First 'crash'

t5nel

Came off my bike night before last, previous to that I can not remember the last time I came off a bike so lets say I am a beginner at crashing.

Very annoyed as it was not my fault - 4(10 yr old?) kids on scooters (the push along type) decided to unexpectedly cross a road in front of me. I had no time to react and hit one of them at about 22mph.

One of the boys got a pasting (split lip, ripped trousers big graze to knee) and three of them were crying hysterically :roll: which ruined the tough boy image. I think the bike pretty much stopped, I went flying and rolled across left shoulder and came to a rest on bum/right elbow. Took a big hit to my left calf (I assume from pedal) after my shoe unclipped. I am glad no one was seriously injured (got his mum to call me after hospital check) but bloody annoyed that these kids were out unchecked playing on a road in the dark :evil:

I am sore as anything for the last two days and pretty irritated that there is nothing much I can do about the (fortunately slight) damage to my stuff.

Hopefully will get front wheel back today if it can be trued and then I will wash bike and give it a good check over. Fortunately landed on the non drive side and only marks seem to be on pedal, bar tape and rear q/r skewer.

Feel better for getting that off my chest!

Tim

TommyEss

These things happen on residential streets though - that's what kids do - just be thankful you weren't a car. Glad everyone's relatively unscathed.

The tough lesson is that people (pedestrians) pop up on roads in all sorts of ridiculous and dangerous places, a lot of the time between parked cars, and we, as road users, would do well to drive/ride to what we can see to be safe - not judging your crash per se, and not having a go, but if the kids were visible on the pavement then you have to keep an eye on them and use your judgement to guess if they're likely to pop out - peds have all kinds of tells when they're thinking of crossing a road - and their cursory glance for cars and buses will fail to spot you 999 times out of 1000! If in doubt, slow down and cover your brakes.

Hope the kid learns his lesson though - hit at 22mph by a man on a bike, he's lucky to get away with nothing broken in all honesty. I would suggest that this should be reported to the authorities as well, as technically, it is a road traffic collision leading to injuries.

t5nel

---UPDATE---
Have now reported to Hants Police - agree that this is the right thing to do

---

Those are valid points and from now on I will give pedestrians a much wider berth.

In this instance, in my assessment at the time they were chatting (not facing the road etc.) and I was stunned when they moved to cross (20:20 hindsight is wonderful!). They did not look AT ALL. I have bright lights at the front and it is a long straight road so I can not do more to be visible. I suspect they were 'listening' and could not hear any cars so thought it safe. Perhaps I will get a bell ;-)

It might be selfish or unreasonable of me but I get annoyed with constantly having to be 'super considerate' on the bike to make up for people not knowing how to cross a road safely or drive appropriately. I do not consider myself to be at fault in this incident - though I realise that I could have acted differently and there may have been a different outcome.

All the above said one of the reasons I am posting this is just as a reminder to others to be careful out there. It is not a pleasant experience. Amazing that no one was more hurt I could not believe, when I got up, that I was basically OK - not sure where the energy went really... Let's really hope he has learned a lesson.

TommyEss

That's the sad fact of it, everyone is very in tune with listening for cars and the majority of people will cross after listening only, on clear stretches of road I ride around them and tell them to "look AND listen mate...", but you don't always have the time and space to do that.

It is frustrating to have to ride assuming that everyone's out to get you/everyone will do something dumb - but we don't have the luxury of crumple zones and airbags, so it's really the only (practical*) way forward. I ride much more carefully in stationary traffic after wiping out when a pedestrian crossed on the red man in front of a lorry (so hidden from me until far too late). In hindsight, I shouldn't have been filtering so quickly past a high and un-windowlike vehicle such as a lorry - and now I don't.

*(The best way forwards would be to educate everyone again to look and listen, but we've tried that since I was about 6 and it's clearly failed miserably!)

MattC59

A prime case of natural selection !!!

Ok, so kids are a little different as they may not have been educated, are easily distracted etc etc. but if someone steps out into a road without looking to see if there's anything likely to flatten them, then they are idiots and I have very little sympathy for them.

