Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => On The Road => Topic started by: rogerzilla on 24 April, 2010, 08:49:13 pm

Title: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 24 April, 2010, 08:49:13 pm
Prompted by Jurek's off.  Doesn't matter who was at fault in the collision, so if you went into the back of a parked car, include it.

EDIT: to make this scientific, I'd need to adjust for location, type of roads travelled, typical time of day, hi-viz, lighting, years of cycling experience, I'm paranoid/I am like Colonel Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now" and I know I am going to get through this without a scratch yadda yadda, but it's years since I worked with multivariate linear regressions and I would need a sample size as big as the CTC.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Domestique on 24 April, 2010, 08:53:10 pm
Nearly 2000 miles ago, just before new years eve  :(
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: eck on 24 April, 2010, 08:55:49 pm
About 25 years ago, crossroads of Queens Road and Cheetham Hill Road in Mancs. I was riding straight on, car turning right T-boned me. According to the driver's defence, I rode my bike into her car.
Sideways.    ???  :facepalm:
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Adam on 24 April, 2010, 09:05:11 pm
I've only been in collision with a car twice (different ones).  The first was about 29 years ago, cycling into school, when I was distracted by a person of the female persuasion, so that I didn't notice the car parking up in front of me, and rode straight into it, writing off my nice Carlton.  :'(

The other time was last year, so less than 5,000 miles since, when someone pulled out in front of me and pringled the front wheel. 
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 24 April, 2010, 09:07:43 pm
It's a bit  :o so far.  Please complete the survey even if you're in the "never happened" category - the trouble with these polls is that they're a bit self-selecting.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Kathy on 24 April, 2010, 09:08:36 pm
Apart from an incident about seven years ago, all my offs have been self-inflicted: just me and the road (or some oil, or a pothole, or a tramline, etc), so I don't think they can be included in the poll.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 24 April, 2010, 09:10:54 pm
No, this is not the Darwin Award nomination process  ;)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: andygates on 24 April, 2010, 09:11:04 pm
Miles?  I don't think in miles.  2001, Bristol, taxi driver on a roundabout, his fault.  Here: OpenStreetMap (http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=51.4460563659668&lon=-2.56060838699341&zoom=16)

Weather bright and overcast.  Me in Army surplus tat, no spangly special kit of any sort, onna lilac Kirk.  Him with a pair of arguing passengers going at it like only a married African couple can, didn't look.  I know he didn't look because I saw him look as I screamed like a girl.  

Road's not one cyclists use much because it's heavily-trafficked and multi-lane.  It was a quiet day (Sunday morning? It felt like one. Something like that anyway).  He just assumed and made an ass out of my back wheel and the illusion that I'd yell like a proper mountain man when emperiled.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Basil on 24 April, 2010, 09:11:33 pm
I've absolutely no idea.  I don't have clue how many miles I cycle in any particular year.
About 7 years, I think.

erm.. *thinks*

Hmm, I've voted much too low.
Roger, could you take my vote out of of the 10 - 20 and put it in the 20 - 30, please?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Adam on 24 April, 2010, 09:12:56 pm
It's a bit  :o so far.  Please complete the survey even if you're in the "never happened" category - the trouble with these polls is that they're a bit self-selecting.

Not so sure.  After all, if you did a similar poll for car scrapes, you'd get large numbers as well.  I've had scarier things happen in the car (and the plane now I think about it).
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 24 April, 2010, 09:14:55 pm
Miles?  I don't think in miles.  2001, Bristol, taxi driver on a roundabout, his fault.  Here: OpenStreetMap (http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=51.4460563659668&lon=-2.56060838699341&zoom=16)

Weather bright and overcast.  Me in Army surplus tat, no spangly special kit of any sort, onna lilac Kirk.  Him with a pair of arguing passengers going at it like only a married African couple can, didn't look.  I know he didn't look because I saw him look as I screamed like a girl.  

Road's not one cyclists use much because it's heavily-trafficked and multi-lane.  It was a quiet day (Sunday morning? It felt like one. Something like that anyway).  He just assumed and made an ass out of my back wheel and the illusion that I'd yell like a proper mountain man when emperiled.
I know that junction.  It's the way to Argos Cycles  :)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Zoidburg on 24 April, 2010, 09:16:25 pm
Twas a cold dark night in december 2004 IIRC.

A lady pulled out quickly from parked on me, no lights, no indication, no looky.

Not a single thing I could do to avoid it.

Anyone who indulges in picking apart people's technique in this thread shall be cast out BTW - just thought I would mention that before anyone gets all breathless and excited about a chance to show off how well they have memorised some cycling pamphlet or other.

Just think of this thread as an AA meeting and not an intervention.

 ;)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 24 April, 2010, 09:20:10 pm
You're not thinking of Cyclecraft, are you?  Some of the stuff in there might get you beaten up around here for impeding the progress of a Saxoful of knuckle-draggers.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: citoyen on 24 April, 2010, 09:21:52 pm
Miles?  I don't think in miles.  2001, Bristol, taxi driver on a roundabout, his fault.  Here: OpenStreetMap (http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=51.4460563659668&lon=-2.56060838699341&zoom=16)

For the purposes of this poll, the mileage is more important than the blame - the point is to get an idea of the level of risk of a collision, ie how far would you have to ride a bike before you were statistically likely to get knocked off.

A simple count of how many collisions there have been would just be Daily Mail-esque scaremongering designed to make cycling look dangerous. By giving the context of how many miles were covered to reach that collision count, suddenly the figures don't look so scary. Or at least they shouldn't...

Me? I've never been in a collision with a motor vehicle, unless you count the time I punched the side of a taxi to register my frustration at the inconsiderate way it was being driven.

Plenty of near misses, though.

Not sure of my lifetime mileage to date - probably around 30,000 miles.

d.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Auntie Helen on 24 April, 2010, 09:22:44 pm
16,000ish miles in the last two years and with no serious incidents, let alone being knocked off. Recumbent trikes rule!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Pippa on 24 April, 2010, 09:27:23 pm
Prolly about 3000 miles sans incident (apart from, of course, when I fell off due to incompetence) since I started cycling this time last year. I hope to keep cycling incident free.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Jacomus on 24 April, 2010, 09:33:14 pm
A van turned across the bus lane I was occupying and I rode into the side of it before I could get at the brakes.

No damage to person or property.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: John Henry on 24 April, 2010, 09:33:55 pm
I started mile counting in 1999. Since then I've done around 63,000.

Total damage so far is one sprained wrist and some minor scrapes and bruises. No unplanned contact with other road users of any description.

So far I think I've been very lucky, and I can only hope this continues.  :-\
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Basil on 24 April, 2010, 09:35:59 pm

For the purposes of this poll, the mileage is more important than the blame - the point is to get an idea of the level of risk of a collision, ie how far would you have to ride a bike before you were statistically likely to get knocked off.


Yeahbut, the question is only how many miles between your last two offs.  (Or am I not reading the question correctly?)

I've been knocked off 4 times in 50 (yes, fifty) years of cycling.  The last two happen to be about 7 years apart.


Edit: I've just remembered a 5th.  ::-)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Fixedwheelnut on 24 April, 2010, 09:36:50 pm
Mine to date were;
2001 ish car pulled in on me and knocked the bars round, no injury just rolled along.

2003 hit & run but got his number, pulled out from a line of traffic to drive the wrong side of the road to a turning, bruised shoulder and right leg. Bike mudguard and rear wheel damage

2009 car pulled across me, broken finger plus compound dislocation, laceration to chin,  bruised and cut legs, bike written off.

 Four other off's between the last two due to broken handlebars and a patch of diesel.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: phil d on 24 April, 2010, 09:53:19 pm
It was with more than a little trepidation that I ticked the "not happened yet" box.  I don't think I'll ride the bike tomorrow.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Basil on 24 April, 2010, 09:55:48 pm
So, you don't want to hear of the couple of times I've cycled into the canal?  :facepalm:
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 24 April, 2010, 09:58:49 pm
So, you don't want to hear of the couple of times I've cycled into the canal?  :facepalm:
Oh yes, I do.  ;D
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Wendy on 24 April, 2010, 09:59:05 pm
Quite amused by Zoidburg's pre-emptive comment there!  My last serious off was a head on with another cyclist, about 1988 I think.  My fault entirely.  I don't think I've yet had an off involving a motor vehicle, though I took off someone's wing mirror off on the motorbike once.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Ian H on 24 April, 2010, 10:07:45 pm
I find the question a little odd. I have a very rough idea of how many miles since, but not much idea of how many before (it was in the 1980s, sometime).
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 24 April, 2010, 10:10:16 pm
I find the question a little odd. I have a very rough idea of how many miles since, but not much idea of how many before (it was in the 1980s, sometime).
You gotta pick before or after...
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: TimO on 24 April, 2010, 11:03:55 pm
I had to make a very hand waving estimate since it's quite a few years since I last had an incident with a motor vehicle.

Five or six years back, someone opened the passenger door of a car across me when I was filtering up a marked cycle path bit to the advanced stop line area.  I almost missed it, but I had the trailer on, and it just caught on the door.

Prior to that, it was probably a decade or more, when a car pulled out in front of me.  I wasn't cycling as much then, so I selected a value to reflect total mileage of around 30000.

Admittedly I have had a couple of more recent self inflicted injuries in London, where bollards and kerbs have jumped out in front of me, but obviously they don't count for this poll.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: pdm on 24 April, 2010, 11:17:53 pm
Mmmmh.
Started cycling "seriously" around 1974.
First driven off the road but not knocked off or down the same year.
Then incident free until 2001. Not a clue how many miles - probably around 20,000??. Car turned right into me while I was overtaking a stationary line of traffic. She became impatient and pulled out of line suddenly without looking to try and do a U turn in a very silly place. about 5:30pm. Not dark at all. Wearing yellow windproof with reflective beading. dry and partly cloudy. Front wheel pringled - little other damage.
Next incident last year (2009) was the bus busting bout. light rain. blue jacket with reflective panels. 6pm and not at all dark. Bus turned across my path and got itself thoroughly smashed up. Minor injuries to me only, replaced handlebars and stem on bike. Mileage since 2001 incident: about 40,000.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Rapples on 25 April, 2010, 07:01:32 am
A few near misses, all of which could have been nasty.

