How many accidents whilst commuting in 2007?

woodford2barbican

I have just been lurking on another place and they have a similar thread on there...since imitation is flattery hopefully they will not be upset - they are a touchy lot !

So, how many accidents have you had whilst commuting this year......anyone with more than 5 should perhaps consider buying a lottery ticket as their luck must turn some time.

Bikedevil

I've had none but had a fair few close calls, namely people not looking when pulling out of driveways and minor roads etc...

Fuzz Monkey Five

I don't wanmt to vote on this, I just feel that it's inviting bad karma as there is still another 1.5 weeks to commute and I'll have to change '0' to '1'.

jam1ec

I had one, hit some spilled diesel while braking round a corner approaching a T junction. I was lucky there were no cars around so just slid along the road on my side for a bit.

graeme_s-2

I had two stupid falls. One recently on a wet manhole cover, and one a few months back when I accidentally clipped my left foot back in as I went to put it down on the ground and tumbled over.

Sea_Green_Incorruptible

I'm with Fuzz Monkey 5. Not tempting fate!

Belv

Thirded, but i can already say that i have had more accidents this year than in the previous 7 combined.

misterben

jam1ec wrote:

I had one, hit some spilled diesel while braking round a corner approaching a T junction. I was lucky there were no cars around so just slid along the road on my side for a bit.

You're lucky - that happened to a friend of mine, and he ended up with titanium fixators in his leg..... ( http://mquin.livejournal.com/156895.html )

I've only been commuting since the end of October (currently sitting at just over 200 miles, aiming to hit 250 before the Christmas holidays) so I've not had much chance.

Clever Pun

nothing...yet the year isn't over

I think I've got another 3-4 cycle commutes before the end of the year, which isn't enough

Adamskii

I've had one big one this year, my first in ten years. I hit half a brick in the road at 25mph and went straight over the top, scrapping my head and the left side of my body along the road for several yards. Managed not to break anything but ripped a hole in my knee that couldn't be stitched because there wasn't any skin left! It happened five weeks ago and it still hasn't fully healed. Got straight back on the bike after a week though and was nervous to begin with but I'm fine again now.

dirk_van_gently

None for me, touch wood.
50% of my route is off road, which helps.
I did have a couple of near misses, in both cases with Seppo's (Americans, lots out this way, some drive like they are an invading fource rather than guests in our country, but that's a thread for elsewhere and another time).

El Capitano

What would you count punching wing mirrors off as?

Personally I don't tend to count them as accidents, more like self defence...

The BIG GT

My only fall was on a very slippery footbridge over the canal on my off-road commute early in the 'summer'. I had managed to get through all of the mud on the rest of my ride without incident and then lost it on the stony concrete (like ice!) about 2 minutes from work. Took the skin right off the outside front of my lower leg (a bit more than a flat hand-sized area!) and bled well too.

Some worried looks when I got to work....

On-road, I seem to be able to spot idiots in vehicles just before they splat me and long may that continue...

If you've had more than 5, the safest thing is to give up cycle commuting altogether and find something that you are more suited to (i.e. not rubbish at!).
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Doom

Bikedevil wrote:

I've had none but had a fair few close calls, namely people not looking when pulling out of driveways and minor roads etc...

One so far... bloody cyclist pulled out on me without looking pushing my front wheel into a mates back wheel where the quick release neatly removed 4spokes and crisped my wheel. Went from 20mph to 0mph VERY quickly.

Managed to stay on though :shock: and had to watch the dangerous muppet ride off while I was stranded. :evil:

lateralus

One. Diesel spill on a roundabout. Luckily no car behind. Got away with a couple of scrapes and bruises.

jefferee

One, in January.

Strong tailwind + Unlit cycle path + black ice + application of front brakes...

I was over the bars (I think) and on the path before I even knew what happened. I slid a pretty good distance on the ice. No injuries (well the ribs were a little sore the next day) and I didn't even ding my helmet...

Just about doubled the count last night when a clueless SUV driver pulled out in front of me from a side street. I hit the brakes and laid on the AirZound--the latter action turned out to be a mistake, because the driver then proceeded to stop, blocking my entire lane (and I wasn't about to cross the centre line and go in front of him, either). Fortunately, despite the cold, wet conditions I was able to stop before I hit him.

Bikedevil

El Capitano wrote:

What would you count punching wing mirrors off as?

Personally I don't tend to count them as accidents, more like self defence...

Self defense/pro-active re-education of motorists! Does banging in the roof come under this aswell though?

Anonymous

El Capitano wrote:

What would you count punching wing mirrors off as?

Or, even, destruction of personal property.


