OB

DonDaddyD

I'm in.

An article in Cycling Plus would be great!

Even better would be a visit by a famous pro-cyclist. Not sure how it would work/happen but it's not impossible.

coopster_the_1st

I'm in but fully agree we need to be sensitive around this.

Firstly, I'm sure that OB would not want his news to be a reason for someone not to ride their bike. I know I seriously thought about this last night but commuted today.

All I can add to the thoughts are that if he ever goes with a charity challenge, etc, I'm sure we can support him with time/encouragement/financial if/when more is known. Knowing he has this sort of support available may encourage him to take up a challenge and assist his rehab as well.

EKE_38BPM

I'm in.
At the moment I'm time rich, cash poor, so I would be offering my time. I'll also dig out stuff for the gift box.

I think OB lives relatively close to me and this terrible collision probably happened on roads I know and ride.

Sensitivity is vital, but I'm sure a show of support would be well received if handled correctly.

sketchley

I'm in for whatever support he needs that I can provide.

In the first instant until we find out what he really needs. Maybe a get well soon card, a meet in the Morpeth to sign it, then forward to other parts of county for more signatures and then it can be sent to him (in Hospital I guess) once Simon finds some contact details.

Just a thought as he's had a life changing accident on his bike it's entirely possible his familiy will not want contact with cyling buddies at this early stage...

vermin

Sketchley wrote:

I'm in for whatever support he needs that I can provide.

In the first instant until we find out what he really needs. Maybe a get well soon card, a meet in the Morpeth to sign it, then forward to other parts of county for more signatures and then it can be sent to him (in Hospital I guess) once Simon finds some contact details.

Just a thought as he's had a life changing accident on his bike it's entirely possible his familiy will not want contact with cyling buddies at this early stage...

I like this. No-one could take a get well soon card the wrong way, and it would show some tangible physical connection. Re cycling buddies, you may be right, but it's very hard to second guess the reaction. I'd say that it would be better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all.

davis

vermin wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

I'm in for whatever support he needs that I can provide.

In the first instant until we find out what he really needs. Maybe a get well soon card, a meet in the Morpeth to sign it, then forward to other parts of county for more signatures and then it can be sent to him (in Hospital I guess) once Simon finds some contact details.

Just a thought as he's had a life changing accident on his bike it's entirely possible his familiy will not want contact with cyling buddies at this early stage...

I like this. No-one could take a get well soon card the wrong way, and it would show some tangible physical connection. Re cycling buddies, you may be right, but it's very hard to second guess the reaction. I'd say that it would be better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all.

Been thinking about this today; I think the "we're thinking about you, and we're genuinely sorry it's happened" is more important than the reminder of how it happened. Basically: I agree.

msmancunia

I'm in. Happy to donate time/money/pedalling and help organise things if need be.

Really like the idea of the relay btw.

C

sketchley

vermin wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

I'm in for whatever support he needs that I can provide.

In the first instant until we find out what he really needs. Maybe a get well soon card, a meet in the Morpeth to sign it, then forward to other parts of county for more signatures and then it can be sent to him (in Hospital I guess) once Simon finds some contact details.

Just a thought as he's had a life changing accident on his bike it's entirely possible his familiy will not want contact with cyling buddies at this early stage...

I like this. No-one could take a get well soon card the wrong way, and it would show some tangible physical connection. Re cycling buddies, you may be right, but it's very hard to second guess the reaction. I'd say that it would be better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all.

I hope I didn't suggest we don't try that was not my intent. I just thought that Simon should be prepared to be told not yet it's to early, when talking to his family if that is how contact is made.

Fat-Boy-Roubaix

I'm in - not sure what is best.

It it helps there is some ride data on various sites that point Edgware as a location and Strava there is a group ride but might have been an event as opposed to a club run.

dodgy

Thanks for getting the ball rolling, I'm in.

tailwindhome

I'm in. Though I'm NI based so I probably won't be able to do anything more than chip in.

