Have you ever been knocked down?

niceonetom

right, with 2/3 of us having had at least one vehicular misadventure i have an ancillary question:

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

i bought one after a small off a few months ago, wore it for a couple of weeks (while cycling, not just around the house, honest) and since then it's been gathering dust. can't get used to it, and have nowhere to put it when i have to do errands etc.

ba

always. i got the Giro Atmos, which is really comfortable, light & cool, so i like wearing it.

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

right, with 2/3 of us having had at least one vehicular misadventure i have an ancillary question:

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

I didn't then, but I do now, in order to reduce the chance of getting more face rash.

blah

I always used to wear mine, and a luminous vest and use lights, even in the middle of the day. Which it was when I got hit by a car turning right, out of a minor road on my left. She stopped at the stop sign, looked both ways and accelerated into me just as I passed. Broke my collar-bone. Didn't get hit in the head, but I'm still glad I was wearing the helmet. She was nice enough to call an ambulance and give me her insurance details. Don't really like cycling any more though

Spook_ie

gillyfromlyre wrote: »

This is off the point a bit but my brother Francie fell out of a taxi going down O connell st,he rolled about 20 metres before he hit a curb and eventually stopped, somehow he only managed to break his wrist and he said the worst part of the whole episode was the taxi driver kept asking him for the fare,what an arsehole

And only right to, just too many people think they can avoid paying by trying to get out of taxis before they've stopped and legging it , or was it just a case of your brother messin around because it seemed like a bit of craic at the time? and if that was the case then why shouldn't the taxi driver ask him for the fare, hardly his fault from the sound of it..

MicraBoy

I have never been knocked down, but have had more near misses than I'd care to believe.

I had one spill but I have no idea what happened. I think the back wheel went out from under me as I came to a halt in the underground car park at work. I had just come down the ramp but wasn't flying it either. It was a same bit wet and the surface is that sort of polished concrete you see in car parks. It was totally unexpected and I did a total face plant. Hurt my hands and wrist but nothing broken.

By the by I always wear my helmet!

niceonetom

Raam wrote: »

I didn't then, but I do now, in order to reduce the chance of getting more face rash.

brain schmrain, just not my beautiful face. NOT THE FACE.

Ghost Rider

Bit by bit, little by little, all threads converge into one - that great thread that strings us all along, that wraps itself around the board until the posters are all garotted, the thread that ties up all the other threads into one great, indigestable logical hairball.

I am speaking, of course,... of THE HELMET THREAD.

unionman

niceonetom wrote: »

right, with 2/3 of us having had at least one vehicular misadventure i have an ancillary question:

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

i bought one after a small off a few months ago, wore it for a couple of weeks (while cycling, not just around the house, honest) and since then it's been gathering dust. can't get used to it, and have nowhere to put it when i have to do errands etc.

ALWAYS. Like wearing a seatbelt in a car, you eventually get so used to it you feel naked without it. I tried going out on the bike a few months ago without the helmet, I couldn't find it or something, anyway, ended up turning round and going home cos it just felt wrong.

It has saved my bacon at least once, offed on Luas tracks and landed head and shoulder first. Other than that, it sends a message to (some) motorists that you take this cycling thing seriously (that and high viz, lights, and stopping at red lights - all other threads to garrot us with Ghost Rider).

I was knocked off a bike in 94 by an idiot young sales rep. All apologies but by the next day (after he'd had advice from his mates) was very self assured in his innocence cos 'I had no witnesses'. So I said fine, I'll talk to your employers (company car), coughed up the meagre amount of cash I was looking for (to replace the bike which was a write off). To this day, both knees carry a reminder, I was far too soft on him.:mad:

kona

learn how to manual, it saved me a "injury" in a collision with the aforemention gob****e opening door.
if you cant brake, lift the front and let the bike hit the car, you fall off but destroy the door:D

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

brain schmrain, just not my beautiful face. NOT THE FACE.

I was like that lad from Batman for a couple of weeks, whatshisname...Two Face!
People would walk into the room and think I was fine, then they would see the other side.

cunnins4

niceonetom wrote: »

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

Oh no, here we go again.







