Thankfully not a fatality in Leeds

spasypaddy

from another forum i frequent (non-cycling but this was posted in the roadie thread)

Hate to get all maudlin, but saw the worst of sights yesterday on my cycle to work. Was happily freewheeling down the Otley Road into Headingley, then just past Woodies there it was – some poor guy over the bonnet of a VW Polo, sheet over him, ambulance staff not doing much of anything, pedestrians pale and crying.

It was his cleats that got me – shiny new red Look cleats on his shoes, the only part of his body which was visible from under the sheet. He must have started out that morning, fussing over how new and awkward they felt on his pedals, maybe worrying he’d aligned them wrong and they were screwing up his knees. Then it all changed.

Easy to see what had happened. He must have been bombing down the bus lane, and a car coming the other way had turned right; neither had seen each other due to the heavy stationary traffic.

It doesn’t half hit you hard seeing something like that. I felt naked and exposed after it, and looked at other cyclists on the road like we belonged to some sort of fraternity.

Anyway, be careful out there roadies. Slow down for those blind junctions, and assume everyone else on the road is an idiot.

knowing that road well (from when i was a student), i can imagine exactly what happened as it also happened to me. I was lucky enough to walk away (into hospital to have my knee put back together), this guy wasn't so lucky.

Clever Pun

Horrible news

W1

That sounds horrid - must have been one hell of an impact.

RIP.

FrankM

That's horrible.

There was an accident yesterday evening in New Barnet - cyclist down in the middle of the road; traffic had been stopped. Hope the cyclist is ok.

spasypaddy

FrankM wrote:

That's horrible.

There was an accident yesterday evening in New Barnet - cyclist down in the middle of the road; traffic had been stopped. Hope the cyclist is ok.

where in New Barnet? thats where i live now. If you saw what bike or anything. hope it wasnt someone i know.
:shock:

FrankM

It was by the junction of Plantagenet Road and Leicester Road. The bike was a hybrid.

At a guess I'd say someone had pulled out of Leicester Road and knocked the cyclist off but it really wasn't very clear what had happened.

spasypaddy

I dont know any hybrid riders so glad its not someone i know. but hope they are ok all the same

addicted to Langbar

I often go down the A660/Otley Road into Headingley in the evenings, trying to set off the 30 mph speed cameras on the hill down towards Woodies from the Lawnswood roundabout. I think I may start taking a few mph off that from now on after reading this post.

RIP.

JonS123

I sometimes cycle that stretch of road if im doing a "extended commute" and I have witnessed some poor driving between woodies and the Grove Lane cross roads, saw enough accidents in my student days with people doing the otley run straying onto the road

RIP

rolf_f

JonS123 wrote:

I sometimes cycle that stretch of road if im doing a "extended commute" and I have witnessed some poor driving between woodies and the Grove Lane cross roads, saw enough accidents in my student days with people doing the otley run straying onto the road

RIP

I sometimes do the same myself though only ever uphill on that stretch. Can't say it is the sort of place you'd really expect to be particularly dangerous. Only goes to show......

zackwuk

spasypaddy wrote:

from another forum i frequent (non-cycling but this was posted in the roadie thread)

Hate to get all maudlin, but saw the worst of sights yesterday on my cycle to work. Was happily freewheeling down the Otley Road into Headingley, then just past Woodies there it was – some poor guy over the bonnet of a VW Polo, sheet over him, ambulance staff not doing much of anything, pedestrians pale and crying.

It was his cleats that got me – shiny new red Look cleats on his shoes, the only part of his body which was visible from under the sheet. He must have started out that morning, fussing over how new and awkward they felt on his pedals, maybe worrying he’d aligned them wrong and they were screwing up his knees. Then it all changed.

Easy to see what had happened. He must have been bombing down the bus lane, and a car coming the other way had turned right; neither had seen each other due to the heavy stationary traffic.

It doesn’t half hit you hard seeing something like that. I felt naked and exposed after it, and looked at other cyclists on the road like we belonged to some sort of fraternity.

Anyway, be careful out there roadies. Slow down for those blind junctions, and assume everyone else on the road is an idiot.

knowing that road well (from when i was a student), i can imagine exactly what happened as it also happened to me. I was lucky enough to walk away (into hospital to have my knee put back together), this guy wasn't so lucky.

Just to say hello and i was they guy on the bonnet of this crash, i am ok, not dead, it was just a suspected back break hence the blanket and non movement :-) bikes bugged, but i am fine now.

davis

zackwuk wrote:

i was they guy on the bonnet of this crash, i am ok, not dead, it was just a suspected back break hence the blanket and non movement :-) bikes bugged, but i am fine now.

Worst use of the word "just" ever! Glad you're ok, though.

_Brun_

Hurrah!!

Must be weird reading on the internet that you're dead. Pity about the bike.

iPete

Back from the dead!

Hopefully not a wind up! Welcome to Bike Radar zackwuk!

As you say your ok, would it be rude to ask for pics of whats left of the bike? :shock:

zackwuk

Just a tad strange, does any one know the other thread so I can leave a post on that?
Just want to say the people that stopped and got out of there cars were amazing people and very nice I couldn’t thank them enough, there are some nice people in the world.

zackwuk

iPete wrote:

Back from the dead!