The Commuters hold Xmas drinks at the Morpeth, maybe a fundraiser ride that day and something in the evening.

Let me know what if anything I can add.

vermin

Sketchley wrote:

I hope I didn't suggest we don't try that was not my intent. I just thought that Simon should be prepared to be told not yet it's to early, when talking to his family if that is how contact is made.

Not at all Chris, just working through difficult issues in my rather blunt mind (in the privacy of an internet forum).

jimmypippa

Good idea, as before count me in...

Fat-Boy-Roubaix

I pretty sure OB Club is this one

Kenton Road Club

viewtopic.php?f=40012&t=12854025&p=17617164&hilit=Kenton#p17617164

Greg T

It's on the more marmite end of spectrum and way to early to be seriously thinking about it . .

But a hand bike there are some guys who do the park and they are nails....

cjcp

Greg T wrote:

It's on the more marmite end of spectrum and way to early to be seriously thinking about it . .

But a hand bike there are some guys who do the park and they are nails....

Yep. I've briefly chatted with one of the guys you're talking about.

Si - this is the one we discussed.

I like the card idea - very nice.

Re contact details: @the Mods - do you have OB's email address from when he registered? If so, would it be possible to send him an email asking for his details because the folks here want to send him a card?

Too direct?

nicklouse

I have already PMed Si waiting to hear from him.

mudcow007

Ben6899 wrote:

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

+1!

Relay sounds awesome as does a card that has been sent around the country with "thinking of you" messages

how about a relay moving the card around?!

the_fuggler

I spoke to my friend who suffered from a spinal injury. She said:

"A box of entertainment stuff would be great I'm sure. I know the patients get busy days once they're mobile, going to Physio, occupational therapy, swimming, sports and other activities, but the nights can seem quite long, so DVDs and other stuff are handy then. But most of all, your company when you can visit and general support are the most valued gifts."

I guess the fact that many people have responded to OB's initial thread, is a great start. A box of books, DVDs or anything to keep OB's spirits up and help pass the time would be good - and would also reinforce the our support for him. If we could then follow that with by talking to him about the future and thinking about a long-term plan (charity rides etc.) then that would be great, but that will likely follow our initial contact.

My friend Emily also said that if OB is spending a lot of time at the specialist unit at Stoke Manderville, she is often there and would happy to meet him to talk about how she got through the tough times to be where she is today. Again, I guess we can come to that once we have made initial contact.

walkingbootweather

Do we want to try for one big card signed by lots of people, or lots of cards? Either way someone is probably going to have to coordinate.

Cards and treasure chest we might want to do sooner. If we are going to do something like an organised ride or relay then that might take a bit of organising and might not take place for several months. Depending upon who wants to get involved it might take weeks to complete.

When my kids were at Reception they would take turns to borrow a small cuddly teddy which would accompany the child's family on whatever adventures they experienced over the weekend. The children (or more often the parents) would then complete the bear's diary which would be read at school the following Monday. Some of the stories were hilarious and the diary reading became the highlight of the week. Perhaps our relay riders, if we have them, should take a character and a diary along with them to capture thoughts and stories which would then be passed to OB at the end? I do quite like the idea of some Olympic torch style event that traverses the country and of meeting other members of our community as the 'baton' is passed.

rubertoe

As you may or may not have seen OB has posted again (see his original thread) and he is already saying that the night times are the hardest; So the treasure chest would be the best thing to do straight of the bat.

So really we need to get a wriggle on to help him keep his spirits up...

Applespider

An idea for getting a card that all can contribute to - we could all write our messages and then scan them as jpgs. Then if someone co-ordinates, we can get them all printed out and stuck into a card(s).

davis

rubertoe wrote:

As you may or may not have seen OB has posted again (see his original thread) and he is already saying that the night times are the hardest; So the treasure chest would be the best thing to do straight of the bat.

