kid out any further. It broke my heart to see him so upset.

His dad picked me up and continued the apologies. I checked both bikes and happily nothing was damaged. Even though I'd done my knee in, I found the encounter to be quite touching as I'm used to recieving a tirade of verbal abuse irrespective of who was to blame. Nice to see that there are still some polite and reasonable people in the world.  :)
 

 
Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live.
 - Mark Twain

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #126 on: 21 February, 2011, 10:48:55 am »
That's an odd little incident.  You managed to get some positives out of what must have been a painful incident for you.  Hope you heal well.
Getting there...

sigod

  • Commuter Proof
    • Tinyfish
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #127 on: 22 February, 2011, 12:37:39 pm »
The knee's on the mend thanks but you are right, it was an odd (but not entirely negative) encounter.
Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live.
 - Mark Twain

Simonb

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #128 on: 24 February, 2011, 07:30:00 pm »
See my 'Low-speed SMIDSY' thread.

Titan yer Tummy

  • The little yellow crayon! What's this all about?
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #129 on: 26 February, 2011, 07:58:48 pm »
I have recently been knocked off in a bike on bike collision. If it had been a motor vehicle involved it would have been on the wrong end of a civil action through insurance now. But then I suppose I might not have been alive to tell the tale.

I was riding home in Portland Street, Camberwell on Friday 21/1/2011 at about 6.30 pm to join my daughter who was having a birthday party.

The road is narrow and made narrower by parked cars.

It was dark, damp and cold.

I was doing about 10-12 mph and a car was approaching up the road. He was travelling fairly slowly because of speed humps. There was plenty of room for us to pass each other.

Suddenly and completely without warning this lunatic decided to overtake. He ran out of road and had a choice of hitting the car head on or giving me a nudge.

For him it’s a no brainer and yours truly gets tipped into the gutter.

The idiot stopped and was extremely apologetic.

There was little damage to my bike but I was a bit bashed up. Right hip and thigh bruised, all the wind knocked out of me and what I thought was a minor graze to the elbow.

We exchanged details and after pulling myself together I rode home (puncture on route just to add to my misery).

I arrived home to a severe bollocking from my dear wife who has long warned me about the dangers of cycling, as I have related on other sites ad nauseum.

I was off the road for most of the following week whist the bruising settled down and then returned to the saddle.

Roll on 2 weeks and I’m all but fully mended. Then on Sunday morning I gave my elbow the tiniest of knocks and immediately realised I had disturbed something which had been getting better.

Within a couple of hours my arm was swollen, hurting and burning; so off I went to the minor injuries unit who in all fairness let me down really.

I was not seen by the doctor but was given antibiotics by the nurse for an infected arm. She omitted to tell me that the diagnosis was bursitis (I’d never heard of it either), perhaps she did not actually make this diagnosis.

By Tuesday my arm was getting worse and the antibiotics were not working. So it’s off to minor injuries again where the staff are considerably more concerned about my condition.

Four hours later and I’m admitted to St Thomas Hospital and on a drip with an operation arranged for the following day to clean it all up.

In the end I didn’t need the op but stayed in hospital ‘til the Thursday on intravenous antibiotics.

I was off work until the following Friday and I am yet to return to cycling.

Tyt

LindaG

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #130 on: 26 February, 2011, 10:24:11 pm »
If you have the driver's details, then it's not too late to contact Russell Jones Watson - you have three years, I think.

You can employ them on a no-win-no-fee basis, AIUI, but in any case it should be worth a 'phone call, n'est-ce pas?

If you had been driving a car you wouldn't even think twice.  It's why the person who hit you pays his insurance.

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #131 on: 14 March, 2011, 04:29:24 pm »
The last time I came off the bike and injured myself was in the last millenium (towards the end of it). Searches for wood to touch. I was side swiped by an opening door. Luckily I was riding fairly wide so just touched the edge of the door and came down sideways. Even more luckily the vehicle immediately behind me was a police car.  :thumbsup:
Stephen

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #132 on: 30 March, 2011, 11:25:07 am »
Never been knocked off as such, once had a slight contact which was a bit scary but mostly my fault TBH: as a teenager in the late 1970s I was returning home in the dark, possibly from Scouts, and I turned right on a straight country A road, when a fast travelling Rover P6 was coming from behind me. I had done a shoulder check but had totally over estimated the distance of the following car, possiby because it had two sets of lights and was showing the inboard ones.

I probably under estimated the approach speed as well, I do think he was also travelling PDQ and this is at the entrance to a village with 30mph signs up even back then. Fortunately he just caught my mudguard mounted rear dynamo light, I just heard a 'snick' as he passed behind me. He did stop and seemed relieved that I was unharmed, then politely suggested I take more care in future.

gaz2k

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #133 on: 09 April, 2011, 05:37:31 pm »
very nearly went over a cars bonnet yesterday,as a nice person cut across after not seeing me

i cycle through birmingham city centre then on heading towards wythall and return trip,its drama all the way

richie

  • Just sleeping...
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #134 on: 20 May, 2011, 02:49:15 pm »
Just added my name to the list after being knocked off at lunchtime.  First time in 25+ years on the road...
Sheep we're off again.

