Author Topic: I nearly died today, but I didn't  (Read 6031 times)

Re: I nearly died today, but I didn't
« Reply #25 on: 01 January, 2019, 06:21:27 am »
Yes. And thanks for the reports - they give a chance to increase both the focus and the wisdom.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: I nearly died today, but I didn't
« Reply #26 on: 02 January, 2019, 08:21:12 am »
Firstly commuting to a student summer job, wet road and a mini roundabout. The two cars from my left failed to yield, the first either saw me and took a very tight gap to beat me onto the roundabout. The second never saw me. Somehow I hit the gap between them at 15+ mph without the time to touch the brakes or change line. The pedestrian at the side of the road was yelling "oh shit". Niether car stopped though I did have to let the adrenaline clear from my system and my colleagues wanted to feed me sweet tea as i went rather white recalling events once i had arrived at work.

A friend of mine wasn't so lucky in similar circumstances last year - T-boned on a roundabout by a van doing around 40mph...

I have no idea how he survived, but the worst of his injuries were a smashed pelvis and shoulder. Amazingly, he was back on his bike within a few months.

Sounds like my ecent incident, but at higher speed.  9 weeks later, the pelvis is mostly stuck back together, but the back remaisn borked - 50km spread over about 4 hours with appointments inbetween and I've spent an hour this morning lying on my back and stretching. 

2 more from me - country lane, single track plus a bit.  I'm on the fast soot-bike about ten years or so ago, behind a tractor. I see him pull to the left and take my chance, only to find the trailer was hiding an oncoming Range Rover.  I think there was about a foot to spare between bumper and front wheel.

The second was last summer on my tour.  Last leg, back into Kirkby Stephen (car left at parents), I'd taken a wrong turn and ended up on the A685 into town, which required negotiating Ash Fell, which was about 14% up.  The up defeated my legs that were rather tired by now (a bit of walking), but by contrast I had the down too have some fun.  Recumbent, under gravity, hit 40mph, swapped front/rear pedals and created this massive instability.  Cue swoop left to right, catch it before I meet oncoming traffic, over correct and nearly end up in the stonewall to the left, the driver behind me must have been getting ready to dial 999.  I took the rest of South Road downhill very sedately indeed.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: I nearly died today, but I didn't
« Reply #27 on: 02 January, 2019, 10:04:22 pm »
Then-Mrs LWaB and I took our new tandem up the local big hill and really bombed the descent in top gear. I nailed the brakes into the final tight right-hander, let go and canted hard into the corner. Just on the exit as we straightened up, the front folding Avocet tyre came off the rim with a deafening bang. I nailed the back brake and we managed to pull up in a straight line with all skin intact. It took a few minutes before I stopped shaking enough to refit the front tyre with a new tube and gently ride home. I never used a folding front tyre on a tandem again, haven't crashed a tandem to date and don't intend to do so in future.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: I nearly died today, but I didn't
« Reply #28 on: 02 January, 2019, 10:15:00 pm »
Glad all those reporting here are still here to tell us.
I'd be well impressed (and slightly spooked) if there were reports from people who aren't still here.
Rust never sleeps

benborp

  • benbravoorpapa
Re: I nearly died today, but I didn't
« Reply #29 on: 02 January, 2019, 11:18:29 pm »
How about those that aren't altogether all there?
A world of bedlam trapped inside a small cyclist.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: I nearly died today, but I didn't
« Reply #30 on: 03 January, 2019, 06:57:38 am »
How about those that aren't altogether all there?

Isn't that all the people here?
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: I nearly died today, but I didn't
« Reply #31 on: 03 January, 2019, 07:03:54 am »
How about those that aren't altogether all there?

Where?

Re: I nearly died today, but I didn't
« Reply #32 on: 03 January, 2019, 09:22:44 am »
I've had multiple close calls. A fall when climbing in the lakes. Only about 30ft, but I hit the deck, took most of it on one leg. Rope started to  pull about 1m before I hit  and took some sting out (I was falling backwards as I was on an overhang), so it spun me. Stopped me from landing flat on my back, but accelerated my feet into the ground. Damage to my right ankle still gives my problems, 30 years on.

Kayaking on a flooded river, going upstream between two large fallen trees. Not a large enough gap to ferry glide, just have to poke kayak bow up, paddle like fury across the diagonal. Got it wrong on about the 20th time, ended up stuck against one of the trees. Just had time to think "bugger, I'll have to climb out of my boat and carry it round" when I realised that the current was sucking me down. Next thing, I was upside down, under the tree. Buoyancy vest held me up against the tree trunk, current and friction stopped me from moving . . . I was stuck. Took me a while to get out.

Those were the closest of close calls. There have been a few car accidents, including a multi-car pileup on the M1 (I was the passenger, every time).
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: I nearly died today, but I didn't
« Reply #33 on: 11 January, 2019, 10:54:00 am »
Scariest moment ever was coming down a steep hill outside Fishguard, on a loaded tourer, and discovering that - it being autumn - the road was covered in leaves that had been compacted by the traffic. Add in the rain making the surface very wet and the result was absolutely zero traction. I had both wheels locked and was still barrelling down towards the junction. Fortunately there was a stretch of hedge on the other side of the road so I opted for a few cuts and scratches rather than risk not being able to stop. Even more fortunately, there were no witnesses  :-[
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?