PhildB

What do you reckon of this?

http://www.bikeradar.com/video/stop-ped ... 5076248001

tx14

never go fast near kids. they are most unpredictable.

Speller78

TommyEss wrote:

That's the sad fact of it, everyone is very in tune with listening for cars and the majority of people will cross after listening only, on clear stretches of road I ride around them and tell them to "look AND listen mate...", but you don't always have the time and space to do that.

I often wonder what sort of carnage will ensue when/if fully electric cars become popular.

alihisgreat

PhildB wrote:

What do you reckon of this?

http://www.bikeradar.com/video/stop-ped ... 5076248001

can't really see much use for it unless you are cycling fast in crowded city centre stuff as in the video

it would do my head in... and annoy everyone in earshot... I'd prefer to cycle slower and be more aware myself than use a horn.

you can always shout an expletive at cars/pedestrians if they do anything dodgy anyway... a good long stare is also quite effective.

Speller78 wrote:

I often wonder what sort of carnage will ensue when/if fully electric cars become popular.

the problem will be with the electric bikes -> the type that a communter (who's not a cycling enthusiast) might buy... then you've got a load of people who can't cycle hurtling around silently at 20mph rather than 10mph.

Pross

Speller78 wrote:

TommyEss wrote:

That's the sad fact of it, everyone is very in tune with listening for cars and the majority of people will cross after listening only, on clear stretches of road I ride around them and tell them to "look AND listen mate...", but you don't always have the time and space to do that.

I often wonder what sort of carnage will ensue when/if fully electric cars become popular.

+1 although they are experimenting with sounds for the cars to produce to warn road users.

tx14

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

the problem will be with the electric bikes -> the type that a communter (who's not a cycling enthusiast) might buy... then you've got a load of people who can't cycle hurtling around silently at 20mph rather than 10mph.

the exact thing is happening in chinese cities. you can fish out some stats to look at it if you want.

Crankbrother

I'd be claiming for damage to bike/kit ... A kid that age shouldn't be 'playing' on a road where you can do 20mph ...

Gizmodo

If it was a dog that was unsupervised you could sue the owners - unfortunately I don't think that's true for kids.

Reporting to the police was a good idea because Mom could decide to see a ambulance-chaser and try to lie, saying it was your fault.

Glad no one was seriously hurt.

Bobbinogs

I often proactively shout out to pedestrians who are on my radar and might walk out in front of me. I get the odd funny look but most folks look around and acknowledge that I am trying to help both of us. Doesn't work when they are wearing headphones though!

The Man Chump

Must have been horrible! Don't feel guilty, it doesn't sound like your fault.
Sadly a cyclist can't win, everyone seems to be the cyclist's enemy?!?
I'm lucky not to have had any of this sort of incident although I do use residential streets. I'm off out in a bit. I'll try and be as noisy as I can be!

t5nel

Wheel fixed for £7 by LBS so that's one thing sorted.

Not sure about the noise malarkey (horn, bell, shouting). 99 times out of 100 I would feel like a bell-end and expect abuse back! I wonder if I can get one of those high pitched noise generators that only 'yoofs' below a certain age can hear (above 20kHz or something)

WRT the incident, I have mellowed a bit but I'd be mightily peed off if the mum does decide to pursue anything! There is no way I would have felt comfortable letting my kids play there in the dark in black clothes. IMO it was his 'fault' and I was reasonable about everything at the scene - making sure that all the fussing was over the kid and not me/bike, polite, no blame etc. Call it a sneaky suspicion but they didn't seem the sort of people to get the law involved if you know what I mean For that reason alone I decided pretty much immediately that I would bear any damage to my bike. I cant be bothered with the aggro for what is ~ £20-30 damage and I might see them again (3.5 miles from my house on commuting route...)

ChrisSA

I'm intrigued as to where this was. Hants police so I reckon Cove/Yateley....
Glad you're OK. I recall a friend of my parents had a similar experience in his car. He reported it to the police and nothing was ever heard.

t5nel

ChrisSA wrote:

I'm intrigued as to where this was. Hants police so I reckon Cove/Yateley....
Glad you're OK. I recall a friend of my parents had a similar experience in his car. He reported it to the police and nothing was ever heard.