Damn, there I go again.

woodford2barbican

Being a bit of a geek - we should have more threads in which we log our miles, our average speed, the type of bike we ride, whether we jump red lights, whether we wear helmets, if we wear lycra, our sex etc and then we can extrapolate some really interesting stats.

Or am I just really dull? :roll:

jefferee

woodford2barbican wrote:

Being a bit of a geek - we should have more threads in which we log ....

woodford2barbican wrote:

...our sex....

Not gonna log that one, thanks...

Drfabulous0

Voted 0 but then remembered the kid who was walking up the middle of the road and upon hearing the airzound and looking round jumped straight into my path, not sure I count that as no damage to me or the bike, (trip to A&E for the idiot kid though). Apart from that a fair few near misses and 2 spills mountain biking, nothing bad this year though.

Belv

woodford2barbican wrote:

Being a bit of a geek - we should have more threads in which we log our miles, our average speed, the type of bike we ride, whether we jump red lights, whether we wear helmets, if we wear lycra, our sex etc and then we can extrapolate some really interesting stats.

Or am I just really dull? :roll:

How is the train-spotting going?

cee

2, but one was totally my fault (gooning around :roll: ).

I don't count MTB spills in the hills

woodford2barbican

Belv wrote:

woodford2barbican wrote:

Being a bit of a geek - we should have more threads in which we log our miles, our average speed, the type of bike we ride, whether we jump red lights, whether we wear helmets, if we wear lycra, our sex etc and then we can extrapolate some really interesting stats.

Or am I just really dull? :roll:

How is the train-spotting going?

I've never been tempted - I am more of a 'how do things work' geek than anything else.

I can take things apart to investigate the *magic* but rarely can I put them back together again!

jjojjas

none on road ones in 15years. But I don't cycle in a city very often so I suppose I'm less likely too than you lot "down there"
Jas

Drfabulous0

woodford2barbican wrote:

I've never been tempted - I am more of a 'how do things work' geek than anything else.

I can take things apart to investigate the *magic* but rarely can I put them back together again!

It's not as much fun unless you can put them back together (preferably with less screws than before for lower weight and greater efficiency). Try making lists or basic diagrams of the order you take them apart.

woodford2barbican

Drfabulous0 wrote:

woodford2barbican wrote:

I've never been tempted - I am more of a 'how do things work' geek than anything else.

I can take things apart to investigate the *magic* but rarely can I put them back together again!

It's not as much fun unless you can put them back together (preferably with less screws than before for lower weight and greater efficiency).

I can do that! I just don't consider that to be putting it back together again......

Vivica

I've had one... i was passing cars going up hill and one of those huge Merc 4X4's came charging down the other side of the road, in my rush to get out of the way (he must've been going 45 in a 25 MPH zone), i clipped the wing mirror of the car i was passing, causing myself to loose control abit and stop just infront of his car. I of course got off and apologies, he was fine with it, and we carried on along our ways.

...I guess that probably doesn't count for much though.

tyskie

Just the one almost 3 months ago now. Given me ample time to think about what new bike to get when I'm up and about again. Should I get classic steel like a Colnago Master X-Light or something titanium to match my bionic leg?

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/s ... yfinal.jpg

Vivica

Typical, less than 12 hours after i made the above post, i'm riding into work, coming to a set of corners on a hill that makes up a really nice S bend that i usually try to take with no breaks...

...I notice around the corner and over a hedge, just as i start to turn the first corner that there's a car stationary on the pavement just round that corner.
I break obviously, not knowing what's round the corner, but anticipate that i'm probably just going to go around the car. I slow down quite alot, especially considering i have to go back up a big hill at the end of these corners.

At this point, just as i start to round the second corner, my front wheel slides out, and as my body hits the floor and starts sliding, my hand touches the floor and feels why i've slipt, black ice, smooth as a mirror.
I also see why the car's stopped, they've stopped to help a girl on a scooter who'd also taken a dive rounding the second corner.

The car leaves the girl who seems fine, but abit shaked. I grab my bike, check the peddles are true, the wheels are true, and there's no major scrapes, look at my arm and say "How're you? I'm ok, so i'm off" And that was that, it must've looked pretty hardcore... luckily no battle scars though

hemmy

4 so far!

1. bike slid out on 90 bend - something slippy on road - another guy came off same place 2min latter - damaged wrist

2. coming off the curb like a muppet - took skin off knee , elbow & shoulder etc

3. builders van turned right right into me - went over his bonet. took out his wing mirror broke his bumper a bit. hurt my back a lot - not nice.

4. clipped pedal on curb - lost balance, fell off - grazed same knee that was de-skinned in accident number 2 - this was definitely my least painful accident so far

Should really start wearing a helmet.....