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #135 on: 20 May, 2011, 03:23:42 pm »
Just added my name to the list after being knocked off at lunchtime.  First time in 25+ years on the road...

Are you alright Richie?

and hows the bike?

Charlie Boy

  • Dreams in kilometers
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #136 on: 31 May, 2011, 10:54:21 pm »
Yesterday. First time in 30 years of cycling. 5 days before my 600.

Driver didn't look at junction on lane coming in from left, I could see her coming, and thought 'she's going to stop... is she going to stop... she's not going to stop...she hasn't stopped' and shouted No, NO, NOOOO before swerving right and just missing her bonnet. Doing about 30mph downhill, brakes locked, skidded and I came off hitting hip, elbow and head. Ended up on wrong side of road, luckily oncoming car saw it coming and did stop. Helmet did its job but now unusable, broken in three places.

All OK apart from hip which hurts. Bike unscathed.
Mojo is being awakened.

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #137 on: 01 June, 2011, 01:54:45 am »
Yesterday. First time in 30 years of cycling. 5 days before my 600.

Driver didn't look at junction on lane coming in from left, I could see her coming, and thought 'she's going to stop... is she going to stop... she's not going to stop...she hasn't stopped' and shouted No, NO, NOOOO before swerving right and just missing her bonnet. Doing about 30mph downhill, brakes locked, skidded and I came off hitting hip, elbow and head. Ended up on wrong side of road, luckily oncoming car saw it coming and did stop. Helmet did its job but now unusable, broken in three places.

All OK apart from hip which hurts. Bike unscathed.

Yikes  :(
I hope this doesn't mess up your 600. GWS.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #138 on: 01 June, 2011, 08:43:51 am »
Oh bother.
Getting there...

Charlie Boy

  • Dreams in kilometers
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #139 on: 01 June, 2011, 10:01:53 am »
Oh bother.

My words exactly.....well, almost exactly
Mojo is being awakened.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #140 on: 01 June, 2011, 10:05:47 am »
I see cars entering from side roads without looking so often.  It is amazing more people aren't hurt.  Each time I see one creeping over the line, I imagine what could happen.  Sorry to hear it did happen to you.  And I'm glad you're still with us.
Getting there...

Guy

  • Retired
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #141 on: 22 June, 2011, 09:16:48 am »
The last time I was offed was in the spring of 1982.  Coming out of Letchworth town centre there is a left turn just as the main road swings to the right where it crosses the railway bridge by the Spirella building.  I'm following the road to the right when a minicab driver decides to turn left  -  through my front wheel!  Luckily, I wasn't hurt and the wheel was round enough to get me home (had to be scrapped later).

Since then I have had several near-misses in Letchworth, all by minicabs ::-)

I have come to the conclusion that insanity is a prerequisite for obtaining a cabbies' licence in Letchworth.
"The Opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject"  Marcus Aurelius

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #142 on: 22 June, 2011, 07:56:11 pm »
I'd always get in the right hand lane approaching that turn.

Guy

  • Retired
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #143 on: 23 June, 2011, 08:39:06 am »
I'd always get in the right hand lane approaching that turn.
I don't know how long you've known Letchworth but 30 years ago the right-hand lane was the wrong side of the road.  There was only one lane each way with a broken white line down the middle.

PS  What's with the one-way system? It's a bloody nightmare!  Was it designed to encourage pavement cycling or summat?
"The Opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject"  Marcus Aurelius

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #144 on: 23 June, 2011, 08:48:47 am »
The last two drivers I saw pulling out without looking, were looking to their left whilst crossing or planning to cross a lane of traffic coming from their right.  Both in a porsche:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/6zRnKIVeu4U&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/6zRnKIVeu4U&rel=1</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ErtNTbqSMjE&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ErtNTbqSMjE&rel=1</a>

Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #145 on: 23 June, 2011, 10:50:20 pm »
I don't know how long you've known Letchworth...
About 30 years :)

My club meets on Nevells Road, so at that time I'd have been going that way weekly. I confess I don't recall what the road markings were at that time, but I'd definitely move to the right approaching what is really a right turn at the roundabout.

Guy

  • Retired
Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #146 on: 24 June, 2011, 08:13:23 am »
I don't know how long you've known Letchworth...
About 30 years :)

My club meets on Nevells Road, so at that time I'd have been going that way weekly. I confess I don't recall what the road markings were at that time, but I'd definitely move to the right approaching what is really a right turn at the roundabout.
There wasn't even a roundabout then.  It was just a bend in the road with a left turn on the elbow.  Letchworth has changed considerably over the last 30 years - not for the better, either.
"The Opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject"  Marcus Aurelius

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #147 on: 24 June, 2011, 11:08:41 pm »
Fair point, I had forgotten that, but now that you mention it...

AndyK

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #148 on: 06 July, 2011, 06:27:14 pm »
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170659695485#ht_3214wt_905

just found this fantastic cycling jersey, you should have alook

The most likely outcome of idiots like you spamming forums with your ebay auctions is your Ebay ID will be circulated and people will boycott you.

skudupnorth

Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
« Reply #149 on: 17 July, 2011, 06:53:36 pm »
Hit and run near where i live a couple of years ago  >:(   Got the bugger in the end though  :thumbsup: