Well, I'm finally back on wifi. My ride ended outside Mallaig on Tuesday when a bus driver caused the two German cyclists I was with to crash. This resulted in one of the guys having to go to Fort William in an ambulance, police statements and figuring out how to get the other German and two busted bikes back to Oban. By the time this was all sorted I was nearly four hours behind schedule. Has anyone heard how they both are?
I have never used the discussion board before.......hope this quote thing works.
I met two of the German guys in Oban SYHA on Friday. The third was still in hospital. Two of them were involved in the accident with the bus and one was quite badly hurt and (I think) had sustained three broken ribs and some other damage to his person and to their bikes.
Two of the Germans set off on Tuesday, their mate headed out on Monday. Glad to know that two of them were back together in Oban on Friday. We were traveling near 40mph when the bus pulled in front of us and braked hard in order to turn right. The two Germans braked hard but lost control on the wet road and hit the deck hard so I'm not surprised with the extent of Michael's injuries and that he was still in hospital 3 days after the accident. Somehow I managed to drop the anchors
(disc brakes and 35mm rubber???) and skip between the two of them as they fell. Michael was the one badly injured, he was the guy on the normal bike, Bjorn was on the recumbent. Michael was laid in the middle of the road, groaning, delirious with blood coming from his hands, legs and places on his torso. His helmet was smashed, and his cloths torn. If ever I've seen a reason to wear a helmet, that was it! I took a first-aid course last year as I was becoming aware that I've been at a few bike accidents, both on and off-road and didn't really know what to do. I now carry a basic first kit and space blanket. Both were used last Tuesday. Michael would have slipped towards hypothermia as a result of shock had I not had the blanket with me. The first aid kit was used to clean up Bjorns bloody injuries. Despite Michael's injuries his bike came off OK, but Bjorns recumbent was rendered un-ridable, mainly on account of losing 1/3 of his rear wheel spokes. The incident was made harder on account of the Germans speaking very little English so I had to explain who they were, what we were doing and what had happened to the local nurse and an off-duty paramedic who both arrived some time before the ambulance, the actual paramedics and then the police. And then the women at the train station and the owner of the B&B they had booked to stay at that night, as well as scores of other concerned bystanders.
It's only by recalling the incident that I now realise why by the time I got to Broadford I couldn't face heading out to ride thought the night in the rain and I bailed from the ride.
I'd like to know how both Michael and Bjorn are getting on as they had to drive back to Germany, but I have no way of contacting them.