So thankfully no, although I seem to recal and incident when I was about 11 doing the same as Adam and cycled onto the bonnet of a shiny Jag.  :facepalm:

No girls invoved though :-[
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: klaas on 25 April, 2010, 07:09:12 am
5 miles ago, that is, three weeks ago, Glasgow centre city: cut off by a car, brushed along, slammed on breaks, flew over handle bars, made a handstand on road in front of a city bus, and slammed on the road. Nice. Normally I swear like a dock worker at cars; all I could say now was "you idiot! you idiot!" as I slapped the car. Apologised to the driver. Not sure why: definitely his fault. Just wanted to get to work, I guess. Have hardly cycled as f-ed up knee from the fall.

Before that, 1975, parked car, can't remember what happened but woke up in hospital with broken palate and skin off face. And 1977: had just picked up brand new 10-speed bike; cycling home, after 1 mile cut-off by car and jammed into parked cars. No injury but crying like a baby over my ruined 5-minute old bike.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: CrinklyLion on 25 April, 2010, 08:27:51 am
Touch wood, it hasn't happened yet.  Although I don't track mileage, or do anything like the distances many on here do, I have cycled on and off for the best part of thirty years and have never driven, so cycling/walking/public transport have always been my main modes of transport.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 25 April, 2010, 08:32:34 am
This is interesting; it's certainly not a Boolean distribution.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Hummers on 25 April, 2010, 08:39:22 am
Many, many times.

Sometimes on my own and sometimes in the presence of a 3rd person and/or persons unknown.

Not sure the numbers on the poll can stretch enough to accommodate my score.  :smug:




Oh, hold on.





Sorry, I completely misread the title of this thread.

 :-[

H
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: geoff on 25 April, 2010, 09:10:00 am
Reading the thread and from experience, events like this are vividly imprinted in people's memory. Twas a Saturday afternoon on the Cowley Road. A white van pulled in whilst overtaking me, sideswiping me onto the front wing of a parked car. I think the car was blue.

But miles? and before??

Sorry...
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: L CC on 25 April, 2010, 09:26:08 am
I had an idiot on a club run run into the back of me but have never had an incident with a motor vehicle. All 7 offs since December were ice or clipless moments and my gore in New Zealand was bike failure.
But then- I don't ride in cities very often, so there's less cars who might hit me!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Greenbank on 25 April, 2010, 09:34:51 am
Never been knocked off.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: tonycollinet on 25 April, 2010, 09:40:06 am
I put myself in the "not yet" category - but I'd forgotten about the time when I was around 12, and cycled hard into the back of a parked car (newish bike, head down cycling hard). It was a comedy style "land on the roof, and slide down the back of the car" event.

Cost me £20 for a new frame.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Biggsy on 25 April, 2010, 09:53:40 am
Does "incident-free" mean without collision with a motor vehicle?

If so, I can thankfully forget about the incidents that only involved me, my bike and the road.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 25 April, 2010, 09:58:16 am
Yes, since those are (in theory) avoidable.  You could argue that riding into a parked car is also avoidable, but it gets messy if we include fault in it, since some collisions with motor vehicles are 50/50.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: hellymedic on 25 April, 2010, 09:59:41 am
Maybe I should withdaw my 20,000-30,000 'vote'.

On the two ot the three occasions I have been in collision with a motor vehicle, I have not come off. My injuries have been as good as non-existent, like a fingernail bruise the size of a full stop in 10pt Verdana.

Damage to bikes has mostly been minimal, though I did crump a 531 frame when I rode into someone's bumper in the drizzle.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Biggsy on 25 April, 2010, 10:17:26 am
20,000 miles before the last one for me.  I've had four collisions with motor vehicles altogether.  Two were trvial with no injuries; two with significant injuries.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Speshact on 25 April, 2010, 10:19:34 am
Um, a bus gently knocked me off, as we both set off to enter Old Street roundabout, about 10 years ago. The driver hadn't noticed me when he arrived at the roundabout and I got a graze. No idea on mileage since.

Officially,
"Casualty rates.
Measured per kilometre of exposure, overall cycling is one of the riskiest forms of travel (see table). However, the risks to the individual are still very low. The average distance cycled in a year is around 60 km – on this basis there would be one fatality in around half a million years."

Casualties per billion passenger kilometres (2006 data):
pedal cycle
Killed 31, Seriously injured 527  All 3,494

Source: Pedal cyclist casualties in road accidents: 2007
Road Accident Statistics Factsheet No. 4 – November 2008
DfT
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 25 April, 2010, 10:34:55 am
Knocked off when I was 16 or so: club run, bunch overtaken by moton who forgot he was towing a caravan, about 10 of us ended up in a nasty tangle in the road. No idea how many miles I had done prior to that but I'll guess at less 5001 - 10000. No motorists involved in my mishaps since then.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Ian H on 25 April, 2010, 11:05:06 am
I find the question a little odd. I have a very rough idea of how many miles since, but not much idea of how many before (it was in the 1980s, sometime).
You gotta pick before or after...

Okay, something over 50k miles since. It was a minicab that turned right across my path late one night in Acton. I can't think of any others.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: tatanab on 25 April, 2010, 11:26:58 am
I am a "more than that".  I was knock off in 1971 and then not until 2005.  Minor injuries, although enough to need hospital treatment in each case.

A high mileage member of the 300,000 plus club once told me he reckons on a trip to hospital about every 100,000 miles.  That sort of comment, and the figures collected here really knock into touch the non-cycling public's perception that cycling is horribly dangerous.

Now where's my piece of wood to knock on for continued luck.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: simonp on 25 April, 2010, 11:34:04 am
1993, Glasgow, then 2007, Cambridge.

1993 was me riding into the back of a car as I was trying to change lane and the lights changed while I was looking over my shoulder, they stopped, I didn't

No damage done to anything.

2007 was car pulling out in front of me from a side road to the right as I started to turn into the road.  Lots of damage to the car (dent, scrapes), none to me or bike though I replaced the carbon forks as a precaution.

Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: ian on 25 April, 2010, 12:28:12 pm
Don't track miles either, but two serious offs (if you don't count the ones that just involved myself, gravity, and a poor understanding of the laws of momentum and inertia).

Hit from behind by a speeding Toyota back in 1996. Driver in a hurry to catch the start of a football game on TV, took a hill brow corner at excessive speed. Unfortunately I was coasting down the other side of the hill and he must have been going too fast to correct (50-60 mph in a 35 zone) so continued to swing wide around the bend. Fortunately, a thorough appraisal of certain websites has educated me that speed doesn't kill. It can ensure someone spends a long time in hospital though.

End of last year, in London, driver pulled out from parking space without looking. Obscured by a large van parked behind him, I couldn't see anything, and I guess that since he couldn't see anything either, he just decided to put his faith in probability and went. Into me. Nothing I could have done, even with the considerable powers of hindsight. I was almost past as he pulled out, flipping me onto the bonnet and then unceremoniously onto the road. No serious damage to me, bike, or him - though I did have a sore hand and shoulder for a few months afterwards. The Met in their wisdom didn't even judge that as 'careless'. I have alluded elsewhere to the kinds of activity that may meet the Met's criterion for carelessness. Still, as I lay on the road I did notice the driver finally switch his indicators on, so that's alright then. He did at least stick around and was one of the few drivers in south London with both a licence and insurance. Mind you, he was driving a courtesy car because he had trashed his actual car.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: andrew_s on 25 April, 2010, 12:43:47 pm
Over 150,000 miles or so, in order...

0) (As a student, before I'd started logging miles) Stuffed my RH brake lever through the nearside brakelight/indicator cluster on a bus. Bus at stop, me waiting, bus set off, then stopped again about 30m further on. I failed to stop, not having expected the bus to stop again and braking being compromised by not wanting my hand to be what hit the bus.
1) Overtaking car pulled back in before completing the pass, brushed end of handlebar. Didn't fall off, driver stopped to apologise, I was doing about 35mph.
2) Car turning right across the front of me. Indicating, stopped, decided to go, realised I was going faster than she'd thought, stopped again. Bent frame and forks, I did a roll across the bonnet.
3) Car doored. Pringled wheel, bent forks again. The man coming the other way with the extra wide trailer (who was why I was in the door zone) kindly gave me a lift back home.
4) Oncoming car on the wrong side of the road hit my right hand & brake lever with the wing mirror.
5) car in front stopped whilst I was checking behind. Nearly managed to stop but not quite. I stepped off, more or less, but the bike somersaulted and landed on the Brooks, bending one rail. Slow moving scissor movement in a small gyratory.
6) Irate taxi driver overtook the club run, then immediately stopped broadside across the road. I hit his front passenger door, pringling my front wheel. Police got involved, but as far as I know nothing happened.
7) car pulled out into same gyratory as 5, I hit his offside as a shallow angle. I'd seen him coming and adjusted my cornering line so it wouldn't hurt if he failed to give way.
8) car turned left across cycle lane without indicating. Gave his rear passenger door a bit of a clout as I followed him into the side road.
9) stationary car on right pulled across road into parking place on left just as I was about to pass. Pringled wheel, I rolled across the bonnet. Tore a muscle in my upper arm, so was off the bike for about 3 weeks. Driver had been discussing with passenger whether to stop at that pub or not.

0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 commuting
1, 4, 6, 9 countryside recreational riding

Actually came off properly: 2, 3, 9
Parted company with bike, but almost a step off: 4, 5, 6
Remained on bike: 0, 1, 7, 8
I voted 10-20000
If only counting proper offs rather than "incidents", 3 -> 9 would probably be something of the order of 110,000
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Clandy on 25 April, 2010, 02:58:32 pm
2009 Smidsy took me down on an empty road in broad daylight. See here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/ClipartEtc/crashdia.jpg).

2010, major rider error!
Instead of riding around Shoebury Garrison along the seawall and through Gunners Park, I changed my route and went along Campfield Road and Ness Road to reach the seafront.
The Gunners Park route brings you onto the very beginning of the Southend seafront cycle path and takes you beside Ness Road round to the seafront where you cross the slipway road opposite the Shorehouse and continue on the cycle path. This time I was traveling along Ness Road, in the road, the idea being to cross the slipway road and join the cycle path there. i got to the slipway road, probably doing about 25 mph, cut across the road, saw the ramp, flew up it, and it was the wrong ramp! It was the footpath ramp, not the cycle path ramp (which was further to the left of where I was).

In front of me was a small-ish pine tree, to the left a great big telecommunications box (very solid, very immovable), 90 degrees to the right the footpath with pedestrians on it…

I remember thinking, 'If I hit the ends of the branches I'll be able to just brush through…' What happened was I hit the branches at 20 odd mph, the Moulton stopped dead and whipped around to the left, and I slammed down sideways onto my right side into the earth the other side of the tree.

Injuries mostly amounted to bruised ego at the sounds of laughter from the Shorehouse…


So to sum up, in over 40 years cycling on British roads, knocked down once.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: jane on 25 April, 2010, 05:04:15 pm
I have no idea how many miles I have ridden in my cycling life (never consistently used a computy thingy) but think that last year I did about 7,000+ (conservative estimate)  miles totting up, roughly, my commuting, weekend rides and touring in the summer and other holidays.  So, I'll use that as an average over the last 35 years. I have done many more than that yearly when young and unencumbered and working as a messenger and seeming to spend my life on the bike, touring Europe and beyond in my twenties  and then subsequently far less mileage when a mother of under five. In 35 years I have
1.Been doored once, (30 years ago, concussion, nasty bruising)
2.Been hit side on by a car coming out of a sideroad (soon after, broken collarbone)
3.Hit a car when flying through a jammed junction without checking both lanes of traffic on my right. (27 years ago nasty facial road rash scar took years to fade completely, and cracked ribs).  Interestingly enough, that junction now light controlled.

So 3 offs really, over 35 years and  more than 213,000 miles, (possibly considerably more- in my years of maximum mileage, I never kept count, just rode). I am not counting accidents on the bike pre 16 years old by the way.
    Thats it- my rate of offs seems to have declined as my age has increased.  I think this is no coincidence.  I was a reckless risktaker when young and single and underwent quite a personality makeover on having children.  
 
Oh, I nearly forgot, possibly because it didn't involve anyone else.  About eight years or so ago- one wet day in Wales, came off on a cattle grid- split knee open.  And two more minor slip ups on towpaths involving other cyclists.  One rather humorous event which Jurek may recall as another occasion when his copious supply of zip ties proved indispensable.  
I am now concerned that I have tempted fate by reviewing my off statistics and will ride out tomorrow straight into some vehicle or pedestrian somewhere.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: DuncanM on 25 April, 2010, 05:15:55 pm
I'm in the under 1000 miles category because I haven't done many miles over the last few years - I was last knocked off in 2004.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Jurek on 25 April, 2010, 06:07:07 pm
 One rather humorous event which Jurek may recall as another occasion when his copious supply of zip ties proved indispensable.  
:-X  :)


Last Friday was my first in 20,000+ miles in three and a bit years.

I am now concerned that I have tempted fate by reviewing my off statistics and will ride out tomorrow straight into some vehicle or pedestrian somewhere.

I've never been 100% comfy with discussing prang stats either.... :-\
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: delthebike on 25 April, 2010, 06:08:20 pm
I've never been 100% comfy with discussing prang stats either.... :-\
It's too vague really. Narrowing it down to cheese related prangs would keep the number smaller and make cycling seem less dangerous.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Jurek on 25 April, 2010, 06:13:50 pm
It's too vague really. Narrowing it down to cheese related prangs would keep the number smaller and make cycling seem less dangerous.  :thumbsup:

For cheese related think less prang, more pringle :thumbsup:
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: ed_o_brain on 25 April, 2010, 10:08:38 pm
I plumped for the collision late last year, but I recall a couple years prior to that a moton overtook me when I was riding along a wet and otherwise empty road. Then, with out signalling slammed on and came to a halt - somehow I brought the bike to a stop and having slide sideways, I wound up holding the rear spoiler of the car to stop myself and the bike toppling over. Driver was oblivious!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: CommuteTooFar on 26 April, 2010, 09:46:40 am
Three times in three months in 2000. Took me ages to trust cars approaching junctions after that. Then again a couple of years ago. Damage to bikes but not much to to me.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Manotea on 26 April, 2010, 10:10:13 am
T-bones by a lady motorist coming out of a junction on a minor road as I was passing ("my foot slipped') about 30 years ago. I've been carrying a minor knee 'niggle' ever since.

OTOH, I've been into the back of a couple of cars. Once when I was about 12 whilst mulling over a 'domestic'. I hit the rear window with a satisfying thud and completely wrote off my bike which was a financial disaster. I went home with blood pouring down my face and wailing, 'my bike, my bike', and a couple of years back I was hauling my way up a hill absent mindedly, rounded a bend and bounced off a landrover stopped at a temporary traffic light, completely writing of the frame (my bike, thatis, not the landranger's. Oops.

Best guess to the rather complicated question is >50k miles, i.e., most of my adult life was incident free.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Spikey on 26 April, 2010, 10:50:05 am
Last collision was <1000 (about 4 weeks ago), by a car which was overtaking , cutting in and stopping for rbt. Leaning on the car helped me keep my ballance as I was physically pushed over a slippy wet dropped kerb onto the pavement.

Last off (due to collision) probably about 15000 miles, car pulled out and side road, wrote off front forks and dammaged rear pannier in collision.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 27 April, 2010, 06:34:49 am
Looking more Boolean now.  The peak is 10-20,000 miles, or about every five years for me  :o
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: urban_biker on 27 April, 2010, 09:20:44 am
I've been cycling seriously (well as serious as I get anyway) for 5 years. I have not had a collision with a motor vehicle directly. (in approx 20-25k miles)

I have had two offs, one caused by a car pulling out on me which meant I had to brake on a slippery surface and ended up hitting the deck. And once on ice. The first one was probably lack of experience really. I probably could have slowed on that surface without going down - I just over braked.

Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: fuzzy on 27 April, 2010, 01:30:37 pm
My last motor vehicular interface was when knuckles was deaded. About 3000 miles ago when the Tesco delivery van reversed into me.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: matthew on 28 April, 2010, 12:36:38 am
About 5 years since my only vehicular interface (therefore of the order 10-12k miles)

low speed interaction in a cross roads, me going right minor to major him straight minor to minor, 5 mph contact no damage to anything. the only points of contact being my left sole on his bonnet and my left pedal on his bumper.

Edit: read the bloody question, I'm guessing 30k miles in 15 years riding prior to that incident
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: bottlemasher on 28 April, 2010, 10:18:07 pm
43 years of incident free cycling then on November 26th 2009,
a little old lady driving a Nissen Micra done a hit and run on me
and I'm stiill suffering from the injuries I recieved.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: spindrift on 28 April, 2010, 10:22:42 pm
I've only been hit by a car twice, once the chap drove into me from a side street, then an unregistered (the number plate couldn't be traced) car hit me I think on purpose.

All the others have been non-vehicular.

Cycled as fast as I could uphill, and smacked into a parked Morris Minor. Bruised chin.

Doored in exactly the same place in Norwich, going the other way, downhill, did a perfect somersault, landed on my arse. After a fag sat against the wall I realised my only injury was a scratched thumb. The driver couldn't shut his car door afterwards so we called it quits.

Smacked into a nurse on an overgrown cycle path near Limehouse. My LCC insurance paid for her new bike. She was quite foxy.

Bust a rib on London Bridge because of a pedestrian on a mobile. I was gasping for breath in a heap and she mouthed "Oooh" as she walked in front of me, still on a mobile.

Then my diesel spill, warning arse content:

Picasa Web Albums - solomonsky - richard and s... (http://tinyurl.com/yzrtdpo)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: dave r on 28 April, 2010, 10:35:01 pm
1989 clipped by car on roundabout, wrecked back wheel but no injuries. Then nothing until 2005 when I got hit by a car turning right through stationary traffic, cuts and bruises but no damage to the bike. Then in 2007 I got rear ended, spent an afternoon in A&E and three weeks of work with deep tissue bruising, I couldn't lie down for three weeks, brand new bike scuffs and scratches. 
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: greenmeansgo on 29 April, 2010, 10:50:26 pm
I answered not yet, but there was a rear wheel pringling incident <1000 miles ago while I was waiting to turn right at a T junction and a moron in a car behind me "thought I'd gone". But didn't think to actually look before pulling away himself. Oh yes, the anger is coming back now!

Other than that I've come off the bike through collision with one pothole and one pedestrian, and had a handful of near misses, only one of which was my fault.

Is there a way to change your submitted vote?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: onb on 30 April, 2010, 12:22:58 pm
I havn't actually hit a car ,I did have a bad break of my collar bone when I swerved to avoid hitting a car who pulled straight across me .severity of swerve meant I lost control and  ended up in a very painful heap in the road .Not sure if this counts .Prefered wisdom after was I should have run into the car as the bike would have absorbed much of the impact  ::-)but I'm not sure that sort of logic entered my head in the split seconds of time I had to consider it.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Gaz on 02 May, 2010, 05:16:01 pm
i had a car pull out of a T junction and side swipe me, it pushed me into on coming traffic but luckily everyone stopped in time!!
Front of the bike destroyed and only minor damage to my shoulder and leg, back into work 2 days later and back on the bike a week later.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: MikeFromLFE on 07 May, 2010, 03:06:49 pm
I've gone for nearly 30000 miles as a rough guestimate.

About 1971 hit by a car turning out of a side road on Seven Sisters Road, Tottenham - the driver turned out not to have a licence or insurance, and those where the days when that was treated with some degree of gravity. Scrapes and scratches - bike OK.
Possibly the next year - driven of the road in France by a BIG lorry - before we had BIG lorries like that in blighty. Scraped leg, bike thankfully OK.
And still maybe in 1972, I mistook a green left turn filter light for a straight on proper green light, somewhere in Finchley - made a mess of my front wheel and my ego. No injuries.

Since then it's just be me and the laws of nature (hmmmm.... are dropped curbs that aren't dropped natural?) and multiple near misses.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: RainOrShine on 11 May, 2010, 12:09:50 pm
Had to guess at up to 20k miles.  Knocked off at traffic lights in 2005, still no recollection of what actually happened due to concussion.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Lycra Man on 18 May, 2010, 01:05:09 pm
I've not been knocked off by a car. My only car interface was 46 years ago when I was at school in Wells. I failed to stop and ran into the car in front, bending the front forks in a terminal way. I was unhurt, although petrified as the rear wheel came off the ground. I cam to earht sideways on, landing on my feet. Driver  was sympathetic. (Rider was pathetic.)

Bloomin' rod brakes. Useless.

Lycra Man
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: SteveC on 18 May, 2010, 10:50:26 pm
I can't work out how many miles I've ridden since I had my only (so far) SMIDSY.
But it was in 1977! 
I came onto a roundabout at dusk, from the west, down an incline, very fast (for a sit-up-and-beg Rudge with Sturmey-Archer gears) with no lights (wasn't lighting up time - quite - that's why I was in a hurry).  I was going straight across.  The car was coming from my left.

I actually had a lot of sympathy with the driver at the time and, since I've been driving myself, even more so.
I was in the 'right' but I wouldn't have been very visible under the circumstances.

S
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: arvid on 27 May, 2010, 05:55:43 am
I put myself in the "not yet" category - but I'd forgotten about the time when I was around 12, and cycled hard into the back of a parked car (newish bike, head down cycling hard). It was a comedy style "land on the roof, and slide down the back of the car" event.

Cost me £20 for a new frame.

I also put myself in that category, and also realized later that I actually once rode into the back of a parked car in my teens. More slowly than you though, maybe the car had some scratches, but I didn't notice. And once a car very slowly rode into me. I was in my teens in a huge group of schoolkids. The car had right of way but didn't clean his condensated windows, so didn't see anything. That was a bent rear wheel, and the driver bought me a new wheel on the same day. I didn't suffer anything.

After that... I don't recall any collisions.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: LiamFitz on 02 June, 2010, 08:28:34 pm
Back in the icy winter I dismounted to void some sheet ice and nice lady duly skidded and rammed me into a ditch.  Bike totalled but the poor woman was convinced she'd done for me as I disappeared under her car into the only bit of ditch for 200 metres ether way.

I was completely but I've been strangely nervy ever since!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Feline on 22 June, 2010, 08:14:13 pm
I've been knocked off in the last 200 miles but it was by my dog and not a car, dus this count?  :facepalm:
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: L CC on 22 June, 2010, 09:01:20 pm
I had an idiot on a club run run into the back of me but have never had an incident with a motor vehicle. All 7 offs since December were ice or clipless moments and my gore in New Zealand was bike failure.
But then- I don't ride in cities very often, so there's less cars who might hit me!

Once. In quite a few years.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: grayo59 on 25 July, 2010, 07:32:36 pm
Once in 1990. Car turned in front of me one July Friday evening as I was going downhill at about 20 plus mph. He stopped, admitted fault and in his mitigation said I "came out of the sun" which was true. I went over the top of his Volvo and spent the night in hospital with gravel rash and bruises.

Got £750 compo: for bike and clothes (£150) two days off work (£100 net) plus pain and suffering (£500).
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Pedaldog. on 25 July, 2010, 07:44:20 pm
Long ago in the mists of time.  I was 15 years old and cycling down the Norfolk coast on my (Proper) Claude Butler with the weinmann brakes, campag gears etc and I was just coming to some traffic lights in Caister when a bus overtook me, I didn't undercut him, and knocked me onto the grass verge where there was a trough that my front wheel locked into at about 150 mph. It buggered the wheel and forks and kinked the downtube so badly that it wasn't worth trying to repair. I took it to Woodrupps in Leeds and they told me to keep the bits and bin the bike. Since then I've had a few offs caused by motorists, throwing things or making me take evasive action, but not actually been Knocked off since then.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Toptripster on 28 July, 2010, 12:26:32 am
I answered "not yet", though I was sideswiped by an inattentive motorist in North London a couple of weeks ago I was tootling along well within a cycle lane when she caught my handlebars a resounding blow with the wing mirror of her black Nova which sent me wobbling all over the road, but somehow managed to stay upright.  Scared the bejesus out of me, and she obviously knew she'd hit me from the loud noise, but she didn't even slow down, though her kids were all staring out of the back window open mouthed...
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: citoyen on 28 July, 2010, 10:29:46 am
she didn't even slow down, though her kids were all staring out of the back window open mouthed...

Did you get her number? That sounds to me like "failing to stop" and should be reported to the police. It doesn't matter that you didn't come off. Her next victim might not be so lucky.

d.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Tewdric on 28 July, 2010, 10:31:26 am
she didn't even slow down, though her kids were all staring out of the back window open mouthed...

Did you get her number? That sounds to me like "failing to stop" and should be reported to the police. It doesn't matter that you didn't come off. Her next victim might not be so lucky.

d.


If there's no damage it doesn't need to be reported.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: citoyen on 28 July, 2010, 10:34:07 am
If there's no damage it doesn't need to be reported.

True, but how do you know there's no damage if you don't stop and check?

d.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion on 28 July, 2010, 11:44:53 am
If you think there might be damage or injury, you should stop.  Thanks to fuzzy for sending the relevant link to me on that score.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Regulator on 28 July, 2010, 01:04:11 pm
she didn't even slow down, though her kids were all staring out of the back window open mouthed...

Did you get her number? That sounds to me like "failing to stop" and should be reported to the police. It doesn't matter that you didn't come off. Her next victim might not be so lucky.

d.


If there's no damage it doesn't need to be reported.

Not correct.

As Clarion says, you have a duty to stop to ascertain whether there is damage or injury.  If there is injury it must be reported.  If there is damage, then it depends on the nature of the damage and who owns what is damaged as to whether it has to be reported.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Phil on 28 July, 2010, 01:18:18 pm
10,000 miles or so I reckon - four years ago I was doored as I filtered between two lanes of traffic.  Chap in the back of an elderly (and I suspect uninsured) Micra in the right hand lane got out without looking, knackering the front end of my bike. I escaped with bruises, although I left an impressive dent in the bus he knocked me into.

He thrust £60 at me and pretended not to speak english.  I decided that was probably that, since the driver had buggered off on the pretence of going to park up, and took the cash.

No other offs caused by motor vehicles before or since, although plenty of sticky moments. 
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Ray 6701 on 16 September, 2010, 11:24:54 am
About 10 years ago some numpty managed to hit me from behind & I removed his wing mirror with my forearm.  He did this despite the fact that we were on a dual carriagway & there was no other traffic.  It didn't hurt at the time & I had managed to stay on the bike so we left it at that.  It bloody hurt later at work though  >:(

Edit:  Just remembered a second incident, between Tatenhill & Barton under Needwood there is a dog leg bend & a car tried to overtake us on the 1st corner, there was a car coming the other way so he moved in towards Bob who was just ahead of me.  Bob banked the bike over as far as he could but eventually his front wheel went as it was wet, as bob was sliding along the road I tried to bunny hop his bike but hit his front fork & went off the side off the road, straight over the bars superman style & hit a steel fence ribs 1st.  The car just buggered off.  I had to fix Bobs bike as his front brakes had locked, we then had to ride the 15 or so miles back, Bob had injured his right hand & I had bruised my ribs.  It's amazing how these things don't really hurt that much when they happen but after the adrenaline has gone, Ouch.

Could you change my vote from 30 - 40 to 10 - 20 please.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: welshwheels on 25 September, 2010, 10:07:11 am
i have had 2 accidents in the last 10 years : 1 a elderly driver took me and 4 cycling friends off in 1 go he hit the four of us from behind !!! we were riding on a B road on a long climb in single file he hit me first i fractured my wrist smashed his wing mirror and passenger front window . as he hit us he must have steered left in to my friends resulting in the next rider having a broken hip .ouch !! and and the rider after him a broken leg!! as you can imagine police and ambulance were called .the driver said he did not see us !!!!! >:( >:(   
accident no 2 : (my fault) !!!
while out training (I used to fancy myself as a time trialist ) on a 25 mile loop i was going well on a late 90's bianchi in celeste green me in full kelme green team kit  :demon: a ford escort had stoped to turn right in front of me i did not see him at all straight in to the back  of him at 25 / 26 mph i was clipped in and landed on the roof of the car yes kermit the frog was airborne !!! i was in agony bruised ribs and battered pride . Driver did not know what was going on i went mental called him everything while on top off his car still cliped in !!!! finally got down not much damage to car ! gave him name and address to make a claim to cover damage to car and he did not bother !! happy days  ;D ps i stll rode home grrr :)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: border-rider on 25 September, 2010, 10:29:59 am
I took the door off a bright green Fiesta in 1982  - late for a lecture I was hammering into university down a hill and moved into the turn-left lane just as the driver decided to make a high-speed exit from his parked car. The hinges broke and I landed on the bonnet, slid down and ended up standing upright on the road in front of the car, uninjured.  Impressive. The driver's insurance paid for a new frame, though these days I think I'd be a bit more aware of the dangers of doors and would have been further out.

In 1990 I got comprehensively taken out in Leeds - again flying downhill, to go home at lunchtime from work to feed a poorly hedgehog. An old duffer turned right across my path suddenly and without indicating. The first I knew of it was the front of the car swinging across, and I tried to get round but didn't make it.  After taking me out - I flew through the air and anded in the road some distance away - he lost control and ran into a bus stop.  Loads of witnesses, including the police car that was behind me and the ambulance behind that that too me to hospital.  The car driver was successfully prosecuted for careless driving.  The hedgehog died :(

I still have residual back troubles from that one, 20 years later.

No other car-related offs I can recall in 30-odd years of cycling.  Plenty when I've fallen off due to my own incompetence though :)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: EMnut on 20 October, 2010, 10:49:23 am
I'll try and estimate the mile thing....

1984-1992, est average 500 miles a year (wasn't really into it then)
1992, So after 4000 miles, hit and run on roundabout at end of Marston Road Oxford, bike written off (a Raleigh 531 with el cheapo bits to get me to pub and back), car driver sped off, I had to walk home carrying my wrecked bike. On the plus side I bought a decent bike and got more into cycling.

