Did you leave your bike on the M1?

[winjim]

Driving home today, I had to take evasive action due to a bicycle on the motorway. It looks like it fell off someone's car rack but there was nobody pulled over on the hard shoulder or anything. So if anyone reading this got home today and realised their bike was missing, it's somewhere between junctions 26 - 27 on the northbound carriageway of the M1.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Unlucky rider but lucky you, that could have been nasty.

I had a hatch mounted rack slip in transit before, luckily nothing fell off but it went with a heck of a noise. I thought I'd tightened all the straps properly before I set off, I still couldn't say what I missed or did wrong or if something gave out as bad luck.

 

[winjim]

Unlucky rider but lucky you, that could have been nasty.

I had a hatch mounted rack slip in transit before, luckily nothing fell off but it went with a heck of a noise. I thought I'd tightened all the straps properly before I set off, I still couldn't say what I missed or did wrong or if something gave out as bad luck.

This is the thing. Did somebody really not notice it go? I'd have expected to see them on the hard shoulder, watching in horror as their pride and joy was smashed up by an artic.

I certainly wouldn't like to have been behind it at 70mph when it fell off, and I hope it hasn't caused any further accidents. I did phone the highways agency but I'm not sure if they thought I meant there was someone riding a bike on the motorway, asopposed to just the bike...

 

[Racing roadkill]

This is the thing. Did somebody really not notice it go? I'd have expected to see them on the hard shoulder, watching in horror as their pride and joy was smashed up by an artic.

I certainly wouldn't like to have been behind it at 70mph when it fell off, and I hope it hasn't caused any further accidents. I did phone the highways agency but I'm not sure if they thought I meant there was someone riding a bike on the motorway, asopposed to just the bike...

Nope, they would never think that, as absolutely nobody would be insane enough to ride a bicycle on a motorway, not even by accident.......

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I've always feared this happening. I mostly trust my bike rack but still lock the frame to the car, no to stop the bike falling off but to stop it going through someone's windscreen if it does.

 

[Dayvo]

If you hurry, you might be able to salvage something: a shoe, maybe.

 

[Drago]

Those strap on bike racks are hateful things. First hint of warm weather every year we would have several bikes dumped on the motorway where racks had been badly fitted, the straps had failed, or the chumps had rested the pad on the rear glass and the glass had gone kerblammo and dumped the lot on the carriageway.

 

[Mr_Kipling]

I would'nt have stopped either if it was me. Think about it. Lets say you have your wife & 2 kids in the car coming home from a nice weekend away cycling and you lose a bike at 70mph off the back of your car. What can you do if you stopanyway? Run into the middle of the motorway to get the bike while the people most important to you are sitting in a stationary car just 1 meter away from 70 mph traffic? No way am I stopping on the motorway! I will drive to the next junction pull off and find a safe place to stop while my wife calls 999.

 

[Globalti]

It always amazes me when I see folk driving around in empty cars with bikes displayed like trophies on racks. Okay, a full car is different and you've no choice but with just one or two people in the car, inside has always got to be safer and the bike is protected from road salt in winter as well.