OB

SimonAH

Yes please Paul. Please get it (don't publish it of course).

Let me know if you have success.

Headhuunter

PaulG99 wrote:

I'm pretty sure I can find out OB's name and address if we need to send something.

If it is deemed useful, let me know and I will get to work on it.

This is a bit worrying... Do you work for MI5 or something? Can you do this with any of us?!

paulg99

Headhuunter wrote:

PaulG99 wrote:

I'm pretty sure I can find out OB's name and address if we need to send something.

If it is deemed useful, let me know and I will get to work on it.

This is a bit worrying... Do you work for MI5 or something? Can you do this with any of us?!

Nothing sinister don't worry. I might not be able to.

Wrath Rob

In too. I'd definitely echo trying to reach out to someone who knows him and work that way. I like the "Big box of entertainment stuff" idea too. I'm sure I've got plenty of stuff to donate. Some of it might be my wife's chick flicks that I want to get rid of but hey, OB might like that kind of stuff.

spasypaddy

if he doesnt want them i'll have them rob. or alternatively you should have done a promotion with your winter caps...

vermin

Ah, SimonAH has just alerted me to this, after I had posted on the original thread. Glad to see so many people are of like mind. Suffice to say, I'm in for doing something sensitive and respectful.

Not particularly comfortable with the idea of getting hold of his contact details without him offering them though (although not so naive as to suppose that advanced goofoo won't reveal all/any of us!). Surely someone knows the man personally (I'm with most in just knowing him through his posts here).

Headhuunter

vermin wrote:

Ah, SimonAH has just alerted me to this, after I had posted on the original thread. Glad to see so many people are of like mind. Suffice to say, I'm in for doing something sensitive and respectful.

Not particularly comfortable with the idea of getting hold of his contact details without him offering them though (although not so naive as to suppose that advanced goofoo won't reveal all/any of us!). Surely someone knows the man personally (I'm with most in just knowing him through his posts here).

I think Ben met him - Ben who was out for drinks with us back in Aug - I've sent Ben a PM...

SimonAH

Ben has been PM'd by HeadHunter Vermin, they have apparently been on quite a few rides together. I'm hopeful that he will be our link to OB.

Agree entirely that a personally addressed care package arriving out of the blue from a bunch of strangers could be a touch weird.

Corporate Camper

I'm in too. No idea what the correct approach should be at this stage but I'd be more than happy to be a part of it.

Fireblade96

I'm in too - let's find out discreetly what he wants/needs. Many of us have already posted messages of support, maybe a starting point is just to keep those coming, not let it fall away after the first flurry of shock ?

Like so many have said, it could have been any of us. It's very easy to believe "that won't happen to me", but it can.

Ben6899

Alright chaps,

I agree it would be nice to do something, but we need to tread carefully. Whatever we do, I'm in.

Yes I have met OB, but only once. We went on an epic ride in Hertfordshire and the Chilterns. OB went out of his way to give me a bit of a helping hand when I lost my bike mojo.

So it looks like I'm the only person who has met OB in real life, but I really don't know him at all well enough to say how well-judged any ideas would be.

So as much as I would love to be that conduit... alas I'm really not.

rubertoe

It was a very somber mood for me on my way home tonight. I could have so easily left the bike at work, but that wouldn't help anyone.

Thinking about it, i am sure that just knowing that we are here if he needs us, is good enough for now. So i think the first priority is to make contact with him... The rest will be dependent on that.

Given what Ben has said, Maybe one of the more senior members of the Forum should make contact, I have in the past exchanged a few pm's with him as we don't live to far from each other so would be happy to do so if no one else will.

SimonAH

Did you happen to discuss which club he rode with Ben? We could talk to them if so.

Ben6899

Let me go through my random access memory. I'm sure I can dig that out; good idea!

Santa cruzing

Si, good on you for taking the initiative here.

I've not met him, and I don't converse on here as much as I read, but always found OB to be very well reasoned, helpful and thoughtful. The day has been very somber reflecting on his news and reading others thoughts. I'm def in.

rolf_f

I'm in too. I got gracefully bounced off the back of a Shogun this weekend. If it had gone back another foot I'd have pretty much hit it head on and might have ended up in the same boat as OB.

We should probably keep an open mind on what to do for a little while - it might become more obvious what the best thing is after he's given a few more updates. We really know nothing at the moment.

Paul E

It's reminded me of the time a couple of years back when the cars in front of me emergency braked only at low speed I went into the back of an astra and bounced off the rear screen and how that could have turned out rather than bruised ribs and sternum.