1992-1995, est average 2000 miles a year
1996-1999, long commute + bike computer, so notched 6000 miles per year
1999, 24,000 miles - drink driver hit me head on in Cape Town at 6pm, he was on the wrong side of the road. Landed on the bonnet, helmet broke in half. Other than bent forks and destroyed wheel bike seemed OK. Drink driving was very common, and police would not have been interested (!), and as driver was apologetic and offered to pay for damage wasn't much I could do. But frame was cracked in impact and failed a couple of years later (was told that bike was beyond repair at local bike shop). It was a 90s Trek 920 MTB, one of the best bikes I ever had :-(
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: rogerzilla on 20 October, 2010, 08:16:46 pm
You can now change your vote (for those who've been SMIDSYed recently).
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Crepello on 12 December, 2010, 09:55:40 pm
A van drove into the back of me at a large roundabout...1.5 miles into my tour to the Lake District >:( And I've not had much luck touring the Lakes since - injury last time.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion on 13 December, 2010, 12:40:32 pm
:(
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Jurek on 13 December, 2010, 12:41:10 pm
:(

You OK?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: bodach on 13 December, 2010, 06:10:44 pm
Two crashes involving cars.
47 yrs ago I was going north along Kirkcaldy High Street when a car door opened suddenly and I ended sitting on the drivers knee. He got a fright (good) and I was fine.
10yrs ago I was riding home from Edinburgh on a wide single carraigeway with no other traffic when a speeding car hit me from behind. The first I new of it was the sound of his wing mirror bouncing along the road after it had hit my thigh(I've got big muscles). Apart from the shock I was unhurt but an inch or two closer and I would not be writing this. Surprise surprise he didnae stop. Police were very simpathetic and said they would check at scrappies and garages for anyone looking for a new red BMW wing mirror. Unfortunately the F***ing B wasnae found.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Paul on 12 January, 2011, 09:38:01 pm
I've ticked 30001 - 40000 miles, but that's a very rough estimate. The incidents were (roughly) 12 years apart, in a period where I did more cycling than now, but even so, 30001 might be more than I actually cycled between them.

The 1st incident was being hit by the nearside wing mirror on a van. I wasn't knocked off, but I had to pull up to gather my thoughts. While doing so, the driver turned around and parked across the road from me. This being my first such incident, I didn't know what to expect of each other. I realise now that the driver coming back (eventually) to check me out might be a bit unusual.

But it gets better, because while we were discussing how I was, a police car pulled up and asked me whether the driver had interfered with my vehicle! I told him we were okay. Having squared things with the van driver, we went our ways.

12 (or so) years later, I was knocked off by a complete cock who almost overtook me (while I was in a 'bicycle lane') and then pulled in so that I had the 'kerb or death' option. Long story short: the police (who didn't happen to be passing by this time) were slow and - ultimately - ineffectual this time.

Still, given what I read on here most weeks, I'm doing pretty well.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: drossall on 12 January, 2011, 11:01:29 pm
My two collisions were in relatively quick succession, the same year almost I think, out of 35+ years of cycling. Hence a strict answer to the question, which asks how many miles before, not since, my last accident is "not many". However, I've probably done 30-40,000 miles since then, and I may well be heading for 100,000 miles, which for two accidents is not too bad.

I'm not sure how to answer, therefore.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Nightfly on 15 January, 2011, 02:07:38 am
I was knocked down again today. They got my right side this time. It hurts. See my other post for the details. Go carefully there are f*cking idiots out there.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: JohnP on 15 January, 2011, 08:56:51 am
I voted not happened yet because there wasn't a 'only once and that was when I was 15, 50 years ago'.  Self preservation kicked in and I've not been hit since - 300,000 motorcycle miles all over Europe and probably same again in UK and similar in cars.  I've also managed to avoid cycling in big cities during rush hour but have mega sympathy for those who either have no (or make the) choice to do so.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: LindaG on 02 February, 2011, 03:40:53 pm
Well, I'm still in the 'most knocked off' category, and have been knocked off accordingly.

I need to get some miles in and get myself into a lower-risk category, that's all there is to it!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Feline on 02 February, 2011, 03:46:02 pm
Whenever I read this thread, I always think the OP should say 'since' and not 'before'. I struggle to understand the sentence as it stands  ???

Getting back on a bike does sound a great idea Linda but I'm sure it will take courage, good luck!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Freya on 04 February, 2011, 07:00:44 pm
I know it is self-selecting response, but I would have to say that the percentages of people being hit are much higher than I would have expected given the sort of figures you read about in relation to cycling injuries. According to these results I would have a 40% chance of coming into contact with a car during the course of 5 years cycling. That makes it a  pretty high risk activity to my way of thinking.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: mattc on 04 February, 2011, 07:21:35 pm
I know it is self-selecting response, but I would have to say that the percentages of people being hit are much higher than I would have expected given the sort of figures you read about in relation to cycling injuries. According to these results I would have a 40% chance of coming into contact with a car during the course of 5 years cycling. That makes it a  pretty high risk activity to my way of thinking.
Self-selection makes a huge difference! If you'd like some more comforting hard numbers, AUK just published their figures:

about 1 serious injury per 51,500km ridden (of which motor vehicles were only involved in a tiny percentage - so falling off on gravel/ice or riding into trees were more of a threat!)
Obviously this is mainly on quiet roads, but also includes some very tired/sleep-deprived riders.

(not sure what defines "serious", but I don't think there were any deaths that season).
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: cyclone on 04 February, 2011, 07:28:38 pm
I'm just glad that it related to bicycles and not motorbikes  :facepalm:

(Obviously an occupation as a Courier in London didn't help... :-X)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Phixie on 06 February, 2011, 12:00:56 pm
[Self-selection makes a huge difference! If you'd like some more comforting hard numbers, AUK just published their figures:

about 1 serious injury per 51,500km ridden (of which motor vehicles were only involved in a tiny percentage - so falling off on gravel/ice or riding into trees were more of a threat!)
Obviously this is mainly on quiet roads, but also includes some very tired/sleep-deprived riders.

(not sure what defines "serious", but I don't think there were any deaths that season).

The definition has to be fairly arbitrary but I have taken the view that "serious" involved hospitalisation (other than a quick examination to check all is more or less OK)

Happy to confirm there have been no deaths on any Audax event until this year.  This is not to say there haven't been some very nasty injuries.  Very unhappy that record no longer stands, with condolences to the victim, her family and friends.  The sequence of events will become clearer in due course.

Generally, riders need to be sensible, especially downhill and in adverse conditions and to concentrate whilst in a bunch.  (just trying to do myself out of a job!)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: wynfrank on 07 February, 2011, 06:15:55 pm
 Yes I was knocked of last year, April, resulting in a full shoulder reconstruction, time of the bike :'( Now just trying to get some miles in my legs, but it has made me very cautious on the road. The driver got a retraining program which he had to attend and pay for. I was of work for 7 months!!!!!!!!!!! Not a pleasant experience!!! 
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: mattc on 07 February, 2011, 06:24:18 pm
Here's another attempt at boosting morale:

the first time I crashed a car, I was in hospital for 9 weeks! I've never had more than a week off the bike since then, and in fact I've avoided Phixie's "Serious" category too (despite several minor 2-wheel offs)  :thumbsup:

GWS frank!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: AuraTodd on 09 February, 2011, 02:01:59 pm
Got knocked off by a man climbing out of his car who couldn't be bothered to look where it was going! 
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: DanialW on 11 February, 2011, 02:02:55 pm
Sideswiped on a roundabout two weeks ago.

Faceplant. Five stitches on my face, nearest millimetres from my eye. Lucky!
Colossal roadrash on my arse and arm.

Bike a total write-off, with the frame bent at the bottom bracket and the crank arm bent into the downtube.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Feline on 11 February, 2011, 04:37:08 pm
Sideswiped on a roundabout two weeks ago.

Faceplant. Five stitches on my face, nearest millimetres from my eye. Lucky!
Colossal roadrash on my arse and arm.

Bike a total write-off, with the frame bent at the bottom bracket and the crank arm bent into the downtube.

Jeez that sounds nasty, glad you're still with us Danial!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Fidgetbuzz on 11 February, 2011, 04:40:33 pm
Jeez that sounds nasty, glad you're still with us Danial!

You should have seen the picture - made me realise quite how nasty it was - and how close to serious damage
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: DanialW on 11 February, 2011, 05:12:05 pm
013 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/40988342@N07/5436714822/)

Three days after the event.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion on 11 February, 2011, 08:49:46 pm
Impressive.  Glad you're still with us.  Hope you heal well.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Feline on 11 February, 2011, 08:56:10 pm
Yikes that looks REALLY painful. GWS
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Jurek on 11 February, 2011, 09:06:39 pm
Slightly speechless (and wincing) Danial.
'Hope you are healing swiftly.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: LindaG on 11 February, 2011, 10:33:28 pm
Jeez, that's nasty.  GWS. 

Are you in touch with a solicitor?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: DanialW on 11 February, 2011, 10:48:05 pm
He was a nice bloke; it was an honest mistake. It was also my mistake, so I won't be pursuing him for personal injury damages.

My insurance will pay for my bike. If they pursue his insurers to split the cost, that's for them to do.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: LindaG on 11 February, 2011, 10:55:21 pm
He was a nice bloke; it was an honest mistake. It was also my mistake, so I won't be pursuing him for personal injury damages.

My insurance will pay for my bike. If they pursue his insurers to split the cost, that's for them to do.

Fair enough.  Is that as painful as it looks?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: cyclone on 11 February, 2011, 10:58:08 pm
Nasty mate......GWS!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Von Broad on 11 February, 2011, 10:58:28 pm
013 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/40988342@N07/5436714822/)

Three days after the event.

Ouch!...GWS Danial
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: simonp on 12 February, 2011, 12:49:24 am
Yikes that looks REALLY painful. GWS

This. Plus, Ouch.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: tonyh on 12 February, 2011, 06:46:36 am

Horrified. Delighted you are ok. Best wishes.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: DanialW on 12 February, 2011, 07:55:14 am
Fair enough.  Is that as painful as it looks?

Strangely, no. It didn't hurt at the time, and it doesn't hurt now. There's isn't much up there you can move, which helps a lot.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: IanDG on 12 February, 2011, 09:07:24 am
I've been 'knocked off' 3 times since I 'became a cyclist' in 1973

A lot of 'near misses' however
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: LindaG on 12 February, 2011, 05:42:58 pm

Strangely, no. It didn't hurt at the time, and it doesn't hurt now. There's isn't much up there you can move, which helps a lot.

Well, that's something positive.  Respect, for your magnanimous attitude, Danial, and I hope you recover completely, and soon.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: oncemore on 12 February, 2011, 07:23:00 pm
Wish I hadn't looked. And sure ain't gonna answer.

