Worst Commuting Crashes
Comments
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boneyjoe wrote:Bloody heck, there are some horrid ones out there! The concussion stuff is pretty weird isn't it? Not cycling obviously, but I stood on the ball once playing football, cracking my head badly on concrete. No recollection of the next 30 mins, though friends say I was conscious, telling people my name was Roberto Baggio and that I lived in Wandsworth (I was living in Shad Thames at the time!). Took a very long time to for the headaches to go away and be able to concentrate properly. Let's not start the helmet debate, but I do wear one now!
After my major accident I was released from the hospital after about 4 hours - it was about 11pm. My wife and her best friend had come to get me and take me home. I remember wandering in front of the traffic at one point with no idea what i was doing. My wife yanked me back just in time.
I too can't remember the 5 mintues or so before i hit the car, but only 2nd hand recollection from the two witnesses who told me what they saw.0 -
Having just purchased her first MTB - a lovely Gary Fisher HKEK - my better half thought the nobbly tires made it possible to mount the kerb by turning the handle bars straight left - disaster!Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)0 -
I should just add that my wife has since accompanied me on numerous epic MTB rides in Wales, Scotland etc, so just goes to show that we all have to start somewhere!Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)0 -
YES!Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)0 -
A couple of comedic ones and a couple of serious ones from me
Aged 6 an dliving in Singapore I received a shiny red Chopper for Christmas. I was so happy with it that I was showing it off to my Grandma by pulling wheelies on it riding around our swimming pool. 30 seconds later I was in the swiming pool trying to fish out a now very wet and heavy chopper from the middle of the deep end
Aged 13 on my first paper round I was flying down a hill on my first 10 speed, on my way to the paper shop when another paper boy came bombing out of a driveway straight into me. If I'd have been a car he would have probably been dead. As it was my bike suffered less damage than me, although I was still able to threaten to kill him when I was able to walk again (which took all of 5 minutes, by which time he'd legged it).
Aged 13.5 on the same 10 speed I was heading down a hill in the rain when the traffic on front stopped. I pulled the brakes which didn't stop me at all and I rode straight into the back of a hatchback driven by a very nice lady who couldn't stop apologising for me having ridden into her. No damage to me this time but the unseen damage to the bike in the incident when I was 13 bent the down tube and made the bike a write off
Aged 20 I was cycling up to the Downs in Bristol having had a few beers with my tutor at lunch time. Pulling away from some traffic lights I took a long look over my shoulder and promptly rode into the high curb and somersaulted over the handle bars onto my back. In me less than sober state this was hysterically funny, especially when I realised that I was uninjured.
Aged 33, riding in the wet on a shared pavement on my shiny new bike, I swerved extravagantly to avoid a pedestrian, at which time the front wheel buckled under and I slid a good 5 meters along the wet concrete. I stopped right in front of a queue of people waiting for a bus who obviously rushed to my aid instead of p1ssing themselves laughing. Pride injured I limped away, no damage done.
You'd think I'd have learnt some lessons from my earlier issues with water wouldn't you?FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.0 -
Oh... difficult....
Erm 1990-92 - Got side swiped by a car, bent seat stay....got fixed by my frame builder.
During 1992-95
Hit on nose by rock kicked up by a passing car - middle of no-where - blood pouring out..... stopped at house...ambulance job........ picked up the bloodied bike next day..... only just started job, two black eyes and bandages on nose - 'no I haven't been fighting'.....
Crashed 3 times on ice on a single 20 mile commute (country side - one crash at 30 mph) - got to work battered and bruised. Learnt my boss had fell off at the bottom of his road, no speed, smashed his leg up badly, then got a blood clot and was off for months......
Clipped the back of a stationery car - days before good lights. Badly bruised.
95-99 Got wiped out by a van turning left - I was doing 30 on inside lane, he 30 on outside lane, and just turned left over me - I went through his wing mirror, over the front and I then had air........flew 30 feet, crash landed on back iin between scaffolding - bike wasn't so lucky - it hit the scaffolding and was written off - driver did one..... Broken hand... (again just started new job.....I see a trend here')
And then...got away with it as didn't commute by bike for 8 years.......
Christmas 2008 - hit by car on roundabout...car approaching at 30mph, one lane stopped as I passed, the other didn't... slammed my left shoulder into car and on ground. Cost £1300 so far in physio, MRI and Nerve tests, constant pain in shoulder / arm.... five months later....... great eh....... bike was reasonably OK though !0 -
Wrath Rob wrote:Aged 20 I was cycling up to the Downs in Bristol having had a few beers with my tutor at lunch time. Pulling away from some traffic lights I took a long look over my shoulder and promptly rode into the high curb and somersaulted over the handle bars onto my back. In me less than sober state this was hysterically funny, especially when I realised that I was uninjured.
