When a cycle commute goes horribly wrong!

gravityboots

First post and I thought I'd make it a good one.

A bit of back story - So I used to commute daily in all weathers 20 mile round trip all year round for many years. Had a few tumbles over the years, nothing serious. Changed job and a bit further away - closer to 30 mile round trip, got a bit soft, life's too short to ride on crap days. Got into motorbikes and my bicycle became more of a social thing and less of a commuter thing. When I commute I tend not to social cycle so much which I kinda liked. This year I thought I'd switch it round a bit get back into the nice weather commuting thing and get a bit more bike fit again. So Lovely sunny morning, a bit cool but I'll warm up on the 14 mile journey to work. Won't hammer it, plenty of time just enjoy the ride.

My wife worries about me on the motorbike so before I set off I tell her that my bike route is much safer. Our local village is very quiet. There is a bit of a 10/15 minute danger zone through a village with heavy traffic after that 10 miles worth of mostly cycle ways. Set off, hmm not as cold as I thought and what a beautiful day.

So here I am 5 minutes from home in my quiet local village where it all went horribly wrong....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar_R8MSV7UE

Enjoy!

cambiker71

Oh, that's nasty, hope you're ok

gravityboots

I'm ok all things considered. Bit battered and bruised with a bit of gravel rash. Got checked out at the walk-in and all just soft tissue injuries. Had a helmet and ruck sack full of clothes that probably protected me. Hurt like hell at the time though but after half an hour at the scene I was back on my bike and riding home.

The main thing is bike seems fine. It has marks on the fork where the cars bumper hit it but everything looks straight and feels fine. Few scuffs where it skitted across the road, the shifter rotated and that was it. It's my lucky bike!

prawny

Youch, that could have been nasty glad you're ok.

As an aside, I was more than half expecting you to be taken out by one of these enormous pot holes, that road is awful!

jds_1981

gravityboots wrote:

I'm ok all things considered. Bit battered and bruised with a bit of gravel rash. Got checked out at the walk-in and all just soft tissue injuries. Had a helmet and ruck sack full of clothes that probably protected me. Hurt like hell at the time though but after half an hour at the scene I was back on my bike and riding home.

The main thing is bike seems fine. It has marks on the fork where the cars bumper hit it but everything looks straight and feels fine. Few scuffs where it skitted across the road, the shifter rotated and that was it. It's my lucky bike!

I guess it was a bit too bright for the fatty to bother to look?
Shouldn't you be using their insurance to have your bike checked over for damage? Don't want your handlebars to snap a few months down the line.

itboffin

and totally no indicator on the car turning right, awesome! mirror dont signal manoeuvre

hope not to much damage / pain also dont be put off

cycleclinic

nasty at least you around to tell the tale. Nearly got t- boned yesterday and today the was a collection of motorists who simply need to learn to look. Perhaps everyone should be banned from driving as many don't seem to be very good at it.

pblakeney

gravityboots wrote:

The main thing is bike seems fine...!

See you still have perspective. Major ouch!
Beware a low sun. Lad along the road from us drove head on into a parked car because he couldn't see where he was going. There is a major clue there but a high percentage of drivers just keep going...

cougie

Sun in the drivers eyes can be fatal. Some moron killed a pal of mine in similar conditions. He couldn't see clearly but just assumed there was nothing in his way.

Glad you're ok but get yourself legal representation and claim for everything. The driver might be more careful in future.

mroli

cougie wrote:

Sun in the drivers eyes can be fatal. Some moron killed a pal of mine in similar conditions. He couldn't see clearly but just assumed there was nothing in his way.

Glad you're ok but get yourself legal representation and claim for everything. The driver might be more careful in future.

Heart in mouth there a bit. Did you report to police?

cjcp

Jesus. Glad it's not worse.

Did the car behind stop?

Get the front rim, forks and steerer checked over at least, just to be sure that they didn't crack as a result of the impact.

garnett

Wow. That's pretty spectacular. From the looks of it did you actually end up standing, ninja-style? Impressive if so!

Had a slightly similar situation years ago (without any ninja skills). I was hammering (relatively, it was fast for me) over a crossroads at London Bridge in torrential rain, and a cab did the same thing. I ended up shoulder barging the cab hard (and scaring the bejesus out of the fare). Had a massive rant, got a sincere "SMDSY" (despite being lit up and in hiviz) but just carried on in the end as bike and body seemed fine.

Fast forward 7 odd years to now, and what I think transpired to be a torn rotator cuff means my shoulder still hurts, and I struggle to lift stuff over my head...

Ben6899

Wow! Glad you're okay, mate.

Get their details (I guess they live in that cul-de-sac?), get the whole bike checked out and go straight to your GP with any niggles that are still there on Monday.

And report those potholes to the local council!

cougie

I'd take your bike to the lbs and show them the video. I'm sure they'll write it off. It can't come out if an impact like that and be safe.

JackVet

Woah, glad you are okay man!

apreading

Wow, thats a pretty dramatic hit - glad (and surprised) that you and the bike are OK. I would get the bike thoroughly checked though, especially if there is any carbon in it.

I have had the exact same accident in my mind some time ago but somehow in real life have just managed to avoid it, still dont know how. The experience leaves you slightly more alert to it happening again and you might pre-empt it a bit more if a similar situation arises in the future - you will possibly anticipate it happening with a few false positives for a while too, but thats no bad thing. I was knocked off my bike on a roundabout two years ago and mangled bike/shoulder etc was less fortunate than you. That roundabout has now been outed as the most dangerous bit of road in Reading. I ride it every time I commute on the bike and always slow down more and look intently at the cars joining the roundabout to be REALLY sure they have seen me and reacted now. Three weeks ago, my extra alertness (or nervousness if you prefer to call it that) prevented me from having the same accident again. A car pulled out and I was well prepared and able to take avoiding action. If I hadnt been knocked off two years ago then I would have been three weeks ago. So use the experience to do whatever you can to maybe react in time to avoid it in future although we must all accept that sometimes this is not possible.

roger_merriman

Bloody nora! surprising that thus far you and bike seem to have survived mostly intact.

mattsaw

That's awful.

Normally you can watch these videos with the knowledge that 'something' is going to happen, and you can spot it coming a mile off.

This one was out of nowhere :O

gravityboots

Thanks for the comments and well wishes. Much appreciated.

- Yes 'Out of nowhere'. Sometimes there's just nothing you can do. I thought I was already very wary. I've had plenty of close calls over the years but definitely one of my nine lives gone this time.

- Unfortunately the gravel rash on my legs is testament to my lack of ninja skills.

- did the car behind stop? Not sure. First off, the lady lived nearby and she brought her husband over. Someone else did appear...whether that was the car behind I'm not sure. He kept asking where did the lady hit you (on your body)......I just said "EVERYWHERE!"....I assume therefore he presumably just saw me lying in the junction and didn't witness it....so probably not the car behind. He hung around a little while until I'd recovered and then disappeared. So I was left with the lady and her husband. A local builder who was across the road at the time (the white van you see in the video) later told me he witnessed it all but never came over to help at the time.

I'd take your bike to the lbs and show them the video. I'm sure they'll write it off. It can't come out of an impact like that and be safe.

That's a good point. I might do that. Cheers!