I’m equal opportunities in everything I do. Especially crashing things. And today I managed to get into a crash on my bicycle. A proper crash where the police were called and an ambulance turned up. I know how much people love reading about my crash stories so I thought I’d add this one 
Now I know it’s popular on here to not like push bikes. And I know it’s also annoying here the police talk about vulnerable road users.
I was cycling down the road on my new road bike. Not a £5k super(push)bike. But not a slow bike either. Out of a side road comes a car. And it just stops. I had about 5 metres to see it and realise what was about to happen. So I slam the brakes on. Then just remember hearing the bang and then rolling over the car. Managed to break the windscreen and roll onto the bonnet before thumping onto the road. Lady said she didn’t see me. I certainly saw her.
Unfortunately for people who don’t like my posting I’m mainly just sore and bruised. My face looks like I’ve been in a good fight. My knee is pretty stiff and generally, I’m feeling sorry for myself. I decided to not accept the free lift to the hospital which I’m now regretting - adrenaline made me think I was 100%.
So anyway I’m sitting here realising I got a bit lucky. If it had been a truck rather than the car being smashed in (and the side of the car really is) and my bikes forks being all bent, all that energy would have gone into me. And I’m not sure I’d be typing this. I’ve pulled out to have a look before without thinking when driving a truck. Managed to talk the police out of doing the girl for careless driving - I’m not sure that a truck driver would get so lucky. Especially if the person was leaving on a stretcher.
Being a true HGV hero I’m still deciding to go in tomorrow with a literal limp at 6am.
Bet that is on facebook as well … 
■■■■, that ■■■■■ mate. So she…what…just poked her nose out a few metres then stopped?
When was the last time you did a hazard perception test? 
Sorry, sorry, didn´t mean that
I, too, have to admit to having ridden a few bikes in my time.
In my 13 years in Spain I had ten bikes. I cycled every day.
Every single bike was stolen.
I´m not saying it was foreigners but it was foreigners.
Sounds like your fault.
But we would need a paint diagram and a Google Streetview before we involve trucknet csi.
Being serious BTW I drive a motorcycle and am always cautious on approaching roads that traffic can emerge from. most cyclists don’t though as they want to maintain there momentum.
How can it be his fault if some daft bint sticks a car right in front of him? 5 metres ain’t much stopping distance when there’s suddenly something in front of you. You’re supposed to stop before your vehicle is in the road you want to join and give way.
peterm:
How can it be his fault if some daft bint sticks a car right in front of him? 5 metres ain’t much stopping distance when there’s suddenly something in front of you. You’re supposed to stop before your vehicle is in the road you want to join and give way.
In fairness - whilst legally I’m sure it’s not my fault I could have potentially scanned the junction and been on the brakes sooner. I’ve got a full motorbike licence - and it’s taught me a lesson or two about how I should ride that. Even if it’s people can do dumb things and when you are not in a metal box protecting you it can get scary.
If/when I jump on a pushbike again I’ll be a lot more cautious. In a car you are easily seen. In a truck you are really easily seen. On a motorbike it can be harder to be seen. And on a pushbike it’s easy to overlook you. The girl was honest and said she only saw the bus behind me.
Stopping from 5m at 20mph on a road bike is impossible. I managed to get some of the speed off. Perhaps the lesson should have been I should just ride slower around junctions. The problem with that is other vehicles will get annoyed.
Anyway - I’m still up and can’t sleep as my knee and leg are hurting too badly, my wrist is throbbing and my head hurts. So I’ll have to text the agency and say it’s a no-go tomorrow/today. My foot is feeling numb and I have some pins and needles. So I reckon I have a little bit of nerve damage.
Not planning on putting in a compo claim - all it does is pushes all premiums up. But do want a load of drugs from doctor tomorrow to stop myself hurting.
sammym:
I was cycling down the road on my new road bike. Not a £5k super(push)bike. But not a slow bike either.
Please explain to a fellow cyclist, how the value of a push bike makes it faster
tommymanc:
sammym:
I was cycling down the road on my new road bike. Not a £5k super(push)bike. But not a slow bike either.
Please explain to a fellow cyclist, how the value of a push bike makes it faster
More expensive bikes are typically a lot lighter, and the better quality transmission, tyres etc allows more of the rider’s power to go into producing forward motion rather than flexing the frame.
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If it had been a child you would have still hit them
You should always go to hospital for a once over. I limped around once for two weeks after tripping over a duvet ( seriously) and breaking my foot in two places - you never know what has happened. If you don’t see an improvement in a couple of days, then go to hospital - don’t argue with me 
sammym:
my wrist is throbbing and my head hurts.
Stop thinking about the woman in the car then. [emoji3]
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Wheel Nut:
If it had been a child you would have still hit them
I´m fully confident that sammy would have dumped off the bike to avoid hitting a child.
steviespain:
Wheel Nut:
If it had been a child you would have still hit them
I´m fully confident that sammy would have dumped off the bike to avoid hitting a child.
He will do it next time a car does it too [emoji23]
Wheel Nut:
If it had been a child you would have still hit them
I’d do my best to avoid it. I really would. But there is a strong chance I would hit a child if they stepped out 5m in front of me and I wasn’t expecting it and I was going at speed.
For balance - it’s far more likely and almost a certainty that if I was driving a car or truck I’d also hit the child. I’d probably kill them.
We can’t change physics. We have reaction times and we have breaking times. And you just can’t get the speed of that quick.
albion:
You should always go to hospital for a once over. I limped around once for two weeks after tripping over a duvet ( seriously) and breaking my foot in two places - you never know what has happened. If you don’t see an improvement in a couple of days, then go to hospital - don’t argue with me
Thanks Albion.
I don’t like to admit this but women have far more common sense than men. My partner made me go to the hospital last night when I couldn’t sleep with pain in my knee. I had a couple of xrays and it turns out I’ve damaged the ligament in my knee and there was a load of fluid under my kneecap. So they have taken a syringe to that - and I’m on a nice cocktail of drugs meaning I’m not in pain but am a bit hazey.
What I’m trying to say is you were right - and I was silly to not go in the ambulance at the time. But fortunately there are women around to point out I’m a plonker and straighten me out.
I’ve found, and possibly Albion has too, that a hand on a the hip and a fixed stare normally works a treat. Then I don’t actually need to say anything…
(but my mum was a Sgt Mjr in the army. I have been told I get it from her)
Feel your pain mate, hang in there. Should always get checked over though.
sent using smoke signals
good_friend:
I’ve found, and possibly Albion has too, that a hand on a the hip and a fixed stare normally works a treat. Then I don’t actually need to say anything…
(but my mum was a Sgt Mjr in the army. I have been told I get it from her)
We might have been twins… but my my wasn’t in the army 
sammym:
Wheel Nut:
If it had been a child you would have still hit them
I’d do my best to avoid it. I really would. But there is a strong chance I would hit a child if they stepped out 5m in front of me and I wasn’t expecting it and I was going at speed.
For balance - it’s far more likely and almost a certainty that if I was driving a car or truck I’d also hit the child. I’d probably kill them.
We can’t change physics. We have reaction times and we have breaking times. And you just can’t get the speed of that quick.
Sammy, I hope you recover quickly, could have been worse: 2 people I knew had severe head injuries from bike accidents, one never recovered consciousness, the other took months to get back to normal (and he was wearing a helmet!)
A back of the envelope calculation suggests that to stop in 5 metres from 20 mph needs 0.71g deceleration, which is unrealistic for a bike but could well be achieved in a car. However, allowing for reaction time of (say) 1/3rd second you’d need to see the hazard 3 metres (9 feet) earlier anyway.