I did the same thing a few years ago in Kennington. A friedn of mine was in town and I far more to drink than I planned and then stupidly tried to cycle home. Somehow - just around the corner from home I drove straight into the kerb and went over hitting my ribs on the edge of the kerb. It hurt but not too much. It wasn;t till two days later when I was lifting a heavy bag of shopping that the rib actually snapped and caused excruciating pain. I still get a twinge there in wet weather.0 -
Closest I've come was a few times in one very scary day in January.
First one: Heading down a hill towards a right turn. There's a smallish gap in the oncoming traffic that I can get through, so I go for it. Start to turn. and the bike doesn't grip at all, apparently there's some black ice. I slid sideways across the junction, manage to keep upright and slam into a truck that's waiting to turn right from the other side. Fortunately no damage done (I wasn't going that fast) and after apologising profusely to the fortunately very pleasant driver, I went on my way again.
A bit later on, coming to a pedestrian crossing. The lights are starting to change, so I brake, and nothing happens. Both wheels have locked on even more ice, so I have to stop braking and bring the bike back in line while shouting a warning to the peds. I just about managed to get it stopped before the line, a very sketchy moment though.
Final one was another right turn, where my rear wheel hit a patch of ice that my front wheel hadn't. The rear wheel went sideways, putting the bike at about 45 degrees to the direction I was travelling. Luckily I'm quite used to having the bike pointing in odd directions from mountain biking, so I knew how to put it all right. Another scary one though.
I took the train home.0 -
Hired a bike in Austria - a full sus MTB. Unlike my Raleigh Pioneer City Pig Iron Express at home the brakes worked when you breathed on them, not after you had grabbed them and prayed for 50 metres :roll: . My daughter go t ahead of me on her bike and then I lost her in a crowd so went a bit faster and I must have touched the front brake because the next thing I was on the road with a sore arm. Got up, pretened I was fine to the concerned crowd and went off looking for daughter. Pulling the left brake hurt like hell - umm, must be sprained I thought. When I started getting electric shock like pain I decided to go to the doctor - nice clean break! Back in the UK treated for broken elbow but the hospital ompletely missed the frozen sholder so physio was very very painful after 6 weeks of not being moved at all
As many of you know, I'm currently off the bike having separated the AC joint in the same shoulder when a j-running ped ran out in front of me from the front of a bus. I was going slow - about 10-12mph max but landed badly.
Earlier this year i had a wonderful spill. Underpass under the billet roundabout between Walthamstow and Chingford. My entrance is in the "mobile art" section - you'd probably call it fly tipping but I'm amazed at the things you find strewn across the path. You go down a big spiral and then under the road. The entrance also had a recurring problem with a leak or burst pipe for months. Anyhow, I'm heading toward it and think to myself, best watch out in case that water has frozen over. Get to the first corner of the spiral and this week's art is a smashed up dyson cleaner. I'm now fully focussed on weaving my way around the smashed up plasti and metal to avoid a puncture. Too fully focussed. Just as I'm about to congratulate myself on avoiding the hazard I look up about 4 feet and realise the water has indeed frozen and the Lee Valley ice Rink appears to have relocated. I managed to fall off without injury by virtually jumping off backwards. Just a smashed bike computer and the fear of another 4 hours gettig the next one to work properly....Pain is only weakness leaving the body0 -
You know, I read this thread with my arm in a sling after this mornings spill and, I wonder why we bother.
But I know that in a couple of weeks it will be no more than an amusing memory and something to discuss the next time someone else I know has an accident.0 -
1. Pedestrian stepped out in front of me in 2002 on Bishopsgate/Gracechurch St, when I first started commuting. I slammed on the brakes, went over the bars and, as I found out later, broke my right arm, without hitting the stu-ped (
), who duly started to walk off as if nothing had happened. I screamed at him, and a motorcyclist blocked his path. The policemen across the junction, alerted by the volume of the words coming from my mouth, wander over and try to calm things. They're doing a good job until the goon says "these things happen", and I red line again.
2. Knocked off by a coach at Stockwell lights/roundabout. Coach drives on. A white van (of all things!) drives after him and flashes him down a short distance away, and they drive me into the City.
3. After turning off Balham high street, some little oik throws an orange at from at me from what seemed like point blank range and hit me on the chin/mouth. Didn't knock me off, but I got off and threw it back at him. Unlike Crocodile Dundee, I missed, which took a while to get over.
4. Went into the back of a lorry last year skidding on the red lines just before Southwark Bridge north side.
5. Went over the bars in January on Battersea Bridge junction (north side) when a car started to pull in front of me.FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
In some ways I'm (sadly) reassured. I was beginning to worry that I simply wasn't suited to cycling after two broken limbs and despite the joy I get from it I should give it up as the wife is suggesting - but given the number of regulars who are far more proficient than me who have posted about nasty accidents I'm less paranoid that the failings / bad luck are down to me.
