And so it happens again.....

rolf_f · February 2013

This was last November - viewtopic.php?f=40012&t=12889899&p=17985840&hilit=another+one+bites+the+dust#p17985840

Knocked off in broad Sunny daylight by someone who can't get a 4wd up a kerb. Still being investigated.....

And tonight - I was enjoying the first tailwind home in I don't know how long. Heading for a 17mph average when mostly this last week or two I've been getting into the low 13s - felt great. Great that is, until the moment when a car turned across me when I was within a car length of the junction. Pretty much a 90 degree impact. I'm not sure that I had much horzontal momentum at all when I hit the ground my chin being the only obvious casualty (I now look like Stan Smith......).

Police and Ambulance car quickly in attendance, independant witness who saw all and a helpful cyclist in a van who drove me home (lucky for me he'd forgotten his helmet or he'd have been cycling home). Anyway, car driver helpful enough - accepted that I'd had two very bright lights on but smidsy. Police reticent about what they'd do but seemed to think it likely he'd be charged.

I don't think there's anything significant on this one injury wise (Novembers one I'm still not right from) but I was already far more nervous about drivers ahead of me after that crash than before - but at least that crash taught me something I hadn't thought to worry so much about before. This was stuff that I was already nervous about but how someone can fail to spot me on a clear, straight road with twin powerful flashing lights I don't know. What I will do in future is aim them higher. I'd far rather dazzle drivers than give them the slightest excuse to turn into me. I'm fed up with it.

As for the important thing - my bike. Top and down tubes bent. Maybe the forks too. It was tired and less than straight but I'd envisaged a gentle(ish) retirement for a frame I gave to myself as a graduation present 23 years ago. RIP

the_fuggler · February 2013

Sad times. The only minor consolation seems to be that the bike took the brunt of it rather than you. Heal up well chief...

pangolin · February 2013

Sorry to hear that Rolf. That is/was a lovely looking bike

Glad you're not too beat up.

meanredspider · February 2013

Bummer - sorry about that

merkin · February 2013

Ouch, get well soon.
Not sure whether dazzling drivers will help or make it worse...

cornerblock · February 2013

Bad news, glad to know that you're not more hurt than it sounds like you could have been. It's incredible really, you do all that you can to be seen and you still get hit! Heal quickly and chin up.

itboffin · February 2013

Ouch well glad you're still with it enough to be posting on here

and ......

!!!!!NEW BIKE!!!!!

leedsmjh · February 2013

Sorry to hear that Rolf, hope you're not too bruised in the morning

rolf_f · February 2013

merkin wrote:

Ouch, get well soon.
Not sure whether dazzling drivers will help or make it worse...

At least it will be a change to have 'sorry mate, you dazzled me so I hit you' from smidsy!

Yes - new bike will be needed though I suspect it may have to be two old bikes. A nice old tourer (or maybe a transplant frame) and something that I'll be less upset about if I find another careless driver to wreck it. Trouble is, new bikes are too expensive to run and old bikes, even crap ones, have too much character to not care about

Thanks for the sympathies!

cjcp · February 2013

Count yourself lucky you didn't go through a window, I guess. Rotten luck that it's twice in four months. Glad it's not worse. Bugger about the bike - nice looking steed, that.

itboffin · February 2013

Erm if you dont make it through the night can i have your other bikes?

Well if you dont ask :roll:

sketchley · February 2013

Bad luck and get well soon....

If the road was straight and lights brights then driver either thought he could pass you in time, in which case he did see you so not a smidsy, or he was distracted, I'd be asking the police to check his phone records to make sure he wasn't texting, emailing or on the phone or he can't see and needs glasses again ask the police to check that too....

Initialised · February 2013

I take it you'll be talking to the drivers insurers about a replacement frame.

rolf_f · February 2013

itboffin wrote:

Erm if you dont make it through the night can i have your other bikes?

Well if you dont ask :roll:

Oh you! If only you'd asked as soon as I got in - I was a bit dazed and suggestable then. I'd have probably given you the lot even if I did make it through the night.

Initialised wrote:

I take it you'll be talking to the drivers insurers about a replacement frame.

I'll go through CTC and see what they say. Minimum expectation is a new, British made steel frame. That was a major reason I bought the Dawes in the first place all those years ago. Plus the odd sundry that got damaged. Wheels might be OK but not really sure - can't really bear to look at the poor thing :?

Sketchley wrote:

Bad luck and get well soon....

If the road was straight and lights brights then driver either thought he could pass you in time, in which case he did see you so not a smidsy, or he was distracted, I'd be asking the police to check his phone records to make sure he wasn't texting, emailing or on the phone or he can't see and needs glasses again ask the police to check that too....

I still don't get it - it was a smallish hatchback. I thought I was going to hit the passenger door but, from what I could see (never got that close to it) I'd made a bit of a mess of his rear quarter. So if I'd been about a third slower I'd probably have missed him completely but you'd still have to be mad to assume it was a clever thing to do. Anyway, police know all that stuff so if they want to do something about it they can.

Cleat Eastwood · February 2013

Heading for a 17mph average

Theres your problem - some drivers just cant judge speed-they probably thought were tootling along at 5mph. The amout of times, and i'm sure i'm not alone, I've had cars pull across me thinking they can make a turn without making me or brake or alter course.

What I dont get is that if you take a test and you make another driver/pedestrian alter their course you can fail - but is deemed to be ok once you've passed your test and out on the open road. Heal up, and ride safer - but dont let them spoil your right to enjoy the road.

itboffin · February 2013

suggestible you say ....?

Well then how about a back rub instead?

rolf_f · February 2013

itboffin wrote:

suggestible you say ....?

Well then how about a back rub instead?

Who's doing the rubbing?

danlikesbikes · February 2013

At least you seem OK, though am sure in the morning you might feel a bit bruised and battered.

Heal up and get well soon.

veronese68 · February 2013

Bloomin' eck. Did you not get the memo? We're not doing that kind of thing this year.
Glad you're not too battered, though I suspect you'll ache in the morning. Sorry about the bike, hope everything gets sorted to your satisfaction.

rjsterry · February 2013

Veronese68 wrote:

Bloomin' eck. Did you not get the memo? We're not doing that kind of thing this year.
Glad you're not too battered, though I suspect you'll ache in the morning. Sorry about the bike, hope everything gets sorted to your satisfaction.

+1. Sorry to hear about this, Rolf. Know exactly what you mean about old bikes having too much character to treat as hacks.

rubertoe · February 2013

Heel up soon,

I would need some counselling if that was my steed that was wrecked, but like others have mentioned. NEW BIKE TIME!

Wrath Rob · February 2013

Ow. Hope you get the replacement sorted tout suite...

mudcow007 · February 2013

man alive thats rubbish...

hope you heal quickly dude

remember bikes can be replaced....

walkingbootweather · February 2013

Sorry to hear about this Rolf.

I absolutely know what you mean about good traditional steel frames, and I still ride my old Raleigh Randonneur more than my newer more exotic bikes.

If you can't track down a good donor frame how about an Ultra Galaxy in your size from a local bricks and mortar shop for £540 under retail?

warreng · February 2013

Sounds very similar to mine last week - at least your driver sounded reasonable

Hope you heal up soon - codeine, red wine and a box set of Breaking Bad kept me going

Hope the bike is repairable

Ben6899 · February 2013

Ouch Rolf!

I hope you're not feeling too battered today. Where abouts did this happen, if you don't mind me asking (I am from near Leeds)?

cookdn · February 2013

Commiserations for your old bike. I hope the driver's insurers play nicely and you heal quick.

vermin · February 2013

Hard luck Rolf. Was indeed a pretty bike.

I reckon GTV's got it right with the misjudgement of speed thing. When driving, I find it harder to judge the speed of flashing lights than steady ones, which is why I use a big headlight on steady and a smaller one on flashing. Not that that will stop some numpty from taking me out one of these days. :roll:

veronese68 · February 2013

I think Vermin is right about it being hard to judge speed of flashing lights. But it's almost impossible to see a bike light on steady amongst a sea of car headlights.
I think I'll have my brighter light on flash when filtering in heavy traffic, this still makes me nervous after my accident. But on steady if out in more open areas.

rolf_f · February 2013

Surprisingly, not much aching and paining today - just a tenderness to my jaw and that only if I prod it to see how tender it is!

I'm inclined to change my mind on the flashing light debate. I had two, both on flash. Where I went wrong was to presume that people, if put in a position of uncertainty, aren't so stupid as to assume that the uncertainty means they can do something. I generally think, if you aren't sure, don't. Clearly this isn't what others think so I reckon it will be one on fixed and the other on flash in future. But that said, I really was so close that any misperception of distance could only have been 'is that cyclist 20 feet away from me or 25 feet away from me'.

@Ben6899 - on Waterloo Road heading out of Pudsey to the TA roundabout on Leeds Bradford road.

@Walkingbootweather - I was already looking for something for a big tour next year and missed out on a very smart 1990 ish Randonneur this weekend for £300. I would like something from the old RSP division. When I bought the Horizon, I liked the look of the Raleigh equivalent - the Touriste but I think it was a bit too much extra money. The Royal and Randonneur were way out of budget. It's nice going back to the catalogue I got at the time and being able to consider the more expensive bikes if only I can find good enough examples at the right price! Still, Spa Cycles is always good for inspiration!

daviesee · February 2013

I've gone down the 2 lights (at the front) route.
One very bright pointed down so I can see in dim areas but also that bright that it can be seen from a distance.
One standard brightness but on flash and level so as to be noticed.
One very bright at the back on flash and various reflectives and that set up appears to be working. Everything crossed.

Assuming that you have sufficient lumens (I see a significant amount of cyclists that may as well not bother) then anyone passing you and left hooking must have been able to:-
1. See that you were there.
2. Judge your speed.

Anything else in negligence, or driving without due care and attention.
Glad you are not suffering too much.

And so it happens again.....

Comments

Categories