Where did I get that "eating popcorn" emoticon the other day....

kona

i do, i have 2!!!

but youd suprised the amount of people who will buy valve caps over helmets!

niceonetom

cunnins4 wrote: »

Oh no, here we go again.







Where did I get that "eating popcorn" emoticon the other day....

Ghost Rider wrote:

Bit by bit, little by little, all threads converge into one - that great thread that strings us all along, that wraps itself around the board until the posters are all garotted, the thread that ties up all the other threads into one great, indigestable logical hairball.

I am speaking, of course,... of THE HELMET THREAD.

i regret nothing.

ffs what's wrong with introducing the helm question in a thread about collisions. when was the last helmet thread btw? and if you can't stomach the limited number of topics that can legitimately raised in a cycling forum well, read a book instead or something.

i have successfully managed to restrain myself from interfering the in the now nearly daily "entry level road bike?" threads no matter how repetitive they become, so lads, why is it so hard to let one helmet question go? really?

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

i regret nothing.

ffs what's wrong with introducing the helm question in a thread about collisions. when was the last helmet thread btw? and if you can't stomach the limited number of topics that can legitimately raised in a cycling forum well, read a book instead or something.

i have successfully managed to restrain myself from interfering the in the now nearly daily "entry level road bike?" threads no matter how repetitive they become, so lads, why is it so hard to let one helmet question go? really?

Someone touched a nerve there!

niceonetom

Raam wrote: »

Someone touched a nerve there!

ah, not really . but surely the only thing even stupider than a 'helmet' thread is an 'oh no not another helmet thread' thread. if you follow me.

cunnins4

niceonetom wrote: »

i regret nothing.

ffs what's wrong with introducing the helm question in a thread about collisions. when was the last helmet thread btw? and if you can't stomach the limited number of topics that can legitimately raised in a cycling forum well, read a book instead or something.

i have successfully managed to restrain myself from interfering the in the now nearly daily "entry level road bike?" threads no matter how repetitive they become, so lads, why is it so hard to let one helmet question go? really?

Ah Tom, I was only joking!:D

stolenwine

I haven't fallen yet touch wood, only been cycling 4 months. If cars seem to be slowing down to let me pass- if I don't have enough space I normally wait, I can't see them waving me on and really just don't want to take the risk. Human bone versus metal. Metal always wins!

midonogh

I got knocked down in Tooting Broadway, South London.

I was heading north in a bus lane while the traffic in the north bound lane next to me where static at traffic lights. A car in the south bound lane wanted to turn right across us into a side road. A van at the lights flashed the car to turn across him. I was coming up on the inside of the van just as the car was pulling blindly into my lane. Someone described it well above, that you moment when you realise that this is the real thing, that you are not going to get out of this one.

The car caught my front wheel and knocked me down but the driver paniced and kept the foot down. The car lurched along as it tried to go over my fromt wheel. I was dragged/pushed for 12ft with the headlamp of the car 6 inches from my head. For years afterwards there was a 12ft gouge in the tarmac where my pedal had ploughed into the ground. When it was over there were people coming up and squinting at me on the ground, saying that they expected to find me dead. I guy from Ballymena came to help me and I remember being mighty relieved to hear a familiar accent. Plenty of people offered themselves as witnesses, but all I wanted to do was get out of there and get home out of my lycra gear.

Was lucky enough to get away with some bad bruising and a wrenched knee. Bike needed new bars, wheel and forks. The old guy forked out for that but I did not pursue further as I had no witnesses.

I always wear a helmet and had the time to think to myself that this was an excellent policy as I was being dragged along.

Bicyclegadabout

niceonetom wrote: »

right, with 2/3 of us having had at least one vehicular misadventure i have an ancillary question:

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

i bought one after a small off a few months ago, wore it for a couple of weeks (while cycling, not just around the house, honest) and since then it's been gathering dust. can't get used to it, and have nowhere to put it when i have to do errands etc.

Always wear a helmet, but it's a **** one.