Fate and tempting BIG words in my world!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: sigod 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.  :)
 

 
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: sigod 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Simonb on 24 February, 2011, 07:30:00 pm
See my 'Low-speed SMIDSY' thread.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Titan yer Tummy 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
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: LindaG 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: CotterPin 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
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: niggle 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: gaz2k 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
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: richie 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...
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Feline 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?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Charlie Boy 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Feline 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion on 01 June, 2011, 08:43:51 am
Oh bother.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Charlie Boy on 01 June, 2011, 10:01:53 am
Oh bother.

My words exactly.....well, almost exactly
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Guy 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: drossall on 22 June, 2011, 07:56:11 pm
I'd always get in the right hand lane approaching that turn.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Guy 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?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Wendy 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:


    YouTube
        - ‪LK53BAA pulls out looking the wrong way‬&rlm;
   (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zRnKIVeu4U)


    YouTube
        - ‪N564 LBM doesn't look right, SMIDSY‬&rlm;
   (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErtNTbqSMjE)

Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: drossall 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Guy 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: drossall on 24 June, 2011, 11:08:41 pm
Fair point, I had forgotten that, but now that you mention it...
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: AndyK 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.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: skudupnorth 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:
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: The Mechanic on 23 August, 2011, 03:18:34 pm
This looking in the wrong direction at junctions must be some kind of mental block thing.  I see this often both on the bike and in the car.  You would think that the driver would look first in the direction of the nearest traffic stream but for some reason, an inordinate number look the other way first, often whilst inching out into the road in front of the oncoming traffic.  Weird or what?  Could be a good PhD thesis.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Freya on 27 August, 2011, 02:56:06 pm
They look left becuase they have  a better sightline to traffic on the far side of the road. The reasoning seems to be that it is pointless looking right if you can't see down the road: look left until the view to the right opens up.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Wonky on 04 September, 2011, 10:10:12 am
Not counting the 2 times I have run into the back of parked cars (one was parked on double yellows just around a blind bend, and therefore deserved the dent in his boot. The se ond was very low speed with no damage whilst I was teaching son to ride).
My only vehicle incident was when I was about 13. Barreling down Watling Street on the hill heading east out of Radlett. I was trying for warp factor 7 with head down, and dont remember anything more untill I woke up on the grass verge on the other side of the road, surrounded by people saying "dont try to move, the ambulance is coming".
Apparently, according to the witnesses, I was overtaken by a gravel lorry doing 70 ish, and got sucked into the vacuum behind it. Lorry didnt see or stop. My face took most of the force , burning all the skin off on one side. Some minor other injuries to arms and legs.
The best part as I rember it was revealling the injuries to my fellow ATC cadets about a week later at some black tie dinner event. I manged to keep everything hidden untill we arrived at the venue. I looked like the phantom of the opera in a white shirt black tie and DJ, and half a face encrusted in full scab. Put the weaker ones right off their dinner!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: plum on 15 September, 2011, 07:18:52 am
Got left hooked yesterday by someone pulling into a drive. First off in three years of daily commuting, about 15000 miles or so.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Wendy on 15 September, 2011, 08:07:37 am
Got left hooked yesterday by someone pulling into a drive. First off in three years of daily commuting, about 15000 miles or so.

Sympathies, poor you.  Are you OK, and how's the bike?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion on 15 September, 2011, 08:15:27 am
Oh poor Plum!  Glad you're still with us.  I note that Wendy got the order of concern wrong.

How's the bike?

Are you OK?

;D
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: CJBrewer on 18 November, 2012, 10:52:03 am
DozensHundreds of incidents that didn't involve collision but could have done if I'd not taken avoiding action.
A few car doors kicked, wing mirrors folded inwards, and windows and bonnets punched to let them know I was thereget my own back.

Two collisons:
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Phil W on 21 November, 2012, 08:50:57 pm
Hasn't happened and I'm well past 50000 miles
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Frank9755 on 24 December, 2012, 04:56:40 pm
only read the first page and the 11th so apologies if this has been suggested before but how about similar polls for being knocked off by:
- peds
- other cyclists

I've not been knocked off my bike by a car since the late 80's when at university but I've had far worse luck with peds: two in the last three years (both on cycle lanes in Hyde Park, funnily enough)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Asterix, the former Gaul. on 25 January, 2013, 07:20:14 am
only read the first page and the 11th so apologies if this has been suggested before but how about similar polls for being knocked off by:
- peds
- other cyclists


I commuted for over 20 years before I got t-boned by a camper van (no serious injuries but I should have claimed for a new bike as it was more bent than either I or my LBS noticed).   

Before that however, 2 pedestrians had knocked me off, one walked across a cycle track without looking.  Her high BMI gave me no chance and it was I who fell to the ground.  After that a jogger ran across a junction without seeing me and again I bit the dust.  Injury-free incidents but I also witnessed a jay walker running across who hit a cyclist and knocked them into the side of a moving bus.   I was some distance behind, fast moving and in traffic so could not stop for some distance by which time a group of people were picking him off the deck. 

Strangely(?) out of my 3 motor vehicle incidents 2 have been attributable to cycling 'facilities', lanes or tracks.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: David Martin on 04 March, 2013, 04:11:44 pm
I can upgrade mine to over 50k. It is 23 years since my last collision with a motor vehicle. I wouldn't describe this one as being knocked off, more of an involunary and unplanned halting through the rear window.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: 12sprocket on 03 May, 2013, 03:09:53 pm
Yeah, just the once (touches forehead irreverently) some 45000 miles ago. Rewind a very long way back..... to a lovely sunny Saturday October morning in Co. Durham, circa 1984. I was riding solo up towards the Derwent Reservoir, having just spotted a red squirrel & considering life to be pretty darn good. All of a sudden, I'm tail-ended by an off-duty copper, driving his mother to the station! Apparently, "it was hit you or the car coming the other way" was an acceptable defence :facepalm: Bounced on the bonnet, I can remember her yelling fit to bust - presumably as i careened up and down the windscreen, slid all the way to the floor (still attached by the ol' toe clips/straps) whereupon his car rolls on top of me pinning me bent in two..... Lovely image, bloody "lucky", stiff back for a couple of days (amazing how fast you mend when young). Ah happy days.....
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: menthel on 27 June, 2013, 10:49:51 am
This morning, on CS7 in Tooting by some woman turning right into a road across the traffic. She didn't seem bothered by the fact she hit me. I was saved by my BB7's and had a slow collision with my front wheel and right calf hitting her car. All OK. Started cycling in Feb and have covered 1400km so far.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: menthel on 10 July, 2013, 08:45:37 pm
Got 3k down the road and then knocked off my bike outside the Shell Garage on the bridge side of Queenstown Road. Guy came across from the other side of the road turning into garage and SMIDSYed me. Bruised bum, scraped up arm and 1 knackered Charge Scourer. Got his details and he has rung me tonight. Bike is in LBS for appraisal but the forks are fooked and I am not sure what else will be wrong!

Sorry for the double post but that is 2 in 2 weeks!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion on 10 July, 2013, 09:15:55 pm
That's a poor bit of luck.  Hope you and the bike get well soon.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: menthel on 10 July, 2013, 09:31:02 pm
That's a poor bit of luck.  Hope you and the bike get well soon.

Thanks! The bike is substantially more injured than I am but I think I have it and the brakes to thank for the whole thing not being worse.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Regulator on 07 August, 2013, 07:19:20 am
Got 3k down the road and then knocked off my bike outside the Shell Garage on the bridge side of Queenstown Road. Guy came across from the other side of the road turning into garage and SMIDSYed me. Bruised bum, scraped up arm and 1 knackered Charge Scourer. Got his details and he has rung me tonight. Bike is in LBS for appraisal but the forks are fooked and I am not sure what else will be wrong!

Sorry for the double post but that is 2 in 2 weeks!

Ouch!  Get well soon!

Have you reported this to the police?  I would.

You might find that once he finds out how much the repairs will cost, the driver suddenly decides not to cooperate.  If you then have to claim from his insurance, then having a police report reference will help.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: menthel on 13 August, 2013, 09:31:01 am
Got 3k down the road and then knocked off my bike outside the Shell Garage on the bridge side of Queenstown Road. Guy came across from the other side of the road turning into garage and SMIDSYed me. Bruised bum, scraped up arm and 1 knackered Charge Scourer. Got his details and he has rung me tonight. Bike is in LBS for appraisal but the forks are fooked and I am not sure what else will be wrong!

Sorry for the double post but that is 2 in 2 weeks!

Ouch!  Get well soon!

Have you reported this to the police?  I would.

You might find that once he finds out how much the repairs will cost, the driver suddenly decides not to cooperate.  If you then have to claim from his insurance, then having a police report reference will help.

Its all sorted now and I am finally back at it and on a new bike. Just regaining my confidence really! ;)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion on 13 August, 2013, 04:48:05 pm
Great news.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: menthel on 13 August, 2013, 10:16:40 pm
Great news.

Thanks!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Guy on 30 September, 2013, 12:10:20 pm
Thursday 26th Sep, 0729hrs. Chicksands roundabout on the A507.

Won't say too much at the mo - I'll wait to hear back from the rozzers.

At least the git admitted it was his fault to the cops at the scene.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: menthel on 02 October, 2013, 09:12:05 am
Thursday 26th Sep, 0729hrs. Chicksands roundabout on the A507.

Won't say too much at the mo - I'll wait to hear back from the rozzers.

At least the git admitted it was his fault to the cops at the scene.

GWS and get it all sorted in your favour!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: cornelius on 20 November, 2013, 01:44:19 pm
Just a mild dooring a few years back. I was in nearside cycle lane when a car frontseat passenger decided to debus and opened the door across my path. She was half out of the vehicle and largely broke my impact. The results were about even with minor bumps and bruisings to man, woman and bike. Didn't report or claim.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: JamesBradbury on 20 December, 2013, 10:31:42 am
I've been lucky to have no actual collisions in my 25 years and probably ~15,000 miles of cycling.

I guess it may help that most of my distance is on rural roads and my commuting is across a small and not-too busy town. I did have a painful fall on the ice this morning, though. Fortunately this was at the end of my drive, before I met any traffic to finish me off.

On the subject of self-selection, the poll will also miss those who are sadly not able to answer due to a traffic collision. Hopefully these are fairly few.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: tonyh on 20 December, 2013, 10:38:18 am
ice this morning

Thanks for the warning! I hope you're ok, without lasting effects.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Basil on 18 July, 2014, 05:18:58 pm
A dooring.  Just now.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Ruth on 18 July, 2014, 05:21:16 pm
Oh, bugger!

You okay Basil?  How's the bike?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Basil on 18 July, 2014, 05:48:32 pm
Fine, thanks Ruthie.  See the commute thread.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: mcshroom on 18 July, 2014, 06:01:17 pm
:( - Glad you're not too hurt. Get a couple pints of liquid painkiller in you before the adrenaline wears off though ;)

[eta] I see you're way ahead of me there :)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Steeplechasing on 15 September, 2014, 11:44:39 am
3 years ago this month - my only bike accident involving another vehicle.

Short version: Mini-bus taxi crossed a give way line when I was right in front of him. Broke my right knee (first broken bone of my relatively long life). Pain was relieved by laughter when a passing drunk bent over me as I lay in the road, and offered to 'batter' the driver.

Long version is here http://wp.me/p1o7dN-AT

Joe
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: spindrift on 03 October, 2014, 10:42:05 am
Bloody hell, what happened to the driver Joe?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: T42 on 03 October, 2014, 11:01:35 am
Nearly crowded off the road by Merc driver on Wednesday, waved at him annoyedly but not impolitely (didn't have time to bend the requisite number of fingers), he jammed on brakes & I ran into his nearside mirror. No damage either side, heated words exchanged, he drove off, I rode on. Had a witness, could have reported him; but when I looked at the pic I took when he got out of his car I found that he was walking in front of his number plate as I clicked the shutter button. Anyway, not worth the hassle.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 08 October, 2014, 09:28:11 pm
nearly 7 years, I think.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Steeplechasing on 11 October, 2014, 03:10:52 am
Bloody hell, what happened to the driver Joe?

Police didn't trouble him at all at first and he failed for three months to respond to letters from his insurance company. So I complained to the police who then 'remembered' to charge him with careless driving. Eventually he decided to plead guilty by letter. Don't know what he got - probably a small fine, and a big jump in his insurance premium.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Andrew on 11 October, 2014, 04:17:59 pm
Only once any many years/km ago now.

Crossing Old Street roundabout on my way home from university, mid afternoon-ish. I was on the roundabout when some vehicle, also on the roundabout, decided it wanted the exit I was just passing. It clipped my front wheel, sending me sprawling, and disappeared up City Road.

Then, as I was sat there dazed in the middle of the road with blood running down my arm, a car approaching hooted at me. As if I'd chosen to sit in the middle of the road. Nobody stopped.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Basil on 11 October, 2014, 04:43:21 pm
Then, as I was sat there dazed in the middle of the road with blood running down my arm, a car approaching hooted at me. As if I'd chosen to sit in the middle of the road. Nobody stopped.

Yes, I've had that happen.  I almost burst into tears.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: huggy on 21 October, 2014, 11:46:47 am
First actual off last night after about 7000 miles with but a couple of near misses in the last 3 years or so.
Crossing a lit roundabout less than half a mile from home when a car driver pulled out from the left as I was passing - a classic SMIDSY scenario.  If the road hadn't been wet I would probably have been able to avoid the car but bike wheels lost traction and I slid in to the driver's side smashing off the wing mirror, still not quite what with though.
Limping and generally moving gingerly this morning, expect that to continue for a few days before getting back in the saddle.
My magic hat survived without a scratch proving that it had absolutely no purpose that was pressed in to action last night except maybe not enabling the attending police officer another reason for only just stopping short of blaming me for the incident when he saw my dark sweatshirt on the ambulance trolly saying 'is that what you were wearing?!', well yes, under my coat.  Apparently Hope Vision 1 lights are not enough warning to motorists that a cyclist is approaching at the same pace as other traffic using a lit roundabout at dusk which was quite busy at the time although the road was clear for me, at least it should have been.
Was well looked after at the roadside by two witnesses who made sure I did the right things while waiting for ambulance & police to attend.  Checked over at scene and allowed to go home.  Police issued a compulsory Driver Improvement Course to the distraught and remorseful driver which I think is probably the best outcome rather than push for a careless driving prosecution, it clearly was careless driving but dragging it out for months isn't going to do anyone any good when the driver is going to be reeducated anyway.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: P Walsh on 26 January, 2015, 11:18:41 am
My one and only collision happened on my way to work in good lighting conditions. I was riding along a main road (not much traffic) and there was a small queue of cars waiting to pull out of a side road on my left. As I passed, the lead car rolled forward at maybe 5mph and clipped my rear wheel, sending me sprawling across the road. Hard to explain.

I was only bruised and the bike was fine. The driver was apologetic and everything was amicable. I can only assume the driver was distracted (phone/radio?) or his foot slipped. He was shaken and clearly not enjoying the experience (others had stopped to offer help) so I think he may have had a useful wake-up call.

I am 54 and have been riding on the road since I was about 7, so one minor incident seems pretty good going.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: menthel on 30 May, 2015, 04:48:24 pm
Tuesday! Managed to hit a van that kept on coming out of a side road. Police, ambulance and a trip to the wonderful St George's. Face a mess and a collar for 12 weeks with a couple of vertebral fractures. Finally home yesterday. Will stick a photo up in the cycling injuries thread!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Paul on 30 May, 2015, 05:38:36 pm
Tuesday! Managed to hit a van that kept on coming out of a side road. Police, ambulance and a trip to the wonderful St George's. Face a mess and a collar for 12 weeks with a couple of vertebral fractures. Finally home yesterday. Will stick a photo up in the cycling injuries thread!
Bugger.

GWS
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: menthel on 30 May, 2015, 05:58:37 pm
Tuesday! Managed to hit a van that kept on coming out of a side road. Police, ambulance and a trip to the wonderful St George's. Face a mess and a collar for 12 weeks with a couple of vertebral fractures. Finally home yesterday. Will stick a photo up in the cycling injuries thread!
Bugger.

GWS

Thanks!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: fuzzy on 19 June, 2015, 11:37:53 pm
See here (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=26458.msg1879395#new)
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: menthel on 21 June, 2015, 10:30:05 am
See here (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=26458.msg1879395#new)

GWS! At least you got hit by someone reasonable!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: ElyDave on 03 January, 2016, 04:47:10 pm
Around mid-September, stationary at a roundabout waiting to go straight over, traffic from right.  On the fixed MTB, with panniers and a small rucksack with the weeks shopping.

The bike started moving underneath me

Turned round and slapped the wing of the car behind me that was doing the shunting, which stopped.  Woman behind the wheel holding a phone to her ear.

"Sorry, I didn't see you".  :demon:

Some choice words followed.   No damage other than a tyre mark on one of the panniers
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Cycling Daddy on 04 May, 2016, 07:35:26 pm
The only time I collided with a car was when I rode my Coventry eagle into my grandparent's (stationary but occupied) car.  I was seeing how fast I could go down te lane were we lived in competition with some of my brothers.  I won.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: drossall on 04 May, 2016, 07:45:00 pm
Was that your speed before or after you parted company with the bike?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Cycling Daddy on 05 May, 2016, 10:16:49 am
Was that your speed before or after you parted company with the bike?
I suspect my highest speed was in the trajectory after I left my bike over the handlebars and before my impact with the car.   :o
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Gattopardo on 21 July, 2016, 01:06:53 am
Define knocked off.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion on 27 July, 2016, 10:15:09 am
Was that your speed before or after you parted company with the bike?
Technically, after leaving the bike, everything is deceleration.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: drossall on 27 July, 2016, 06:36:31 pm
On the contrary, as Cycling Daddy will have discovered, after leaving a bicycle you accelerate towards the ground at 9.8m/s2.

Though not for very long.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: clarion on 11 August, 2016, 01:43:01 pm
Thank you for that important correction, drossall. ;D
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Oscar's dad on 15 August, 2016, 01:36:05 pm
I have just caught up with this and logged being left hooked in London last May. It was within the last 5000 miles of cycling.

Interesting poll results.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Dman01 on 07 September, 2016, 12:39:41 pm
So far the poll seems to suggest that 65% of people have been "knocked off" at least once.  Interesting.  Not really sure that cycling into the back of a parked car should really count as being knocked off !  I know it sounds like a bit of a joke but the worst accident I had actually involved me cycling into a car in virtually stationary traffic and the only thing that got knocked off was the poor lady's wing mirror ... 
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: fd3 on 30 May, 2017, 10:36:01 pm
Questioning the per mile rationale: when I used to do longer weekend rides (vs commuting) my mileage was higher but generally on less busy country roads.  Therefore higher miles to rta ratio.  One child and job change later I was only commuting so my ratio plummets.  Both cases have the same 1 every 5 years to them. 
I guess you need to measure against something though...
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: adenough on 14 July, 2017, 02:54:09 pm
Deliberately sideswiped by a white van 2 weeks ago.  Something health supplies. Supply schools etc with hygeine stuff. Safety is a big priority according to the website. Rang the company and reported it. They expressed concern but did not come back to me as promised. Hey ho.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Jay_70_One on 11 September, 2017, 03:32:07 pm
Yes, by a rather well stacked BMW motorcycle who went straight across my path! a genuine head on
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Kim on 11 September, 2017, 06:09:28 pm
Hm, my bike was in collision with a motor vehicle back in May, but I wasn't really attached to it at the time, so I'm sticking with "hasn't happened yet".
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Basil on 11 September, 2017, 06:24:09 pm
Hm, my bike was in collision with a motor vehicle back in May, but I wasn't really attached to it at the time, so I'm sticking with "hasn't happened yet".

That's funny,  sorry, not funny,  a coincidence.   I was thinking about your recent off today.  (Blimey,  was it that long ago?)

Anyway,  was there any damage to the car that your bike slithered into?  If so, how did that work out?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Kim on 11 September, 2017, 06:58:28 pm
Anyway,  was there any damage to the car that your bike slithered into?  If so, how did that work out?

