Ouch and Oooh!

The cycle joys I think always outweigh the cycle pains but today the pain was absolutely massive. I was involved in a road traffic accident in the City of London today where the passenger door of a mini opened up into a cycle lane in front of me and completely took my off the bicycle. I hit the door (the edge) really hard whilst freewheeling down the hill, went completely head over heels over the handlebars, bicycle and car door and landed in the middle of the pavement next to the car. OUCH!

That really, really hurt. What emerges from the door but a little guy probably only 10-13 years old profusely apologising and asking if I am ok! At this point I wasn't too sure if I was ok, I was still lying on top of my bicycle in the middle of the pavement saying quite loudly, "Aaaaaarrrrrgghhhhhhaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhoooouuuuccccchhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" Although I did realise that I wasn't dead and that I didn't have any immediate concerns that I was taking my last breaths.

So I manage to raise myself from the floor at this point, thankfully for the child I don't verbally lay into him or take my frustration out on him; I tell him that I am OK and accept his apology. My anger I focus on the driver of the car and mother of the child. She wasn't particularly helpful but I have her phone number and will hopefully be getting her to buy me a new bicycle, although who knows if you can make a claim against a driver when you're a lowly cyclist? Watch this space because I am definitely going to try.

This driver had already managed to mildly upset me by pulling a u-turn into the cycle lane just a few seconds before, I had slowed down and waited for her to do this and she had still not seen me. She then continued along the road before hitting the traffic jam and the car stopped. With no indication that she had pulled over to let anyone out, and leaving a gap of a cycle lane between her car and the pavement, she let her young children open the door into the oncoming traffic of bicycles, which unfortunately today was me! She should be relieved that it was the door I hit and not her child, imagine the force of a fully grown person, moving reasonably quickly attached to a framework of steel ploughing straight into a child of that age. Not really worth thinking about, obviously unless you're the type of person who lets their child step without looking into a busy cycle lane in Central London!!!

I will do my upmost to try and get CCTV footage of the incident, hopefully this will be possible and if I do I shall post it on here for you all to see.

In the meantime we will have to say a goodbye to a beautifully complete frame and forks of a 1950s BSA Golden Clubman.

Here is what I always imagined I would restore it to, if I ever got hold of the time and money to do so.

Ah well, that bicycle, which really was my first long-term true love in the world of cycling is going to end up being a confused amalgamation of new and old, some weird hybrid freak of a bicycle that has seen well over 50 years of tinkering, changing, riding and now a good old crash with a mindless driver. Sob.

Here's some photo's of the old steed when it made the conversion from a dysfunctional geared bicycle to a super slick single speed.




So for the cycle joy back in your life, watch this advert. It makes me want to drink Super-Alligatorjuice or whatever it's advertising. It features Victoria Pendleton (Olympic Track Cycling gold medalist) and a top UK trials rider called Ali Clarkson, it's worth every single one of the 63 seconds of it's duration. Enjoy!