When you're doing errands, you can either:
- lock the helmet to the bike and whatever the bike is locked to or
- If you wear any sort of backpack, clip it to the strap and let it hang there behind you. This is what I do.

gillyfromlyre

Listen smarty pants, the taxi was moving at around 40mph so I dont think my brother was trying to jump out and avoid the fare unless he was after watching about 15 episodes of the "fall guy" before hand and got carried away with himself, some people have a nerve

Spook_ie

gillyfromlyre wrote: »

Listen smarty pants, the taxi was moving at around 40mph so I dont think my brother was trying to jump out and avoid the fare unless he was after watching about 15 episodes of the "fall guy" before hand and got carried away with himself, some people have a nerve

So just how do you manage to fall out of a taxi doing 40mph? I have no nerve just questions that warrant answers!

AckwelFoley

Ive never been hit, but i do in y expierence notice alot of bike owners and particularly pedestrians dont wear enough Hi Viz gear at night

Bunnyhopper

Just to add another bit of grim reality to proceedings...

BBC: "Cycling star dies after collision"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7189168.stm



("Let’s be careful out there.")

gillyfromlyre

Spook_ie wrote: »

So just how do you manage to fall out of a taxi doing 40mph? I have no nerve just questions that warrant answers!

The door wasn't closed properly and he went flying out, he always wears a safety belt now

HJ Simpson

Knocked down once years ago. I was waiting at the roundabout at the
M50/N81 when a gap appears and the driver who had sat behind me for a minute or two forgot I was in front of him and knocked me down from behind. You just cant explain how stupid some people are!
HJS

Spook_ie

gillyfromlyre wrote: »

The door wasn't closed properly and he went flying out, he always wears a safety belt now

Ah so it wasn't the taxi drivers fault then..

bitemybanger

got knocked down once in Swords cycling home from school by a DHL van,
Broke my nose as i landed on it and broke my ankle and chipped a bone in my elbow, also 2 black eyes and a cut under my eye, looked like Frankinstine for a couple of weeks:(

c0rk3r

Aye

Was on my way home from Dcu travelling in the direction of town. Its all downhill until the after the tolka river so i was travelling fairly fast. It has a clearly defined cycle lane all the way to town too, well for the most part so people should be aware of cyclists. Anyway. Traffic stopped ahead at a set of lights. I cycle past just as the lights turn green. Lexus beside me travels a few meters up the road then turns into his house cutting me off. I slam into the side of car destroying his wing mirror and leaving superficial dents in the passenger door. I remember clearly the anger, rage building up as i was falling to the ground "what a fxucking idiot".

It was my first accident (and only one) and i didnt really know how to react or how i should react. I had no idea what the story was. We start playing the blame game. Him calling me "youth of today", me "your too old to drive" etc etc just rubbish. The funny thing was it was a garda who stopped the traffic crossing the road. She was called over. assesed the damage and we both went our separate ways. Front end was a bit mangled and my right leg was heavily bruised.

If im ever in an accident again heres my own advice. Remain on the ground for a while longer or get up and turn your back away from the accident, breathe in and just try to calm yourself down. Breathe in some more. Try to assess the situation in a calm and rational manor. Assess the damage to the bike and talk to the driver (probably got as much a fright as you did). Take details if need be. Then cycle away. Stay calm.

It was a real wake up call and ive had a few near misses since. I treat every car with utter contempt and try distance myself from all cars/traffic as much as i can. I break lights to get a head start so i dont get creamed trying to indicate ahead at the next junction. I use the footpaths to avoid lunatic drives. I stop at junctions where i have the right of way, where cars are turning infront of me (they just never seem to pay attention/have respect for cyclists). I Remember i stopped at the howl at the moon junction in town(dublin) when the lights were green, cyclist behind me didnt and got creamed. I watch motorist like a hawk these days, watch there every movement. I can usually predict the ones that are gonna cause me harm.

Alot of lunatics out there. Stay alert.

cunnins4

bitemybanger wrote: »

got knocked down once in Swords cycling home from school by a DHL van,
Broke my nose as i landed on it and broke my ankle and chipped a bone in my elbow, also 2 black eyes and a cut under my eye, looked like Frankinstine for a couple of weeks:(

:eek: