Polos. Small, red and driven by an apparently myopic student.
This morning it was apparently my turn to be unseated from my steed during rush hour. I didn’t stand a chance.
Riding in the bus lane is generally, in my experience, preferable to riding with the cars. You have to watch out for buses (easy as they’re big, slow and noisy) and cabs, who’re normally fine save for the 10% who’ll try and kill you as soon as look at you. So there I was this morning, heading into the city along Newmarket road in the bus lane, rolling along steadily at around 20mph. Suddenly, I’m aware of a car moving across the bus lane from my right, behind me…slow motion ensues.. it’s a red car and he’s committed to a left turn and hasn’t seen me, I grab the brakes, open mouth to shout, rear wheel locks up and whack! crump..ughh. I’ve bounced off the rear quarter and hit the deck hard. The world spins back up to normal speed and I decide to lie in the road while I diagnose my injuries. There are 4 student in the car, they come over to check me out – wanting to move me, sit me up etc. I push past the urge to commit mass murder and ask to be left alone. A witness stops too, he’d been following the Polo and had seen the whole thing. Jesus that was too close for comfort. Could I have done anything to avoid it? No, a light may have helped but it wasn’t dark, misty, foggy or anything and I had the yellow rain cover pulled over my rucksack. Chalk it up to occupational hazard.
The bike was suprisingly undamaged, a tear in the saddle and a scrape on my shoe. I’d taken a beating though, with a big cut on my elbow, a scrape down 3/4 of my right leg and a bruised hand. We exchanged details and I rode gingerly into work. The elbow needed some attention and luckily I had some dressings in my drawer, turns out that they expired in 2003! Neil went out and bought some new ones, top fella.
The police weren’t interested, us exchanging details was enough for them apparently.
I’ve starter a personal accident claim through the CTC: After all I now need to replace my saddle, shoes closure, gloves, shorts and gillet which were all holed. I’m going to have a close look at my handlebars too; lightweight carbon fibre like my beautiful Zipp Contour bars don’t appreciate being crashed on tarmac – if I can get them replaced too I will.
More postings as the case develops.