It's a bit of a wake up call for everyones mortality and how fragile we really are. I will go along with anything suggested.

roger_merriman

My hunch is to work it's the though that counts, do need to be careful, but yes i'm in.

Torvid

as above will help how ever I can

Applespider

Count me in - cash or time-wise.

I like the idea of doing something quick for now (like box-sets or an iPad Mini with an iTunes voucher - the Mini is fairly light to hold when you are lying down) and then trying to do something bigger over the next few months once it's clearer what he needs longer-term - whether that's something practical that insurance/NHS won't fund or something more enjoyable like a hand-cycle.

davis

One thing that might be an option is trying to find out what happened. If OB ever wanted to find out how he was injured then it might help to have that option. NOTE: I'm not saying we should tell him regardless, but perhaps find out in case he asks. I suppose this is something that could be done now, and would probably require establishing his route, and e.g. checking news/CCTV/witnesses for the morning of his accident (Oct 25). I have no idea how to go about this, or even whether it's a good idea, but if it is a generally-approved one, I suppose it should happen soon.
I also don't know how much the police are doing, but I'd be very surprised if they're as motivated as a group of interested parties.

Just a thought

Keith47

I'm in 100%. Was thinking about suggesting something like this all day at work, can't explain why it's affected me so much but I really would like to help in any way possible.
I'm sure somewhere down the line financial help could be of benefit, I have a nephew with cerebral palsy who needed an operation to help him walk that was only available in the USA. There was a massive fundraising drive in Redditch which raised the funds ( 40k IIRC) and now he is able to walk a little and is improving every day.
There may well be a situation in the future where OB needs surgery that is not available here , or perhaps equipment needed to improve his quality of life at home, all of which will not be cheap.
Just an idea............

Keith.

SimonAH

Just to let you know I've emailed to what we believe is his CC asking to be put into contact with a social friend. Fingers crossed that this will let us know what is appropriate.

walkingbootweather

Thanks for the update Simon. If you look at OB's signature you can access his photostream which might prompt some ideas. I see that he completed the London Revolution and Dunwich Dynamo rides in 2012 - perhaps we could do something at next years events?

OB is an inspirational user name. It would be interesting to hear how he came up with it and perhaps we might stress the optimism in whatever we come up with.

I'm conscious that BR is affiliated with a publishing company - this might present opportunities for promotion but brings the danger of unwanted publicity. If there is a 'story' here I would hope it would be a positive one around the joys of cycling and compassion of a community, rather than risks of cycling.

One thought I had was the concept of an Optimistic Places tour. This could be a relay type event where something is passed from rider to rider (perhaps across the whole of the UK), or a series of individual events. Either way, community members would go for one of their favourite rides and take photos of something inspirational - it might be of a natural landscape, a magnificent structure, a centre of government, of education or of health. These could be assembled into some sort of electronic or physical book with commentary from riders. We could include GPS or Google Map tracks so others could undertake a section of the route if they wanted. If fund raising was one of our aims then people could seek sponsorship for their leg.

Sure someone will come up with other / better ideas, but that’s mine.

Ben6899

We need 'Like' buttons on BikeRadar. That's a great idea, WBW!

rubertoe

Ben6899 wrote:

We need 'Like' buttons on BikeRadar. That's a great idea, WBW!

Like!

Silly Commuter Optomistic Relay

Greg T

I'm in.

Like everyone else don't know what the deal will be with what to do..

SimonAH

Had the following back from Southgate CC late last night in my request to be put in touch with someone who knows him well;

Hi Simon,
What a terrible thing to happen. I think something like this is what every cyclist dreads.
I have forwarded your email on to our club committee to see if Irving is one of our members.
I know there is an Irving in our club, but I am not sure if it is the same person. I have asked them to get in contact with you to let you know.

Kind regards and hope Irving recovers as fully as possible.
Richard

And I have also sent a similar request to another cycling club who he may also have a relationship with.

Hopefully we'll get a lead on someone who knows OB well enough to direct us - better to give it a day or so at the moment than to blunder in I guess? From the well wishing responses to his thread OB will know that we are thinking of him.

I'll keep you all posted as soon as I hear anything more

dhope

Very thoughtful Simon. Count me in.

bigmat

Re the "what happened" question, I'm sure if he has insurance then they will be investigating this as it will presumably be a pretty massive claim and they will be wanting to get their money back from anyone else who might be responsible. I would hope that he would have that side of things covered already - its a pretty major deal how his ongoing care is going to be dealt with and paid for. Makes me wonder what the hell would happen if I was in that position - my family would be quids in if I got wiped out, but not sure if I was just left unable to work / look after them. All pretty sobering stuff...