So, I crashed into a hedge this morning

graeme_s-2
graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
edited November 2011 in Commuting chat

There I was, cycling along in the wet, lost in my own thoughts, when I rounded this corner. As I did so, I suddenly realised that I had absent mindedly strayed onto the manhole cover you can see in the foreground of the picture. My front wheel made it safely across, but then my back wheel stepped out a significant distance, and I straightened the bike up to stop me falling off. This put me up onto the grass verge on the left, which I rattled across while being unable to steer or brake effectively until I crashed into the end of the hedge you can see on the far right of the picture!

At the last second I put my head down and took the impact on my helmet. According to my Garmin I was still doing 20 mph when I hit the hedge. The hedge then held me up so I didn't actually fall off. I even had to break a branch to extract my bike from the hedge. It seemed to have bent and then bounced through the front wheel.

The most important thing is nobody saw this happen! My bike is fine. The Rapha winter jersey I was wearing has some moss stains on the white band on the arm, but I'm hoping vanish will get that out. I have a bruise on my left arm and some scratches on my left leg, but nothing worse than that. So all in all not too bad at all. If you're going to crash into something I can definitely recommend a hedge! :mrgreen:

Comments

  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Where's the head-cam footage when you need it???! Glad you're OK and no damage done. Does reinforce the importance of staying focused when doing any sort of speed.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    :D entertaining story to start my day. Lucky escape though, glad no real harm was done.
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    meanredspider wrote:
    Where's the head-cam footage when you need it???! Glad you're OK and no damage done. Does reinforce the importance of staying focused when doing any sort of speed.
    Thanks. You're quite right, it really was just a momentary and slight lapse in concentration, but that was all it took in slightly dodgy conditions.
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Ha, makes me feel better after cycling into the back of a Van on Tuesday, only there was a massive audience :oops:
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    Glad you're okay I too can vouch for a hedge as a reasonably safe place to crash although i'm still not 100% sure how long i was unconscious for :oops:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • rebs
    rebs Posts: 891
    I've been in many hedges in my time but none like that :P
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    I think it depends on the hedge. That looks like a relatively springy and not too spiny privet. Were you to go into a blackthorn or a wild-rose hedge, you'd certainly not be recommending it. Good hedge choice for the crashing cyclist is paramount.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Have you started a collection to repair the damage caused? You could call it a Hedge Fund.

    (aaaand I'll be leafing now...)


    (leafing? Geddit?)
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • mickbrown
    mickbrown Posts: 100
    I ended up in a bramble bush a few weeks back. I was lying there thinking 'ouch' and thinking its going to hurt me even more to extricate myself. I was right.

    Week later missed the bramble bush by inches and ended up in a big bunch of nettles instead.

    Bloody mother nature.
  • medoramas
    medoramas Posts: 202
    Please, tell us what were you thinking about between the manhole cover and the hedges? :-D
  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    medoramas wrote:
    Please, tell us what were you thinking about between the manhole cover and the hedges? :-D
    Probably something along the lines of 'I'm about to get lucky!' Fnar! :mrgreen:
  • richVSrich
    richVSrich Posts: 527
    so in summary you dived head first in to a bush this morning on the way to work?

    score! ;)
    Boardman Hybrid Commuter Workhorse
  • thecrofter
    thecrofter Posts: 734
    Well, if you will go taking photographs while you're cycling what do you expect. Frankly it's this kind of disregard for the rules of the road that give all cyclists a bad name. I blame Wiggle. :roll:
    You've no won the Big Cup since 1902!
  • MonkeyMonster
    MonkeyMonster Posts: 4,629
    getting your helmet stuck in a bush is a right problem especially if on the way to work.
    Le Cannon [98 Cannondale M400] [FCN: 8]
    The Mad Monkey [2013 Hoy 003] [FCN: 4]
  • Greg T
    Greg T Posts: 3,266
    Sounds like it was deliberate sabotage -this hedge sounds sus - was it planted?

    Still at least no-one saw and invaded your privetcy
    Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.

    What would Thora Hurd do?
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    This is getting a little off-topiary.
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • Stone Glider
    Stone Glider Posts: 1,227
    edited November 2011
    Glad you are OK. You must have been going at quite a clip, impressed that you managed to box clever with the collision and not brick it.
    The older I get the faster I was
  • dilemna
    dilemna Posts: 2,187
    Jeese how fast were you riding as you say you skidded and obviously slowed along the verge and then entered the bush at 20mph!!! I bet you felt a bit of a prick .............. :wink:

    You aren't riding on Contis by any chance?
    Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
    Think how stupid the average person is.......
    half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    It's all gone a bit puntastic. I knew I could count on you lot for something :D
    dilemna wrote:
    Jeese how fast were you riding as you say you skidded and obviously slowed along the verge and then entered the bush at 20mph!!! I bet you felt a bit of a prick .............. :wink:

    You aren't riding on Contis by any chance?
    20mph was the last speed my Garmin picked up before it went to zero, so I'd probably scrubbed off a bit of speed by the time I hit the bush, but not much I suspect.

    25C Conti Gatorskins. I was leaning well over when I ran across the manhole cover though, so I'm not convinced a different tyre would have made much difference. It was just a lapse in concentration, as I know there's a great whacking manhole cover on that corner in the middle of that side of the road.

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