3rd time knocked down by a car. This is starting to get old

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Friday a week and a half ago I was heading west from Kensington. I entered a roundabout heading straight through. There was a car approaching from my left, but it was well short of the line, and I had priority. It was moving towards the give way line like it wasn't stopping, but - and I hate this - every car in London approaches a roundabout like they aren't going to stop. But you are well ahead of me here; It didn't stop, pringling my wheel and leaving my carbon fork under suspicion. But I'm ok, and... I don't think my insurance claim will be challenged.

But... the bike is at the LBS - possibly a right off but I've taken no action to get it back on the road or replaced. Cycling was one of my few pleasures and my main form of transport, and I may be done. How many more collisions (none of them so far my fault) before I am maimed?

There's more to tell post collision, but I'll save that and share of there's an interest

Ironically (or something) I was spending time with my brother from overseas. He's very much of the cycling-is-dangerous school. This was the third time this visit I had left for home on my bike, and the previous two nights he'd insisted on a text when I got home. This night I said "I'll be fine. I won't text. You go to bed.". 150 metres down the road? Bam!

This is why I am still on cyclechat. At the least the responses will be mainly supportive and I expect to get some help getting back on the road. But some of them will come from people I have differing views on gender roles, so there's that.
 
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Glad you're OK, and sorry about the bike.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
First of all, I'm really sorry to hear about your accident, you didn't say if you're injured, are you OK?
I know where you're coming from, it is a scary prospect the one to be maimed or worse.
I only had near misses so far, but I'm very careful in choosing my routes.
One near miss a few weeks ago, in good visibility, only me and the car on the road, now I will never ride that junction again.
I am positive you will ride again because you love cycling.
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
Thank you. That is just the response I want. Sadly, I don't always bounce. The debilitating injuries have not yet happened in the presence of a car. I am not totally convinced that is a good thing.
The last time I was offed was on the Earl's Court one-way system. In the process of becoming airborne, knocking off a door mirror, denting a front wing and being projected onto the pavement with the bike on top of me, a very large tin of powdered glue exploded in my backpack.
The next day, I was riding the same route and stopped off at a decorators' merchants on Kensington High Street to buy a pot of paint. At the till, I asked the guy to tape up the lid really well so that when I got offed again, the inside of my backpack would be OK. The bloke behind me was utterly horrified at my fatalism.:okay:
 

classic33

Leg End Member
I've had worse injuries from siezures than I've had from cycling. That incudes the t-boning that had me bonnet surfing. Hit once and another near miss on the same day, both drivers claimed not to have seen me. Which given what I was on at the time is pushing it.

Take time, think about possibly changing the type of cycling rather than giving up. It'd be a spur of the moment thing that you may regret later.

What ever you decide, best o'luck.
 

Slick

Guru
Sorry to hear of your troubles, not nice. Obviously nobody wants to see someone give up on cycling but I for one would understand it if you did, even for a while. I do enjoy my commute, but sometimes I do wonder.

I hope both you and the bike are repaired quickly.
 

Saluki

World class procrastinator
Sorry to hear that you have been run into again. I have never cycled in the London area but imagine it to be more fraught with stupidity- car drivers I mean - than the small towns that I tend to live in.
I hope that you do return to cycling and that you feel better soon.
 

flake99please

We all scream for ice cream
Location
Edinburgh
Hopefully the insurance is dealt with in a timely manner. Take a little ‘time out’ if needed.

My grandad always said a bad day on a bike is better than a good day at work. Remember all the journeys without incidents, and remind yourself that collisions are very rare.
 
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keithmac

Guru
Sad news that you're thinking of giving up, I've had to stop at a certain roundabout a few times (my right of way) even though I've already eyballed the driver on approach.

The same roundabout has 2 lanes to my right, stopped a few weeks back because there was a car coming through in the straight ahead lane to my right and a van locked all 4 wheels up behind me!.

Was expecting a right mess (hit from behind and pushed side on into a car) but he stopped just on my rear wheel. Sure I saw a phone in his hand (builders van..).

Yesterday night a woman was that obsessed with pulling out of a side street she didn't look at all, I knew what was coming so took avoiding action but shed only checked her right (and saw me) half way across the road!. I gave her some helpful driving tips through her open drivers window!.

Close passes are too common now, used to be one in a blue moon now it's 2 or more a journey..

One last one, the traffic lights in York, top of Nunnery Lane/ Station Rise. The amount of busses that jump that red light coming from Station Rise is unbelievable, if I didn't check right on our green light I'd have been squashed years ago.

Seriously thinking of a helmet cam!. The joya of the commute..
 
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