Then again if you experts can't avoid serious injury perhaps I've just got off lightly so far and should cut my losses :shock:
Oh God, it's going to take me ages to square that circle. Problem is, the pleasure still outweighs the risks so you haven't got rid of me yet
My work, in typical panic mode want to insist that anyone who cycles to work must have some form of training as it is "so dangerous" - I'm not in a position to put my hand up and tell them that they are so so wrong: morally as my collision sparked the latest panic and physically as I don't have the range of motion to lift the arm above my chest yet :P
Pain is only weakness leaving the body0 -
whyamihere wrote:Closest I've come was a few times in one very scary day in January.
First one: Heading down a hill towards a right turn. There's a smallish gap in the oncoming traffic that I can get through, so I go for it. Start to turn. and the bike doesn't grip at all, apparently there's some black ice. I slid sideways across the junction, manage to keep upright and slam into a truck that's waiting to turn right from the other side. Fortunately no damage done (I wasn't going that fast) and after apologising profusely to the fortunately very pleasant driver, I went on my way again.
A bit later on, coming to a pedestrian crossing. The lights are starting to change, so I brake, and nothing happens. Both wheels have locked on even more ice, so I have to stop braking and bring the bike back in line while shouting a warning to the peds. I just about managed to get it stopped before the line, a very sketchy moment though.
Final one was another right turn, where my rear wheel hit a patch of ice that my front wheel hadn't. The rear wheel went sideways, putting the bike at about 45 degrees to the direction I was travelling. Luckily I'm quite used to having the bike pointing in odd directions from mountain biking, so I knew how to put it all right. Another scary one though.
I took the train home.
You were in a rush to get to the river weren't you? I know that feeling of 8 or 9 other people really piss3d off with you if you are late. My first black ice moment was at about 5am trying to get to an outing.
Jees this thread is depressing. I thought I was one combative s.o.b. but some of you guys have been in a war.
Most of my moments haven't been commuting, so I won't bore anyone. ..... but did I tell you that time I headbutted a tree in a grave yard? What about that time I lost a fight with a pine cone?0 -
Hit from behind last October doing about 25mph.
Car drove off left me for dead and some other b'stard ran over my bike!
Luckily wasn't knocked out but broken fingers, wedding ring embedded in finger where it also took the top of my knuckle off, top of finger sliced off and hole in my knee. Oh yeah teeth straight through the lip.
Was the bike first outing!0 -
You know, I'm not sure I'd start bike commuting if I'd just read this thread.
If anyone's concerned about safety, I've been bike commuting off and on for 8 years, covered over 20,000 miles in London traffic, and have only ever had a couple of minor spills on slippery roads etc - nothing worse than a minor graze.
Each time, pedestrians or motorists have stopped to check I'm ok.
It's not all bad!0 -
Yes, agree totally with Chris. I'd much rather still bike it, than suffer the torment of the trains or the poor tortured souls trapped in their metal boxes. Have pity on them my people. Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)0 -
Not quite to do with cycling but during a a commute on my motorbike to work a few years ago, I had my visor up pulling away from a junction which entered a nat speed limit road, went through the gears and as I lifted my hand to pull down my visor, the fattest bee I've ever seen flew straight into my eye. I managed to keep on the bike (god only knows how), reduced speed and pulled in half a mile later to hold my buff on my eye until it stopped aching and pouring with tears. By the time I got to work I had a hefty shiner complete with a funny story nobody at work believed. :oops:
As for commuting on my bicycle, the only crash I've had was when changing gear out of the saddle grinding my way up a hill. the chain jumped off and dug into the BB and I did quite a dramatic half forward flip and winded myself for the first time in a good few years. After writhing around trying to catch my breath for 30 seconds or so, I climbed back on the bike apologised to an old lady who'd gotten the scare of her life it seemed, and bimbled off feeling sorry for myself.0 -
My wife had a penchant for stationary "crashes" in her SPDs - including falling / disappearing into a ditch under a hedgerow once. Some kindly motorists actually stopped to check she was ok. Thankfully she's switched back to flat pedals now. (sorry love!)
Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)0 -
chrisonabike wrote:You know, I'm not sure I'd start bike commuting if I'd just read this thread.
If anyone's concerned about safety, I've been bike commuting off and on for 8 years, covered over 20,000 miles in London traffic, and have only ever had a couple of minor spills on slippery roads etc - nothing worse than a minor graze.
Each time, pedestrians or motorists have stopped to check I'm ok.
It's not all bad!
Ha..... I was talking to a colleague who wanted to start cycling to work, and advised her of a few routes.....just so happened to drop into the conversation about my accident in December...... followed by...."just one of those things" . Fortunately, I didn't put her off.0 -
Nothing as entertaining as some, in fact since Oct07 I have managed 1, this was on my old bike, a PARKED car stopped in front of me suddenly, I had my head down as I was pedalling into one of our famous Fylde coast headwinds and before I could react, bang straight into the back and over the bars, I was fine the bike was a little bent, here is the photo a little blurry but so was I when I took it, needless to say when the wife heard she wet herself laughing...
www.justgiving.com/aidyneal Cycling Manchester to Blackpool. Look out for number 16910