Help I'm being stalked! :shock:

good call though - though the police called it as 'Blackwater'
was here before the pub
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Frogmor ... d&t=m&z=17

I commute Crowthorne to Aldershot when I can

t5nel

I could have worded that better - at no stage was I in the pub...

I was heading N on Frogmore Rd and the collision happened south of The Bell Inn

Ezy Rider

In 1976 i owned a raleigh chipper, one of the guys in the street owned a Rover 3500 V8, i was a bit unsteady on my chipper and ploughed straight into the front of it whilst it was parked. The front wheel got stuck under the car bumper and I went rolling to the ground in a heap. I was only 7 yrs old..............aah the memories.

neeb

Think of it this way, you probably did the kid a favour in the long run. He'll be a lot more aware of traffic now and won't be wandering into the road again without looking. He's lucky it was you and not a bus!

kr1s

t5nel wrote:

---UPDATE---
It might be selfish or unreasonable of me but I get annoyed with constantly having to be 'super considerate' on the bike to make up for people not knowing how to cross a road safely or drive appropriately.

I totally agree with this ! You are neither selfish nor unreasonable, after having three cars pull out on me at speed in the last two commutes I have just spent £100 on a dogcam for my helmet.
Im a member of british cycling and this covers third party liability but I dont trust any other road users. The camera is my last and best line of defence!

NWLondoner

I had the same issue last year.

Guy on a centre grass island walked right out in front of me with his back to me.

He went flying in one direction and i hit the ground hard on my left side. Thankfully no lasting damaged to the bike and just some bruising to my hip and arm.

This has been my only crash since coming back to cycling and now my spider senses are always on full alert.

CRAIGO5000

I hate it when people cross the road on the merits of their ears only. I get this loads on my commute into Manchester, so much infact that I've turned it into a game of creeping past them and shouting "BOO!"

For me it's fun, and gets the message across instead of trying to say "you should be looking as well as listening mate..." as you whizz past at 20mph.

west green

3 times I've been hit by pedestrians (note I've been hit - if they walk out on me), twice when I've been filtering through traffic waiting at lights and the ped has stepped out from behind a car. In those cases I was going slowly so no damage or fall - one apology from a lady - and one stare out from a bloke - till I asked him what the problem was? Bizarrely the 3rd was on a bright sunny morning with no traffic in either direction, and the ped decided to turn and walk back in the diretcion he had come - so I had no chance to brake or swerve and bashed straight into him. I came of worse as the handlebar hit me in the thigh and my wheel was buckled. He also apologised, so left the scene muttering under my breath. Basically I now look out for pedestrians all the time, as I get the impression they only listen & very rarely look - expecially the idiots with headphones on! Slowing down on back streets is pretty much the only safe option.

Muffintop

If someone isn't looking at me when they're standing at the road I'm shouting 'Oi!' or dinging my bell irratically (they notice it better rather than you going ding.... ding.... ding.... ding....). Whether it's 'super-considerate' of me or not it has to be done if you don't want to hit anyone. Whether it annoys me or not it's got to be done, and alot easier than going through folk.

Evil Laugh

You gotta love peds. Need to get the GCC drummed into everyone again. Stop, look, listen??

Hit a dude last year On Vauxhall Bridge which is multi lane, traffic moves around 30mph. Was in the left lane doing about 20 and he ran out from between 2 vans (which were moving, 25-30mph) in the lane on my right straight into my path. He had no idea what would be in the next lane. Most idiotic bit of road crossing ever IME, and for what to catch a bus? If I were a car doing 30. he'd have been much worse off. Luckily me and bike were OK but boy did he have a dead leg.


Hope you get all fixed up!!

Headhuunter

Bobbinogs wrote:

I often proactively shout out to pedestrians who are on my radar and might walk out in front of me. I get the odd funny look but most folks look around and acknowledge that I am trying to help both of us. Doesn't work when they are wearing headphones though!

I do that and more than half the time peds completely ignore me and walk out anyway... Since riding in London I am less and less surprised at the number of pedestrian casualties in the UK, the number of people (not just kids) who step out into the road without the slightest glance is amazing, especially when crossing between gridlocked traffic