Hopefully not a wind up! Welcome to Bike Radar zackwuk!

As you say your ok, would it be rude to ask for pics of whats left of the bike? :shock:

The bike looks fine, it’s a carbon boardman.
It just bent handlebars, but obviously my bike shop said it could be cracked and you cnt see it, so I need a new frame :-(.

Not a wind up unless there was two accidents on this very road last week.
I can tell you it wasn’t that comfy on the bonnet and the nice guy with the blanket was a life saver as I was freezing.

Kieran_Burns

What actually happened? (if you are able / allowed to tell us)


Could someone also please tell me it's wrong to keep thinking of the Monty Python sketch in Holy Grail......

toontra

As has been said, a salutary lesson that's it's never a good idea to filter fast, even in bus lanes, especially with queues of traffic. All too often a stationary vehicle will wave someone through a gap and you won't see that vehicle (and vica versa) until it's too late. Even competent cyclists come unstuck this way.

downwardslide

Had an accident at around the same spot many years ago, Driver turned right across Otley road to go down Weetwood lane right in front of me. I was lucky as he wasn't travelling very fast and escaped with a few bruises.

el_presidente

I was a passenger in a mini that the girl driving crashed on that very stretch, many years ago. She locked up the brakes on a wet road and skidded into stationery traffic. I wasn't wearing a seatbelt but saw it coming from way back, and adopted the brace position whilst screaming "we're going to crash...." Luckily no injuries to anyone.

WesternWay

Well now that you have come back from the dead, I can ask the Barnet people where they ride :-)

I go from just by the football ground at the bottom of the hill, into the office at Bank each morning...

I /think/ I have just heard that my new next door but one neighbour does the same down to Tottenham Court Road each morning.

George

rolf_f

WesternWay wrote:

Well now that you have come back from the dead, I can ask the Barnet people where they ride :-)

I go from just by the football ground at the bottom of the hill, into the office at Bank each morning...

I /think/ I have just heard that my new next door but one neighbour does the same down to Tottenham Court Road each morning.

George

Random thread divergence of the week

WesternWay

Random thread divergence of the week

Not bad to have nailed that by Tuesday :-)

FrankM

Rolf F wrote:

WesternWay wrote:

Well now that you have come back from the dead, I can ask the Barnet people where they ride :-)

I go from just by the football ground at the bottom of the hill, into the office at Bank each morning...

I /think/ I have just heard that my new next door but one neighbour does the same down to Tottenham Court Road each morning.

George

Random thread divergence of the week

Hello. I cycle from near the the bottom of the Meadway to Trafalgar Square every day.

WesternWay

Hello. I cycle from near the the bottom of the Meadway to Trafalgar Square every day.

Ah, hello :-) What sort of time of day? I don't envy you the hill at the end of your route home.

I am a fat man on a Ridgeback Flight T1 hybrid if you are passing :-)

George

spasypaddy

Mate im so glad you are ok, the other thread is on the football365 forum which is members only and registration is closed at the moment. I've posted your post over there. and linked to this thread.

In the divergence part i only commute from east barnet (hampden square) to finchley central, however i will often be found going out after work to either richmond park or up into cuffley/goffs oak and home. Normally streaming through whetstone/finchley at 8.45

I ride either a black planet x, or a black premier fixie.

spen666

FrankM wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

WesternWay wrote:

Well now that you have come back from the dead, I can ask the Barnet people where they ride :-)

I go from just by the football ground at the bottom of the hill, into the office at Bank each morning...

I /think/ I have just heard that my new next door but one neighbour does the same down to Tottenham Court Road each morning.

George

Random thread divergence of the week

Hello. I cycle from near the the bottom of the Meadway to Trafalgar Square every day.

do you get dried after getting out of the Meadway

FrankM

WesternWay wrote:

Hello. I cycle from near the the bottom of the Meadway to Trafalgar Square every day.

Ah, hello :-) What sort of time of day? I don't envy you the hill at the end of your route home.

I am a fat man on a Ridgeback Flight T1 hybrid if you are passing :-)

George

I leave home between 6.30 and 7.15 (depending on how lazy I feel) and try to get back at around 18.30 - 19.00. I go straight down the Great North Road to Archway then through Camden. Will say hello if I see you (I'm on an MTB with knobblies at the moment).

spasypaddy

FrankM wrote:

WesternWay wrote:

Hello. I cycle from near the the bottom of the Meadway to Trafalgar Square every day.

Ah, hello :-) What sort of time of day? I don't envy you the hill at the end of your route home.

I am a fat man on a Ridgeback Flight T1 hybrid if you are passing :-)

George

I leave home between 6.30 and 7.15 (depending on how lazy I feel) and try to get back at around 18.30 - 19.00. I go straight down the Great North Road to Archway then through Camden. Will say hello if I see you (I'm on an MTB with knobblies at the moment).

i may wel have spoken to you before... on a day of snow last winter.

Agent57

zackwuk wrote:

i am ok, not dead

Excellent news!

rolf_f

Agent57 wrote:

zackwuk wrote:

i am ok, not dead

Excellent news!

Indeed - congratulations for not being dead Zackwuk!

Anyway, back to the divergence......