So really we need to get a wriggle on to help him keep his spirits up...

Agree. I spoke about this earlier, but depending on OB's situation something like this might make e.g. watching DVDs etc more bearable: (Don't laugh, it's something that my dad knocked up in about 20 minutes and it made a massive difference to my life)



That way maybe he gets something else to do at night. Just a suggestion

arthur_scrimshaw

I'm in too, what's the plans?

mrc1

Sounds like the treasure chest of books, dvds, games etc is the winning idea for the short term.

Probably works best if we all send stuff into a central depot person and then that gets delivered in one go, so think we need to coordinate:

1. How much stuff? As there are so many of us keen to get involved I think we should limit it to 1 dvd, 1 book, 1 cd etc per person in order to avoid OB receiving an unmanageable amount of stuff?
2. Who receives all the stuff?
3. Where is it being sent to?
4. What's the cut off time?

On 2 and 3, ideally this would be someone who lives close to OB who can receive the stuff (I'd nominate myself but am never at home and don't work in an office, so limited as to what deliveries I can receive), so once we have established where he is based we can sort this.

Alternatively, perhaps one of the Bikeradar reps would be willing to act as the hub to receive everything and then send it on on behalf of the forum?

On 4, based on OB's post I think the sooner the better? So how about we set a target of sending the delivery by 26 Nov?

EDIT: Have emailed the powers that be at BR to see if they are happy to act as the hub to receive and then send everything on.

alansd1980

I am a bit late to the thread as I don't often check my PM's and am happy to get involved.
One thing I thought of which might mean a lot to him would be to maybe do some kind of ride which follows part of his old commute and ends at downing street with a petition being handed in to try to get some kind of increased cycling provision in future road building. This might sound a bit far fetched at the moment but with the increased awareness just now after the crashes of bradley wiggins, shane sutton and also over the summer one of the paralympic cyclists an email to british cycling might just get one or two "names" involved and get some real publicity and action being taken.

There is nothing we can do to turn back the clock on what has happened but if it were me I think the idea of tens/hundreds/thousands of strangers doing something as a result of my accident that could stop the same happening to toher in the future would be a legacy that might just make me smile

SimonAH

OK

I have been given information that should allow me to get hold of OB's family tomorrow - and have also had (what I consider, vain as I am) a genius idea for at least a stage one on all of this.

A conference call, or rather a web call.

Presuming that contact tomorrow with OB's family says that this would be a good idea then how about everyone that is 'in' is near a phone line and/or a webcam at a given time and has a prepared five or ten second message of support?

We would need to be almost military in timing and order - but the result could be awesome. And as a recorded section it would give him something to replay when strength is needed.

I need (please) IT guys and someone with access to a webcon account to come back to me via PM or this thread.

"Hello, this is Belfast calling........"

"Hello, this is the Morpeth calling......"

"Hello..etc"

Am I wrong?

It will take a coupla days to set up I'd guess, but could work brilliantly.

Not a big thing, but a really nice thing to get. And best of all doesn't matter if you are on the Black Isle or deepest Islington.

I'm really in favour of the 'Optimistic Cyclist Relay' too - but that is stage two?

Anyway, feel free to shoot me down in flames...

AOB I have PM'd ChrisBl4 to ask him to leave a comment on OBs own thread and emailed Mr Cavendish with the same request. If anyone knows them, or, let's say, Vicky or Wiggo or Trott then imagine the boost that leaving a message or having them on the Conf. Call might give.....just thinkin'

Peace and Love
Simon.

cjcp

Great idea.

davis

Nice idea. If people can't get to a phone at a specific time then there's nothing to stop us from e.g. recording a message and e.g. emailing an mp3 around

vermin

Great idea Simon. Re cycling c'lebs, if anyone else is thinking of spreading the word further, let's just make sure that we are discreet and ask for discretion - OB may not want to become an internet phenomenon! I have a friend with an Olympic cycling gold, whose arm I will try to twist.