Yeah, a pedal/chainring scratch on one of the panels.  A third-party claim on the CTC insurance sorted it out AFAIK.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: the_bicycle_barber on 22 June, 2018, 06:58:05 pm
Went through the windscreen of a taxi in central Norwich - driver jumped a red light onto a roundabout while drunk and texting. Miraculously, I avoided permanent injury, but had some lovely bruises to show for it. This was almost a year ago (my last training ride for the 2017 Dunwich Dynamo), but I've only just got back into the swing of things a-wheel. Fortunately, it happened late at night and there was no other traffic to run over me as I bounced off up the road. Very grateful to stil be here.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Phil W on 22 June, 2018, 07:17:41 pm
Has not happened yet. Been cycling 47 years.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: PAC on 04 September, 2018, 11:17:02 pm
Yep...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5035287/Company-director-swerved-collide-cyclist.html

He was rather aggressive :o
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: hellymedic on 04 September, 2018, 11:34:30 pm
Sounds awful!
I suppose there was some justice; not enough punishment IMHO.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: ElyDave on 30 October, 2018, 07:12:29 pm
sideswiped at a roundabout today. 

Posible elbow fracture, definite pelvis fracture, lots of bruises and a damaged bike
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Kim on 30 October, 2018, 07:13:04 pm
Crikey!  GWS!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 30 October, 2018, 07:31:14 pm
Ouch, blast that sounds painful.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 30 October, 2018, 08:47:56 pm
Bugger. A broken pelvis is no fun.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: hellymedic on 30 October, 2018, 08:52:54 pm
Shit ElyDave!

Mend well and fast!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Basil on 30 October, 2018, 09:09:21 pm
Ooh.  That's  going to sting in the morning.
Bad luck Dave. GWS.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Jaded on 30 October, 2018, 10:25:38 pm
Omg blx.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: ElyDave on 31 October, 2018, 06:55:34 am
Bugger. A broken pelvis is no fun.

No its not, I seem to remember you have form for this one? Mine is a stable fracture and weight bearing, very uncomfortable with lots of pain in the hip area, but I can walk with a stick or hobble unaided.

As a general question, this is in the hands of the police, but in terms of insurance claim, I assume I just keep  receipts of all out of pocket expenses ( physio, taxis etc) plus bike repairs, and go direct to the insurer, plus compensation?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 31 October, 2018, 06:59:04 am
That sounds like a better type of pelvic fracture, if you had to choose one. I was in traction for weeks.

Keep records of everything.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: PaulF on 31 October, 2018, 06:59:25 am
Heal fast!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Pingu on 31 October, 2018, 08:08:25 pm
Oof  :-X GWS!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Guy on 19 February, 2020, 09:21:26 am
It was a bit gusty mid-afternoon yesterday. Coming past some houses, a wheelie-bin left out on the kerb suddenly leapt into the road and clipped my handlebars. I went SPLAT! in the road. The bike's fine. I've now got a sprain in the groin and my left elbow has a lovely bruise. Walking up and down stairs is fine. Turning the pedals is fine. Walking on flat surfaces is a bit ouch-ey.

That's the first time I've been offed by a badly-driven wheelie-bin.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: T42 on 19 February, 2020, 09:52:12 am
On very windy days the binmen need to lay them flat after emptying.

GWS
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Rowan on 19 February, 2020, 10:03:41 am
Never been knocked off by physical contact, however 2 years ago a logging lorry decided to overtake me coming into a blind bend, a car came the other way, presumably to avoid the car the artic came back onto its own side of the road leaving me a choice between those giant rear wheels or the hedge, I chose the hedge, thankfully by the time it took to bounce off the verge and and end up lying on the road the lorry was past and there was no one behind him to run me over. He didn't stop.

Have dismounted for lorries overtaking me ever since.

neither me nor the bike were injured.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: ian on 19 February, 2020, 10:29:22 am
This is why I hate (and refuse to use) the local A22, it attracts a fair amount lorry traffic from the M25 into London, but it's narrow (and to be honest, unsuitable, but we don't care about that sort of thing). So they start a nice, wide overtake the moment there's no oncoming traffic, but the sightlines aren't great and half the time midway through they'll face oncoming traffic. Sometimes it'll give way and slow. Sometimes. Other times, you'll be at the side of an artic that has decided to abandon its overtake and pull back in.

As a bonus, southbound there are considerable sections without a pavement to escape to.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Rowan on 19 February, 2020, 11:21:18 am
This is why I hate (and refuse to use) the local A22, it attracts a fair amount lorry traffic from the M25 into London, but it's narrow (and to be honest, unsuitable, but we don't care about that sort of thing). So they start a nice, wide overtake the moment there's no oncoming traffic, but the sightlines aren't great and half the time midway through they'll face oncoming traffic. Sometimes it'll give way and slow. Sometimes. Other times, you'll be at the side of an artic that has decided to abandon its overtake and pull back in.

As a bonus, southbound there are considerable sections without a pavement to escape to.
Drivers overtaking coming into blind bends  is a bug bear of mine, at some point one will either have a head on crash or more likely swerve into me to avoid the other vehicle, as the lorry did that I mention above.

I'm very lucky in that I have roads largely free of heavy traffic, haven't seen a lorry so far this week and I will be over the 100mile mark.  But by the nature of this area logging trucks and grain wagons do also use these same roads, and they always seem to be in a big hurry.

The vast majority of drivers are very careful and when there is no conflict they know exactly how to overtake cyclists correctly, problems only seem to arise when they have to slow down, at which point they have the potential to take stupid risks, with me.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: ian on 19 February, 2020, 11:40:29 am
By and large, most professional lorry drivers will put some effort into an overtake (on the other hand, any kind of skip, refuse, rubble lorry, all driven – as far as I can tell – by lunatics) but there's very often not enough road for the lorry to manage this before encountering either traffic ahead or oncoming traffic. This means the lorry has to abandon and fall back, push forward and hope oncoming traffic gives, or simply pull in.

It's mostly a case of poor anticipation, the need to overtake is strong (and generally pointless, I'd say 95% of the time I'd be overtaking the lorry further along, but go they must).

Anyway, I don't want to die, so I mostly avoid the road other than the section between me and the station which is unavoidable.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Asterix, the former Gaul. on 20 May, 2020, 06:41:35 am
 Car crunches Carol Kirkwood (https://mobile.twitter.com/BBCBreakfast/status/1262647698815057920)

Walking wounded




Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: zigzag on 10 August, 2021, 02:41:35 pm
beautiful ride in (finally) sunny weather today, until a driver knocked off my riding mate on a mini roundabout. driver jumps out all stressed and shaking, "look, come to my car, can you see how the sun is blinding!". yes, that's correct, but still not the reason/excuse to enter the roundabout when other road users approach from the right. as a professional hgv driver (not at work during the incident) he should know better how to proceed when he gets dazzled by the sun.

mate's got bruises and scrapes, the bespoke high end bike will need costly repairs. details exchanged and hopefully all will be sorted via insurance, but the driver was pushing to settle things privately. possibly because this collision would affect his future career as the hgv driver. we'll see.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: handcyclist on 18 December, 2021, 07:48:29 pm
Thursday. SMIDSY from side turning. Bounced of the car bonnet, bike turned turtle and landed on saddle and bars. Bruised with swelling to ankle and forearm but no broken bones. Trashed helmet and e-bike controller, scratched frame.

F***wit driver didn't seem overly sorry. Police called, treated on scene by passing paramedics*. A kind other motorist left contact details as witness, another took pictures.

*quoted ambulance reponse time : up to 7hrs!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Paul on 18 December, 2021, 09:44:36 pm
Ouch. Get well soon.

Hope it works out well enough for you.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: handcyclist on 19 December, 2021, 04:20:43 pm
Thanks Paul.

My partner phoned the other driver today for his insurance details, which of course he didn't have to hand.

He then said that I had ridden into him  ::-). Yes, right, I went sideways into your bonnet mate ... thank heavens for the 3rd party witness. Slater & Gordon will be getting a call from me tomorrow ....
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Browser on 08 March, 2022, 11:40:55 pm
Once, 34 years ago, on my way home from my first 'proper' job on y first ever new bike which I'd bought with wages from said job. Dusk, my lights on, approaching a side road on the left, driver comes up to give way line, slows but doesn't stop, I avoid to the right thinking he'd seen me, he hadn't and pulled out, spinning me round so I ended up on my left side under the front of his carwaiting for him to drive over me. Retired couple, he was shocked by it, I was mega-p155ed as it was my first ever new bike! He paid for all of the repairs without quibble.
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: diapsaon0 on 05 May, 2022, 04:11:54 pm
Just had a narrow escape riding back from the supermarket.  Driver of van/minibus with the logo of a local school, Bridgwater College Academy.  I've emailed the Headmistress with a formal complaint, part of which said:

"I was cycling a heavily laden bicycle (having been shopping at Sainsbury's) and was approaching the traffic lights at this junction which were red.  In accordance with the Highway Code, I rode, in a clear, wide space, passing your vehicle on the right and stopping on the right at the Advanced Stop Line until the lights changed.

As the lights went to AMBER, your driver started blowing his horn continually to try to force me to move off.  I waited until  the lights changed to GREEN at which point, as I moved off,  blowing his horn repeatedly, your driver pulled away on the inside as I was turning right into Wylds Road and then pulled straight across in front of me in order to turn right himself. "

Looking forward to  a positive response - otherwise will be talking to Old Bill and local rag. 

Must buy a camera!
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: Peter on 04 June, 2022, 01:39:35 pm
Any response?
Title: Re: The "have you been knocked off" poll
Post by: sam on 05 November, 2023, 06:53:16 am
Haven't been knocked off.* However...

• Hit by a car as a pedestrian. First concussion. (https://medium.com/@jollygoodthen-75205/in-the-way-612ebf427199)
• Motorist v motorist action which totalled my car but fortunately not me, the windshield having kindly stopped me from becoming a projectile. (I hadn't buckled up! And there my blame ends, as he was completely at fault.) I'd just put a new engine in: that hurt. Second concussion, into said windshield.
* On a dark desert highway/cool wind in my hair/met up with a pothole/didn't know it was there. Except this was Ohio, which has no deserts, unless you count the culturally barren counties. Third time lights out.

I'm frankly surprised to still be here, and given the cumulative effects of concussions, not entirely sanguine about what lies ahead.

(https://i.imgur.com/rlvsUeo.jpg)
I had to stop for the night